| As
it is the distinguishing happiness of
free governments that civil Order should
be the Result of choice and not
necessity, and the common wishes of the
People become the Laws of the Land, their
public prosperity and even existence very
much depends upon suitably forming the
minds and morals of their Citizens. When
the Minds of people in general are
viciously disposed and unprincipled and
their Conduct disorderly, a free
government will be attended with greater
Confusions and with Evils more horrid
than the wild, uncultivated State of
Nature. It can only be happy where the
public principles and Opinions are
properly directed and their Manners
regulated. This is an influence beyond
the Stretch of Laws and punishments and
can be claimed only by Religion and
Education. It should therefore be among
the first objects of those who wish well
to the national prosperity to encourage
and support the principles of Religion
and morality, and early to place the
youth under the forming hand of Society
that by instruction they may be moulded
to the love of Virtue and good Order.
Sending them abroad to other countries
for their education will not answer these
purposes,--is too humiliating an
acknowledgement of the Ignorance or
Inferiority of our own, and will always
be the Cause of so great foreign
attachments that upon principles of
policy it is not admissible. This Country
in the times of our common danger and
distress found such Security in the
principles and abilities which wise
regulations had before established in the
minds of our countrymen, that our present
happiness joined to pleasing prospects
should conspire to make us feel ourselves
under the strongest obligation to form
the youth, the rising hope of our Land to
render the like glorious and essential
Services to our country. And whereas for
the great purpose of internal education,
divers allottments of land have, at
different times, been made, particularly
by the Legislature at their Session in
July One thousand seven hundred and
eighty three, and February One thousand
seven hundred and eighty four, all of
which may be comprehended and made the
basis of one general, and complete
establishment. THEREFORE
the Representatives of the Freemen of the
State of Georgia in general Assembly met
this twenty seventh day of January in the
Year of our Lord One Thousand seven
hundred and eighty five enact, ordain,
and declare, and by these presents, it is
ENACTED, ORDAINED and DECLARED.
Abraham Baldwin
President, University of
Georgia
1785-1801
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