Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-26


Having told "a mu>h as of the nominal means
of education in Virginia, will examine the pertinent
question, How much ough, she to have? To what cdu
cation should public instruction aim | will give the
landmarks, the Of studies in the order in which
they should be pursued were | 10 do more must detail
and support system. do no, wish any to under.
stand this list hy the present voluminous and numbered
text books; but first 10 hear assert that ali herein
templaed could be contained in two thousand duodeci
mo pages, ind taught thoroughly III our five years;
giving good knowledge OF them any school vel
gave | speak deliberately and adviscdy.
Every white child in Virginia should be thoroughly
and practically eGucacd-in the means of learning
these are, speaking, reading and wIng-in the e!e
menls of Natural History that is, of number aud the
properties and appearances OF matter unorganizsd and
organized lncudIng physical gCoTra phy-ln the ee-
ments of the knowledge Of his constitution aud Of
the relations of morals religion mud polity-in the
deIslandrg and practical of these means properties
and relations, and their application by the English Ian.
guage commercial arithmetic, economies, surveying
book keeping and our own Governments. together with
brief literary explanation Of their application by SCI
ences and arts IN general.
Aud in the outlines Of the history of the above de.
pa',ncnts, including civil geography and statistics
Daring this course, the instructor should form the pu-
pIIs habits OF thinking, Of feeling, and Of acting
For females, domestic duties should be substituted for
commercial arithmetic and surveying.
This IS the public instruction TO be given, ultimately,
il not AT once ten months annually 10 every white child
between the ages of nine and fourteen. | would that
these limits could he used in the census Of lS40 -
Our whe population in 1880 ga 900 For the 10
years preceding, this population increased in Eastern
Virginia, seven and halt per cent, and in Western
Virginia, twenty-five per cent, which would give from
1850 TO this tune average increase OF about twelve
per cent making 1G1 eco population. Taking the
OF lc30 the basis Of the number OF children he
tween the ages above mentioned, II will give about
5000 Of such children present; that is lie amour,
oi annual education Virginia ought 10 have; 1t take
the average ages ii admission from ths Reports ct PIE
sent practice IN the counties, will swell the number to
2p0 GEO.
come now to compare these points and statistics Of
public instruction. and to give opinions the actual
results and the detects and deficiencies in State
This viii be sad chapter Mengre may be the tables
of real and persona property invested IN schools scany
as their number and few their pupils may be, and how
ever small proportion of The schno!abe population the
wants of education yet increased by the evils Of in
competent and bad instruction.
The continuous exposition Of nadfGuacy and Of ap
propriaou hopes Of the school commissioners in tie
nual reports of the several countess is equae only by
the luuubous mendcancy aud chapter OF wants,
in the reports of the different Colleges and Academies
10 the President and Directors ct the Literary Fund IN
1876 The University wanelh much-every College
Graves necessitousy--of the orty-eght Academies
PORTING have ceased TO be for want OF funds; is The
only representative Of ''six, and perhaps more con,inu-
Gus counties: this is needy and another in the county
no longer exists, the buildings having been sold Every
institution starved with wanrs half OF them at least
lack the poor funds make repairs; the walls decay part
bud.d the unurnsbed the roofs have bettay
tuition will engage instructors OF corresponding value
only Every report expaates the broad and sadden
ing field OF usefulness, that lies schooess and unproduc
From county To county and town 10 town, through
The hills Of The West and The plains of the East in de
suate Virginia. the cry-No school houses for the
peorIe-no proper books appliances for knowledge
no price for utionno instructors no hope for The
ignorant and neglected child!
Look over the table of school statistics aboye-We
have in State, the largest, and fear much too
large. calculation, but between ll3 and Lii of po
pualion at school: and merely matter Of COMPARE
son let in passing, that this year, New York has
10 I5 school Districts 81 S repored-S100 600 invested
IN academies and 772O0O expended last year for the
wages OF teachers-and 52i 600 children Of 5G 0G0
between the ages of and IL, nearly 1914,
lualiy at school an average of months in the year
This is l-ilh Of the population Connecticut has I'D
at school Massachusetts has Goa academies and private
schools; she has DIS common schools 2Gi 900 of G9l
Geo, than I'D OF her population are at SCHOOL
nearly the whole year The amount expended for teach
ers is $751; aud taxes for schools, $iG5 225lotal
annual expenditure SS32, 900
think can better provide for academies and col.
cces than by giving them funds from the State. Nine.
teen ,wenilethS OF popu aliOn educated al common
schools: these have paramount claim and to benefit
higher institutions give the people OF State spirit oil
educating their children. The annual fees OF increased
patronage will support academies and colleges better
with this spirit than all the funds State can give with
out it. Such is the actual result in New fork. CO.
vernon Marcy states this year. that The number Of
denies greater than before, aud the number Of
OF we.supporcd academies in Massachusetts, Is still
greater. State should Contribute to colleges and AGA
denies. and have interest in then by some professor
ships Of general utility, and by rairopznE them with the
rewarded pupils who have exce!led in public schools
But am anticipating my subject.
hand you these views, gentlemen, merely stating
that my remarks Will probably extend TO four numbers
embracing the present means Of education in Virginia.
the defects and Deficiencies and authorities or
supplying them and proofs that tey may be supplied by
the organization OF uniform Stale system OF public in
sIuctiUn
have the honor to be, respectfully,
Your friend aud tellow-czen,
THEOD. r JENCKS.
Abingdon, Washington co Jan. 80, lo35.
o. The Compiler and " big will please COPY
TO TIE EDITOR OF TIE ENQUIRER.
Your paper OF the l2lh inst contains article from
the ~ Orleans Courier, charging the Texans with
invasion Of Territory. If such was the case, should
be The las, 10 justify it But knowing as do, that the
people the Red river frontier have settled on the rich
lands Of the Ca!do Indians West Of The boundary line
running North from the 32d deg of North latitude on
the Sabine TO Red river doubt very much Shrere-
port at the deJOucbemnt Of the Bayou Pierre from the
Main stream Of Red river, is not in the Republic OF Tex.
a. Il is certainly if Darby survey, under the treaty
with Spain, of Feb 1913 be correct He found the SD
degree the Sabine, and the line to Red river due
North, according 10 The treaty, skng near the head
of Bayou Pierre river. Natchnches lies in North atl-
tu6e 81 deg. 50 according to Samuel Ruddock, VI
vii Engineer, formerly OF Charleston, ) Carolina. lie
took great pains have il correct producing from his
several astronomical observations, the result atoe.men'
toned 81 deg. 80 IN. Hence line due West from
point 10 miles North OF Natchloches, and it will strike
the Sabine far East OF the point assumed on either Mel
fishes Tanners map. The county Of Miller, claimed
by Arkansas without doubt in the Republic OF Texas;
aud The only preension made 10 it was on account
Of It's conlsuty TO Territory, aud its being settle
ment without Sny Government-thc Mexican Govern
ment having scarcely any knowledge of 1t. General
Houston is we'll acquainted with the boundary line, and
presume, Gen. Rusk also
We will even suppose Rusk had entered our Territory
in pursuit of robbers aud murderers; do not think such
fuss should be made about it, And if the Indians
were furnished with arms and ammunition to make
on our neighbors, possibly justify it, may
have been misnfcrmed the location of Shreveport,
cerinn il is the head of the Rat. and