The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-12-24

Non solum facto, verum opprobrio quoque turpi.
Horace.
My honoured father (" of u~nblemished truth
Among my tutors would attend my youth
And thus reserv'd my chastity of mind
(That prince of virtue in its highest kind)
Not OILY pure from guilt, but even the shame
That might with vile suspicion hurt my ia me.
Francis.
In my 23d. No. I had occasion tomention
a visit that Alfred and several of his young
friends and associates made me-During
their stay, we devoted every evening to the
ex .mination of seme particular subject con.
.nected with Literature 6 Science. Among
others, the all-important one of Education
became more than once a topic ofconversati-
.on-Every one acknowledged the necessity of
utting it on a better footing, than it at pre-
sent stands Oil {; but there was some differ
'ence of opinion as to the mode of attaining so
desirable an end. / embraced the opportu-
nifty which these discussions afforded, of
placing before them a pamphlet on the sub
|Jcct, published in Washington in 1906, emit
tied \" Prospectus of a National Institution
to be established in The u. S." and desired
their sentiments on its merits,-seriatim.-
What these were in the general, will be
shewn by the annexed letter, received about
a fortnight after their departure. Ifmy nephew
is correct in supposing that the best mean of
enlightening the public mind which GoDern-
ment can adopt, is by establishing a school
in every county or parish OF Virginia, l can
not but remark that a late act of the Legis-
~lature, passed the 10Th Of Feb. 1911, to pro-
vide for the education of the poor, is more
important than 1t was at first believed to be,
n perhaps deserves a serious revision. A
Gentleman in my neighborhood who was ap-
pointed by the "%president & directors Of
the Literary fund" an agent to superintend
the collection of certain fines &e. appropriat-
ed to the establishment of schools, has several
times complained to me, that from some de
feet III the law, he was unable to execute the
duties entrusted to him-that he could net
possibly ascertain what portion of the fund
designated, had not been paid by the collec-
tor@because unless he went to the Auditors
Office at Richmond, & the Clerks Office of
his County, he could not compare the amount
due, with the amount accounted for-& that
the Legislature by obliging the Auditor and
Clerk to render annually an easy & simple
statement, might readily remove his difficult
ties, and provide for the due collection of the
ouly monies they have ever appropriated to
the object of all others, the worthiest their
attentlon-lf there are such defects, or any
other, in this law, the Legislature, now sit
ting, would imagine, apply the necessary
remedy, however unwilling they may be to
go farther.
Dear Uncle,
When we were last together,
you may remember that the project of cree
ting a university at the seat of the general
government, became chs evening a topic Of
conversation. My young friends were unani
nous intheir appreciation ofthis scheme. ,'They
lamented the low state of Literature & the
Arts &c seemed to think that a great nation
al Institute like that of which a prospectus
was given, in the pamphlet you placed before
us, written think you said by our Country
man Joel Barlow would greatly contribute to
revive them. doubted whether a Univer-
sity established upon that or any other plan,
especially if endowed by government, would
promote In any great degree the end of its
institution but having bestowed no very par
ucular attention on the subject i'll its details,
ana hndIng so large a majority against me,
l contented my self with merely expressing
those doubts. You desired, me, however, as
the subject was one of frequent recurrence,
* deep q universal concern, to examine
chat pamphlet more at my leisure, and
communicate my sentiments to you, not ONLY
OF lis particular merits, but of the utility or
necessity of public endowments for the edu-
caFton Of youM in general. l have done so,
and my impressions agains. Mr.. Barlow's
plan, If his it was, & all great hubiic institu-
mons OF this nature, are confirmed. / hasten
70 lay before you my reasons for this opinion
and to state how far, according to my view of
me subject, Government can ~usefully inter-
tere iii the business of Instruction. If you
think we IN an error, you know, my honored
Uncle, i listen TO no oracles with so mnch
faith aad devotion as to your opinions.
First, as to the general Question.
1t has long ago been a subject Of considc-
table doubt whether public Schools and Uni
versities, where the salaries of the masters
did not arise entirely from the fees paid by
their scholars, but from the general revenue
OF society or the liberality o private donors,
had in any degree increased the stock of ma
tional information, beyond what it would
have been without their assistance. Adam
Smith i'll his admirable Enquiry into the ma
ture and causes of the Wealth of Nations,
has argued with great force of reasoning
that their tendency has been directly the
reverse, and his followers have been nume-
rOus and respectable. He has shewn that the
endowment of schools and colleges has di-
minished the necessity of application in the
teachers, because their subsistence is dcriv-
ed from a fund independent of their success
or reputation in their profession, and the ri
valship OF competitors isaltogether prevent
ed. Their emoluments are the same, whe-
they they do, or do not perform their duty,
and as it is every mans interest to live as
much at his ease as he can, they will either
neglect that duty altogether, or discharge il
in a careless and siovenly manner. The
indolent will indulge their natural dispositi-