Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-02
DOMESTIC.
EDUCATION CONVENTION or NORTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA.
T.u.r f-a,, J,Jtc DUncgn

DOMESTIC.
EDUCATION CONVENTION OF NORTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA
Letter from Judge Duncan.
PEEL TkEE, August u, ISL.
Dear Sir IL regre, that my Official duties WI! pre-.
vent me from attending the "Educ1tion lon'eh'o"
TO be held in CiarksauTg 1t would have afforded me
much pleasure to contribute my mite in the furtner-
snce Of the obiec, contemplated. II is presuu,abe,
that at this time of life may have acquired some eH-
perence in the working OF our political Institutions
and my mind has settled down IN the oeiei hat 70 per-
petuate them, must educate The Psopie ihal tia'
equality so essential 10 Republican Government can
not be attained except by general diffusion OF kno"
ledge No maxim is more true, than that Rno"leuSe
~ power and those that possess 1t will Always nave m
ascendancy the ignorant To say ho'""s - '''
advantages that knowledge gives to s possesSo's' 49,
the pursuits OF life. have often regretted laa' t'ie
of onr Institutions had not provided the means
for general education doubtless they supposed ''u
the advantages of education were SO o,''ous' ''a'
might be safely left with the people =, 50 '"e -
uectaons have not been realized ior, o'ese ~ Po
portion to the population ana wealth., .nsie -"
cre,se in The number Of persons whnily uneduca'eo,
since Tho ner;od of TIE Revolution, and The laie census
discloses the melancholy fact, that IN Virginia Pf0a1
DIN Iirgiaia there more persons At ths liie VINO
c,pnot read or write than there were Ten or l"tive
yeors ar !, although white population has d.in'sh-
I'd TO what cause can this bS ascroed We nave
had profound peace the country has been prosperous,
and every civilized nation has been pushing IT'S ener-
,as for the advancement, o! knnwecgc-and even
m. most despo,ic Governments have been making IL
i.,.,s to educate their people and yet we see tia ~
This respect cur State has not merely stood si!i oui
has actually re,rograded. Can this DC a''Fao'a"ie 70
The nature OF oar free institutions: Is ignorance 'ne
vice Of Republics, Such was no. Tue case w'sh 'he
ancient Republics, and think can only be accounted
Tor here bv the absorbing influence OF Federal party
politics We, in Virginia, have been caniorng Tor Inc
las, fifteen or twenty years about State flights ana
State sovereignliea, forgetting or negiectns ei tie
while 10 perform the very duties those rights required
nj Ms we verv properly deny 10 the Federal Govern
mon, e r;rAt 10 interfere with our domestic concerns
10, the purposes OF Internal improvements Of lduca
lion bnt We take not 70 exercise Tie Isat our
selves for any valuable purpose. In truth, recent
Developments show much TO alarm Us ABOUT the con
dition of our noble State The late re assessment
of the ands cews an decline IN their valce
and The census as have remarked, dscoses decline
IN population ard in learning and lear 'aat the
standard Of knowledge nos. Is OF lower grace lnan
formerly. Something therefore i:.st DC done Seeuiy
10 arres, the State III s down hill course, or she Will
bave title left but the shadow Of her former greatness
am praifed that tie movement IN tyor 81 edaca'ieh
has oTrinatcd with tho West. THIS II should be-
judging from The past, we have but little 10 expect from
the Easi and verify believe that the regeneration OF
the State mus, depend upon the energy aud patriotism
al the West, Let Us then, IN the Western phrase 'go
,hcad" We find that in the Western part OF the
State only has population aud industry increased 'hs
we know has resulted from the fostering care oil The
Legislature but has proceeded alone from our own ener
rics and should encourage US IN the effort to d'iuse
ducaton anonr us-unui there shall not be one OF our
children who cannot read The Gospels, and tie Const-
titntion and The History OF oar country.
suppose the Convention will memorabilia the Legs
ure on the subject of education, as We rs appeal 10
the people for their individual support inc latter
fear s The only reliable hope for success. pom the
LEGISLATURE The North Yves, have claims that are emit
lied TO the mos, respectful consideration Tie saseS ct
the Revolution impressed with the necessity
for establishing literary Institution there, that one
among the first post revolutionary enactmens, was me
establishment of the Randolph Academy and the
distinguished actors Of tia, day. Governor i.nnc"!Ph
Patrick Henry and others, were appointed us ifSeeS
and fund then deemed ample, but winch proved un-
aya;linc was assigned ia. is support Every otner IN
s,itution for learning within the STATE sat mas peeh Gu
lowed at public expense, is situated East oil the noun
,aos or rather East of the Blue Ridge. For the en-
down,ent of Lexington College arose out OF gra'ny
from the state to General Washington, and accepted ny
him. on condition that Il should receive that direction
With the exception therefore, of the participation OF INC
Wes in the urinary school fund and which has been
practically of yery little benefit, nothing has been
done there for the Of education by State means
The establishment Of tie Literary Fund held out strong
hopes to the friends Of education, that system wonil
he speedily adopted adequate 10 the Safe but thai
fund though originally large, and continually ncreas
inc and in existence for about thirty years, has failed
utterly failed TO accomplish the Object Ct us creation
A splendld University, 1t IS true, mas u'en endowed
The Eastern par, Of The State, and of The Southern
States have only heard Vi tmo students entering Il
from the North West The resources OF the Literary
Fund intended for ALL has, by singular policy some
what peculiar the legislation Of the STATE been !rt
tered away in the enduw ut oi institution, whose
tendencies are essentially arisiocratc and beneficial
alone To the rery rrand for the support OF tie fri
mary schools, exclusively intended for the rery poor
But the fund d. signed for the hitter purpose, applied
without any system and without any practical benefit
o.. hat
tatious Nabob would scatter small change among pro-
miscuous crowd CT paupers, and cry nut, caich Who
can" The men of small fortunes are let 10 Their o"
means for the education OF Their ch'!dEen nus 'ne
bone and muscle Of the State, the men VINO pay the
taxes and fight the battles Of the country, are unprov
ted for for although the rich pay taxes, yet It Is
well established principle III political economy, 'ha'
taxes though nomnally equal, bear most heavy upon
individuals Of small fortunes. Thus, man whose es'
taxed FIVE dollars, feels 1t more burdensoe 'ah
lie whose estate is taxed fifty dollars and tie same
rule applies to The expenses of education and every
thing else The great body Of the people OF Virginia,
and the entire body the North West are deprived OF
all participation III the Literary Fund they cannot
send their cai!den 10 the University and they are pro-
hibed, fthey would, i'll joining in the scramble Tor the
annual donation for primary schools. Hence IN the
North West, the who desires TO give 10 his son an
rduca,on, such as farmer or mechanic, who WISHES
tn be- respectable his vocation. ought to possess he
must send him TO the ncghborns States Of Ohio ard
pennsylyania, frequently al expense beyond his
means II cannot he otherwise than that the citizens
of The West should complain of the policy that has
charuc,erzed our State leg station in Ms parcp'a
I,would be desirable, and regret that have not &C
cess to the proper of Information TO ascertain
he amount of appropriations Tor literary psrp"ss %na
how annlied ! believe il can lie demonstrated, mat
unon any principle approaching TO equality, me Nof'n
Wet v is entitled to claim largely from the Literary
Fund think it vii! be found hat she has contributed
more than her proportion Of that fund oae source o.
its sccruing revenue and the most important, IS ' ue
,ved from the taxes delinquent lands ana Tie