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impressions ; it leaves a large independence to the teacher and 

 a still larger to the scholar, — whence an extreme diversity in 

 the modes of procedure and a not less striking inequality in 

 the results. Many and many a time one is struck with the 

 hasty, rapid, almost improvised character of a plan of educa- 

 tion which trusts implicitly to good instincts, good sense, and 

 good will, which aims ever to address the eye, the memory, the 

 imagination, which would thus gain time over the old strictly 

 didactic methods, but which by so doing, runs the risk of 

 becoming somewhat superficial, and is in danger sometimes of 

 dispensing too much with the severe but fruitful labors of 

 abstraction and reasoning. 



We are not of those who, ignorant of the marvellous proofs 

 of moral and material vitality which the United States have 

 shown, think that we have discovered in this grand body the 

 germ of decomposition and prophesy its near ruin. This is 

 perhaps the people, of all the earth, which has in its immense 

 domains the grandest deposits of natural riches ; in its temper- 

 ament and character the most powerful motive to action ; in its 

 historical traditions the noblest example of energy, efficiency, 

 courage and civic honor, and in its institutions the system best 

 fitted to favor the rise of liberty, and these are some of the 

 forces which ought to resist the toughest trials. But while we 

 do not overlook these most promising signs, we do not conceal 

 the formidable problems which the country has still to solve. 

 The antagonism of races, traditions and interests which brought 

 on the bloody conflict between the North and the South, the 

 irruption of the blacks into public life, a just but terrible pun- 

 ishment of a civic wrong, the difficult}^ of long maintaining the 

 bonds which unite peoples so diverse, spread over a territory 

 so immense; all these are grave questions. These however are 

 thrown in the shade by a danger more immediate, and that is 

 the alteration, say rather the corruption of political morals, the 

 question of elections, and especially the election of President, 

 whether this shall be made by the intelligence and virtue of 

 the people, or whether it will veer about and become the prey 

 of intrigue and corruption. 



