Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-09-28

, teriaIs of education suited TO Msir age the,
too paying for the use of such materials. Blu
the materials for the education of children ar,
cheap aud can be, and are, with us, at least
GENERALLY procured without the aid of the pub
lie. All that is required is house big enough
10 hold twenty or thirty children, a spelling
book and a teacher. Mr.. Brougham's report
therefore very wisely excludes from the bene-
tit oi his plan all those districts where the PEG
pie are themselves wealthy enough tn provide
Tor the education of poor children. But where
distric; is actually destitute, where the poI,i-
latlon Is scarce, in fact where aid is necessary
and shewn to be accessory, let il be afforded :
furnish a school ut the public expense, if not
otherwise To be had, or at the expense of the
county, and in like manner pay preceptor,
so rs TO enable him to teach his scholars at a
moderate price. This Adam Smith saws l.;
the case III Scotland. The price is so mode
rate that even a day laborer can afford to pay
it. And he contends that the teacher, ought
not TO be wholly, nor even principally paid by
the public: if so, he would soon learn to neg
lect his business. concur in this opinion In
educating children ut the public expense, it is
manifest that you impair the force of the
strongest, best and purest motive to industry
and economy, that can influence a parents
heart.
This remark brings me to the next step
which might perhaps be properly taken. Ii
from the peculiar situation and poverty of the
district, the rule requiring pay fromthe scholars
is to he dispensed with, the dispcnsaton should
extend to those paupcrs only who are father
less.
% not see that one step farther can he
made without infinite risk, unless there be an
error, In the proposition urged little while
ago, as to the tendency to augmentation of
nyn iphn IL. T.
the benefit of paupers.
Nor am entirely convinced that the limit
ed scheme projected in England by the educa-
ton committee, even lift should flourish there, x
ought not to be transplanted here. If the
door be once opened, in favor ofone spot how
ever necessitous and distressed, from that mo-
ment it will he necessarily assaied The hun
tiers after popularity, always the protested
friends of the poor, would never rest from
their labours, until the character of the system
was essentially changed, by making the exccp-
TONS to the general rule, of leaving people to
themselves except in cases of necessity, finally
TO supercede the rule itself. ] am afraid that,
IN tins country, after much time and money
too, have been thrown away, our experience
Will at last conduct us, to the conviction, that
the people will do the best that can be done,
if these same popularity-hunters, and proiec-
tors, and phanthropists, would permit them to
rest assured that from the government nothing
is TO be expected. For my own part, much
as approve the restriction of the right of suf
frage TO the freehold, would cheerfuly, in
order to get rid of the present school system,
extend that right, To every man in the COM
n unity, who could read and write, and was
possessed ola rifle or a musket with the pro-
per equipments always kept ready for use
THIS plan would cost nothing. The people
under the influence OF Il feeling always increas-
ing in strength would be taught and armed,
without any tax on the nation and the very act
OF voting, would seem to announce that the Cit
izen understood his rights, and was ready to
maintain them, as well as to defend his coun-
try.f
have said good deal upon subject, on
which, when began, | had no expectation
that should say a word. have been led to it
by the university question and would not
stop. It's time, that somebody in this phiian-
hropic age should speak out. Having been
accustomed, all my life to perform this duty,
will not desert it now. | trust that this
great principle in the science of political eco
nomy will be deliberately examined. II is not
too late. The system is not yet fixed. The
people of va. have manifested a sort of inStinc-
the dreadt of its effects, and believe that in
great majority of the counties, the very first
|
neglected.
Whatever doubt there may be on this point,
there can be no,o no room to question the IA
tai tendency of legislative interference in any
form or shape between creditor and debtor !:
no matter what the pressure of the times may
be, let the people alone; and let it be dis
;inctly understood as n sacred principle of
legislation, that they are to depend, not up
on the government, but upon Themselves
The state of Virginia d id honor to itself at
the last session, by its recognition of this doc
trlne but can any person doubt, that the
clamor commenced early in the spring of $50,
ON the subject of executions, aggravated the
very distresses, which produced this clamor,
by stimulating the creditors to use all possible
expedition to place their debt ont of the
reach of the apprehended law? No it is rot
by devices and expedients of this kind, by
suspension laws, or bankrupt laws, which are
worse, which contain the essence of fraud
doubly distilled, that people are to maintain
their freedom and secure their happiness. These
blessings are MOTTO be preserved, but " by a
firm adherence to justice, moderation, tenn
perance, frugality and virtue, and by fire.
quent recurrence to fundamental principles. :"
Much that have said, might perhaps have
been well pretermitted but there is one point,
on which it is my duty to address you.
Cohens easel Among the important points
about which the people of this country, arc yet
divided, there IS not one probably, which oc-
cupies more of the public attention than that
which relates TO the appellate Jurisdiction
claimed by the Supreme Court, over the
state tribunals.
preamble and resolutions occasioncd by
the writ of error in Cohens' case, had been a.
dopted during the last session, by the house OF
delegates. When they came before the senate,
moved to strike out the preamble, and Of
! fered a substitute for the resolutions. The
motion to strike out prevailed, and the substi-
tute was adopted, and passed both houses.