Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1841-03-06
FRANKLIN ACADEMY.

I. asserted walls Of the Franklin Academy
l,.D and wide spread Dissatisfaction existed
4 he present mode Of appropriation Of our
,.ool fund.
Il. shall in the next place proceed to give our
...,ons to this mode. First then We object 10
..s,prsnt and obvious injustice done BY 1t TO at
"a four fiiths Of the children of the township
AZ school fund is not the property Of this not
:, section Of the township, nor If layoured
], vho may happen 10 secure for time the
.,0rol of it, from any quarter but belongs, lol
4. Oorooses OF education, 10 erery eiIiseR within
!, limits. No set of men then has any moral or
.,,l right to expend the rhoI, Of tbs fund upon
.,ns toi ty or fifty children 10 the exclusion OF
-Four or FIVE hundred--we have been well inform
A hat not above the latter number are now pu-
A, Of The Franklin Academy whilst our township
.,,,so, at least FIVE hundred. Is not this rank
sg,lce to the many for the benefit of the few !
r,Dus not that the doors Of The Franklin Acad,-
n, arc opened wide to all--that provision is
made for all aad all are earnestly invited to share
4, benefits This looks TO US very much like the
,rum,nt that Bank ia abundantly able to meet
4, liabilities when it has one hundred thousand
dollars of notes in circulation, and only I" enty
thousand with whi,h TO pay them. Every body
knows that oul school fund Is not hall sulhclenl
or he educational wants Of one township ard
s,l in the very nature Of things, when all are re-
hing upon it, a part must be unJIsIlv deprived oil
Is advantages. II this fund thus disposed OF was
exclusively expended on the education Of the
poor, we should not complain. But when we see
i far Otherwise when we see (ew children OF
citzeus abundantly able 10 educate them tom
their own private means sharing so largely, we
have reason to complain. "Verbum Sat-"
10 The second place, we object to the present
mode OF disposition we see IN il Fan
spplc Of dlscofdn that at no distant day will set
he Religious secturles OF our community at points
With each other, Religious denominations know
full well the influence which the control Of such
funds give them every where and they have not
proved themselves reluctant to enter the lists in
competition for such control in other States aud
Olber countries. Look at the angry and bitter
Struggles that have taken placs among them for
he control OF the State institutions of ou country
-bok at the South Carolina College, the Geor.
"a and The Alabama Universities. Look at The
feeling a, this time exhibiting itself IN The cities Of
Now York and Liverpool for the management OF
their school funds. The history Of the past as
we'll as Of the present clearly convince us that
aradcs change must take lace, and tina! speed
Ny, 10 the manner oil approprIating school funds
every where, or we must fall back upon the
Scotch aud English Parochial system.
The thiId and last PLACE we object to the pre-.
sent mode, because ii places public munlfcence
snd effort in The way Of indiridudl enterprise
Ia all great entsrprzes either OF moral or lu
Iellecual character, if We would succeed cfiectu-
ally, call out first all the energl Of private or H.
dudual character and lhensustaIn themwllb public
aid and the work is done. The old fable Of
Hercules and The wagsoner IL appropriate 10 the
subject. But unfortunately for tho cause Of in
alectuaI MS we'll as moral culture different
policy has been too generally adopted. II has
been thought tina, public and legislative effort
must ever lead the way in Religion, in education,
and in political economy.
The results We have every where, in The old
world in established forms Of Religion, Parochial
and National systems Of education and the unc-
qual distribution Of wealth. Accustomed as our
alhers were to the tyranny and despotism in
Which these things originated, they very naturally
concluded that the same policy was necessary to
promote the cause Of Religion and Education
among their settlements in the new world.
In accordance with this idea, the frs, care was
to make Legislative provision for the support Of
@cpreacher and the school master. Connecticut
'Ook the lead in this matter, and from her expert.
snce, on larger scale We might learn lesson
'0r our guidance on a smaller one. Outstanding
me ayallS OF the sale OF an extensive tract Of coun
ny now forming part OF the State of Ohio, to-
selaer with other resources, she as early as 1875
nad set apart for purposes Of common school ed
Sca''on the prncely sum Of near two millions OF
uOiars' This sum was not made fully available
until about thirty five years ago. Since that pc.
,Oo she has expended upon her schools within
1 ae small territory, (about one ninth as large as
assissippi) the annual sum OF 100000. Was
WET slate, was ever people, SO munlhcenly en-.
vowed. No need here for private effort for nd
s'aua munfcence. The State, the public have
zone every thing What are the results ! Ought
y" Connecticut by this time TO have enclrcled
aelseli with halo of intellectual light "beyond
Al OreeGr beyond all Roman fame 7" But stop.
near one Of her most gifted sons on this subject.
l'olessor OlmsteHd in lecture delivered before
We American Institute OF instruction few years
uce' says, "FOr The first 90 years after the esIab.
'nmenl Of that fund, the tone Of school education
vas Is not raised at all Had the school fund Of It's
y. WI wrought any important effects they ought to
aase been visible within 20 years, after il went
'uo operation but at the end Of this period, no
sOcn effects were manifested. We are compelled
w conclude, therefore, that this grahd proriston,
.,aough i has betrayed nearly all the expenses
y instruction. has contributed, in no peicepuble
s'etee to advance The cause of common educa
y, %On but has wholly failed, hitherto = secure 10
t - Sta'e' the blessings reasonably anticipated
aOln 1.-The friends Of education then in Con.
tptk ~. MI uTa