Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-10-18
To the Citizens of Richmond.

-
very thu meeting 1.-THE Washington Tavern,
IN Saturday evening, did us the honor to appoint
as a committee To address you on the institution
of Lancasterian School in this city
The subject is PLAIN one.-Your hearts are
open to receveit. A few words therefore, VIII
pc sufficient to comply with the duty winch is
laid upon us.
There are few of YOU who need to be told Of
'he benefits of Education Yet how many are
here IN this city, to whom the door acknowledge
s shut Why should It be so Is it because we
have not the means to let them in Is it because
the education of four or FIVE hundred children III
the elements of learning is very erperIsipe, that
we cannot, or Will not afford it.
LANCASTER removes every difficulty ofths
sort. He has made the road so smooth and easy
that it may be travelled with very little expense.
From what we have understood, as the result OF
experiments in other towns, we canventlIre to say
hat in no other method can so many children be
taught the first BRANCHES for so small sum of
money as i'll that devised by him. We are told
by those who have seen his system in operation,
that they learn fast If not faster, than when
instructed inthe common way THAT IN the com.
mon way, one Preceptor cannot do justice to
more than thirty pupils but in this lie can do
equal justice Ia fUe hundred.
But let us take the above estimate at only one
half. lie US suppose thata teacher can do justice
% no more than trVo hundred s. fty. How great IS
the benefit obtained If for twelve hundred dol.
lars, one of the teachers in the old mode will edu.
cate thirty children at thirty dollars each per
annum for the same sum a proficient IN the
Lancasterian method will teach two hundred and
fifty; that Is, he will charge only fve dollars a
year and this puts it in every parents power
who can spare FIVE dollars year, TO see his child
taught the elements of learning. But five sup
pose that half only of those who attend the school
are able to fee the teacher then, each Of these
will have TO pay but nine or ten dollars, while
an hundred and f1etity .fUe poor children, who
would, OTHERWISE, be thrown adritt upon the
wide world, are taken by the hard, and led into
the vestibule OF knowledge We ask YOU, is this
not an object worthy ofyour exertOnsi
For three thousand dollars, we may perhaps
fit up school, IN all its parts, and support =
teacher the first year we may educate three
hundred ch,l,iren, VINO are now rowing our street
IN idleness and ignorance; while IN he next and
and following years, we have reason TO hope
that the school wall support itself
And will you, Citizens Of Richmond, turn a
deaf ear to these suggestions '---Wlil you, who
have never turned your backs upon any generous
proposition, turn away from this Twill you
smut your purses, on an occsion which appeals to
the best feelings Of your hearts, and the dearest
REPUTATION of our City, when on SO many other
occasions your purses have opened TO the claims
of humanity and patriotism VIII you see
George,Own aud Norfolk outstrippng us ln the
race Of utility, while the way-faring man and
stmgcr will point 20 us with scorn We viii
not believe II.
In the name then of our beloved city in the
name OF humanity il the name ofour children
I'VE beseech YOU to take these matters 20 you
hearts, to weign them well to consider in what
way the object in view, at which we have only
glanced, can best be obtained.
We therefore respectfully invite you TO gene
ral meeting at the Bell Tavern, ON Saturday next
at half after O'clock in the evening.
WILLIAM MUNFORD,
ANDREW STEVENSON,
THOMAS RTTCHE.
] Richmond, October IL, 1915,