Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-21
yf Republican papers throughout he State are
requested 10 publish the above commun cation.
To the Editors ofihc Enquirer.

McSSTS. Editors: am niehlY Sralllltd III see
your appeals, from day to day, in behalf of the
great cause OF education. No Virginian, alive
to the true interest and glory Of the Stale, can re-
gard This subject with indifference. The reproach
Of 'tpre.eminent ignorance must I've removed
from the esculcheon Of The cold Dominion" or
her name will, at no distant day, be a ~ word
among the other members Of the Union The
schoolmasier must be sent into every "noUk aud
corner of The Stale-to Federal Augusta and
Democratic Ruckin. ham, 10 slave holding Pitt
sylvauia and non.slavehodng Preston He must
aabilc for season in The most favored parts Of
The Cummonwcah for, even in old Albtmarle,
the boosted "Alhens Of Virginia" where, as has
been said, "senius blossoms and fancy blooms
say even in thai favored county, the number Of
men who can neither read nor write is about
equal 10 the vote usually received IN iuii
election hy the successful candidates irf the
House of Delegates (Glere, the reader will be
reminded, that all the ignorant are not on The
Democratic side, as some Lbcrai and ca0rfaDlc
Wings have insinualrd Our opponents are
proud u claim Albemarle as their own In
word, every county in The Stale has numerous
citizens who can neither read a chapter in the
Bible nor sign their names 10 PLAN instrument
Of writing The evil being admittr,! on III hands
the enquiry naturally suggests itself what i HE
remedy? The ready answer is, II IS Tih ne pro-
pie! II is for Them 10 make il their own cause.
and apply the corrective 10 The evil Let public
opinion lie properly enlightened on the sujrci,
and We shall mol long have reason 10 complain
ola want Of legislation in regard 10 H. Bu The
people must be thoroughly aroused, before We
can expect any beneficial action on The pan oi
the Legislature; for, on question oil such im!ofl,
il is idle 10 suppose, that The Representatives
will assume The responsibility Of aching IN ad-
vance OF public opinion al home. All present.
action, then, should be brought 10 bear upon po-
pular sentiment. How can we act most I'll
cienlyl The proposed Convention may be no
ductVe of good-but for one, | anticipate nothing
beneficial from il. 1t is by M means prora-
BILE that more than halt the counties OF The Stilc,
situated al distance from Richmond will he r.
presented in that body nor is il any mole likely LAT
lis deliberations will have the desired effect N
the masses OF The population Of our Stale. I'er-
gates will perhaps meet in Convention, DELIVER
patriotic speeches in favor of 4 COED cause. afoi
we'll written address 10 The people OF Virsinii
and then return 10 their respective homes, SATISFIED
that the work is accomplished, when, III TACT
those whom il is most desirable Ia rnli9iurh TN
the subject of Education, will never hear oil The
efforts made in Convention Tor their beneht.-
What have we gained by The Education Conven-
lion of ISL 3? Let the present unimplovrd men
tai condition of our people answer The question
Since that time there has been no beneficial action
in The Legislature or among The people; nor has
our Srho0i Sad,m hecn even so much as lalkeo
about in The State, until within few weeks pasl
With The experience Of that Convention before us
We have but litlleencourasemcnln 90 into another
having in View The same ohJecls and purposes
What then, il may well be asked, should he done u
arouse our population 10 a sense of their dniy!-
Lei there be a general discussion Of the subject OF
Education among the people, as suggested ~
your columns. Let every speaker who feels an
interest in The cause, take The stump" with The
same carneslncss he has evinccd in behalf ol 4
Presidential candidate. Let The issue he lairly
presented 10 every freeman In The Commons
wealll--;nd public sentiment, we may chara
bly, conclude, will soon ensure the adoption oil ar
efficient school system by the Legislature "a
contamination devou,ly 10 be wished" by every
one who desires The pcrrelualion Of the Tree inst
tnlons under which We live.
notice insome Of The newspapers Wesl OF this
warm discussion relative 10 The terminus o
the Southwestern MacAdamized Road, nat IS u
M; one side urging The claims OF LynchbiirS, lht
other, those Of Buchanan. Would it not be bet
Ter for The parties 10 postpone their present DIS
pnic till The road itself is secured? All arrlica
lions for Legislative aid toihal work having TAIL
ca heretofore, lis friends should be admo-
nishcd, that they can expect success IN iu-
tnre only by strong and united efiorls.-
The failure OF some OF our works oil improve
mehl, and The nnwOduGiirtnfM OF all, VIII very
naturally operate against every call Tor Stale ap'
preparations 10 roads and canals for some time to
come; and as our Southwestern friends insist
upon having their road constructed "sohty on
State account, they have some reason Ia aPPre-
hend the continued postponemcnl of their work,
IN Inc most favorable presentation of The case
They offer facts, figures and arguments, which
look quite well upon parcr, and which nave con-
WINGED wise men that the road would yield
handsome per cent upon the costoi lis construc-
ton. But still they must admire the caution oil
The Legislature in making investments, since ex-
perience, very dear teacher, has convinced that
body OF the danger Of relying upon even ne
most Plausible arguments and yeasonuDie e0feiha,
tions of Internal improvement men in lavor oil
their cherished schemes. How long has il been
since il was pretty clearly 1rored that our grand
central work would be an exceedingly proflab
one to all interested in i'll In 1889, the minority
OF the Select Committee Of The House OF De-
legates (R. II. Toler and VIM. M. Peylon) ap-
pointed 10 enquire into the amount of The State
debt, &c, made a report in which confident
opinion was expressed, il recollect Alright, that
the canal from Richmond TO Lynchburg would
in short time after lis completion, Pay divi-
dend 10 the State and Stockholders oil something
like six per cent. upon the expenditure. ! have
not the documents before me, TO compare that es-
timnie with The first four years experience OF The
Company; but il seems 10 be understood, that the
promised fruits have all "turned 10 ashes or
the lips" of the stockholders. With this disap-
ponlment and others which might be named
staring them in The face is il strange that our Le
gslature and people should now hesitate 10 en-:
gage in any new scheme Of improvement,
think not
Did you not err, Messrs. Editors, in com
menling SO freely, week or two ago, upon MIR