Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-06-03
THE ENQUIRER.
Richmond, May 81.
THE CAUSE OF EDUCATION.


n,o,d she hoe nestled and cherished US IN her
bosom, and we should be ungra'elnl, oia We "o'
endeavor 10 make some iequiial Tor me DRESSINGS
We enjoy. nth
The ,epn,alion Of our Stale Is co-e1'ehsi'e WIN
The knowledge al Republican An'ei''a' :" -
Irn;on ~ : Loorn and esteemed as The molhef
Of statesmen and The fountain OF poN'',ai y ~"
In Europe, although New iolk anu 'e"'.-
slvana may be better KNOWN her name "
and has been anonymous with maj OF 'ne
Somhero e,.,cs and "Virginia,' with many
d;uan, oeo,rarheys and political economists,
means, all he country So''li Oh ni"so" CIV
Dixon's line. The foundation Of thus ehv'ao'e
tame is 10 be sought in The character OF h"r ieo'
Il. ard in me nrcu!iar organization oil her socle-
- uh;cb "a .nsak sincerely we believe 10 be
mo Ice, a.. have ever seen in any country what
ever Twas her good fortune 10 be inhabheo' d
he neriod Of HE Revolution, as The world mas oe
cided by The best people who trod the American
continent. The qualities most conspicuous ~
mo character Of our ioreialhers OF that DAY, were
ir,nkncss hospitality and intelligence; 10 which
they added The advantage oil being The wea'''les'
men in The country. rare zeal and disinleres'-
edness for The public welfare soon opened 10
them The chief honors Of the Federal Governlneh'
and they were enabled. in great measure, 10
beouealh The prestige Of their name 10 Their I'M
mediate descendants How much of tins pre-
cious inheritance is still possessed By u OF The
present day, it is not Tor US 10 show we "ouiu
be the asl 10 detract from or underestimate me
merits Of lr Old Dominion before the lace o. !
critical world: bul we NAV here venture 10 ai'ifm
,hat she does mol now veal the same uniadlng
wreath which in lines past, vas wont 10 encilcie
her brow. To discoverlh the various elements oi aef
LOST influence, would he a task 10 employ the
wise5t heads OF The nation; II belong1 10 our pun
pose only % trace single cause, and 10 SEEK 'o'
mai cause an efficient remedy
Various reasons have been assigned, 4! ollie
rent,mes Tor The loss Of Vireinia's rank. As re-
CARDS wealth and population, among her SISTER
States. Some have accused her bad roads and
want al adequate channels OF Trade 10 market
Others, her shabby system oil agriculture; ana vel
more, the want Of enterprise and energy in me
people. Without considering any oil these sub-
iecrs, We will proceed al once 10 what we con-
ceiye i. the source oil most Of The evls when r.
tard The prosperity OF our Stale--tds ~a"' o. g,
p.ya, education among or people. Inc eraha
evil under which We suffer is. foo fslr seh99!'"S-
ts,s The remedy, more 81 them Like oiiVer
Twist We would task ior more
The statistics which exhibit the great d11-
cheney oil primary schools in Virginia. nave
been embodied in The returns Of The United
States census, and have been referred 10 by
the Governor in his messages. They are be-
fore you ana unfortunately they are also before
the world They proclaim The toal ignorance %
10000 children. and The shame OF loo legislator
No matter how well 10 do IN the world these chi!
acen may be when grown: no mailer how !ohnI
aud healthy no matter how peaceable and qn'e';
NJ matter how apparently we'll conlenlcd wan
their condition they are inheritors OF The same
birthrisht OF Freedom with us lhey ATE citizens
~ ht,ro, and Git may he.) The preponderalin.
majority of our Commonwealth; and we have no
right 10 turn away from Them, when They need our
aid and claim from ue The benefits which We
have enjoyed before them. Lei them be ever %
humble, ever 50 poor, oil ever 50 mean e1trac-
lion, common humanity, apart from all consiGera-
tons Of State policy, imposes on US the duty 81
endeavorns 10 elevate their condition. II Is
duty founded upon The behests OF Scripture and
he obligations oil patriotism. llcannd br ln.tly
eyaced hv any "everv man mind his own hnsi-
ness" doctrine II IS charity beginning n home,
BY helping the land d our own fresides. To per
form This dury, is 10 advance our Stale in The scale
Of the Union. Our States must henceioIh com
pete with each other. lor no foreign nation can
compete with The Federal Union in advancement,
nor stop It's career. O;her States besides ours
have been, and are improving their condition, aud
adding 10 the arls Of civilized lite And We mus,
forsoolh, compete with them, and hold our own,
whilst 10000 ignoramnses are always grow.
Ing up 10 clog and impede our march We
wish 10 see our State advancing in the know
Ledge OF the mechanic arts, in manufactures, in
architecture, in public works and internal i'm
pToyemenis, in agricultural science, and, indeed
10 all The branches and subdivisions Of labor which,
when carried on, constitute The real wealth and
prosperity Of nation. We wish all these things;
but have before rs the glaring fact, that there
are 10000 persons growing up unable 10 read,
who. added 10 those only partially schooed, make
many thousand more that are qualified 10 he
little else than "heWars 1T wool and drawers OF
water' They can rlou.!, ard they can dig, bu,
they have no master. Ike llr black African, to
Tell them how 10 Plough anl where 10 dig with
profit. They might become proficient in various
handicrait airs. bu there are none TO teach them;
their next kin are /, ignorant as themselves,
and they are loo poor 10 travel and learn. The
architect wont have Them, and The manufacturer
can employ slaves cheaper than illiterale white
persons. They feed themselves, il is true, hui
The main burdens Of Government and the tax
for their own destitute poor fall on the resi- OF the
community. A calculation would show that
their labor was worth something, though but a
small per cen,age over their support, 10 The Stale;
vet as regards lis progressive power and wealth
and refinement they can only be considered as
nonproducers in The community They breathe
amongst us, bese BY ignorance on The one hand and
perhaps BY poverty On The other. Often il is, they
can vote and their votes are bestowed upon the
Legislators who have refused 10 give them edn-
cation, and whose shame, we have said is pro-
claimed in these stalicics.
In prosecuting an indictment against oar delin-
uuent Assembly-men. ior neglect Of the Interests
Of education undoubtedly We should admit some
pleas in their behalf, owing 10 The peculiar char
acier OF our State; for, its sparssness Of popua-
ton would be their main defence. But We should
urge as principal count, their refusal 10
establish common schools, Tor selfish con-
sideraliun.-th refusal 10 act in The mailer
for fear of taxing the peeple-iheir refusal
To lax, Tor fear of their own dear selves he
ing returned 10 private life That the people Tor
year or two might object TO such a tax, is quite
probable; 5ut thai they would afterwards peIma-
manenly approve il, is equally certain. All that
is wanting, il sufficient degree Of nerve and mo-