Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-01-10

The report or the Second Auditor on
the State ofthe Literary Fund, and the
condition Of the Common Schools, will
be laid before you, and from it you will
see the progress made and making in
the general system of educotlon. The
success attending the education OF poor
children, is highly gratifying, and 1t is
reputable to the country. that this SUBJ
ject is attracting more general atten'
ton for certainly in whatever aspect
we view il, there is none more iinPor
tant. An enlightened Legislature Will
not in the performance oftheir duties
in the great work, halt at the thresh-
hold.
That is now the position we &C.
cupy. In other countries, not posses
sed of our ample means, their govern
ments have provided for the education
Of their entire population. This is 1.-THE
case in Prussia, and several other OF
the German States. N. York has her
system in full operation, ard IS doing
well. Why, allow me to ask, have we
failed to make provision for a general
system of our common schools! Is II
not a Notifying reflection that while
one OF our fundamental cnnons de-
clares "That all power is vested IN
and consequently derived from the
~people," there should be thousands OF
that very people incapable OF ell
Their reading or writing Yet such
is the humiliating fact.
1t was certainty most praise worthy
In the General Assembly that origina.
ted it, TO project a plan for the educa.
ton ofihe poor. The portion of :he
Literary Fund applied TO their educa.
ton for the year ending the 3Oth OF
September, 1887, amounted to SALT.
IS. This is now more than can be
p~rudenlly applied to that object. What
then ought to be done with the increa.
sing revenue Of that fund.- The ques-
ton, | humbly submit, may be prompt
ly and satisfactorily answered. Apply
the surplus to the endowmenis OF com
mon schools throughout the whole
State for the education of the children
of the great body Of the people, IL ofall
classes. These schools have been We.
ny appropriately called the academies
and colleges Of the people. By endow-
ing and promoting them, every citizen
is provided in his neighborhood, or at
his door, with a school for the educa-
ton OF his children-a school where
that class of children may be educated,
to whom, in a few years, the des,lnies
of the country are to be committed.
Many Of our most respectable citI.
zens, and not a few of those who di.
rect our public councils, obtained their
education, not within the halls of a col.
lege, but in schools of much humber
pretensions. Their mean being mad
equate to the expenses of n college,
they acquired at the commo schools,
the elements of a solid education, and
by their subsequent well directed ct.
forts, have nobly qualified themselves
for all the duties OF public and private
life. To me il seems all important,
that effective measures should be taken
to place the system of common schools
upon a footing commensurate with the
wants Of the public and the obligations
of the government-and | respectfully
submit, il to your enlightened and friend
ly consideration.
Among the subjects OF e%ngrossIng in
terest, are our works of Internal I'm.
~. ..a1l IN .n. A..
large sums Of money which we are ex-
pending IN their construction, as the
great advantages we expect to derive
from them when completed.
Those who achieved their country's
independence, had no sooner rested
from their labors than they turned
their attention &c many important i'm.
provements, some of which, at this late
| day, we are engaged in executing.
As early as 1883, an net was passed
for improving the navigation of James
River, and another for improving the
Roanoke. In 1883 the James River
Company was Incorporated, and the
object declared to be, "the clearing
and extending the navigation, from the
water upwards to the highest parts
practicable on the main branch" In
the same year the Potomac Company
was incorporated for improving that
River. In 1887 the act passed for in.
cooperating the Dismal Swamp Canal
Company, for cutting a canal "from
the waters of Elizabeth River to the
waters of Pasquotank in North Carroll.
ma" In the same year ar act passed
for improving the Appomattox ; and in
1893 the Rappahannock Company was
Incorporated, for opening and clearing
the navigation Of that River-so that
in ten years plans YER laid and COM
panies were formed, for improving all
the principal n~avigable streams in the
State which run eastwardly from the