The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-08-26
From the New York Daily Sen,inei1
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
ESSAY ilI.

ao"Sh ior ne Common People I'm 10.
preaching the details of our snb,er,
TINS is the first question 10 be askS5 A.
answered. lfthe answer be, ..a nla,n
hngiish education, that is, reading,
writing, accounts; and, by way Off fin.
'sh, a little grammer and geography"
III 'ms be the answer, then public ed
waton is no such great thing. nf,c,
aL II is all very well and very mon
CT IN Its way, and the public aiteption .
ought to be called TO il, ms one ot t1v
other things, TO be attended 10. Bp,
10 talk Of education rsgenerating n q
h"'lon; to speak of il as the most im-
Portant of earthly concerns, TO call ON
'he present generation ms thew value
the freedom and happiness of the next
10 unite, heart and hand, for the estab-
lishment of public education,-all this
we thlnk is To make a mountain of n
mole hill. A large proportion of our
population can read and write and cost
up an account; and if all they are to
gam Tor their children beyond that, ;s
a little grammar and geograp phy (which
many OF them probably have already
picked up at honey no wonder that
'hey SIT with their hands across. and
yawn, and wonder that the peonlc
should make such fuss about public
education.
"e' Tor our parts, have n very diff.
'eIent conception of the matter.
III we are asked, "Vhat sort of Ed
nedf'o" as good enough for the Common
Ieope !! we ask in reply, "What sort
oi education is good enough for the
richest and most favored classes in the
land !" The answer to the one onea-
tion is, with us, the answer to the g.
thcr.
do we propose" we shall he asked.
uhat every poor mans son should
study Hebrew, and, his daughters learn
painting on velvet - No but not he
cause Hebrew and velvet paintings urs
only good for the rich g. the priyileg-
ed; but only because we think them
useless for any one.
we do not enquire, then, "what is
good enough for the common peoplc ~
We enquire "what is good enough for
human beings 7" What makes n man
pe''er' wiser; more enlightened ci,i-
zch' a more useful member Of society,"
Ii we are asked whether we propose
mathematics, astronomy, history, the
modern languages, chemistry, phys,-
oiogy, comparative anatomy, drawing.
music, rs branches which should lie
taught to every child in the republic
we reply, If any one, or if several, or
IL all these branches are essentially use.
'ui 70 human beings-ifthey contribute
To mental cultivation, TO moral im,-
provement, and il they do not occupy
time which might be more importantly
empioyed--we do most assuredly pr.-
pose them as proper to be taught in
all state schools, to every child, rich
or poor, patrician or plcbenn. We
may chance to consider some brancbca
OF study which now occupy mucl, time,
hnht for public schools. But five do.
1t will be, not because they are too good
for the people, but too useless for ,beu;
not because they are fit only for tho
rIch, but because they are fit for no
body.
We ought to reflect and reason on
ti'is subject, as we may suppose an en-
lightened parent to do, who possessing
ample means, sits down to consider
how he shall train his favorite child.
Does he ever enquire what is good e.
nougb for II No, he enquiries what will
benefit 1t. lie enquiries how he can best
and most usefully employ its time;
what studies will cultivate i,s intellect
and develope its capabilities. He cn-
quires what situation will best mould
Its dispositions to virtue and habits of
wisdom. And governed by such con-
siderations, he decides. So ough,
republic to reason, and so to decide,
for all her children. ...
When We propose system Of re-
publican education for the people,
therefore, We propose thnt IL should he
fhe 6eSf--not the most brilliant, not the
most extrayagsntly expensive, not the
most fashionabIe--b,t the best that the
nation, in it's wisdom, may be able to
devise. We need not be told tlnt it
will be imperfect. Everything human
IS. But If it be only as scientific, as
wise, and as judicious, ms modern ex-
perience can make IL, it will regenerste
in one generation. 1t will
make but one class out of the many
hat now envy and despise each other;
I will make American citizens whnt
hey once declared themselves. free d.
'quai. :t-s~. -.
Such view Of the subject may be
Iet down as Utopiap, or rediculed M