第86章

ItwasaBillforthemoregeneraldiffusionoflearning。Thisproposedtodivideeverycountyintowardsof5。or6。milessquare，likeyourtownships；toestablishineachwardafreeschoolforreading，writingandcommonarithmetic；toprovidefortheannualselectionofthebestsubjectsfromtheseschoolswhomightrecieveatthepublicexpenceahigherdegreeofeducationatadistrictschool；andfromthesedistrictschoolstoselectacertainnumberofthemostpromisingsubjectstobecompleatedatanUniversity，wherealltheusefulsciencesshouldbetaught。Worthandgeniuswouldthushavebeensoughtoutfromeveryconditionoflife，andcompleatlypreparedbyeducationfordefeatingthecompetitionofwealthandbirthforpublictrusts。

Mypropositionhadforafurtherobjecttoimparttothesewardsthoseportionsofself-governmentforwhichtheyarebestqualified，byconfidingtothemthecareoftheirpoor，theirroads，police，elections，thenominationofjurors，administrationofjusticeinsmallcases，elementaryexercisesofmilitia，inshort，tohavemadethemlittlerepublics，withaWardenattheheadofeach，forallthoseconcernswhich，beingundertheireye，theywouldbettermanagethanthelargerrepublicsofthecountyorstate。A

generalcallofward-meetingsbytheirWardensonthesamedaythro’

thestatewouldatanytimeproducethegenuinesenseofthepeopleonanyrequiredpoint，andwouldenablethestatetoactinmass，asyourpeoplehavesooftendone，andwithsomucheffect，bytheirtownmeetings。Thelawforreligiousfreedom，whichmadeapartofthissystem，havingputdownthearistocracyoftheclergy，andrestoredtothecitizenthefreedomofthemind，andthoseofentailsanddescentsnurturinganequalityofconditionamongthem，thisonEducationwouldhaveraisedthemassofthepeopletothehighgroundofmoralrespectabilitynecessarytotheirownsafety，andtoorderlygovernment；andwouldhavecompleatedthegreatobjectofqualifyingthemtoselecttheveritablearistoi，forthetrustsofgovernment，totheexclusionofthePseudalists：andthesameTheogniswhohasfurnishedtheepigraphsofyourtwolettersassuresusthat{`oydemianpoKyrnagathoipolinolesanandres，}[”Curnis，goodmenhaveneverharmedanycity”]’。Altho’thislawhasnotyetbeenactedonbutinasmallandinefficientdegree，itisstillconsideredasbeforethelegislature，withotherbillsoftherevisedcode，notyettakenup，andIhavegreathopethatsomepatrioticspiritwill，atafavorablemoment，callitup，andmakeitthekey-stoneofthearchofourgovernment。

WithrespecttoAristocracy，weshouldfurtherconsiderthat，beforetheestablishmentoftheAmericanstates，nothingwasknowntoHistorybuttheManoftheoldworld，croudedwithinlimitseithersmallorovercharged，andsteepedintheviceswhichthatsituationgenerates。Agovernmentadaptedtosuchmenwouldbeonething；butaverydifferentonethatfortheManofthesestates。Hereeveryonemayhavelandtolaborforhimselfifhechuses；or，preferringtheexerciseofanyotherindustry，mayexactforitsuchcompensationasnotonlytoaffordacomfortablesubsistence，butwhere-withtoprovideforacessationfromlaborinoldage。Everyone，byhisproperty，orbyhissatisfactorysituation，isinterestedinthesupportoflawandorder。Andsuchmenmaysafelyandadvantageouslyreservetothemselvesawholsomecontroulovertheirpublicaffairs，andadegreeoffreedom，whichinthehandsoftheCanailleofthecitiesofEurope，wouldbeinstantlypervertedtothedemolitionanddestructionofeverythingpublicandprivate。Thehistoryofthelast25。yearsofFrance，andofthelast40。yearsinAmerica，nayofit’slast200。years，provesthetruthofbothpartsofthisobservation。

ButeveninEuropeachangehassensiblytakenplaceinthemindofMan。Sciencehadliberatedtheideasofthosewhoreadandreflect，andtheAmericanexamplehadkindledfeelingsofrightinthepeople。Aninsurrectionhasconsequentlybegun，ofscience，talentsandcourageagainstrankandbirth，whichhavefallenintocontempt。Ithasfailedinit’sfirsteffort，becausethemobsofthecities，theinstrumentusedforit’saccomplishment，debasedbyignorance，povertyandvice，couldnotberestrainedtorationalaction。Buttheworldwillrecoverfromthepanicofthisfirstcatastrophe。Scienceisprogressive，andtalentsandenterprizeonthealert。Resortmaybehadtothepeopleofthecountry，amoregovernablepowerfromtheirprinciplesandsubordination；andrank，andbirth，andtinsel-aristocracywillfinallyshrinkintoinsignificance，eventhere。Thishoweverwehavenorighttomeddlewith。Itsufficesforus，ifthemoralandphysicalconditionofourowncitizensqualifiesthemtoselecttheableandgoodforthedirectionoftheirgovernment，witharecurrenceofelectionsatsuchshortperiodsaswillenablethemtodisplaceanunfaithfulservantbeforethemischiefhemeditatesmaybeirremediable。

Ihavethusstatedmyopiniononapointonwhichwediffer，notwithaviewtocontroversy，forwearebothtoooldtochangeopinionswhicharetheresultofalonglifeofinquiryandreflection；butonthesuggestionofaformerletterofyours，thatweoughtnottodiebeforewehaveexplainedourselvestoeachother。

Weactedinperfectharmonythro’alongandperilouscontestforourlibertyandindependance。Aconstitutionhasbeenacquiredwhich，thoneitherofusthinkperfect，yetbothconsiderascompetenttorenderourfellow-citizensthehappiestandthesecurestonwhomthesunhasevershone。Ifwedonotthinkexactlyalikeastoit’simperfections，itmatterslittletoourcountrywhich，afterdevotingtoitlonglivesofdisinterestedlabor，wehavedeliveredovertooursuccessorsinlife，whowillbeabletotakecareofit，andofthemselves。

Ofthepamphletonaristocracywhichhasbeensenttoyou，orwhomaybeit’sauthor，Ihaveheardnothingbutthro’you