Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-11-07

Committee divided The premium Of Sl5 between
Mr. Millcr's man Frank and Gen Richar dson'>
man John.
FSr the Enqnirr.
STATE IMPROVEMENTS. wi
frd must more fully explain my views on
question which, in my previous numbers, was
mentioned incidentally 10 that OF Internal In
provemen,. do this the more willingly, as
both earnestly wish 10 further The solid advance
OF Education, and as warmly deprcca'e Tie or-
posing 10 il, and thereby entangering The success
Of line oil policy which would be lis suresl
stay, and which would doubly advantage the
State, physically and mentally bringing wealth.
10 the present generation, and knowledge 10 their
children Bul anything which is not immediate
ard pa lpabie, suits not your rur'lnd politician.
those who put their trust in names, bul Deepen !
as Burke SAYS, on that optical illusion, which
makes briar a, your nose seem larger than an
oak a quarter OF mile Off: and. accordingly
The views expressed b. me have been pouEced
upon through your columns BY one Of that ils
who sails under The imposing coiors Of ''Virgi-
MAN"
| shall not allow his style Of discussion 10
teach me H. quarrel about names; bu he expia-
nation NAV moi come anSs 10 The reader, ina.
The ann,-de-cnsrTc 50 learnstly dssec;ed, was cho-
sen with no special reference 10 the rtseni
theme. bnt was merely continued as The one
commonly use; Eof did dream that The signature
Of "Ouis" could injnre good plea airy more
than that OF "Vi:sinian" would dignif, bad
one. lie shows, | gladly admit, sincerity and
zeal in the cause OF Education, and that aore
would make his argument respectable; indeed. j!
is 10 The very quickness and superficial e1ciu-
siveness OF this feeling that we owe his Quixotc
attacks, alike on my premises and Deductions lie
former OF which lie is pleased 10 term "a "inac-
curate" IS the latter are "iallac;ouS." hope "a
prove that they are neither. ard that, even were
ihey both, they could not exceed in vagueEess o.
statement and ahsurliiy OF inference those with
which "Virginian" tries 10 rebul them. There
NAV he extraordinary errors" on the other side
people in the Northern States educate them.
selves"
Tie first position OF mine which he attacks j.
conveyed in the words, iii is Idle 10 attempt the
establishment o! efficient free schools amonc a
population OF less han twelve while persons Il
lie square miie--in,ee,, over the larger portion
of the Sia,c, averaging about seven" lie heg;nS
with onitbing about The ratio stated 10 the square
mic. and saws i, is IL Clio This is small az
fair, Int il marks his careIcssness 1.-THE Stale
area he $1,000, the ratio IS IL 81 Equally ignc
rant is his criticism on my passing remark, t'hc
LATER Part OF which he has suppressed J that
though history affords many Instances ui ma
tons without knowledge attaining power and
wealth. i, presents not ore oil people reaching
per,nanen, greatness without trade or in "aGn
The advance Of intellect was not result oil tia
% commerce." For proof Of this, recall The his
tory Of Rome, ami is origin from horde Of out
oasis and criminals, who quickly subjusated n;
polished and wealthy Repsb!iGs around them, anl
eventually bent 10 their power the most learned
40 Intellectual Of all ancient peorie-those 0
Greece think. TOO, Of The PhcnhicianS, or Cbai
deans and Egyplians-or, 10 come nearer oGi
own day. compare Prussia and England Nhicl
has the most effective system OF GovernmeD
Schools7-and in which %! The Two is all tina; en-
MOBILES national and individual character and eli
sures national and Individual greatness, more ial
" or hcalhy developed? As with Prussia, .
with all Germany, AMI even, 10 less degree
with France. There, "ihe schoolmaster is abroad,
but 50 is the soder-lhe oue enforcing the d,vi
niv Of mind. the other OF kins-crai:: The pres
dolcs oul in governmcn, Ialiors The mental Lu.!:
ment OF half the readers on the globe. ana i
may be ,ruly and sadly said that all The na,iona
Responsibility these educa, led people have. they owe
10 those who rule them ''tcsrot with armies o
slavs.n And, as 10 The other clause OF he as
s.r,iun what tended more ~ fix and foster, il
Ialv. he science, arts ana literature, which ever
ye; make
"TwilIeh, lns-r in her daFkened sky,"
than The growth in wealth and nigh, Of her com
mcrcial Republics, Florence, Pisa, Venice an,
G,noa7 To their rlerchani-prnces we owe In
revival Of letters, and the re.o1ening Of all III
other oaths OF intelleci-in short, ne owe TO then
Am.rica.
Tic connection between in,ercommunica,ior
Of mind and matter is shown in ali he trading
communities of the present day, and for proc
i'm, ihr former kind Of intercourse cannot thrive
under the occ.usion Of the latter, that Commercial
seclrsion is death 10 mental improvement, vi,
ness China. In both New iuik and Pennsylva
mia The perfection Of their school systems wa
subsequent, 10 The adoption of Internal Improve
menl, as State polcv.
Now. do not mean 10 be placed in false 20
si,ion. Education IS an important end, the hes
safeguard Of liberty hnl lie question is no, whc
Their il is TO BE- so acknowledged, All lis advance
ment sought under sch convictions; but whether
in The present aspec; OF Vrginan affairs. il IS L
be considered as he specific, 10 lie used 70 lie re
lection OF all other remedies, and especially Q
hose The immediate acion o. which will be ,ht
sane az The eventual action OF E'uca,io1; whe
Their measures requiring taxes, without incTeae
ing The peoples means OF paying them, are TO b
preferred 10 such as will; and whether The State
prosperity is, By The more costly remodeins Of
system, ''declared by Jefferson, (5eioTe II was
fairly in operation 10 be wholly nsucieoi, I,
be .uJdenly raised 10 The same height II held "icr
We had no school system at all The laci IS, We
discover a new pInacca every lew years; al
others are instantly discarded and afsf s!:nT
and childish trial of il. some astounding fiscio-
.uIes. through the medium OF Federal census
or the repor of comfy ca ucnS. shows US re a II
following mere speculative theory" and, Ia
r,odc is promptly changed. This phase OF he
suhiec, however. mus; be viewed separately.
A. 10 The sparseness OF tie population, sill
ho.c in .pi;e of .Virginians" Statistics ready
published in your parer." not only that ifea
schools cannot be supported IN ''Po7u!a.!on Of
76 ; and even g 10 The square mile hut thai ]:
has never been attempted. These, TOO, he says
are examples from Siaveholding States. With
ont s,oopinp &c ask whether there is any Slave
holding State which has better system OF public
instruction than ours. shall but remark, that
Florida and Arkansas are Inc only States which
are so lhinly settled as 3 10 The square mile; and
Thar The later. bv the census, makes rather
worse exhibit than Virginia.; while my opponent
will scarcely have the hardihood 10 attribute Flo
ridas superiority, 10 that respect, 10 Ter educa-
tnnal esa blishmeni unless, indeed, this last were
a legacy from the Semnoles. But another cor
respondent of yours has saved me The trouble o!
the utter fntilily Of the statistics ad.
duced in this connection, as far as regards the free
States. Thus, in the new States, "Virsinian
calculates the density OF The population, mol from
the ratio in The portion actn lily settled, but from
lha, Of the entire territory, wild and improved
To quote from TX. Y. Z.'-"Virginian" says,
Maine, with only 32.l00ths more whites per
square mile Chan Virginia,) has seven times as
many in primary schools, and only one-'vsliih al