Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-18

Ger shall be taught, & what shall not ne taught
What books shall be read IS what shell r,oi te rsad
What opinions shall be incalcated. and what
shall be ptoscribed-Wia principles shall lie
encouraged. and what devoted 10 odinn and
disgrace The c0niSr % disco, tiHc. That is. on
what terms scholars shall he aumitte,i--bv what
rules they shall he governed-f0r What conduct
teT Shall be baushed or eNpciscd-And al
tbs they can 40 Tor the youth " the uhole State-
Now suppose, as | may fairly suppose, under
t.s Republican doctrine. that all power is
likely to be abused, and therefore ought To be
strictly watched Suppose the Board of Pub
lie instruction should determine that Sir Rob
ert Fiimers = patriarcha' should be admit ei
Us Test Book, and Sir Philip Sidncy's Dis
courses on Government" rejected-or that
Calvin's Doctrines should he inculcated, and
Luther's proscribed-Or thata boy who dent
ed some religious OF political dogma, should be
eXpeled.-Where the remedyi Who can
controul this college Of eudinGtS! Who can say
to them nay9-And IS the Instances have sta
ted for the sake of example are too Improbable
for this enlightened age let Inc seriously ask il
such Board under this clause. might not, be-
ly influence the moral, political and religious
opinions OF the youth Of the state Its per-
fectly manifest that they might.
Again, this Board OF instruction, in the uni
versity, and the several colleges {; academies,
can determine the number and tide OF thu
ProtessorshipS therein Now suppose the
Board establishes in the university, III each
college aud academy, profcSsorsaip OF IheO-
ip9N. anu un'ci thcir power Df appoint my the
prOte ssOrS, they take for this as well most
of the other prote>sorshIps, ANN liter ora par
ticnar sect: onld itnOt, think gu, Material
~ change the character OF FiTgiSaRs, n Ut the
government ITSELF Might itnpr in Il genera
ton or two, blot from our Statfte Book thar
blessed act for establishing ,hgioustreedomc
And can these thiurS lac hazar,.e ed for the sake
OF any proposed benefits ironithIS grand, mag
ni;icent, but delasiSe schs,ne of Public In
struction
The Board moreover provides the mode of
advancing neritorous and INDECENT children
from the primary scboo; "a the academy, and
50 on through the colleges 70 the university.-
Does this clause give II inS gaIhcant aud un-
ronage annexed 10 this privilege. aud TO that
ut appointing the trustees and professors r.
Suppose the Board undertakes TO judge itself
OF the proper objects Of the bounty ofthe statc,
and IN every case preiers poor and pious
young men,, whom they deliver over To their
Theological proieSsor--ls there nothing 10 he
apprehended from such a combination! Are
we prepared TO do in this side way, bv swee-
plu.; clause. what the last Legislature, upon
solemn argument. refused 10 sanction? may
be told thai these fears are visionary-tlat the
Board ofPublic Instruction will be composed
of our wisest and most virtuous citizens, anI
That there can be no reaSon2nle grounds Tor
suspect ne them capa Die of such desgns.-
Those who are disposed to cOntide III the vir
tues and intelligence of Others, when there eX
lists 20 necessity for IL, and to eutruSt them
eIAfltlIe less ann ftEdi. thGNC
powers may p,oj0biy not be abused, when they
possibly may-wiil not BE- satisfied with this ar
gument.-But this Was mol the doctrine oil our
foTeidiherS, when they pronounced, in their
Bill of Rights. that government TO be the best,
which is most cifcctually secured against Tie
dangers of NAL administration and that To
restrain oppression, the Governors should I've
responsible 10 tie people, through Cue means
OF frequent, certain ami regular elections. The
argument. indeed, would justify ali grants ot
power, aud is founded upon the false hypothe-
sis, that human stuTe can withstand the al
lurements of power, and Remain uncorrupted
by them an hypothesis oisproved byuniversal
experience.
The Board Of Public Instruction would be
composed OF men weak and fa,libe like other
men.-They would 10 donbt have theirUwn
peculiar preiudices in politics, morals, and re-
ligIon--IheV might think Itright TO favor these
dogmas, because they would regard them as
indisputable truths might think II right
10 arrest the progress OF some opinions, because
they were contrary TO their own--and of 9th
ers, because they were new. and had sprung
up since they examined the suhect-We known
that while truth and science are progressive,
individual minds are often stationary. Men,
after certain age, admit new ideas and tacO-
ries with reluctance and yet these ideas and
theories may be perfectly cOnsOndnt tn
truth. The ideas that the press should be free,
the judiciary independent, the legislative and
executive powers distinct were oRce IeW ideas,
and admitted after strenuous oppoSition.-Ihe
free and independent-Tha magistrates are the
trustees and servants of the peop'e--that a Re
publican representative government, is the
most favorable to human happiness and vlrtue,
and that the state has ri ght 10 interfere with
religion, were but short time ago, HciC theo-
ries, and have yet obtained comparatively
few prOSelytes--Is il TO be doubted, that if
such opinions were for the first time preached
when this Board of Public Instruction com
menced its re gn, they would not be prescribed
and driven from the academies. colleges, aud
university Undoubtedly they woodland we
have no security, that moral, religious and pO-
litical discoveries, Of CQnal importance TO
mankind may not hereafter share the same
fate The whole literature of the country is
subjected 10 this Board, and il nav by degrees,
which The public eye ,cW Scarceiy discern, train
opinions 10 their own purposes, prescribe linn
its TO human investigation and say TO truth it
self, Z" thus far shalt thou go and far
Their"
There are several either powers granted to
this Board of very important nature-Hut l
have said enough to put the public on enquiry,
aud my intention has not been to discuss at
large ths several merits of the Bill and Sub
siitute.
Ifthe subject is postponed until the next
session, there will be time for inquiry and
discussion. This is respectfully invited from
the friends Of general system OF education,
under the patronage and power of the govern
ment-Until they prove their position, they
have no right to assume IT, aud surrey the \ ir-
riua Legislature who are so uniformly Jealous
Of any grant of power, who will scarcely 3gTee
that their Governor and Treasurer shall be of
the same famil will notwiihOnt very mature
reflection organize i'm their state a corpora zion
possessed of the powers and privileges con
ferred upon this, and thus erect that political
monster ef an imperium in impcriO, ViIlt N