第107章

Whofirststartedthatidea?Imaysurelysay，myself。Turntothebillintherevisedcode，whichIdrewmorethanfortyyearsago，andbeforewhichtheideaofaplanfortheeducationofthepeople，generally，hadneverbeensuggestedinthisState。Thereyouwillseedevelopedthefirstrudimentsofthewholesystemofgeneraleducationwearenowurgingandactingon：anditiswellknowntothosewiththomIhaveactedonthissubject，thatIneverhaveproposedasacrificeoftheprimarytotheultimategradeofinstruction。Letuskeepoureyesteadilyonthewholesystem。Ifwecannotdoeverythingatonce，letusdooneatatime。Theprimaryschoolsneednopreliminaryexpense；theultimategraderequiresaconsiderableexpenditureinadvance。Asuspensionofproceedingforayearortwoontheprimaryschools，andanapplicationofthewholeincome，duringthattime，tothecompletionofthebuildingsnecessaryfortheUniversity，wouldenableusthentostartbothinstitutionsatthesametime。Theintermediatebranch，ofcolleges，academiesandprivateclassicalschools，forthemiddlegrade，mayhereafterreceiveanynecessaryaidswhenthefundsshallbecomecompetent。Inthemeantime，theyaregoingonsufficiently，astheyhaveeveryetgoneon，attheprivateexpenseofthosewhousethem，andwhoinnumbersandmeansarecompetenttotheirownexigencies。Theexperienceofthreeyearshas，Ipresume，leftnodoubtthatthepresentplanofprimaryschools，ofputtingmoneyintothehandsoftwelvehundredpersonsactingfornothing，andundernoresponsibility，isentirelyinefficient。Someothermustbethoughtof；andduringthispause，ifitbeonlyforayear，thewholerevenueofthatyear，withthatofthelastthreeyearswhichhasnotbeenalreadythrownaway，wouldplaceourUniversityinreadinesstostartwithabetterorganizationofprimaryschools，andbothmaythengoon，handinhand，forever。Nodiminutionofthecapitalwillinthiswayhavebeenincurred；aprinciplewhichoughttobedeemedsacred。Arelinquishmentofinterestonthelateloanofsixtythousanddollars，wouldsofar，also，forwardtheUniversitywithoutlesseningthecapital。

ButwhatmaybebestdoneIleavewithentireconfidencetoyourselfandyourcolleaguesinlegislation，whoknowbetterthanI

dotheconditionsoftheliteraryfundanditswisestapplicationsandIshallacquiescewithperfectresignationtotheirwill。Ihavebrooded，perhapswithfondness，overthisestablishment，asithelduptomethehopeofcontinuingtobeusefulwhileIcontinuedtolive。Ihadbelievedthatthecourseandcircumstancesofmylifehadplacedwithinmypowersomeservicesfavorabletotheoutsetoftheinstitution。Butthismaybeegoism；pardonable，perhaps，whenI

expressaconsciousnessthatmycolleaguesandsuccessorswilldoaswell，whateverthelegislatureshallenablethemtodo。

Ihavethus，mydearSir，openedmybosom，withallitsanxieties，freelytoyou。Iblamenobodyforseeingthingsinadifferentlight。Iamsurethatallactconscientiously，andthatallwillbedonehonestlyandwiselywhichcanbedone。Iyieldtheconcernsoftheworldwithcheerfulnesstothosewhoareappointedintheorderofnaturetosucceedtothem；andforyourself，forourcolleagues，andforallinchargeofourcountry’sfuturefameandfortune，Iofferupsincereprayers。

ADANGEROUSEXAMPLE

_ToJedidiahMorse_

_Monticello，March6，1822_

SIR，——IhavedulyreceivedyourletterofFebruarythe16th，andhavenowtoexpressmysenseofthehonorablestationproposedtomyex-brethrenandmyself，intheconstitutionofthesocietyforthecivilizationandimprovementoftheIndiantribes。Theobjecttooexpressed，asthatoftheassociation，isonewhichIhaveeverhadmuchatheart，andneveromittedanoccasionofpromoting，whileI

havebeeninsituationstodoitwitheffect，andnothing，evennow，inthecalmofageandretirement，wouldexciteinmeamorelivelyinterestthananapprovableplanofraisingthatrespectableandunfortunatepeoplefromthestateofphysicalandmoralabjection，towhichtheyhavebeenreducedbycircumstancesforeigntothem。Thattheplannowproposedisentitledtounmixedapprobation，Iamnotpreparedtosay，aftermatureconsideration，andwithallthepartialitieswhichitsprofessedobjectwouldrightfullyclaimfromme。

Ishallnotundertaketodrawthelineofdemarcationbetweenprivateassociationsoflaudableviewsandunimposingnumbers，andthosewhosemagnitudemayrivaliseandjeopardisethemarchofregulargovernment。Yetsuchalinedoesexist。Ihaveseenthedays，theywerethosewhichprecededtheRevolution，wheneventhislastandperilousenginebecamenecessary；buttheyweredayswhichnomanwouldwishtoseeasecondtime。Thatwasthecasewhere