Chap. V.]

DUTIES OF PATRIOTISM

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CHAPTER V.

THE DUTY OF CITIZENS TO KEEP THEMSELVES WELL INFORMEDRESPECTING PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC MEASURES.

It is the duty of citizens to keep themselves well informedrespecting public men and public measures. The exercise of theelective franchise by the people, is the principal way by whichtheir sovereignty is made manifest; and, to do this habitually withgood judgment and discretion, a competent acquaintance withpublic affairs, and with the individuals who may from time totime become candidates for public office, is indispensable. Wantof knowledge in a nation is an evil next in magnitude to a wantof moral principle, and a disregard of the moral and patrioticvirtues.

Indeed, knowledge and morals, in a nation, are most intimatelyallied ; and it has been distinctly seen from the very founding ofour institutions, that they could fulfil the hopes and expectationsentertained of them, only while the great body of the peoplecontinued to be both well informed and moral in their habits.Moreover, the sentiment seems to have been universal in thiscountry, that a well-educated people, would, of course, be amoral people ; and, if instruction in religion be made a part ofpopular education, the sentiment is fully sustained by experience.This most intimate connexion between knowledge and goodmorals, explains why the founders of our political institutions,have so much relied for their success on universal popular educa-tion. Believing the connexion between knowledge and moralsto be indissoluble, they justly argued, that by effectually securinguniversal education, good moral habits and principles must prevailamong the great body of the people.

To this end, our state constitutions of government have madeeducation, and the dissemination of knowledge, a subject ofspecial recommendation and enactment; and the framers of thoseinstruments, and the people in adopting them, have manifested an