Delaware journal., 1827-12-21

NJ than has been done ny the ehfUe SeSSfoe vi
ne Legislatures ;-by which you will secure the
onrobaon of your own conscience, the plaudits o1
.ta thinking and honest Of all parties, and cause ev-
's nv uerhhorhood in the State to bless your memo
~ Yes Sir, can recommend to you measure,
'Jhich if YOU can carry it through the House. will
.aonpr or later make every neghborfood IN Della
are clad, and do more for the citizens of this State
%,, 10 increase her commerce tenfod; a measure
%a hsnehts of which shall not be confined to the
u.ossnt generation. but descend to mylasls yet un
R,rn he influence of which will be felt in our fu
."re legislatures Courts, Schools, Churches. and
all our Public Institutions. in raising up Bayards
and Retneys that viii otherwise be buried IN dark
ness and never see light.
You already anticipate the measure to which re-
fer. An ..Act for the support OF COMMON SCHOOLS.
connected with the appropriation OF the interest o
4,p nresent SCHOOL FUND. has often occupied your
aitenton, aud excited desires that something should
be done Perhaps, like many others. y'u have been
discouraged with The idea that nothing can De done
AT least as yet, nor until the fund has much m
creased, in size. Perhaps, you too have been snotl-
I'd to silence and procrastlnatlon by the song oI
"accumuaton.'' Dear sir, listen to me 10 MN
nues or follow me through two or three short COM
munications, and undertake to show that this ex-
cue is bottomess, and that as State we are utter
guilty in postponng this matter Tor single year.
But first, let us look at the condition OF the chill
ren of our State and form estimate OF the de-
mand for an increase of education. What numbers
If children are there of school going aye. How
many of these are now at school, at proper schools,
and under suitable teachers? How many more
schools are wanted and what can the State do to
enlghten all her children, and diffuse education
through all her borders These are questions
which ought to be answered, and on which a general
answer will be sufficient for our present purpose.
The proportion of children to grown persons is at
all times and in all countries nearly the same Now
in New York State it is asceralned that about one
fourth Of the population is between and 5 years,
or of a school going aye. II we suppose our chill
lrcn to bear the same proportion, We have 1I,00C
White and 1000 coloured children in our bounds
who ou .ht to be at schnol six nine months every
YEAR Here then are 18. 900 members Of the State
On whose future character and conduct will hang
much of the interets Of Delaware. These are noN
within the reach, aud under the power Of her form
ghand. Presently their habits will be formed
aud their characters fixed, for ought she can do, 70
eternity Is this State paying proper attention Il
This subject Is she wise in leaving the matte
wholly to careless. vicious avarlclous parents AM
guardians and to teachers tina may or may not de
serve the na:nc? Many of our sister States vii
not leave this matter to chance. Connecticut ha
never left her citizens at liberty to neglect this mat
ter for single year. Every child, white and black
must be educated + be raised at least little abov
the mindless brute Newly Y0rk, for many wears lei
her people to themselves, and what was the cons'
uuence Why about two thirds of her children wer
left wthout a proper mental cultivation. and lara
proportion hardly knew s. b from bulls foot.
In 1916, when the first examination took place.
little over one third of the children were found
any school whatever And.now will any one su
pose that on this point have the advantage Of
Nn,y T bnrul ulv 1ot ouv nnp Iyhu N
ever compared the Northern with the Southern
the Middle States. will hesitate to admit that we a
far behind. If we grant that larger prppor
have learned the alphabet, or been at school thr
months or six months in their life, so a to be able
tell Testament from dice box, yet after some {
animation. the writer is led to doubt whether mt
than third of our rising race are enjoying reast
able opportunities Of elementary education.
If we include the coured children, one third v
be TOO large a proportion. But II we throw out
the calculation the 4O0D to whose education so
maybe opposed. we have $4,000 children. in VIII
mental cultivation. all will acknowledge, the st
has the deepest interest. Of these 1000. say 81
are regular attendants on our schools (such as Il
arc) where'are 5000 others, perhaps OF equal natu
talents. who are left to run wild, spend the spr
time of life in idleness, the indifferent and vicious
!, grow up in total ignorance, and those who are
y posed to learn, to catch what scraps ii knowle
they can Will this State suffer so large por
Of her population to grow up in a state Of Sc
barbarlsm WHAT, in such case, can we exI
! ior our posterity.
trust, sir, you feel that as State we are
doing our duty in this matter and that there
loud call for something to be done. Let me
II address your feelings of patriotism, & benevole
:. and in the name of many thousand young DELI
fans and Of all posterity beseech you. sir, to Il
y and act upon this subject. PUBLlCOLf
an babers in the Borough are requested 10 cory i