Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-20

4
! theory of our government, II is fair
10 suppose, that our liberty ,,aekf be en-.
dangered by the legislature, as well rs eli
Their of the other two branches and that
1t, at well as they, might assume power. u
short, that the Legislature itself may en-
terrain views inimical 10 the freedom Om
the people, or that, through ignorance, Il
may sometimes err. If this be SO, how
will their capacity for evil be increased
by the powers they may assume over
Public Education Give them this moral
lever, and he who rules the legislature,
will rule the people. A demagogue may
arise, and acquire much greater weight IN
the lcgislat IRE than his talents or virtue
entitle him TO. He may he for ENGRAVING
his crude conceptions into the course
of instruction and discipline OF the Uni
versity and Colleges He will be enabled
10 do so and thus, instead of a" fretfing
his little horup0n the stage, and being,
heard of no more, some favorlte dogmae
some fatal prejudice, OF which he is thi'
father, will mingle itselfinto our code oS
instruction, and live III the hearts and
heads of our Youth.
Hence, if the Legislature keep these
powers to itself, they are not free from
objection, d if, dis i'll the bill, it delegates
Gus and alarming.
Admitting, however, that these fears
are visionary-these powers harmless
can Government employ Teachers npon
better terms, who will more .faithjuIiy per
form their duties, than private individuals
are ikelyito do? THE deep interest which
a parent feels in the education of Il child,
will always render him clear-Sghted 10
the merits or dement's of Il Teacher, when
lie is left free 10 exercise his own Judy
ment III the case. Under such circum-
stances, the Professors who deserve en-
couragement, will meet with it; and they
alone will meet with it long. But the pa
rent is 1,ot left free TO exercise his own
Judgment in the case, where the State
takes the subject into lis own manage
ment, and puts dorm all priuGte competition
He must then employ the public teacher
or none, for no private institutions, now
ever admirably and skiIfully conducted.
can enter on equal terms, into rivalry,
with these endowed and privileged ones.
The consequence is, tile ail-mportant
business of education falls Exclusively into
the hands ofmen, who have no motives
to conduct it properly, and very strong
ones To- neglect it altogether.
They are salarled officers, and derive
a small part, of their emolumeuts from
the fees OF scholars. The teachers in the
Primary Schools, ! believe, derive no
part-They depend on their salary alone
What Is the consequence Why, as
their emoluments are the same, or nearly
the same, whether they do or do not per
form their duties well whether they
meet with success IN their profession or
not the love of ease, the most powerful
and continually operating principle Of
human nature, will prompt them TO neg
lect their duties altogether, or 10 per-
form them III most careless and sloven-
ly mamer-This evil, no regulation, no
statute, can sufficiently provide against
for althOu IN If might oblige the profess
sor 10 give a lecture at stated times and
of stated length, II Is manifest it could
not determine the quality or value of
that lecture. To placethis subject in
more familiar point of view, and to make
it intelligible TO all, suppose for mo-
ment that all the lawyers and doctors of
your State were salaried officers, and
paid by the government for their serv-
ces-Ihe love of fame and distinction
would be at once eXtinguiShed-th
springs of ambition deprived of their
strength and power-How soon would
commence the reign of quacks and iln-
postors-how quickly would all know
ledge OF the law, as science, be lost
The very idea is ridiculous, and cannot
be made to appear otherwise TO any mind
But Professors Of Educatiop! All
there lies the rub. To some minds, the
wig of a learned professor conveys the
same idea as the cassock ola priest-For
my own part, believing that man is al
ways the same animal, like TO take
peep under the wig or gown, before de
| eide definitively, whether similar motives
will not produce similar actions.
should encroach too far OF Mr.. Ritch-
les paper, and your patience, Z, pursued
this subject into It's numerous Details
There are many provisions of the bill
which appear TO me to operate unequaliv
OH different parts OF the State, and 10 be
impracticable IN some portions of it.
The extreme east and west, where poDu-
latlOn Is either sparse, or the people poor,
| will derive little advantage, | believe,
from the privilege of establishing these
Primary Schools, on the terms contained
In the biil-wille the middle country
may-Ihat is, the poorest part of the
State, where there are the greatest mum
| Der OF poor to educate, will have no
| schools; and that part where the system
Is least required will alon be benefited
But bave nothing TO ito with these de
tails, and perhaps the objections and diff
ficultIes which might be stated, are inse-
parable from the nature Of tie subject.
! shO;ild like to add one word on the
| subject of Mr.. Bakers rvder-hut Gr.t