Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-12-31

tca barriero to impede the establishment of common
schools, and yet all these difficulties must be conquer
ed, must change the ballotbox of the Republic
for the sceptre ofthc Empire We then have three OPP
opposing to overcome-Moral, Physical, and
Political
"The moral cause, is the state of mind amongst that
class of our citizens who most stand in need OF the
blessings which such system would ultimately bring
to them and their children. The human mind must in
its early period receive moral and intellectual dircc
ton and Impetus but the school system has to deal in
the first place with the Icdha and preudces of the
parents, before reach the young. The reluct
ance To defray any expenses of education, either by
direct payment for tuition, indirectly by taxation,
must be overcome - Men who toll many days, and by
severe economy lay up little money to enter new
lands, or improve the old, are unwilling to part with
any portion Of the money, lose the time of their
children from domestic labors and daily tolls which
add to the physical comforts, or the small sum of
ney which may already begin to increase and mainly
from the labor of the children. These moral diff
culles be grasped and and these present
another aspect much more fearful to co,ardty legsla
the necessity of imposing the tax to form and
tain the system The wealthy, who educate see
and will not admit the right or proprety oftaxing them
to educate children generally; and the uniformed do
not always feel the strong necessity which exists of
educating their children either for their personal
benefit for the permanent welfare and preservation
of the Republic and therefore unwilling to yield
Of ther scant physical comforts for, TO them, the
ideal advantages dangerous Injuries of learning.
4
ance Large portions of our State made up of sterile
or mountainous ands located in large farms, and in
either way atording only sparse population; so that IN
scattered community, the difficulty of forming and
collecting the children into common schools IS exceed
inpy great and in proportion to the sparscncss of the
populaon OH a given surface does this difficulty in
crease until in many districts common school system
would oc to impractcable. The inquiry presents
itself ere whether other system could not be de-
yScd rFach the evil-Nanual Labor Schools or some
other p,'ac teal expedent.
"The Political condition of the country will to some
present diff cultcs The state of the finances, the desire
10 diver those finances schemes of Internal Improve
ment the situation Of the land titles and the ownership
Of land s. especially in Western Virginia-the old
veys hch have been made and which cover thousands
oacresthe fact that many OF our titles are piled upon
another, prevent the actual settlement oil western
| Virginia. These things must be remedied Effective
statutes of limitation, protecting the actual and bona
fde seter-laws giving him compensation for improve
ments made on lands where It IS done under color Of
title: when these things are done, Western Virginia
will then hold some inducements to the actual settler
who now crosses the Ohio river and gives from So to
10 per acre for land Of precisely the intrinsic value
which he refuses lying in Virginia, at from 10 four
dolars-It is the uncertainty of Virginia titles Do
these things and then shift the ust and oppressive
copicton from tho head OF the people, 10 this pro-
perry md then those large surveys III Western NirgI
gle covering territory enough for ten
twenty School Distrcts-will be cut up into sm
ino farms dotted over with the School houses enrich
ed With the School District Library. have right
10 propose this REFORM will contribute under the
opr,ation of the laws.
"The Governors message wonld indicate that the
scho, system prosperous and effective. il is nj
most any thing else II is almost any thing else than il
should be in the oldest Commonwealth in the Republic,
and lue-proudcsi--of her moral worth and ntcllcc-
tual de -eopment. How much of this is the self-sufi
cheney # the Pharsec There are many considcra-
tons connected with this subject; but it struck for
chilly that tic exhibition of your library in the Hall
would be the most likely TO nisead the Legislature
who would generously, and with feeling Of praise
worthy PATRIOTISM vote an appropriation to purchase
the works and distribute them the different portions
of the State aehou first teaching the Children 10 read
them, and seeurea PRACTICAL permanent method Of in
struction 10 the future pcnsrationS"