annual Report—Convention. 
69 
paid annually for public instruction in the United States. If, now, 
we take four-fifths of the 8,287,048 engaged in various pursuits in 
the United States in 1860, who received their education in the 
common schools, considering each one as capable of earning 
one dollar per day without such education, and $1.25 with it, we 
have a yearly addition to the production of the country of $528,- 
740,178 ; nearly nine times the amount paid annually for public 
school instruction. Then, consider what the increased production 
would be if specific instruction were given to these persons in the 
different branches of industry represented by them, or if, in early 
life, studies were pursued bearing directly upon their vocation. 
The instruction that these men need, in the main, is in the facts 
and truths of natural science, for these lie at the foundation of the 
life-work of the vast majority of the producers of our country’s 
wealth. These sciences must be studied if our nation would attain 
the exalted destiny which clearly awards it. 
Dr. Playfair says, “ the great advantage of such an education 
is, that while it elevates the individual, it at the same time gives 
security for the future prosperity of the nation. There are in¬ 
stances of nations rich in natural resources of industry, yet poor 
from the want of knowledge how to apply them; and there are 
opposite examples of nations utterly devoid of industrial advan¬ 
tages, but composed of an educated people who use their science 
as a compensation for their lack of raw material. Spain is an ex¬ 
ample of the first class, and Holland of the second. Spain has 
everything in the richest profusion to make it great and prosper¬ 
ous. Few countries have such riches in the natural resources of 
industry. A rich soil and almost tropical luxuriance make her a 
great food exporting nation. Iron and coal, copper, quick¬ 
silver and l6ad abound in profusion, but these do not create indus¬ 
tries unless the people possess knowledge to apply them. When 
that knowledge prevailed, Spain was indeed among the most ad¬ 
vanced of industrial nations, not only her metallurgic industries, 
but her cotton, woolen and silk manufactories were unequaled; her 
shipbuilding was also the admiration of the nations. But all have 
decayed, because science withers among an uneducated people, 
and without science nations cannot thrive. 
“Turn now to Holland, once a mere province of Spain. She 
