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

one-half OF Maine is IN uninhabi.cd wilderness
and her population is, in lacl two and halt or
three times as dense as The white population of
Virginia. This is great advantage; bur. great
as il is, Maine gives 10 each scholar hui eight
weeks OF schooling Looking 10 the South the
laborna population here is composed almost ex-
cusivelv Of slaves, and The general character for
intelligence, as shown By the census, is decrnin-
ed By that OF the wealthy classes, a large pro-
portion OF whom are emieran,s from this State.
And may here suggest 70 "Virginian," that
The very facts he brings forward 10 prove my de-
scrpton Of the unbest condition OF The Western
mountaineer purely "poeiic," afford support 10
nv advocacy OF Internal Improvement. The
number of ignorant adults is in Eastern Virginia
% 500. in a waite population OF 800 0r0. aud. in
the West, 2s 92i. oat OF 81 600. Emigration is
mainly from the East, that from the Yves, being
more than balanced by immigrants, As appears
from The fact OF The White population having de-
creased in the former, and advanced in the later
within 10 years; and this accounts, in great
measure, for the superior education OF he West,
despite its greater poverty; whicn superiority but
for the natural disadvantages, whose cogency
"Virsinian" tries 10 disprore, would have been
greater. Thus emigration is one CO agent To-
wards ignorance; and what will more certainly
check il, ami cause The ebb:ag Tide 10 flow, Than
tie opening facilities al fanspoit, and Offering the
reward OF I!Ier Industry 10 orr own citizens on cur
own soiil The same causes which prevent emi.ra-
ton in free country encourage immigration.
In New York, Pennsylvania, ono, and all The
/ Western Staes, The same great avenues through
! which the surplus pruduce iseyporied are lhrong-
ed in return with crcwjs OF new settlers and in
proportion 10 the abundance Of the former is the
i.ilux o. the latter Where he one cannot 90,
the olhe! will not coAe. Ills is The secret Of Penn
s;lvania's prosperity. and two-ihrds OF Virginia
resemble Pennsylvania mare iEdn any STATE IN
the Union The difference in onr idvcr is, lha:
while the manufacturing and mining States have
ha; 10 attract rom Europe illileraie auiZans Of
the kind wanted, ami then 10 educate them ar
their Children the opening oi v'c:n resources IN
Virginia woa:d draw from those States operatives
OF The sd me kind, with all Inc mental ard ecoIo-
mica improvement ihey have tl.eIe gained. The
new free States are filled up more rapidly. and
with Tar more enlightened class ofseuer,., than
people those where slavery is recognized: and The
simple reason is, that that class, coming from The
Northeast, are more accustomed 10 Tee eEptri-
mental labor. and can apply tia. ab-r with more
success 10 the cultivation ol al The resources Of
the coun,ry, than they could in States where The
predominance Of slave labor Limits industrial ad-
vances 10 agriculture Virginia shoud Learn
from Ibis that, by rendering accessible variety
OF raw material applicable 10 a multiplicity Of
purposes, Snc DflllCs Wlli!U IT. DGfUeIS
her citizens men qualified not on!r by all the
versatility Of talent which knowledge gives, but
BY all the new powera which art AMI experience
have grated on that talea., 10 make that cndow
meG, tributary 10 her wealth. an hat wealth IN
return, through he spiF these rcoC,c everywhere
dflse, tributary 10 her mental and moral ,l".
walton. The immeiiale adoption OF the educa-
cation, and neglect Of the internal Improvement,
policy, puts this off for an indefinite period: as
-Erginian" in effect admits, in Tie enlightened
minds of thousands, &c, YOU bring 20 bear upon
all the material resources 81 tie State, an element
bouudiess in its power and growth, and ceaseleSs
in lis ACTIVITY" These thousands are Of course
children now. and this Indigenous element cannot
be drought 10 bear unlcss the 50 coo over 20
are 10 be stni 10 school, Tor ten years 10 come. a.
least.
These children are, within , or 3 years, 10 com
mence their alphabet. and. 10 years after that are
t. commence he waik Of SAT- revival! Where
:, vii Virginia ba ~ ihattim
The fact is, our present schoo' system is rot
50 black as il is painted" The funds which sup
nor, Of December, 1874. Che one used ly "Vir-
ginian, y beng more cnssv applied every Sue
ccssire wear. "rhe ing table viii show,
from the balances remaining in the harcs Of the
school lrcaeuierS al the end OF the several years
mentioned lha, ;he school funds have been mere
closely applied every successive wear sine ie.iN
inclusive, VIZ 1898, $50, 3o7 90: 1899 1921 i2
+ 1910, % 2oi l3; 1871, 10 81 g? 1879, liGlI 81
1919, 1882 81" Another table shows that The
Z funds devoted 10 The education CT the poor have
been drawn more closely from The treasury eve
r. Successive year during the reriod conpe-
( henied in This statement viz 1870 Si1,i2J Ia
1911, 37,S7i 10; 1872 S,27l 81: 1913. 20.1i39 p
1911, 1879 40 TIE capital, loo, is regularly
increasing al a rate much more rapid Than that
7 of the populations growth: ihIs. 1t stood 3Oh
September, lsiI, at 5! ,i370n oS; and on the
same day OF 1911 il was 81 ,5la 300 S2-havng
+ gained in years ;:-2 252 81 Thus, it is al pre-
sent very nearly as grca; in proportion TO the
+ while norualon, as tha, o. New York, Is 49,
947 9S, as stated ~ "Virgnian.D
Now that am on lhi-' sal Jsci ct statistics, !
NAV as well examine i:.o>e which 'Vireinian"
4 mas evelied al nv assertions, and The clubbing
hy V hich he seeGs 10 nyaiidte nina. The cen
sas gives agreeab!y TO my quotation. 2I,bI3 scho-
lars al public charge out OF 502 ouI in the com
mon schools Of New York. "Virginian" states
Ike whole number Of children between and 10 in
lie commonwealth excluding New York city, al
5c3 81; 562 i9o al whom attend common schools
Thus all The children in The Stale arc iangh; IN
primary or common schools, excepting 81 ,0JO-a
partol which latter number ilay reasonably he
supposed 10 Le destitute OF instruction No|, II
is pepos;.rous thick that all nearly all these
children are taught in common schools be-
canse they are too INDECENT 10 he sent else
where ami "Virginian" himself gives clue
10 the Mystery, BY saying that few or none
ut those in common schools can ne said 10
be educated wholly a; the public cnarse though
all TO some extent are So educated" That is, all
the sub collegiate institutions in The STATE, with
few exceptions, are cla-scd as common schools. "
and are supported undcr ihe State system, BY &c
neral take, equal to three lines the amount oi The
annual appropriation, and al these establishments
rich and poor are Instructed ;octtaer-;he former
as long as their Tartnts choose 10 keep them 81
school, over and above Tic period Tor winch the
above sources .! emolumen, viii afford school
;nc 10 both One-haif Of these taxes are option
ali. c th. townships are Authorized, hrt 20,
required" 10 levy them, and, "a all EXCESS or de-
lrquency is felt only By the poor scholars, he
education of thc:e last MAJ bc said 10 dcrcnd IN
a great inca sue on local charity. The principal
difference AT !aiiIcs,, between Ibis and our syS-
lem. is, that in New York he parents pay their
chiidrcn's tuition Ia the Stale, and The State edu
Gates them; while with Us, Inc money goes Ii
recily 10 The teacher. The discrepancy between
tie CENSUS return OF 502 GOO, and me commits
4 sioncr's oi 1900, is not very great, am MAY
be partially accounted for by the placing in the
one instance proportion Of The only class ot
/ school, in The Sta,e under The head Ut "acade-
mics" &C. The poor there arc taxed for tier
own education; so that, unless The wealthy com
pe!en, greatly oulrumber Inc ndigcn' class, the
number "ai The public charge' must s'ill be The
criterion; and, il he disprofotion BE- 50 great,
il only proves what ! sad about industrial sue
cess bringing the Northern people The means
Of educating themselves. CT thy Do not, who
does i:l) Alter all, there are il NV York 40 o
whites over lacnly unable 10 read or ite and
/ the Introduction Of that Safes school system
I among our poorer population and different social
organization would be palpably change Tor The
worse. Bur | am moi discussing educational
plans, and only notice those Of "Virginan" IS
they are connec'ci with his Impeachment OF my
accuracy.
He sneers al The census as statistical fund,
and reiieraies the newspaper objections as 10 lis
completeness. 1t my hare, from unavoidable
circumstances. many detects, bu | hold it 20 be
the most reliable of ali aids in comparison be-