By this plan the whole ftate will be tied together by one system of education. The university will in time furnish mafters for the colleges, and the colleges will furnish masters for the free schools, while the free schools, in their turns, will supply the colleges and the university with scholars, ftudents and pupils. The fame fyftems of grammar, oratory and philofophy, will be taught in every part of the state, and the literary features of Pennsylvania will thus defignate one great, and equally enlightened family.

But, how fhall we bear the expense of these literary inftitutions?—I answer-These inftitutions will leffen our taxes. They will enlighten us in the great business of finance—they will teach us to encrease the ability of the state to support government, by encreasing the profits of agriculture, and by promoting manufactures. They will teach us all the modern improvements and advantages of inland navigation. They will defend us from hafty and expensive experiment in government, by unfolding to us the experience and folly of paft ages, and thus, instead of adding to our taxes and debts, they will furnish us with the true fecret of leffening and discharging both of them.

But, fhall the eftates of orphans, batchelors and perfons who have no children, be taxed to pay for the support of schools from which they can derive、 no benefit? I anfwer in the affirmative, to the first

part of the objection, and I deny the truth of the latter part of it. Every member of the community is interested in the propagation of virtue and knowledge in the ftate. But I will go further, and add, it will be true economy in individuals to fupport public schools. The batchelor will in time fave his tax for this purpose, by being able to fleep with fewer bolts and locks to his doors-the eftates of orphans will in time be benefited, by being protected from the ravages of unprincipled and idle boys, and the children of wealthy parents will be lefs tempted, by bad company, to extravagance. Fewer pillories and whipping posts, and smaller goals, with their ufual expenfes and taxes, will be neceffary when our youth are properly educated, than at prefent; I believe it could be proved, that the expenes of confining, trying and executing criminals, amount every year, in most of the counties, to more money than would be fufficient to maintain all the schools that would be neceffary in each county. The confeffions of these criminals generally show us, that their vices and punishments are the fatal confequences of the want of a proper education in early

life.

I fubmit these detached hints to the confideration of the legislature and of the citizens of Pensylvania. The plan for the free schools is taken chiefly from the plans which have long been used with fuccefs in

Scotland, and in the eaftern ftates of America, where the influence of learning, in promoting religion, morals, manners, and good government, has never been exceeded in any country.

The manner in which these schools fhould be fupported and governed-the modes of determining the characters and qualifications of schoolmafters, and the arrangement of families in each district, so that children of the fame religious fect and nation, may be educaas much as poffible together, will form a proper part of a law for the establishment of schools, and therefore does not come within the limits of this plan.

OF THE MODE OF EDUCATION PROPER

IN A REPUBLIC.

HE bufinefs of education has acquired a

T new

new complexion by the independence of our country. The form of government we have affumed, has created a new clafs of duties to every American. It becomes us, therefore, to examine our former habits upon this fubject, and in laying the

*There are 600 of thefe fchools in the fmall ftate of Connecticut, which at this time have in them 25, coo scholars.

foundations for nurseries of wife and good men, to adapt our modes of teaching to the peculiar form of our government.

The first remark that I fhall make upon this fubje&t is, that an education in our own, is to be preferred to⚫ an education in a foreign country. The principle of patriotifm ftands in need of the reinforcement of prejudice. and it is well known that our strongest prejudices in favour of our country are formed in the first one and twenty years of our lives. The policy of the Lacedemonians is well worthy of our imitation. When Antipater demanded fifty of their children as hoftages for the fulfillment of a diftant engagement, those wife republicans refufed to comply with his demand, but readily offered him double the number of their adult citizens, whose habits and prejudices could not be shaken by refiding in a foreign country. Paffing by, in this place, the advantages to the community from the early attachment of youth to the laws and conftitution of their country, I fhall only remark, that young men who have trodden the paths of science together, or have joined in the fame fports, whether of fwimming, fcating, fishing, or hunting, generally feel, thro' life, fuch ties to each other, as add greatly to the obligations of mutual benevolence.

I conceive the education of our youth in this country to be peculiarly neceffary in Pennsylvania, while our citizens are compofed of the natives of fo many diffe rent kingdoms in Europe. Our schools of learning,

by producing one general, and uniform system of education, will render the mafs of the people more homogeneous, and thereby fit them more cafily for uniform and peaceable government.

I proceed in the next place, to enquire, what mode of education we fhall adopt fo as to fecure to the state all the advantages that are to be derived from the proper * inftruction of youth; and here I beg leave to remark, that the only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.

Such is my veneration for every religion that reveals the attributes of the Deity, or a future ftate of rewards and punishments, that I had rather fee the opinions of Confucius or Mahomed inculcated upon our youth, than fee them grow up wholly devoid of a fyftem of religious principles. But the religion I mean to - recommend in this place, is that of the New Testa

ment.

It is foreign to my purpose to hint at the arguments which establish the truth of the Chriftian revelation. My only business is to declare, that all its doctrines and precepts are calculated to promote the happiness of fociety, and the fafety and well being of civil govern• ment. A Christian cannot fail of being a republican.

The history of the creation of man, and of the relation