The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-09-18

o'hers prompts the humane and benevolent TO en-
deavor TO awaken the unlettered to the absolute
necessity of intellectual and moral cultivation
II is subject of paramount Importance to the nat,
riot. the philanthropis and the christian If there
he any object upon which all may unite, it is the
sacred cause of Education. la such cause there
ought to be no rivalry, save generous emulation
To accomplish the most Tor improving the ignorant
and the unfortunate. There ought to be no Sec
t'onal feelings or prejudices-no excusiveness.-
"A comprehensive desire open the fountains of
knowledge, that all may drink and be satisfied.
should alone animate every heart. Party strife
and party triumphs should be banshed from Il
theme like this. Think only of the regeneration
OF Virginia. Think of the means best adapted to
remove the stain from her proud escutheon =
Think OF that ignorance which pervades the land,
and like desolating pestilence, palses its
giles and forebodes decay Think of the degrade
ton OF the man Z" whose human frame is but a
mechanical attenuation" Think of the means to
iniuse I" new created sense within his SOUL and
make 1t worthy to claim its kindred with eternity
mere are great common principles and views,
which form a common ground on which all our
people can unite. All may harmonize and CO.
operate IN one great system of moral and intellec-
tual culture.
1t may not be Improbable TO inquire into the
condition OF Virginia, as connected with this i'm
portant subject, and To contrast her situation with
that OF some OF her sister States In 1910, the
white population OF Virginia was 740 1868. ThaI
OF Massachusetts, was 729, 030-there being bot
little difference in the aggregate amount of white
population of the two States. The number of
those who cannot read and write in Virginia is
5e,1oI. In Massachusetts it is only 4,44S The
ratio of those who cannot read in Virginia TO her
whole white population, is as one to twelve and
half. While Of that Massachusetts is as one 10
one hundred and sixty four. In Massachusetts
there are loO.257 scholars attending her primary
sc OILS. In Virginia, only 35,32l In Massa-
chusets the number of scholars at public CHARGE
is l58 .35l. In Virginia, by the census of 1910,
only 9I9l by the returns of the Second Auditor
for the last year 2S.369.
In the State OF Maine, with white population
| of 500 ,438, the ratio of those who are unable tn
read is as one to l54. The number of scholars
attending primary schools is l64, ATT The mum
Der at public charge is 60,2l2 and the number
who cannot read is only 3,24l In the State of
Connecticut, the ratio of those who cannot read to
the white population is one to 574 In Vir-
GINA, as before stated, it is one to l24 In New
Hampshire one in every 800. In New York, the
ratio is as one to SO and fraction. In Pennsyl-
wanna as one to 40 and fraction In Ohio as
one 10 AZ and fraction. In Connecticut. the
number who cannot read in the whole State is
only 526. In New York there are SOC. 1867
| scholars at her primary schools. In Pennsylva-
MIA, 1889. In Ohio, 2lS,609. In Virginia.
as before stated only %, 1863
| BY the Second Auditors last annual report, it
appears that there are So, / So INDECENT children
in this State. OF these only 26,369 attend the
primary schools, being little more than half the
poor children, and these only at an average of 50
days in the year. The amount expended for this
partially instruction of this half being $40 600
that amount constituting the whole, to be appro-
prlaed from the Literary Fund, showing that the
present fund is wholly inadequate to educate even
the INDECENT oh ldren.
There are in the State between the ages of 5
and 20 years, 294, l6 white persons of whom
| 47,5ll only, were in the course of education in
1910, at all the schools, colleges and academies in
the State. including the University. How small
the sum to be expended in comparison with the
number to be taught, if any general system be
adopted. That some general system should be
devised, we believe every Virginian upon view
of such statistics will be ready to admit We can
not expect great results without adequate means.
The people must feel and know that il is neces
sary TO submit to moderate education tax A
small tax levied either upon property, or upon
| persons, IN such proportions shall be deemed
| by the Legislature most just, and accordant with
the benefits TO be enjoyed by each individual and
his ability TO pay, would be sufficient Without
meaning to Intimate that such principle of taxa
| tiOu WOulu ne tne DeSt tndl could be adopted,
may suggest, by way of showing how small
would be the burden compared with the great OBJ
ject to he attained that tax of twelve and half
cents upon each free white citizen of the State
would produce the SUN of S92.62I, which, added
to the income of the Literary Fund, would be
more than sufficient under the present system to
educate all INDECENT children in the State.
1t would be worthy of consideration .if we could
compute the amount annually paid by the State
for the punishment of crime, consequent upon that
state of moral debasement which is ever the off
spring of ignorance /; and then ascertain how much
less it would require to introduce intelligence and
virtue. 1t would be speculation worthy of deep
attention, to estimate what proportion of the cost
of supporting the poor might be dispensed with if
those poor were taught the means of obtaining an
honest livelihood. If could tell how many
millions ignorance and vice cost the State, we
would then see the importance of educating every
child within our territory.
We would fam hope, that the public mind is
now prepared to require the Legislature to adopt
some system to liberate the minds, strengthen the
energies, and cultivate the moral and social viz
tues of our ignorant citizens. II is the duty Of
Government to provide system ofeducation that
will tend "to elevate the masses, to pour light
upon their paths. that they may find the ascending
road to dignity their toll, to enghten their IN
xN-wr H.. e n