Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-03


,rv 10 show in another place. II seems 10
be cYrec,ed Thai The coming Legislature VIII ac'
boldly and definitely on these subjects; Oul
is 10 be feared that The Democratic parry, nay
Ing such an overwhelming ma Jor'y, wiz sni ~"
from The sole responsibility, and overra'e inc ua
Ger of a proslration OF their cause from Tue 'oea
Misrepresentation of the Wings. ! lfusl J, WI
mol be so; they have shown lneI iiSi'' ~ any
lily 10 gain power; lei them snow 'hal my a,ui
how to use it, and what far nooier souIeI ~ :.
mmnh tban tbe election OF a President, would they
have over the Wings, if they could only distance
The latter in efforts for Stale improvement.
Theirs is The States Rights party, ana sIrens.h-
on;ng tho States ,rould seem TO be theiI proper
sphere. or..n,s which
have been made on these different ioplcs, inc
voice for Education appears 10 take 'ne
iernal improvement comes neA', anu :, 49,,
is almost out Of sight 1 nat III .ie -. "a
pbase OF affairs, increased means OF transport "''
rrnmmnnication with The consequent advance OF
weallh and nonulation would be The most eilec-
live medium OF diffusing knowledge, any one
who will compare similar causes anu ehec's IN
II, York and New England, will. ! think, admit:
I But 10 embrace the question Id al "s "sPeeS,
sha commence with the simple posi'iols: NIX,
! though history affords many instances OF nations
without knowledge attaining power anu wealth.
1 il presents not one of a people Iedcn'ns lSIh'1
| ncnt greatness without lraae, or IN whom me aa-
,once nj INTELLECT, was mi result Of that oil COM
1 nerce: that easy and frequent intercourse WIN
others is itself Education; that Inc natural en-,
| dowmen;s Of this State have been less developed
| and are now more in want oil culture, thah me
mental energies ofthc people; That we hdrc sys-
Tom ol education Chad though il be,O and fund
70 SUPPORT Il, while, as TO Internal Improvement
we have not shadow OF either; that, before The
ponualon can be taught, W. must have one 10
] leach; and lastly that while in 4 p,cdnIary point
Of view, liberal school establishment would re-
ard other Slate works nothing will more surely as
sis, il, tha,n he dividends from successful and ju-
dcious investments Of that kind. lthas loo often
been shown, 10 require argument here. that il IS
idle 10 attempt the establishment II efficient Tree
schools among population oil less Than l2whe
/ persons 10 the square mic-inGcel over the lar
ger portion OF the State averaging about 7. This
| latter division too, is mountainous and rugged,
rendering equal distances of al'etdance pracli-
! caly equivalent 10 double their length in The le-
vel country. |, IS however stored with iron and
coal, and should now afford illustrations OF plac-
teal science, in tie shape OF The fGrge and The
steam engine, rather than pine undo the forced
culture OF exotic schcolmasters, 10 vast their
sweetness on the desert air" Ii is believed that
in several OF the Western counties, he amount
annually given Tor the education ofle people Is
less than that paid in bounties on woi-scaips!-
And il may be a question whether II J. applied TO
more purpose.
The poor farmer, then, reasons thus. $50 here's
free school opened up al the gap, ant they want
Ike and Jim 10 90. Now, Ike is To- young 10
walk five miles and back every day, nd as Tor
jim there's use enough for him at hnne. We
must see hard work now; for have III. new lax
cs 10 pay Tor Crockett county, and The hist fire in
Il. boIf ;Sl
there are no cattle or sheep in The communicating
low brush iencc wont keep out. Tie cd OF The
creek, TOO, wont answer for wagon cad any
longer, and new one must be cleared through
the lhcket. They can't go. Besides, learning
is of no use in this place; we are tiei here 10
live and die. Wheat 80 cents bnshel md three
bushels 10 the acre We are beyond lh, care Of
God or man. They can't 60"
And is there not some force in what h SAYS Z
Who can blame man for conlemninS gift he
cannot accent without loss. al the same lime that
You withhold from him one equally in yoT pow.
er to grant. and which would not only hing an
immedlalc benefit, but soon enable him l. attain
bohl Your yankee schoolmaster is received
col!y, and left TO SILVER through The winter
in the left end Of an old barn; in com
panv with a half dozen budding rustic, three
ouills. and a copy of Pixies Arithmetic while
!
the hill Of science and you call these people
"dotish Buo,ians," and they 60 10 swell The
"black list of 5000 adults, unable TO cad or
write. But only send an engineer with heodo
lie and chain, and as he throws out claiming
hints of railway, canal, or "mud Turnpike"
Ia pass that way mark the poor farmer, low JOY
fully he listens, how his hard and ioil-frrowe ed
features beam with the intensity Of hope gazing
alternately a; the man and his hrazen inst ument,
as though they were Jupiter and his holland as
potent 10 sway his destiny. With whaisly, but
eager curiosity, does he ask "W here The Dad is
10 lead Z" "where 10 pass?" "wlpn 10 be made ~
, "whal i; will add 10 the price Of grain, all take
from that of goods I" Whole days VII ne
snatch from the labor that keeps him alie, 10
point out the hardest and most level groUnt that
frees, from swamps or rocks, and tell 81 lie
knows OF the country-nay himself bearng a
hand in The work of The party, pulling own
, fences, clearing brush, "blazins trees &C., are
less whether his land be condemned, or th Of
his neighbor, only lively at the prospect OF snk-
ing less Of his hard-won gains in mudhoes md
corduroy" roads, and Of hearing from his more
5 favored fellow-beings oilener than once moth.
: Such scenes, in younger days, have witnessed,
and they have taught me, thai you must feel
| man before you attempt 10 improve him; nat
poverty proves 10 him he has body, before b IS
uWllc CeIldIH ne Hds lllUu, duu tuat lc'
} sIres must be gratihed before higher and noler
ones be awakened
Far be il from me 10 undervalue Education
, | America is creation OF mind lives by mild,
J and conQuers By and for mind The curse at lie
tall was, "By the sweat Of lhy brow thou shit
eat bread;" the brow may "sweat" Outwaidly r
inwardly; and ii was reserved for our country, IS
the painfully selected champion OF free reason \
these latter days 10 prove 10 the world that trle
national greatness depended on making the Oh,
} kind Of Toll subsidiary to The other Our father
have proved lhis-il remains for US and posierltl
To continue lis illustration. Would could array
: Virginia with her Northern sisters on this ques
: ton; bnl the present tells sadder tale than h'
past promised and 10 reach them, she has no
only 10 pass, but 10 make up 10, in internal polil,
and reform, some European States, which ar
beginning, tear, faster Than she, 10 emerge iron
social ineflness, into higher phase oil indusir.
| and prosperity among the masses TO assist ne
in this she has all necessary mental aid from TIT
North: and loo far less than what she has slver
II in other days-amplc m7ier,ci she has within
her borders, and for what is wanting IN person
mel, she must have recourse 10 the sources whicl
have reoptG the West.
When We speak Of the libcrality OF the schoo
systems Of The North and The cXpediency oil thel
r adoption among us, it seems TO be forgotten tina
being more equally difuse.!, and there being lev
paupers;) or, in other words that chceied and con
tented with their pecuniary and industrial sue
cess, they have learnt the policy and necessity
liking the public sentiment and social lone ny ;
careful and steady support Of Education. u !
This public feeling which We want, and whicl
can be most readily diflused among our people. b,
drawing 10 Them, by prospects OF commercial
agricultural, and internal improvement, those u
whom it is 50 strong, and who imbbe il with In
bracing air of their native hills.
Alter all, the annual cost 10 the Stale. say Mas
sachuseus, public education is no. great dea
more, in proportion 10 the available wealth OF IN
Stale, Than is The present slender appropriation
Vlrsinla-bu it comes from fund raised entire
" from her own resources, and bringing no pub
Inc debt. This is more Than can be said OF gu
Literary Fund, if YOU take into view The curious
~ complicated system of loans and re-loans be
| tween tho differ Iurrcur and financial com