ItwasaBillforthemoregeneraldiffusionoflearning。Thisproposedtodivideeverycountyintowardsof5。or6。milessquare，likeyourtownships；toestablishineachwardafreeschoolforreading，writingandcommonarithmetic；toprovidefortheannualselectionofthebestsubjectsfromtheseschoolswhomightrecieveatthepublicexpenceahigherdegreeofeducationatadistrictschool；andfromthesedistrictschoolstoselectacertainnumberofthemostpromisingsubjectstobecompleatedatanUniversity，wherealltheusefulsciencesshouldbetaught。Worthandgeniuswouldthushavebeensoughtoutfromeveryconditionoflife，andcompleatlypreparedbyeducationfordefeatingthecompetitionofwealthandbirthforpublictrusts。
Mypropositionhadforafurtherobjecttoimparttothesewardsthoseportionsofself-governmentforwhichtheyarebestqualified，byconfidingtothemthecareoftheirpoor，theirroads，police，elections，thenominationofjurors，administrationofjusticeinsmallcases，elementaryexercisesofmilitia，inshort，tohavemadethemlittlerepublics，withaWardenattheheadofeach，forallthoseconcernswhich，beingundertheireye，theywouldbettermanagethanthelargerrepublicsofthecountyorstate。A
generalcallofward-meetingsbytheirWardensonthesamedaythro’
thestatewouldatanytimeproducethegenuinesenseofthepeopleonanyrequiredpoint，andwouldenablethestatetoactinmass，asyourpeoplehavesooftendone，andwithsomucheffect，bytheirtownmeetings。Thelawforreligiousfreedom，whichmadeapartofthissystem，havingputdownthearistocracyoftheclergy，andrestoredtothecitizenthefreedomofthemind，andthoseofentailsanddescentsnurturinganequalityofconditionamongthem，thisonEducationwouldhaveraisedthemassofthepeopletothehighgroundofmoralrespectabilitynecessarytotheirownsafety，andtoorderlygovernment；andwouldhavecompleatedthegreatobjectofqualifyingthemtoselecttheveritablearistoi，forthetrustsofgovernment，totheexclusionofthePseudalists：andthesameTheogniswhohasfurnishedtheepigraphsofyourtwolettersassuresusthat{`oydemianpoKyrnagathoipolinolesanandres，}[”Curnis，goodmenhaveneverharmedanycity”]’。Altho’thislawhasnotyetbeenactedonbutinasmallandinefficientdegree，itisstillconsideredasbeforethelegislature，withotherbillsoftherevisedcode，notyettakenup，andIhavegreathopethatsomepatrioticspiritwill，atafavorablemoment，callitup，andmakeitthekey-stoneofthearchofourgovernment。
WithrespecttoAristocracy，weshouldfurtherconsiderthat，beforetheestablishmentoftheAmericanstates，nothingwasknowntoHistorybuttheManoftheoldworld，croudedwithinlimitseithersmallorovercharged，andsteepedintheviceswhichthatsituationgenerates。Agovernmentadaptedtosuchmenwouldbeonething；butaverydifferentonethatfortheManofthesestates。Hereeveryonemayhavelandtolaborforhimselfifhechuses；or，preferringtheexerciseofanyotherindustry，mayexactforitsuchcompensationasnotonlytoaffordacomfortablesubsistence，butwhere-withtoprovideforacessationfromlaborinoldage。Everyone，byhisproperty，orbyhissatisfactorysituation，isinterestedinthesupportoflawandorder。Andsuchmenmaysafelyandadvantageouslyreservetothemselvesawholsomecontroulovertheirpublicaffairs，andadegreeoffreedom，whichinthehandsoftheCanailleofthecitiesofEurope，wouldbeinstantlypervertedtothedemolitionanddestructionofeverythingpublicandprivate。Thehistoryofthelast25。yearsofFrance，andofthelast40。yearsinAmerica，nayofit’slast200。years，provesthetruthofbothpartsofthisobservation。