Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-12

tics, III Is SdI'l, iidS tiittf"'s"e" ""S-"e''.
This fact, recently developed, ought 10
sneak in The voice of thunder 10 all who
will omen their ears that they may hear.
or even to force all TO open their cars, Sc
that they must hear, whether they will o,
NOT. Does il not prove no" dangerous
I, is IA temp, man from his duty That
whilst il enables him 10 abuse this bene-
vo!ence of The government, II tends 10
DEGRADE him below the dignity OF human
nature? And that 1T government VIII not
uerform his duties for him, he will perform
ihem Tor hiu,scif? What preteNt, then,
can the govern ment have ior absoiviug a-
nv from the discharge OF Their ilrst obj
cations TO themselves, TO Their ianilies,
aud 10 society still more ehnpliasicatiy
NAV il be asked, What prcieN' can III nave
for Introducing HE most VeAatIcus, conl-
pllcaied and arbitrary provisions for effect
Inv the object! And these, moi only as
they relate 10 the poor, bat 10 The whole
community Let 81 be oncc understood,
and become familiar, that ii man is releas-
ed from the obligation to educate ms
children, will ii not Immediately weaken
the relative dependence OF parent aud
child Lessen t!ieirreciprocal interests in
tie conduct of each otlier--and conSe-
auenily their reciprocal affections And
low is il probable that the money the
dissipatcd parent is released from paying
for schooIisg, will be appliedt Is ii notpro-
babe hal il will be applied 10 his own in
duIycncicsl To furnish him with more
means 10 buy whiskey Ii is believed,
that there is more whiskey now drank by
this description ofpoor, than would ed
ucate all the poor children IN the country /;
and Il premium Is i'll substance offered by
the government for still drinking more
whiskey.
Again-does not every man Of r, Election
see that tile system imposes Il tax upon
industry and merit, and offers direct
premium to idleness aud dissipation, great
ly aggravated by tile arbitrary manner
proposed for executing IL ! Ii would seem
at first view that this Is a mere question
between the very rich and the very poor;
whether the very rich shall be made TO
educate the very poor. Upon further ex-
animation, it will be found that there is
material error i'll that supposition. The
greatest effects of the despotisin of The
system, will be fonnd near the boundary
line between those WHO are to pay and
those who are exempt from contributions,
and near the confines of this boundary,
too, will he found its most demoralizlng
effects. The very rich will know that
they are TO pay ; the absolutely needy
besides, the very rich will have means of
protecting themselves against the tyranny
ofthese petty corporations" Not so with
the middling class of society. But pre-
else boundary lines mustbedrawn between
others. This is TO be done by the mere
dictum and caprice Of a few petty neigh
borhood tyrants, under the influence OF
corporate powers for every man is a ty
rant who is invested with discretionary
powers TO interfere with, or i'll any way to
regulate the private rights of individuals;
at least he possesses the powers OF ty-
rant.-In illustration of these observati-
ons, let the execution of these powers be
tested by the most common case that can
occur III socieiy-Suppose two individu-
ais, living in the same neighborliood, e.
qually dependant originally upon labor
for the support of themselves and their
families, and both have children TO school
The one has all his life beenindustrious
and frugal, has supported his family III
comfort and happiness, and has laid mp
a little ready money for a rainy day =
Suppose the other has been during all his
life idle and dissipated, has afforded his
family but an uncomfortable subsistence,
and spends all his little earnings beyond
that in buying wliiskey for his own indul-
gence-These corporate trustees are call
ed upon to perform their duties under this
most extraordinary proyiso =" Provided,
that the board OF trustees who have the
government of the school, may demand
OF such parents, guardians or masters, as
are able TO pay, without Inconvenience,
for the education of their children, wards
or apprentices, such fees for tuition as the
said trustees may deem reaSonaJie.a aud pro
per- In the pieuitude of their discretion,
they must yet determine according TO the
vague rule laid down Tor their government,
that the industrious and meritorious indi-
vldual must pay, as he can do so without
inconvenience and The idle and dlssipat-
ed must be absolved from payment. Is
not here clearly seen directtax upon in
dustry and merit, and direct premium
upon Idleness and dissipation But this
IS by 10 means the most demoralizing
effect OF the measure. This consists in
holding out an aiurement to the indus
trIous and merItOrlous individual 10 avoid
the discharge Of his duty to educate his
own children and give it up to the gov
eminent, relinguishing thereby his depen-
dence upon himself, and submitting to a
dependence upon the government-This
is condescenSion, however, which he
never would have thought Of or would
have thought Of with horror or disgust.
until he was taught by the government
that the dereliction was not dishonorabe.
by offering temptations 10 him 10 make
1T. How much more moral, how much
more wise, how much more Just, the poll
cy, which wonId teach the citizen that it
is his Indispensable duty to educate his
own child that it is right sacred and
nmalenable; that the n0n-performauce
oft is disgraceful aud scandalous and
that any government which would attempt
to deprive bin of il by force, or by pur-