179
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
country. Congress at its last session, in accordance with a.wise, liberal and enlightened policy, made large .appropriations 98 of land for the endowment of Colleges, Academies, and primary schools. But the ap- propriations, though liberal, will require the utmost care in their man- agement and application, to make them equal to the important work which is to be achieved. In their present condition they can be re- garded only as the foundation of a fund, which, by judicious measures, and well digested plans of operation, may be husbanded and increased until it shall be amply sufficient for all the purposes intended; but without such measures, it may be frittered away in useless experiments, or swallowed up in the prosecution of visionary schemes, which can result in no permanent good to the country. It is therefore my de- liberate opinion that if no other advantage was expected to be derived from the establishment of a bureau of Education, than such as would result from a judicious management of its funds, that advantage alone would be sufficient to justify the expenses required for the support of such a bureau. But there are objects which will claim the attention of the head of this department in the management of the school funds, other than their mere preservation and augmentation. 'fhey are the judicious and effective application of those funds, to the purposes intended under the guidance of such enlarged and practical legislation as Congress in its wisdom may devise and adopt upon the subject. It would certainly be insulting to the understanding of thi~ Congress, were I to indulge in any useless argument in favor of the great importance of Education in a Republican Government, for we have all been taught from our child- hood to know that "intelligence is the life of Liberty." 'And knowinr,! this truth, does it not become one of the highest duties of the guardians of that liberty, to Rttend to the general diffusion of that vital principle, not simply by making endowments for the object, but also by giving direction to those endowments so as to insure the most beneficial re- sults. To make an appropriation for the erection and support oJ' a University is one thing-- but it is quite another to attend tu the dis- bursment of that appropriation, and to see that the blessings intended to be conferred shall be faithfully imparted. And the one is as much the duty of the Government as the other. I hold that the Congress is no less bound to attend to the dissemination of Knowledge, than it is to attend to the physical defence of the country. Appropriations for National protection are not made and left in the hands of irresponsible persons with a total indifference to the mode of applying thrm, or fo the results to be produced. The same wisdom which makes the appro- priation is equally alive in guarding their legitimate application, and in adopting the meRns to ~ecure the ends intended. And shall the Government be less vigilant and active in another matter which is felt to be more important to the preservation of Liberty than an Henry with Banners? Shall she direct and control the operations of the Army and Navy through her appointed Agents, holding all to a strict ac- countability and a due performance of their duties, and yet assume no control, no management nor supervision of that still stronger arm of Nationa! Defence, the diffusion of knowledge? Certainly not. The
"See Gammel, H. P. N., Laws of Texas, II, 134.
Powered by FlippingBook