127 



my judgment, is that we are now considering. Let us im- 

 pute to the people, in political affairs, whatever wisdom and sa- 

 gacity our love of them may teach us to give them credit for, 

 but let us keep this subject apart for the exercise of our honest 

 regard for the philosophy and the truth we may find involved 

 in it. 



Of one thing let us be entirely satisfied: that it is in vain 

 to expect the people to make a voluntary upward movement, 

 from their present level, in the work of education, just because 

 it is not in the constitution of man to do it, and because not 

 one example of the sort can be found in the whole history of 

 the race. We must adopt the maxim, which is the chief wis- 

 dom and praise of the common school system as it now exists, 

 that the people will move in this matter only as they are moved 

 upon, and that it is the business of the State to supply the mo- 

 tive power ; and, once adopted, the maxim must be fearlessly 

 carried out in practice. 



I hope I shall not be understood by these suggestions, that 

 we are to copy implicitly any miUtary system of disciphne, de- 

 signed to afford just illumination enough to complete and per- 

 fect the training necessary to form accomplished and effective 

 subjects for an iron despotism. In this light do I regard the 

 educational modes established in Prussia. At any rate, one 

 thing is agreed on all hands, that the police of that system is 

 utterly inappUcable and impracticable with us, though it is ad- 

 mitted we may glean from it some exceUent lessons. 



Still, in my opinion, this is the very country where govern- 

 ment should do more for learning, under its just authority, 

 than is done in any other, instead of less.* It seems to 

 me that it should be assumed as an unexpressed but ne- 

 cessary part of the compact into which the people of this 



