Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-10-07
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FOR THE SPECTATOR.

hrercd al Pu1hc Meeting 81 The citizens of
.qugusfa, held in Siaunion, Sept. IL, ISL
Continued.
B. What is the condition of Common School
Education in Virginia
MIR. Editor-This question expresses the sub
stance Of the third topic in the enumeration given
in the last paper. l have no copy of it by me,
and quote from memory.
There are always to be found many ready to
congratulate the people the blessings of our
free Institutions, the glory Of our State, the re-
nown of our ancestry, and the political influence
of the "Old Dominion" in the national councils
OF all these things we have reason to be proud
1 honestly believe, that out of our own State,
even the name of "Virginan'' carries with it
more influence, and secures to its possessor more
respect, than any similar designation in our con-
federacy. But while we may congratulate ourselves
on this fact, let remember that all this will
not secure to us the continuance of the blessings
and privileges we have prised; and our State may
lose, if she has not already lost large portion of
her importance, by neglecting to secure to her
children the inestimable blessings of Elementary
Education. While the people are congratulated
and fiattered, let the truth be faithfully told
Boasting OF out ancestry, toasng our distinguish
ed men, eating dinners in honor OF liberty, and
ensiaving soul and body under ardent spirit to il
lustrate freedom from British tyranny and taxa
ton, will not transmit our free institutions to pos
terity, nor remove from our State the curse of g-
norance which rests upon it. Eminent as we
have been, our glory departs when the great body
oil the people, who possess the right of suffrage,
may have become too ignorant to understand their
rights, or discriminate between the Demagogue
who ilatters and deceives, and the Patriot who
earnestly desires and honestly ondeavors to bene-
fit his country. That we are already in danger of
reaping the baneful fruits of ignorance in the
community, Is cvinccd by the facts presented in
the results Of the late census and confirmed by
other Investigations. 1t appears that in an adult
! population of about 100000 whites, there are
now nearly 10000, who can neither read nor
write. In 1889, the marriage bonds, fled in
the Clerks Offices of about 100 counties in the
State, showed that nearly one-ifth of the sgners
to those bonds, had signed with a cross mark
Taking that as fair index it would show that a.
bout one-fiith, or between one-ffth ana one-sixth
o. the adult population could not write. This
comedies with the result of the census, already
mentioned. But further, according to the same
index, 1t appears that 20 years previously, the
same proportion Of uneducated to educated exist
ed, that existed in 1897; and hence, in all that
time, we have made no improvement-thounh, to
remove this evil. nearly 81 100000 (45,O00
year for Is years, and from 55 to 10000 year
for years) had been expended by the State
We receive these melancholy statements with
confidence in their truth, the greater, because
we Ind In the general aspect of common school
education causes sufficient to occasion such re-
suits. In almost any neighborhood in the
state, you will discover that the important matter
of instructing children is managed will, great
negligence to the character of the means en-
ployed, and the results Produced few indi
Viduais determine to secure school. Many
who need it for their children, are too careless to
adopt any measures to secure it. Those then, on
whom the duty falls, though recognising as gem
eral truth the necessity and importance of the
measure, yet partly because they stand alone,
and partly from failing fully to appreciate the sub
Ject, act with great want of judgment, energy,
and foresight. teacher is employed, whose
chief recommendation is his cheapness. He
may know what he processes or he may not 1t
would be want of courtesy to require his sub
mission to an examination even when there might
be an ability on the part of any to examine. He
may be deficient in what is far more important, in
one sense, than knowledge. He may not know
how to communicate his knowledge, or may pos
sess hasty, undisciplned temper. lie may have
failed in every other pursuit, professional or me-
chanica agricultural mercantile, and perhaps it
will be plead for him, e is fit for nothing else poor
fellow, and is willing TO teach cheaply. He will
do to teach the children spelling and reading with
a little cyphering and writing Now in fact,
this is one of the highest accomplishments of a
Teacher; one which requires great proficiency
lin the art as well as accurate knowledge Of the
disposition of children. To the want of tho
proper qualification for this apparently easy task,
we have reason to ascribe the numerous failures
In teaching by which many sprghtly children
are set against every form of learning, and if not
left worse, rendered no better than the unfor-
tunate teacher may have found them. The ac-
commoddtlons for scholars are generally fair in
dex OF the interest feli in the subject of Elemen-
tary Education. few rough logs, roughly put
together, with a loose plank floor, door with o.
pen seams, a fireplace and chimney so constructed
as to send as much heat up the hue as possible
In order to counteract the cold air entering by its
wide opening, and high narrow benches, without
backs, is description of the seat of the nurse