Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-10-21

benefits is that of living III peaceaoic' ''''
nj and well governed community
Knowing that you fully unite with me III
,,,oso sentiments. | do not hesitate again 10
press upon your attentive consideration 'he
suh;oc, of our schools and semlnarles OF
learning. In pursuance OF resolution
passed at your last session, L appointed
committee, charged with the duty OF enquIr-
inc into their condition and the best means
of improving them Their report, which
has not vet been received, will probably be
made during the present session, and en-
terrain the hope that it may greatly bepeht
the cause of education. There Is reason 10
fear that the individual interest, IN our COM
mon schools, which was formerly so OBSERVE
bic among our citizens, has lately been de-
cIining. 1t would be natural, perhaps, that
this should be the case, as, at an early PERI
cd. these schools depended principally for
their support upon the separate arrangements
and voluntary contributions OF each school
district And, as our schools have become,
every year, more and more at the public
charge, the necessity of such voluntary sup
port would be less and less felt, and, posi-
bly, the introduction and progress OF new
system has been allowed to suppant the old
one more rapidly than it should have done
If private interest in the subject has thus
been Withdrawn, only in proportion to the
increase of the public fund even, the effect
may have, and probably has, been uniavor-
able. Individual exertion, which springs
from sense of necessity, is active and zeal
Gus and to render a system of support, IN
schools at the public expense, and adequate
substitute for the voluntary system, 1t rs III
dispensable that it should be accompanied
by some general plan of public superInen-
dance and management. Such plan should
embrace all that is essential to secure per-
feet knowledge of the whole subject oil edu-
cntion, no il cAists throughout the state, a
careful application Of the school fund, and
an adequate support fthe necessary schools.
Several states have adopted systems siml-
lar to the one recommend and would re-
fer you particularly to that which exists in
the state of Massachusetts, and to the reports
which are annually made, under it, by an
officer charged with the duty of their super
attendance. have been forcibly impressed
with the utility of these reports, and indeed,
| am unable to perceive how they can be
dispensed with, if our schools are TO become
objects of public care and support. With
out them, it is difficult to understand how
the public can be possessed Of the knowledge
necessary to their proper management.
The expense attending such reports, and
the examination and enquiries of which they
are the result, would not be considerable,
and even if it were, it ought to constitute no
objection to the plan, if am correct in my
view of its Importance. But it seems TO me
that. if wise and efficient system were a.
dopted, and our school fund and schools
placed under the immediate care Of faith
full officer, sufficient saving might be made
to delray all additional expense.
Without attempting to present new rea-
sons Cor liberal provision for our colleges
and higher schools, would again urge the
subject upon your consideration. 1t is for
You to decide how liberal a provision the
state of our finances will admit Of But |
must be permitted to say, that, in a COM
munity like ours, education, in any of its
branches, ought not to be suffered to Ian
gush from any motives of economy.
The business prosperity of the people OF
the State, and the means of improving it, de-
serve your continued and constant care
While every one is left perfectly free in his
own pursuits, it is in the power Of govern
ment to accomplish many things TO which
individual efforts would be entirely unequal
Government may in various ways afford salu-
tary aid to the enterprise and industry of its
citizens, and it seems to me to be one of its
first duties TO enquire what it can do to i'm
prove them. Our citizens have become so
dependent upon the growing of wool, that
it may be said to be the staple of the State,
and regret to say that the extreme depres.
sion in It's price is not only the cause of pres
ent inconvenience, but of uneasiness as to the
future. The rich and. almost boundless
plains of the great West are becoming GOV.
cred with flocks of sheep, which viii soon
furnish supplies of wool in such abundance
as, fear, may seriously affect the sale of our
own. But as the West can also produce ev.
cry thing else cheaper than the Atlantic
States, 1t would be in vain to attempt to
compete with them in any other product DIES.
tined for the general market Our constant
study should therefore be directed to crea
ting and building up market among our.
selves, and TO establishing the means of such
rapid communication with the markets on
the sea-board as would enable us to dispose
OF our products, without fear of competition
from the distant west ..... .-.. ..
The most obvious means of accomplishing
these objects are the introduction of rail
roads, and the encouragement of manufac
lures and the mechanic arts. Capitalists
confding in the stability and justice of oul
legislation, would readily occupy the valua
BILE sites for water power with which oul
state abounds, were it not for the difficult,
of reaching them. This difficulty would be
entirely removed by the construction of rail
roads, and they will be constructed when in
dividuaIs become fully satisfied of their vas