The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-08-20

get SO tired OF reading 1t that YOU would not
have tue heart TO write single line in the Old
Bachelor for the Information of such dull AIDED
people l am.
But this puts me in mind of one of the very
things that l wish to write to you about; for il
is my opinion. Old MIR Bachelor, that it is with
us poor ignorant people, that you ought to be
gn You find great fault with the young gen
tiemen who have time and opportunity to learn,
tor not studying harder than they do, and for
not taking more pains to understand things
well, that they may become great and useful
men, and an ornament To their courtry. But il
is my opinion, and have thought so for som
time, that it is owing in great measure to the
common people beng so ignorant as they are,
that our gentlemen are not more anxious to get
learning and knowledge tor they see that they
can have the direction of affairs without any
great deal acknowledge, aud this makes them
careless about 1t. But If the common people
hsd learning enough to understand things pref.
ty well, and to judge of the abilities of those that
WIS 40 take the lead amongst them. ignorant
men would be asham d to be candidates for
public offices. and thereby only expose them
selves among their we'll informed neighbors and
fellow citizens. And in that case, the people
would not encourage them; for have always
observed that man who unders,- Ids any partic-
niar business, will not employ person to do 1t
tor HIM that knows nothing about it---So that
II TIE common people were better informed, we
should not have so many lawyers, and doctors.
and preachers, and lawmakers, without any
icarrings undertaking to do business that cannot
DC well done without, 1t. And pride too, which
we all have more CT less, would prevent the
people, in that case, from encouraging igno-
rant men to get out o, their proper places
inns puts me in mind of story that heard
many years ago, soon after my mother moved ,ip
TO the mountains so live I was at Csp,'s a
worthy man who had been true friend to his
country through the war and Mr. . from one.
gentiemen were there. Among other things
they were talking of the great want of learning
among our people generally, and os the necessi'
ty of something being done by the Assembly to
encourage it This brought it in the, way for
Mr.. u. TO mention how he had been distressed
once at hearing member from his County m Ike
speech IN the Assembly, when it used TO sit
at Williamsburg. He said, the question was
about moving the seat of government from
there to Richmond and after several very
GOOD speeches had been made, he saw one of
the members from his county rise Mr.. u
said, his heart began to beat violently the mo-
ment he discovered the man was going to sneak
ior he knew his ignorance, and dreaded what
was TO come. The member went on for
short time, stammering and laundering and ey
cry other word wrong one, till at length he
sa,d =" Some gentlemen rejected against this
Dill because they said it was not constitutions
BILE. For his part he did not know whether j,
was very constitutionable, but he should vote
icr u because it would tolerate some ngrieyan.
cea which aggrafed his constitutes very much
al this the whole house was in comno,ion -
me Speaker in the chair hung down his head
and bat his lip some OF the members courhed
and spit and scraped their feet to conceal their
laughter; others who had less feeling for the
poor man, laughed and shook so that thew
could hardly keep their seats; and the lobby
and gallery fairly roared again. But Mr.. d.
sad, he never felt less like laughing in his life
In hl0 cha -trarl l.
they had been soundy boxed by one of the
strongest members in the house He could not
nave the face to look up, for he was afraid all
the strangers around him would know that the
member came from his county. So, he shuf.
he'd backwards slyly as he could, till he had
.nchec our Of the crowd, and then stole off from
the house, and firmly resolved not to 60 there a
gam while that Assembly was sitting though
Mr. ID said, he had no hand in sending the man
there, but had voted against him.
Now, Old Mr Bachelor. If a m. ;orty of Mr..
ID S county people had been such men as be was.
they never would have put that poor ignorant
cody ihto office, more than they would John
fruename for besides knowing that it was
conu AIRY to their interest, their pride would
nave made them as much ashamed of him az
Mr. u. was. And for this re .son think. that
II the commen class of people had more learn
ing, and could see into things better than they
do, men who wish to rise 10 honour and nre.
ferment, would take more pains TO quality them.
selves Tor 1t than they now do /; and that would
gave them love for learning in general, and
thsh we should have more men of great know.
iedge In our country than we now have
But many people say, that the far greater
part OF us are too poor to educete our children.
and that rs .he reason why there is so little learn
ing amongst us. But don't think it's owing al
together to that. think it is as much owing to
our not having proper desire for IS TO any
thing else and I'll tell you OF a circumstance
winch THINK, proves this to be the case
a year or two ago, several of nv neighbors
and myself employed a Schoo,master 10 teach
our children ; and as he was thought TO be bet.
Ter than the common run, we agreed to give
bin as high as fifteen dollars scholar But
several OF the neighborss fully as able as the
most OF us, said the price was too high, and re-
fused to sehd their children. AS was going
one day to the little town in our neighborhood.
met one OF these men coming from it with
one OF ms negroes driving his marke CART
We stopped TO speak to each other, and after
"hle, told him, was sorry to hear that
he did not intead to encourage our school He
sa'd' ne wss really very sorry but he had a
large family 10 maintain, and had not paid III
tbat ne was 10 give for tract of land that he
oohght some timS ago TO settle his san Harry OF.
~ ne sDouid i've 10 see him come of re and
marry 10 MS liking SO that he thought The price
a, our school was higher than he could afford 10
give tryed to convince him that he was We
ry able, and that he could not lay out his money
more tor the interest fhIs children IN any other
way. But he seemed 70 think that he ,,ne,v
his anIiIlU. nj AZ