Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1845-09-29
G. Communications.
TuR rilt viRefNlAs,
REMARKS ON POPULAR EDUCATION.


gressSc. or even self sustaining system of national edu
cation must consist Of several grades al schuos IN order
10 seoolo the necessary re actions. but Nhrn any on,
ri those Is suffered 10 cnrroich upon The appropriate p
v0ees Of anoihe ar 10 assume Ia itself the dulles d all
the resi- The common injured. and the progress
oil education lmpeded. They will all flourish best aud
perform the dulles best, when strictly confined Ia tia,
proper objects o their creation. aud nhpn their
numbers are well applrioned to the real Of the
country IN which they neaicd. We cannot bring a
High School 10 every man's da,f, thnnah by attempting
1t we shall be CERTAIN 10 cripple ofdesfoy many u The
subordinate ones. lie who pays ff haata and tuition,
may ms WELL with nlle exception, do hundred miles
from home as ien-ar st#ne reasaus. heller. Many
cajemies boarding schools are attempted whefe they
are net really needed; where the establishment Of lev
gond nrighbaIhooi sehaas would he much cheaper and
would much better answer The demands. They hing
together only llase leN IN thrlr vicinity Who M,
iuerd such sehaul. bat much lager number OF those
Who fit subjects o the primary 9ehool, and best able
10 aofd II eounlenanec aud support Alter furnishing
Euf Time upon the ruin, Of maay oiher sehoels that
ml2h have bern tnoe generally nsrlnl. leaving much
the larger puriun ii the surrounding population without
The means ol acquiring even a ndiueuol cduelpu aud
returning 10 society number at superficial scholars Who
cloak hrlr d aaleuacs by itrt ea0empt lof
saoo> aud enmmoe alollts. theie premature Institutions
themselves anguish, Tor Vail 81 The support Which thet
novelty ahue n htsi commanded. aud dwndle inta a
esg KIND al euuimnu sahol, without either their lae
lies 81 arcess hat KIND 81 attention Nhrh then prru.
lufilies always demod. \ II anftquendy the eummon
school somewhat frgrfses tbs state ct things. aud It's
bread cmnu-l ufullty deserted. lar the narrow pur
pose o gratifying tbs blyar VANITY of one tae per
s1us, whJsr patronage c1ull not utherasa be obtained
Thus The ELI leneyn mats n our aehnuls Is panlrzad
OF destroyed by tha conflicting views mud mfrahen lut,
f'sts oi those Whp support thrn. some believe their
children uerd only q bn ha{hi 10 read. write aud
pher aud tbs amount u instruction. they suppose may
be syen IN very short lime, and by very cheap teach
er. it is only necessary go regularly certain
formulas. many ut winch, they lucued 10 believe.
nevof had any application or meaning ia Them. The
teacher ho Is ilmImr with these lons aud solve
a few school puzzles Of annrnt llue m1y bf in tlher
respects as Ignorant as he f,aers. . hers the rQn-
trary. are bsclnatrd by the sound 81 a ttW learned
namos, willing tnbeIlere lhat mflial siadYo Laun
render, mus other studies unnecessary that smaller-
mr. oil feach i, preferable Ia n2nlar study oi English
pnmmar-ur That the solution al trw mathematical
prblens Is better than general knoNltdge Of canman
arithmetic. Sc These, and similar ttflfs, are. hf ub
vlu0s encouraged by same teachers OF all elsses
according herown suppas'd qualifications, uf iayare
unfinished studies. Errors Of the latter kind ptuha-
bly, the pre,alent anl LARGE numbers spaud ibelf
limited tine and exhaust thtr seinlY means IL pursuit.
of that which they are no prepared 10 learn, aud which
II hoy could afr IT.. Wnuld be urameliael} less usrlu
iolhcm than that wldch They are ncgleetiug. Alter
acquiring threchuira terms Of lew banned SCI II =,
then fixed ideas Of pegrss ion VIII mol allow thlm t.
slufn hack" They would feel degraded add cXplsed.
Moreover the time Is nav at hand When they must IN
Ter upon Tue DUTIES Of life rs they are-Wh m I'd 1ca-
lion about as useful 70 tben rs half flushed railroad
would ba Ia foot passenger. llelccfurnad sou could
not I'll decide whether tary bad ever lhe inside al
"a book, yuu not frequently reminded by them al
tlojf naUaus u lHu larry am1url5 expended for ihtif
bearl aud tuition fees. ant thar they were hvlfiie class
mates o certain usabe5 al Tie eJantrll ihis applies
particularly to ieuaes.
There is more money sp'a in the nominal pursuits
o sehua learning than world be necessary, unJfr prop
or regulations give every white child in the State
useful edaca ton and thousands OF Them liberal ones and
vet of
Gall paper calculations 10 The contrary notwithstanding
have none that could be Justly considered available 10
ihem. But have wandered Nom my subject at the We
nv outset. though the reader must remember That did
not promise 10 be systematic.
What | had in mind Ia say. is his that while the
three principal grades OF srhp5s necessary in n
complete system. aud may Wt,h property regulated,
mutually enhance the prosperity and success o eaehdh
En- they will all alike require the fostering care OF
Government to make them efficient. The higher semna
RES being principally under The patronage OF those WIN
are ablesl to support Them, both by HER pecunary a,
aud their just appreciation VI the value oi learning, aud
deriving their snppla from extensive aud Indefinite
boundaries, will require li,tle aud from government. ex-
cep regulation. Any attempt 10 render then cheap, by
nation or Stale annuity, r the uslensbe purpose o
Granting admance 'hr poor, only facilitates The
n ,poIy ofthe rrl One u lie principal pleasures Of
wealth is to have Things nhirh other people canno all nd,
# il were but Chinese bird nestand they can spon
fad means Ia render coIle.e still inaccessible, Coy ex
lrarapance If M otherasr,) that the State bounty
would be worse than lost Many Of them, Of the SITTER
headed order uould desert it, # ttry could no. ese the
do,rs AGAINST the slrewder u lhe fathers
seeTs.
Bat the common srhbol-'be mist impf Of all
schu,s in free country be the ony thai
be successfully reached by nine children ont OF Ten, -
drawjnr lis whole support from narrow llmls, ILL part
from some who feel that they are investing lily spared
capital 10 stuck which, til ngh lroilahe. u raiher 81
Ia the next nrarraliun than 10 themselves some
u llo cannot very vel how any returns nj all are
made unless some new is opened Ia dollars and
cpn;s-ffam others, Nhose purse strings saekt Teiuft
any where there are no III hSJundng names or petty
distinctions 10 be biul IN st he The inject OF npceas'
mo care and solciiade thai government winch aims
at the general diffusion 0 knoNrdIe. II Is hrre thai
an overw hpminr mairity Of Ihuse who hold IN ilelf
hands (nnmnay at least the destiny Of our political m
strutus must receive at the school education they eg
er do receive Perhaps, nineteen wentieihs OF those
who are roy entrusted with The administration oi JUS
lice as magistrates Jurors, ~, never ej yed i1ra sla'
ge day The advantages ui heer ln8a'a'nn ana 10 my
certain knowledge many Of them never entered even
tolerable common school. How striking sn5t be TIL;
aspect Of The subject!
Within the proper region Of Ills school he the hap'
and strength Of the country huugh al present
aeurazsd by mistaken policy, both o'ae nnh rderal
1t is also true that here le trcy lnlersterse1 the
strong holds Of Ignorance errors ana hkrd pfJidlceS-
and here will be required all the skill and energy q tht
government to dslodge them. ignorance always knows
= enough and it will, when backed by the dena
oooue offer formidable resistance to the light But er'
Tor is moi more prevalent more ncarn9loe here thar
Clly and vanity are in other circles. II Is 10 be hoped
however, that the majority IS everywhere shihn 10 p
pose and tuerahly clear sighted both wh respect 10 ed
caton and other matters; and the time is rapidly al.
nr,acIio1 when powerful changes will be effected
Common sense and sound policy will he snolhered n
lonnor They will burst forth; and were il not con