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christian integrity. His successor, too, gives promise of the same unostentatious, devoted and faithful attention to the interests of the State and Nation. The farewell address of the former is a simple statement of his acts since the special session of the Legislature. The opening address of the latter is as simple a statement of the financial interests of the State, with a few modest recommendations as to the policy he would be pleased to unite with the Legislature in carrying out.

We subjoin the closing remarks of each.

Gentlemen of the Senate

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and House of Representatives: In retiring from the arduous duties of the political year now closing, I desire to express through you, to the citizens of Vermont, my high appreciation of their confidence and patriotic co-operation in carrying into execution the important measures required by the acts of the special session, and to assure you that I shall carry with me into private life, a sacred devotion to the interests of the State, and to the cause of our common Country.

You, gentlemen, are called to deliberate upon measures more important and vital to the interests of the State, and the Country, than any which have ever before occupied the attention of the General Assembly; requiring your patient, careful and dispassionate deliberation.

May an All-wise Providence guide you; and may our Heavenly Father interpose to deliver our beloved Country from its present calamity, and from the perils which threaten it, and restore to it again the blessings of peace, union and prosperity.

ERASTUS FAIRBANKS.

Senators and Representatives:

Life at the present time is to us indeed a sacred and important trust. Responsibilities of the gravest character fall upon the American citizen in this hour of the Republic's trial. Doubtless we are to be sifted and purified by the trials through which we are passing, to be purged from the dross engendered by a long period of peace and prosperity, to prize more fully the blessings of constitutional liberty, and feel and give expression to a purer and more earnest love of country, and a more defined and em

phatic nationality of view and sentiment than we have heretofore experienced. Let us, then, trusting in the God of our fathers, courageously welcome the trials that are to prove of what stuff our manhood is made. Let us collectively move forward in concord and unity for the defence of our Country, and individually do our whole duty, as it becomes citizens living under the most beneficent Government the world has ever seen. We are not permitted to lift the veil which conceals the future, nor can we fathom the deep designs of the Almighty in the events now transpiring in our country. But we will not doubt that his overruling Providence is with us now as with our fathers of old, and in these events is

"From seeming evil still educing good."

FREDERICK HOLBROOK.

THE LEGISLATURE AND EDUCATION.

The Committees on Education are as follows: in the Sente, Messrs. Woodward, Stevens and Morgan; in the House,-Messrs. Ranney, Tabor of Concord, Balch, Hallock and Warren. In the hands of these men we have great confidence that the cause of education will be, if not safe from the designs of its enemies, at least carefully looked after. As indicated in a former article, we feared that efforts would be made to undermine the steady progress towards the right that our educational system has been pursuing under the able and wise direction of our Board of Education and its Secretary. Early in the present session, a bill was introduced by Mr. Thomas, withdrawing all pay from the Board and its Secretary, being intended to effectually kill the usefulness of these officers. We cannot believe that it will pass. It is too sweeping. Among those who have been trying to weaken the confidence of the public in Secretary Adams, we notice that J. Q. D., the Montpelier correspondent of the Rutland Herald, stands prominent. He can scarcely write an article without some underhanded fling at the Secretary. It is a shame that our press should so freely indulge in efforts to disparage the

usefulness of public officers. Gov. Holbrook thus speaks of the Board of Education, in his Message:

"Our free institutions are based upon the virtue and intelligence of the people. They cannot stand upon any other foundation. Hence the education of our youth is entitled to rank among the first objects of legislative attention. The plan of placing our educational system under the special agency of a Board of Education, appears to be wise, and the operations of the system thus organized seem to have been sufficiently successful to warrant an undisturbed continuance. The zeal and ability with which the Secretary of the Board has discharged his laborious duties are honorable to him, and worthy of our respect and approbation."

There are also before the Legislature, bills making the entire support of schools upon the grand list obligatory, compelling all children of a certain age to attend school a certain portion of the year, and providing for some other slight changes. We hope to be able to chronicle in our next number that, while Vermont shall prove herself to be among the foremost in her efforts to aid in maintaining the integrity of our Union, she has not lost sight of the great truth that a liberal christian culture lies at the foundation of its permanency.

EDITORIAL MISCELLANY.

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The Vermont School Journal again. We have received several letters from Teachers and others expressing a very decided interest in the Journal. As specimens we will quote from three of them. Thefirst is from a female Common School Teacher. "I send you my remittance at this late hour through mistake, and not because I would withhold the little aid I can give to carry forward this great and important work. The Journal is doing much for those who read it, and no Common School Teacher can afford to be without it. We must sustain it. I send you pay for the passing year and the year to come, and think I can procure more subscribers." One happy result of the last year's efforts has been the new interest

which has been awakened among the Teachers of our public Schools. A larger number than ever before are now the subscribers and readers of the Journal. And if our enterprise is not crushed by the indifference and selfishness of those who profess to be the active friends of Education, we may reasonably hope to do much more in the future for this important class. Our next correspondent says, "I am among the number of those who wish to have the School Journal continued. I said and did what I could to get it under way; am now thoroughly convinced of its utility and importance, and shall regard its failure, if fail it does, as a great loss to the educational interests of the State and a burning shame. But it need not fail and will not unless it is killed by the indifference and faint praise of those who ought to be its truest, best friends. I remember the prophets of evil and have watched their course with reference to the Journal, and it has seemed to me from the onset and all along, that they have been quite willing it should fail rather than their prophecies."

"Indifference and faint praise "--we have enough of it. But we are unwilling to believe that we have to encounter such a spirit as is expressed in our correspondent's last sentence; that there is any man in the State who wishes evil to our enterprise, because he did not at first favor this peculiar modus operandi; who would be glad to see the Journal die, rather than fail in his predictions. As much as to say, "If I can't have my own way, I will not only render no assistance, but will stand by and criticise." We have always been accustomed to regard the "dog in the manger" as an unreasonable animal. If he could not masticate and digest that particular kind of food, he ought to be satisfied to keep away and not bark at the ox which could do a good business in his own way. It is much easier to advise and criticise than to act efficiently. But we need most of all, earnest, persevering and united action in the noble cause of popu

lar education in Vermont. Shall we have it? Shall we go forward, or falter and fail in our enterprise? Our third correspondent, a gentleman who, in view of his position in our educational field, is able to do more to sustain the Journal than any other ten men, writes: "I do value the Vermont Journal. I do think it ought to be and can be sustained, and I should deeply regret to have it go down for want of support." We rcpeat the inquiry, shall the School Journal continue or suspend? Its friends must answer this question practically before the expiration of two months. It will live if a few (we do not expect many) of our fellow laborers will offer to share the responsibility. Who will become responsible for 50 copies of the Journal at 50 cents per vol.? Who for 25 copies, at 60 cents? Who for 10 copies, at 70 cents? Who for one copy, at $1.00? And how many female Common School Teachers will subscribe at 50 cents per vol.? We will allow those who become responsible for a number of copies as above, to obtain Subscribers wherever they please. We thus put the question and all the professed friends of education in the State will cast their vote upon it. All who make no response, will vote to have the School Journal discontinued and all who offer aid and co-operation now, will vote to have it live. The votes will be counted and the result made known in due time.

SPECIAL NOTICE.-All bills for the School Journal not paid by the last of December, 1861, will be left in other hands for collection. And it should be remembered that those who have ordered their copies stopped without paying what was then due, will be charged in full to the end of the year. We have repeatedly given

notice that the Journal would not be discontinued until all arrears were paid. Besides, our terms were in advance.

EDUCATIONAL JOURNALS. We see no indications of faltering among the friends of education in other States. All the School Journals from New England and the West come to our table apparently in full life and vigor. We

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