Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-03-06
From tie Winchester Republican,
COMMON SCHOOLS.

Gent II goe, just far enough TO hold out ex-
pectations to our INDECENT population which can
never be realized-to destIoy the bud of promise
Just as il begi,s to shoot forth into life and sigor.
Nav, IL CUES further; 1t shows what immense all
vantages would flow from more liberal course
of poicy We have often lamented the, inefh-
cisncv Of the SYSTEM; and have iamented 1t the
more FROM the apparent hopelessness OF obtain
ing any legislative action in ITS favor. Redress
lies with raE people. They must move in the
matter before the penny wise policy OF our legs,
lators will b. changed With concerted action
on their part, the cause of common schools. IKE
that Of internal Improvement, must go onward.
The latter is now advancing surely, though SLOW
lv, TO a proud eminence. The appropriations
dring the present session have been liberal, at
least to Western Yirginia-more liberal than
was anticipated. In this the legislature has not
merely followed, but it has taken the lead OF pub
lie opinion. Let the people also speak IN be.
half of common schools, and their voice canot be
disregarded
We have been led TO these remarks BY observ-
ing in the Wheeling Gazette an address to the
people pf Ohio county, by JAMES GREEN,a can
didate Tor the house of delegates who comes. out
openly as the advocate of more liberal appro-
pr,aron of the public funds TO the cause OF edu-
cation. We cannot resist an Inclination to CO.
by portion Of his address, because it is in ex-
act accordance with our own ideas OF a wise and
statesman. like policy. Mr.. g. was for some
wears one of thesedltors Of the Wheeling Com
piler, and is a gentleman, we are told, OF consi-
derable literary attanments. tie possesses,
hawever. what is much better IN delegate,
thorough business habit, being practical and
thorough working man, land has our hearty WISHES
for his success.
May we not hope that our editorial brethren
throughout the state are not indifferent to thus
important subject; but that they will forward II
BY presenting il IN aud pressing it upon the con
awake attention to it before the April elections;
and we feel confident that if i, be made ques-
ton at the polls, opposition will be exceedingly
feeble.
Extract from Mr., Green's address.
But there is one subject with which l would
wish particularly to be considered as identified.
and upon YOUR appreciation or disapproba'ion OF
ii, do wish to stand or fall before you. II elect
ed, it is my intention TO endeavor to procure an
enactment for the introduction into Virginia. Of
well disested system OF education, similar to
that which has existed in all the New England
states from their first settlement until now; aud
which more recently has been introduced into
New York, ONO, and perhaps some other states
of the Union. In the New England states ele
mentary education has been sustained nasty /!
not wholly. at the public expense, from the
landing of the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, III
= 1920, to the present time; and So beneficial have
been the effects, salu,ary the fruits OF the sys
TEN tAen adopted, and since, from time to time.
perfected, that nov, no human despotism could
expunse their school codes from their statute
bucks. With them, the idea of rendering the
primary education of all their youth, public
charge, first orginated; aud as the country sub.
seuuenty became nterspersed with settlements
here and there, bat distant from each other, the
same systemwas uniformly and uottntariiy adopt.
ed in each, and continued, until, eventually, it
became the law Of the land. The first hint II
this system, the great principle Of which is, that
education should be sustained al the public ex.
pense, is to be found in the records of the city
of Boston, for the year 1855, where. at public
meeting, schoolmaster was appointed +" for the
teaching and nurtming Of children among u.s."
aud portion Of the public lands was given him
for his support. WINTHROP, the first governor
of the colony, and the great patron of free
schools, says, 10 his Journal under date Of 1915,
that /" divers free-schools were erected in other
towns" and that in Boston il was determined to
allow, forever, ESQ year to the master, with
house, and ESQ to an usher. All this was the
voluntary act Of the early settlers of that part
Of our country, aud was wholly without resort to
legislative coercion; for it was not until l647
that the colonial assembly Of Massachusetts, first
legis'ated upon the subject Of free-schools. nor
until 1863 and 1879 that the colonies Of Connec.
ticut and New Haven adopted similar laws.
IL the beneficial effects Of the free.schoo sys.
ten should not be sufficiently obvious to every
one who would give the subject the dispassionate
consideration OF an hour, the encomum passed
upon it by Mr.. Webster, ought of itself TO be
takea, even upon trust. When member of the
Massachusetts convention in 1921, to revise
the constitution of that state, abiding IN public
debate to their free-schools, in which ne had re.
ceived the rudiments OF his education. he said
"In this particular, New England may be al
lowed to claim. think, merit Of peculiar cha.
racter. She early adopted, and has constantly
maintained, the principle. that tits the undoubt-
ed right, aud the boundcn duty Of government
to provide for the instruction Of youth. That
l. n q i