Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-19

most uomenlouS problem " hici. has teci
submitted TO lis consideration since. IA,
year i7T6. II has II in l,s power ga dis
pense ar withhold The boon al cLuca,ia,
from millions of unborn pos.e,,iy. Il'
people have called Their Legislators !,
fhis hi.h junction, aud mol nnlr ihCN, lr
generations 10 Gene, will IOld ilc:u ~
spo'isiDIe Tor the transactions Of tbs Scs
sion. lave seen and cui,vcrscd witi
mauy people rom ever, ,a"n AZ Ia,
state, thr learned, and the unlyarnr,l, a,ia
have the best assurance HAT vhaic,er
sinai! be wanting IN the spirit OF Ibis iegis-
lalure, will be in ITO degree sscIibaiyic 10
the citizens efihe state. The people are
clamorous for something Ia be done in
The cause of education. | say this tor
them, that II all that ought to be done il
nor, The odlun may resi- not with Il liberal
AMI gc,rrous people. but with ,rgisla-
iurc " !ich responds 10 none sf their sen
t;ln"E!s, and represents none Of their i'll
| sercSis ar feelings.
| Some persons think that education
; should be lei, 10 private zeal Without the
| 'nlcrmsIi..n OF government. TLry have
| taken their ideas from perverted passayps
| ot Adam Smiths work, wiliout looking 10
his real inea si,lg. Smith applies his re;-
sonipg only IL eases OF the inier.a, CON
iroi "i universities lieing under The auiho-
rily of government. That goes L.. iie
police OF The college, aud l., surely 10
| objection io ti,. appropriation al public
| 'ui"S 10 stininar,es 81 learning; and
granting his reasoning IN thar sense io be
| true, as In England, would il of course be
50 here WI, any Yirsin:i;n say because
ANY royal patronage has been found per
ilicious IN England, 's'o, therefore appoint
meats ny the executive woul,! lie fatal
here Is Our executive d hereditary, s,,-
| iierahnuated tiDtafd ~ biy0i, who believes
That AriSio.I cannot he abandoned for
Bacon Without shaking his throne aud
| diSmembrrin. bis rnp;:ei kinys u.p of
| necessity opposed "a inno, ai.au. Bat
our officers no' being hereditary, bun O.
leciNe at short intervals, owe their poll
Teal existence, noi IN the immulabiliiy.
tut 10 tue NicisSiiude az things. IL /.
aoslird 10 approl riaie 10 them then, the
preludices OF European monarcl,s ia oh
Siruclingtie progress al the human mind:
anu ms IS smiths argument, which, has
| no application III Virginia. | doubt i,s
correctness even ia England.
| The best proof tliai AN university has
| answered the end Ut its irsl,!niion. Is Tie
resEli Of lis experience. Now / ask w,,at
nation ancient or modem has retained a
| greater ascendancy in political power
! than Engiand. It's army-its navv-iis
internal wealth., and The sagaciiy with
which they have been applied, have,
| al denancc oi Corrupt 20, eminent
and race OF stupid kings, made 1T
Tie richest nation that ever existed. and
thc most powerful since the extinction
OF Tie itoman commonwealth. Then lis
LAWS whether wise or not, are the models
OF our own. It's science which; is NOR.
mmedia,,:, under Tie auspices offs uni
versailles has for three centuries been ihe
wonder OF The world. Oxford and Cam
i'rihSr, with all Smith has said about them
nave had their Bacon, Newton, HALEY.
i'aroW, Locke, Milton, Pope, GRAY, and
Il ioaS list ct maihematicians, poets, ora
Tors, statesmen, historians, ~ philosophers.
VINO have placed Ensla in the foremost
taiiA OF HE ad>ancers ofliuman knowledy e.
IAN that system be unworthy of exDe.
rinlen, which has produced such masters
M every science and IN every art? Their
ineiiXausiible libraries, their splendid an
para,us could only have been procured by
| ne bounty OF Government. Ia is tu,e
'iiai some distinguished men of iiie lasi
century had pri,at education. NOrdo
uiSpu,e, " IL were prariicable, that il is
! bciter than Il public one. But have wo
HE fortunes of Lord Holland and Chat
ham, 10 employ such teachers as instruct.
ed Fox and Pitt Unless We have. the
argument proves nothing. The question
is not whether public or private system
be best, but whether public Que be bet
ter u.an none. Those WHO dispute This
i'aa better withdraw i'll spirit conget,ial
TO ii'eif philosophy fran The corrupiions
aid ci'gancies OF sOciali life, 10 The irananil
scenes, and pure reflections OF The Rocky
mountains. but as Dialoriiy of our ci-
s'zehs are Dot Wiling 10 abandon 10 The
| INVASION of wolves and satages the land
Oh llieiT fathers, we must do The best for
! cur circumstances.
III IS distressing 10 hear gentlemen dis
cnss ng this great question ON princinies
when have no application 10 the case.
| ihey take the proposition III all tie naked
| ness and solitude Of metaphy steal alb
! stracilon. they put the condition Of The
stale, the necessity OF immediate relief
Tie alternatives offered, wholly OUT of the
| qnesf"h, and hlsglc about the relative all
yaniages OF public and private schools.
/ Like tNopiiy slcIans called in tuadyiuv ma
tieni, they amuse themselves with discuss.
| lug Inc virtues Otspeciiics unI1I,Isioni,te
Every one hnows trial public uniyersi.
lies lave made the greatest scholars
warriors, statesmen, orators. &c. At fiji.
momtnl lie most renowned ciiool ~ the
World, Goltingen-is public seminary
founded by George Il. Yet ne hesitate
because possibly private onrs (Which will
never Gomez might possibly be better.
Weic tie heroes OF our rev olutiou less ~
DE or zraious patriots because they wcro
pupils of William aud Mary!
bu, II Is manifest that IN Il population
like onrs--a million of people aud a Iaree
| portion 0t them slaves, scattered over 4
territory nearly DIS large as France. lltle
eau he done by private contributions