Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-12-04
For The Ga-eiis.
EDUCATION.

E#EI
Nh. EDITOR :~--l4agfee with YOU that tn
education Of youth il q tlost important dnly
binding not U.ly upon individuals, but nrot
%latlot,s. they are under the Strongest oblfga
Ions To prepare them or becoming intciigen
and useful citizens. All admit the fact and ad
lIire the noble example set Us by our exile,
fathers but Wc have become 81 Immersed j.
speculation and political stfiic, that We llav,
grusaly neglected tn" education Of the risi0l
gcn t%utton, 10 whom we look 10 sustain Gu'
tree and useful institutions.
Boys have been Taught 10 use the lIickcr;
ciu5, drag log cabins through the streets nnc
insult the aged, who scarcely know the name
Of the state in which they arc.
4 free government demands virtue and in.
tel! igence; it cannot prosper, it cannot even
exist without them. II is to our Government
ti,at we point for all that is excellent. all tina.
is grand anu worthy Of imitation. But villa,
will he the honor that attaches 10 our naD?e-
the mighty influence that we claim among tie
nations of the earth--onr proud boas. Of !.ber-
ty-lt we suffer the noble structure which
can alone sustain titcH,;o decay! In this state
noble and magnificent appropriations have
been made % d,ttdsc Hso!li information aiuony
our citIzeJG-but they have been tnw;;sely
made and have not accomplished the object
ior which they we're int 1ded-our present
common school system is imperfect aid the
governor has urged ia nearly all Of his annual
MESSAGES to the general assembly, the impor-
lance Of carefully invest eating but no
improvement las been made. It il evident
that bat few OF tie Dembers have turned their
G~ttenti0n to this important branch Of lcrigIa-
to- -.I sl~ -,.-l.- e IL $3.50,
real wants or situation Of the communities
they represent, is still less. Notwithstanding
the immense sums that have been expended
for this parpose, it appears to me that less
good has been accomplished in this State in
pfoPorticl 10 tie amount of Money expended
than III any State il the Unicn.
There were appropriated for the years 1888
and 1915, moro than one hundred Thousand
dollars to col egcs and institutions Of l~aarc;ng.
exclusive OF the regular. annual appropriations
made to common sch ols-and to what pur-
pose! It has been expended to support d few
presidents, professors, stewards, cooks and
dancing masters, IN few so called ~colleres
who have had under their care, some three or
four hundred pupils, who would have been in
fnitely better taught in a we'll managed GRAM
mar school-and who are those scholars
generally the sons of wealthy men. A COL
lege ought TO be well endowed and none but
the higher branches OF education taugbt,there.
and then 1t will stand OF fall upon its own
merit. 1t is ridiculous to attend an examina.
ton IN a college and not a scholar there that
can read a sentence in Virgil correctly,an all
whom are entirely unacquainted with the first
principles Of philosophy, or any Of the higher
branches Of a useful education.
One Or two COLLEGES that were worthy of
the name, located in a healthy and convenient
part of the State, would take a high stand and
be more useful than all we now have. Our
first attention ought to be directed to common
.schools-they are the nurseries to supply oui.
colleges and from them we expect our country
to be supplied with honest, intelligent. indus
trious and useful men. The defects of our
common school system, are much more easily
out, than the remedy.
The distribution of the school fund is made
according to the number Of voters in each pa
rlsh, and not according to the number of indi-
gent children to he educated-conseauentlv.
of the parishes do not know what TO do
with the money they receive. and others
have not half enough to educate the INDECENT
children in their parishes. A teacher informed
ne that he had received five hundred dollars
Der annum, for Two years. in a certain parish,
where he had not taught a single day during
hose two years. The administrators said they
lad the money and did not know what to do |
With it. and as he was their last teacher, they |
it out to him.
The settlements, with the exception of
hose on the riTer, are sparce, and the inhahit-
Ints in moderate circumstances. and are una
lie to employ teacs ers well qualified, for SO
a duty; consequently they are CON-
'elled to employ men destitute Of education
moral worth. Can we expect nat chill
viii be benefited, when they derive their
.nowledge and their code 81 morals, from such
SHALLOW polluted source. 7