| 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 |