Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-31

4
accommodation, as To enable them L
render the service without the qualItica
ton. So that, here one of the probable
consequences of the proposed system wa
| suggested IN anticipation, upon the mos
| important fundamental principles of I'll,
| government and what Is the inducemcul
here held. out TO the government 10 break
| down this great principle of constitution
al law The services OF The poor children
| educated at public expense. And from
what description of persons when grown
| up TO manhood, are these dear bought
services 10 come From persons, men
| grown, who possess no treeholds, nor the
means of Obtaining them. What strange
description oil persons must that be, (which
can render great services 10 the common
wealth, and at the same time be destitute
fof-,be capacities to qualify themselves IN
the acquisition of fifty quarters of dollars
10 invest in freehold, as the constitution
al qualification for serving the public
What services could the pablic expect to
receive from such non-descriptS God
forbid that The commonwealth of Virginia
should ever stand ia need of the services
ofsuch anomalous beings Yet the case
certainly shows, that when false theories
are once substituted for correct iunda-
mental principles, they run into conse-
quences entirely unforeseen, and unac-
countabe.
But as this splendid and gigantic sys-
tenn seems 10 owe IFS origin TO a. law en-
acted Ill the year 1910, solely for the hum
public eXpence, ii NAV not he altogether
undressing TO examine this part OF the
subject with some minuteness. In doing
so, it is thought, it will appear, that the
terms held out by the bill are injudicious
IN every possible respect and, II accept
ed by the poor, would be bad bargain
on both sides bad for the common
wealth worse for The poor-These terms
are, that all poor children shall be school
ed at public expense for three years, at the
end OF which the promising and the me-
ritoTious are to be advanced 10 the acad-
emies for further improvement, and the
vicious and the Ounces are TO be returned
To their poor parents. After the usual d
cademical course, the poor children are
TO pass through another crucible, and the
pure metal is 10 be advanced for further
refinement 10 the colleges, and the dross
10 be thrown back upon the poor. After
RAISING the collegiate course, then fur
tier refinement is TO take place, and the
drOss TO be again thrown upon the poor.
After passing through this test, then the
truly refined metal is TO be advanced to
the honors of the university, and to be
converted into fellows of that most retin-
ed institution 1t really seems at first
view, that there is something ianciful in
This process ofreiInement.-Let, then, its
practical effects be examined. What will
the government gain by this process II
will gain the fellows of the university
What will it give for them The expen-
ces of the education of all the poor chill
dren in the commonwealth for three years,
certain portion of them during an aca-
demical course, and certain smaller
portion, through a collegiate course
Will not every man see al single glance,
that these refined fellows of the uniVer.i-
ty will be dearly bought, as far at least as
pecuniary means are employed for the
purpose The moral effects ofthis whole
arrangement shallnot be overlooked but
they Will be best seen, IN examining its
effects upon the poor Individually. 1t is
proposed to educate the Whole of the poor
childrenat public expence for three years Z,
when all The ounces and the vicious are 10
be returned 10 poor parents. Can ii be
believed that the poor parents will gain
any advantage by this process But this
is by no means the most serious evil they
will sufier.-Onegre at evil will arise from
depriving them of The services of their
children, entirely and completely, for three
s0hote gears. Very little consideration will
suffice TO show, that this will be an ire
parable loss. Here the complaint of the
want of precision and specification in the
system is renewed. The particular years
should he specified. That period, it is
I,, bfa 81
child has acquired strength sufficient TO
labor. Three years schooling before That
period of life would soon eyapOrate into
iorgetfulness. Take, then, any period
of the life of an infant from l2tos21 years,
and deprive his poor parent aohoiLy of his
labor during that time and how can
the loss be compensated Will it be
said, by the learning acquired dur
ing that time In this answer, will
be found one of the great errors of
the system. What can he learn during
that period reading, writing, ami com
mon arithmetic-he will be fortunate If
he attains so much What is the actual
value of learning so much, and no more
The knowledge of reading, writing and
common arithmetic, unaccompanied with
any other knowledge, is scarcely worth
the trouble of its acquisition. What will
the poor parent lose for this acquisition
of his childl The proceeds of three years
labor. What will the child lose by 1t {?
Three OF his most precious years in
learning to labor. lie then gains a mere
smatterlng Of reading, writing and figures,
and he loses the knowledge of laboring-
Does not every man see, that his loss is
OF real value, and his gain merely lmagin-
rY But this is by no means the most Sc
rlous and detrimental of his losses. He
loses the propensity, the disposition TO
labor, when his labor must be his only
support and comfort in life.-If, then, he
loses the disposition TO labor, and the op.
porlunity of acquiring the knowledge of