people of every country were soldiers. War was the most honorable calling in the community, and the profession of the soldier naturally had the ascendency over every other. In such a state of society, the spoils of victory were the most honorable of all acquisitions, and it was deemed unworthy of a man to acquire by labor what might be obtained by blood.* As society advanced, the fierce spirit of war was softened, the arts of peace began to be cultivated; knowledge, morals, and the true religion, took the place of ignorance and superstition; industry became honorable; and life, blessed by the fruits of labor and virtue, became gradually, at least in Christian countries, comfortable, refined, and happy. The achievements of war have ever, by their brilliancy, struck the imagination more forcibly than the mild pursuits of peace; and, until civilization was far advanced, the martial spirit was the genuine spirit of patriotism, and took precedence over every thing else. And while this spirit, as has before been said, has gradually given way to the better order of things, with which we have long since become familiar; still much of it has been transferred to our times, and along with it the ancient estimate of the superior importance of the military profession. Hence it is, that even in our day, when the kingdom of the Prince of Peace is extensively established in the earth, the martial spirit, martial achievements, and martial renown, continue to be regarded by many, as the almost exclusive test, measure, and evidence of patriotism. But assuredly, without wishing to condemn the military spirit when suitably tempered and disciplined, or to detract from the value of military services, this view and estimate of patriotism and of the patriotic spirit are unnatural, illiberal, and unreasonable. What is there in the martial spirit or in martial services, which can make them patriotic, to the exclusion of successful invention in the arts and sciences, the diffusion of knowledge and religion, and whatever other blessings the reign of morals, order, industry, and peace confer on mankind. When analyzed, the spirit of patriotism consists of at least two elements, the love of country, and a willingness to employ * Tacitus, De Moribus Germanorum, c. 14. the choicest powers, physical, intellectual, and moral, in advancing its interest, honor, and happiness. Every man whose breast. is warmed by the love of country, and who is ready to devote his best powers of body and mind to its welfare, is fully entitled, in the best sense of the term, to the name and honors of patriotism. If it is urged, that the soldier devotes his life to the service of his country; a sacrifice which, from the nature of the case, can be made in no peaceful profession, still, conceding the most that can be made of the argument in this way, the soldier is only entitled to higher praise, and, by no means, to the exclu sive honors of patriotism. "The love of our country," says Vattel, “is natural to all men. The good and wise author of nature has taken care to bind them by a kind of instinct, to the places where they received their first breath. * But, frequently, some causes unhappily weaken or destroy this natural impression. The injustice or severity of the government too easily effaces it in the hearts of the subjects." Again; he says, "The state will be powerful and happy, if the good qualities of the subject, passing beyond the narrow sphere of the virtues of individuals, become the virtues of citizens. The grand secret of giving the virtues of individuals so happy a turn with respect to the state, is, to inspire the citizens with an ardent love for their country. It will naturally follow, that each will endeavour to serve the state, and to apply all his powers and abilities to the advantage and glory of the nation." "And," continues he, "he must be very ignorant of politics, who does not know, that a virtuous nation will be more capable than any other, of forming a state that is at once happy, tranquil, flourishing, solid, respected by its neighbours, and formidable to its enemies." Such are the views of this distinguished writer, in regard to the patriotic spirit and the patriotic virtues of the most effective and valuable kind. These virtues consist of industry, frugality, moderation combined with energy, physical and moral courage, disciplined passions, justice, benevolence, enterprise, foresight, and good faith, all enlightened and guided by exact and comprehensive knowledge. See the Odyssey, Lib. IX. 34 - 36. f Law of Nations, p. 110. The opinion prevailed in the time of Cicero, that the martial were superior to the civil and peaceful virtues; but this opinion was not received by that profound moralist and accomplished statesman.* The services of Washington were neither less patriotic, nor less valuable, when, as chief magistrate of the United States, he was presiding over the civil interests of his country, than when, directing the storm of war and surrounded by its "pomp and circumstance," he was triumphing over the armies of Great Britain, at Boston, at Princeton, and at Yorktown. Civil transactions compose much of every military campaign, and the event of military arrangements not unfrequently turns on them; and the revolutionary services of Washington, Greene, and La Fayette, great as they were, were not more indispensable to the success of the contest, than those of Franklin, Adams, Jay, and Jefferson. In fact, history makes known with the most convincing evidence, the truth, that mere physical power is of little avail, — nay, is absolute weakness, unless directed by skill and energy, and sustained by moral principles and the practice of the moral virtues. Moral power and well-digested discipline, capacity for order and arrangement, wisdom to direct among the well-educated and well-principled citizens of a country, much more than personal prowess and individual valor, are the chief tower of strength to a country. This view of the ascendency of moral power (and how can it be gainsaid?) over the affairs of a nation, and even over the events of war itself, widens immeasurably the field of patriotic feeling, enterprise, and achievement. More than this; it reverses the order of merit on the scale of patriotism; physical force becomes subordinate to moral; every man may become a distinguished patriot without commanding an army; and whoever contributes most to promote education, to augment the treasures of knowledge, to enlarge the circle of the arts and sciences, and more especially to sustain and strengthen the transcendent cause of morals and religion, is, of all men, best entitled to have his brows adorned with the honors of patriotism. * De Officiis, Lib. I. c. 22. CHAPTER V. THE DUTY OF CITIZENS TO KEEP THEMSELVES WELL INFORMED RESPECTING PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC MEASURES. It is the duty of citizens to keep themselves well informed respecting public men and public measures. The exercise of the elective franchise by the people, is the principal way by which their sovereignty is made manifest; and, to do this habitually with good judgment and discretion, a competent acquaintance with public affairs, and with the individuals who may from time to time become candidates for public office, is indispensable. Want of knowledge in a nation is an evil next in magnitude to a want of moral principle, and a disregard of the moral and patriotic virtues. Indeed, knowledge and morals, in a nation, are most intimately allied; and it has been distinctly seen from the very founding of our institutions, that they could fulfil the hopes and expectations entertained of them, only while the great body of the people continued to be both well informed and moral in their habits. Moreover, the sentiment seems to have been universal in this country, that a well-educated people, would, of course, be a moral people; and, if instruction in religion be made a part of popular education, the sentiment is fully sustained by experience. This most intimate connexion between knowledge and good morals, explains why the founders of our political institutions, have so much relied for their success on universal popular education. Believing the connexion between knowledge and morals to be indissoluble, they justly argued, that by effectually securing universal education, good moral habits and principles must prevail among the great body of the people. To this end, our state constitutions of government have made education, and the dissemination of knowledge, a subject of special recommendation and enactment; and the framers of those instruments, and the people in adopting them, have manifested an anxiety and earnestness on this vital subject, of which we cannot be fully sensible, without making some examination. It must suffice, however, to select a sentence from one of the state constitutions in each of the four great sections of the union, the northern, middle, southern, and western. The constitution of Massachusetts says, "Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties, and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in the various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of the legislatures and magistrates, in all future periods of this commonwealth, to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries of them; especially the university at Cambridge, and public schools and grammar schools in the towns."* The constitution of Pennsylvania says, "The legislature shall, as soon as conveniently may be, provide by law for the establishment of schools throughout the State, in such manner that the poor may be taught gratis. The arts and sciences shall be promoted in one or more seminaries of learning." The constitution of Georgia says, "The arts and sciences shall be promoted in one or more seminaries of learning; and the legislature shall, as soon as conveniently may be, give such further donations and privileges to those already established, as may be necessary to secure the objects of their institution." The constitution of Ohio says, "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being essentially necessary to the good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of instruction shall for ever be encouraged by legislative provision."§ These wise constitutional provisions have been carried into as full effect, as the nature of a free government permits, which can only give the people the opportunity of having their children taught, but cannot, like an arbitrary government, compel them to avail themselves even of a provision so much and so obviously for their benefit. But it may be said with great truth, that, in every State of the Union, no one needs to fail of an education Chap. V. Sect. 2. ↑ Art. VII. 1, 2. Art. IV. Sect. 13. § Art. VIII. 3. |