Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-12-11

should be chiefly directed. A single
glance at the statistics Of this subject
will show, that The greatest want which
we suffer is that ofcommon education,
and the greatest sufferers are, ofcourse,
that very mass Of ourpeople upon whom
1.-THE State depends for its support and
defence in every possible event, and
4 who are therefore especially entitled to
/ be spared from so undue share of a
public misfortune. In the higher
grades Of education this want is far less
Seriously felt. The number Of pupils
at the University, Colleges, Academies,
Classical and Grainmer Schools Of this
State, being something less than two
per cent.on our whole population, is
greater, nevertheless, than is TO be
found in any Of the States, except those
Of New England, and is less than It IS
there, only By aninconsiderable fraction;
a difference, which is unquestionably
owing to the greater facility and cheap
ness with which education can be bad
in the midst Of a country and village
population,so much more cIowded than
our own. As an evidence Of this, 1t
is shown by the late census that the
eleven thousand and eighty-three stu
|dents which belong TO the Grammar
Schools and Academies of this State,
are distributed amongst three hundred
and eichty-tWo schools, being an aver
age oftwenty- nine TO the school, whilst
the 1900, students Of like kind IN
New England, and parcelled out
amongst $50 schools, or in the proper
lion, separately, of97 to each school in
Maine, So in New Hampshire, Sc in
Massachusetts, and upwards of 70 in
New England generally. Thus, more
than four times the number OF scholars
are taught a; less than twice the num-
Der of schools, and consequently at
something like proportionate reduc-
ton inthe expenses of each particular
one. In any words, we have an almost
equal ratable number Of our young
men taught at our classical schools, but
taught ct higher and equal rate ofex-
pense; fact which shows incontesti-
bly, that the desire for this degree Of ed
ucation is as strong, if not stronger
here, than any where else in the Union,
because submitting TO greater inconye-
nience and expense in order TO be gra-
tilted. 1t is, indeed, in this very spirit
four people for academical and collie
glate education, and the great relative
extent to which they have been able
10 acquire it, that VIC are to look for a
main cause Of that high Intellectual cha
racter which this Commonwealth has
al all times enjoyed. She has never
wanted for the active and cultivated
mind which her public or professional
departments required-has never sus-
tanned, as to these, a reproachful com
parlson with the best other sister com
munities, and may in truth have been
| the less able, on this very account, tc
realize the wretched inferiori.y of hel
common education, or the dep!orabe
degree to which it was impairing hel
highest capabilities. Realizing 1t now,
! however, she would be the more vii.
| fully and cruelty guilty, if she permitted
the spirit and advantages of her people
upon this subject to be crushed and de-
MED any longer. Only consider that.
:, of the 166, eco persons in this State.
who are ola suitable age to be taught,
that is, between I IL and Is, 6,O0O
only are reported, Jas receiving any kind
ofeducation; and ifthe 1900 and up
wards Of these who are credited 10 the
colleges, academies and classical
schools be deducted, there will be left
but "a, 600 who are going to common
schools. and 10000 who appearto be
going to no school whatsoever!
Such state of things in the midst OF
a civilization like ours, and above all,
: in the very heart OF a liberty and Gov
ernme MT like ours, is absolutely appal-
ling, and calls for redress with pow
er of entreaty, TO which words can add
nothing. Let the fostering hand Of The
Government be extended for this re-
dress, and extended to those in chief
who are most legendary and most in
want. In our case the first and con-
trolling duty, as the facts presented
!, demonstrate, is not to provide for the
i highest grades of scholarship so much
as its huinblest elements;it is to remoa-
el our system Of common education to
such extent that we can offer the alpha
bet Of knowledge to all who will re-
4 ceive il, and can rescue at once from
the destiny Of unlettered ignorance the
helpless and neglected thousands of
our youth, upon whom, if nothing is
done, it will be fixed beyond remedy
1 and forever. 1t cannot be that this pa
trio,ic duty will be declined and eva
ded any longer, and the great body Of
our people left to struggle as they have
/ struggled before. Here, at least, it