Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-06-03
RICHMOND, VA.
r,..,,,v Morning, June 3, 1915.
TIE CAUSE OF EDUCATION.
THE TRUE INTEREST OF VIRGINIA

who we're most conldent Oh lhe s'ao"''' "
institutions they were then framing, oased dh
their faith upon The intelligence oil 'he Peoi,le
v.ho were TO live under these institutions. WI
Jefferson expressly declared, that unless ",'e",'o"
Was nail 10 The education Of the people, nc "au
- hone ot durability in a Republican form ol
Government The efforts oil mat ais"iS
man in behalf OF general system OF euued"o"
!, VIRGINIA were unceasing; and ne hau lhe sa'-
is,ac,ion al The golden sunset OF his Slofiou. ~
n 500 completed University when hau oee"'
previously for years, the child OF MS mug
Tina, The University is a monument Oh wH'e,' w
c,o,a NAV fael truly proud-and that u has oee"
productive vi important uche"'" - - 7'
cannol he denied But its warmest lrlehus mus
confess that il has failed 10 accomplish all lhe
enlarged purposes for which Il was desishe".'
The grade OF learning attained has neither been
50 hiyh, nor the number OF young men who nave
entered lis walls so great, as was contemplated
and as the heavy outlay in The beginning, ana me
large annual appropriation since, would ieau u
10 expect. II has made but a small addition 10
the literally educated men OF the State, ana mas
not prevented many vi our youth from annually
going out OF the limits of the State, 10 be Taught
al Northern colleges We will not undertake an
inquiry into all The causes Of this stale OF things
suffice il 10 say, that the main reason why our
University, and other colleges do not have ilieir
benches better filled, is The want OF primary
schools, whose establishment it our province To
advocate. There must be more teaching 10 pre-
mare for the University, and until there is, the
grade OF learning attained there Will be low, ana
The number turned out small. We have Uni
yersiIy without general system OF elementary
instruction Far better would il have been for
the State 10 have established primary schools III
The first place. Had they been in operation since
1923. the men whom they would have sent INTO
life educated, (nstead oil ignorant as now,) would
/, have made UNIVERSITY Had the elements o! edit
cation been generally difused, years ago. The CAL
fora University would have been such as not 10 be
w,hslood Our Legislators erred in establishing
University first, and then leaving common
/ schools 10 come as they could, BY neghborhood
subscription, By private munfcence, by chance,
or Otherwise Rul il was no fault OF Mr.. Jefer-
son--who is Justly esteemed the father OF The UNI
versily of Virgina--lhat common schools were
not simultaneously established. They were 4
part OF his plan, but they were impracticable.-
He could moi, with all his authority, prevail upon
The Legislature 10 pass any efficient enacments
for the real benefit of The illitrrale poor. The
bill and appropriations for the University could
be passed, because the country gentlemen in The
I Legislature had sons whom they desired 10 send
10 college A common school system could not
be passed, because the Legislators, and the men
who controlled their election, had no interest in
providing education for friendless children. They
did pass something They did make an attempt
al least 10 save their credit. They passed an act
declaring, thai all The fines, penalties, toreitures,
confiscations cscheats and SO forth which might
accrue 10 The State, should he appropriated
to the creation OF a revenue for aiding the educa-
lion Of poor children and they rather ludicrous-
1 ~ termed The money thus raised, "the Literary
/ Fund" They resolved that all the rascals, and
/ law-breakers and gamblers OF The Commonwealth,
should pay for what little education might be gra-
tuitously difiused. They determined, in effect,
that the quantity Of teaching so dispensed, should
depend upon The quantity OF crime which prevail
| ed. This fund has been administered BY the
/ Board of Directors no doubt as well as any other
fund would have been, when committed 10 the
care OF men charged with the performance OF other
duties. Its influence in decreasing The number OF
uneducacd persons can scarcely be perceived
/ The old-field schoolmasers-we mean no re-
proach-alone know how much benefit it has ac-
complished 1t has deceived the hopes OF the
teacher il has deluded the INDECENT parent it has
cheated the Young scholar, and left him nearly as
great an ignoramus as ever lnturn II has been
I annually cheated out OF much revenue, which was
wealths Attorneys and The laxity ojuries. It's trea-
sury is every Winter Gespoiled OF something by our
yinuous Legislature. Any one who has observ-
ed the proceedings of that body, knows how ma
ny acts are annually passed 10 remit fines which
were paid, and odinaiuredly regarded as
hardship-heir remission being advocated as vc-
4 ~ expedien because the money would not come
out ofthe Treasury, but out OF the Literary Fund.
But WHY need we spend time in arguing asains,
the inadequacy of The present Literary Fund =
The fact is announced in glaring Terms by the 50,
7s7 persons over 20 years OF age, who, in 1910,
could not read and write.
lis time that something had been done 10 re-
medy this state of things. Our postulate is, more
Mioolmosters
There have been, Of late, some few efforts in the
good cause They are, however, few and tar
between. Some three years since, there assem-
bed in the city OF Richmond, with great flourish
Of trumpels deliberative assembly, which took
10 itself The name Of San Education Convention"
Some truly eloquent speeches were delivered, and
| much investigation entered into. High hopes
were excited in the bosoms of the friends OF Edu-
| Gallon, who though, that the movement thus be-
gun would be followed up, until fruit should be
brought forth. The subject, however, has been
Sleeping ever since and no strenuous effort is made
10 awaken il. Where are the Pumers, the Smiths,
the Scots, The JelerS, The Venables OF that con-
venton Where the trumpet notes they
then sounded? Has their zeal evaporated? IS
their patience worn down Vacaing men,
thus 10 retreat after their first fire Did they
think 10 storm The fortress ofgnoTance at the FIRST
attack? Lei them renew The campaign. Let
them again gather their army IN conren-
lion, and meet year after year in different
divisions of the Stale, until their object is accom-
/ pished They will recruit their forces al each
meeting. The doubling will become convinced
and the Indifferent will become Jealous. They
will make friends OF enemies and ardent support
ers Of al first incredulous opponents II was Sir
Waller Scott, who ridiculed The idea Of Lighting
the city of Edinburgh with gas-and no city is
more beautifully illuminated than that-and
spent his sarcasm upon those who proposed it
Yet, Sir Waller Scott ailerward became President
of the Gss Company. The friends OF primary
schools must repeat the charge, and victory will