The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-17
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.


Lof common schools.
No State in the Union has set more noble exam
|ple in the organization and support of common
:sehoos, than New York. The school revenues are
immense, and applied in manner TO prove highly
beneficial to the rising generation.
This city sustains common schools with noble
liberality, A substantial, good, and convenient
brick schoo-house has been erected in each Of the
seventeen wards of the city. They are built most
commonly OF two stories, well lighted and ventilated,
sbeng arranged with all the new improvements in
produced into such buildings. In addition to the
ward schools, there are public schools in various
districts.
We believe this city paid last year. on account of
ward schools alone, over three hundred thousand dol
lars To introduce uniformity and proper manage
Iment into these schools, they placed under the
control of commissioners elected annually by the
lefty voters for the purpose. There is also county
of common schools, the present in
|cumbent being Dr. Reese, Methodist local preach
Ter, who is for rigidly enforcing the reading of the
Bible in all schools without exception. He is an
|exueme follower of John Wesley, not remarkable
for superior intellect or berality yet he is acknowl-
lodged to be good and well meaning man. Ex-
|tremes in all things, however, gives rise to conten-
Ition; and hence the doctor has carried on severe
4 war with the Catholics and Jews on the subject of
making the Bible common-school book.
The 100000 expended for the support of COM
Imon schools in this city, is raised by taxation on
I,
and probably upwards of $4,000 Catholics. As these
schools free to all children of every Sect the two
latter denominations contend that they do not want
the Protestant Bible forced upon their children as
1common-schoo book--that they are,wilng to let
The teaching at schools be strictly educational, with.
out reference to the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish
Bible. Or, if this cannot be done, they ask for their
portion of the school fund contributed by them for
the support of common schools, in the way of taxa
ltion, to be set Off TO them giving them the privilege
1of expanding it for the education of their children,
lin manner they may consider most conducive to
their intellectual advancement.
We do not perceive that there is any thing mon
Isrous unnatural in feeling of this character If
Christians in Jewish country or Protesants
lin Catholic country, they would probably have
similar feelings, if taxed to support free Schools IN
(which the Jewish Old Testament alone, or the Cath
Ollie version of the Bible, were forced upon their
children common-school book.
When DIR. Reese entered upon his Office as school
there 80 schools in which the
Bible was omitted as school book. He has push
led forward in his plan, till only - remain conducted
simply upon the educational plan, leaving the re-
|gious culture of the chdren's minds to the care of
the parents, to Sunday Schools and to the minstra-
lions of the churches. By forcing the mind of al
|child to the daily reading of book, which, how
lever valuable, it cannot understand without COM
|ment, (and, if with comment it must be sectarian,
lit has the effect either to drive the child into doggcd
LOT truths, or
Ia pail of gloomy fanaticism over its imagination
that may endure through life
DIR. Reese, no doubt, has acted from benevolent
motives; but the effect of his rigid policy has beenl
Ito drive great many children from the threshold of
these schools An Irish Catholic thinks it great
IDEAL less harmless to let his children run wild and
half naked in the streets, than to place them in al
school where they would be compelled to read orl
hear read, daily, the Protestant Bible. Which isl
most likely therefore, TO convert Jewish children to
christianity, Catholic children TO Professionalism,
Ito admit them to free schools with Christian andi
Protestant children, where all the elements of use
iul education are taught, or to drive them away byl
narrow and contracted views of the question, For
Icing them into dleness, vagrancy, and neglect, onl
lone hand or into schools founded by the Caholicsi
land Jews on strictly sectarian principles on the|
|other,
The difficulties arising in this city about the ap-
|plicatlon of the school fund, and government of
common schools, does not, however, prevail to any
great extent beyond its limits and Notwithstanding
these squabbles, the institution of the commonI
schools is the nobest of our free and happy coun-
TRY, and most nobly has New York come forward
10 their support. The blessings dispensed by them|
|are like the genial showers and dews Of heavens
They fall alike upon the rich and the poor the just
land the unjust The teachers employ ed in them are
|pad out of the public fund The best SCHOOL,
books are distributed among them, and great IA
|ces for communicating knowledge in pleasing
IiOTIliS 10 yOulnIul mlUu, are NuODteu. WIFI
Jung, reading, and arithmetic, more perfectly
Taught.
Great Improvements have also been made in the!
|arts of teaching children geography, the rudimens of
chemistry, astronomy, natural history, DC. All
this is accessible to the children of the newest ar
rived emigrant, with the descendants of the Oldest
American families.
know an Irish family of some twelve thirteen]
children, all Of whom have received education att
lone of these public schools. One of the daughtersi
became far advanced that she ultimately emil
|ployed as teacher at respectable salary. As heI
family were very poor, the sons went to the pubic}
school till they were old enough to be bound out as!
apprentices to useful trades. They made much
the better and more intelligent apprentices for hav-
ling been to the free school, Some of them are now}
earning handsome wages of journeymen, and will
|soon be in condition to commence business forI
themselves, in which they will no doubt prosper, |
land make useful members of society.
How infinitely superior the advantages fori
obtaining knowledge in the present day, to what i'll
fused to be! Ignorance, if not crime, is grosslys
culpable in those who, neglect to learn. Books arel
mot only better adapted for teaching Children but on
account of the great improvements made in the man.
uacture of paper and in the art of printing, they'll
are much cheaper.
Once boy learns to read, write, and cipher, hey
holds in his hands key (by proper study and per- !
severing appicaton) with which he can, by hisy
alone, unlock all other sources and
II
1t is said that gentleman, once travelling in ann
obscure district of England, found poor peasant
youth, who had made the most surprising advances
n learning. He had mastered several of the dead
languages, besides every thing else of knowledge 4
that had come in his way. He was asked who had (
been his teacher He replied, all the teaching he !
had ever had, was, that somebody had taught him !
the letters of the alphabet, which he thought was
Jail that necessary, from which to learn every
thing else without a master, if one could only pro-
cure books! The boy was right; only would giveI
them little better start, by teaching them some \
thing of writing, grammar, reading, arithmetic and L
geography; and, if he had sufficient self-reliance
go on from that platform, master or master, with
out which he would never rise to be anything extra
ORDINARY with all that masters could give him.
Who have been, and are now the great and lead !
ling men-the master spirits of this republici Are!
they not, and have they not been, sefeducatedI
|neni
| care not how, or where, man has been edu-!
|cated if he does not educate himself afterwards, he
will never rise above ordinary mediocrty A wIsej
land prudent young man will find more to learn out