Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-09-16
THE ENQUIRER
Hs:c.als:osse., september rs.
TIE CAUSE or EDUCATION.
rho Yrnc interest o. Virginia.


~ thank Cod HERE are no frec st!oos no. p,isp,
and II. nc we shall no. have tcsr hundred Years; for
ieurnn. has drought disturbance al he;esy, and
into The ~o.!d, a#d printing iihs d'vused them, aud
lrls 3ranst The be-. government Cad hrrp n, finn
bth."-l Nm Bcrk,hr, GSctrnOr # "a, lb5l tHen-
tnSs Statutes ii Largo
Such was the scnlner, Of a Governor Of Viz
sinia orc hundred and scvcEIyiour years ago.
Such was the sentiment which rrcv;ilel among
those who ruled he dcs:inies OF our Common
wealth in DAYS gorc-by. Unfortunate /, has been.
that II y impressed il in great drs'cc upon The
minds OF their descendants The first half CT
Gov. Bcrlsley's boas.iul wish has been more
than fulfilled. 'lhc enemy Of ita.al govern
mcrt and free enquiry oaly vcn'ured 10 horc
for an hundred j'ea, exemption IRON free schools
bll the lehargy and ,aciion, and want ut pub
lie Spirit in orr rulers have given Inc aristocials
policy one hundred and seventy tou5 years lun.
We have printing among Us, (rhcueh far less
than our propoltonJ bul where are the lice
schools Where are the edaca.ed masses whict!
Jefferson and Madison contemplated as adsrcn.
sable 10 HE permanently and progressive prospc-
ri.y 81 Republican State? More thar one-ti!th
OF eur lrcemen, according 10 the GENUS, unable
10 read tie Constitution under which they live,
AMI in some counties, "a We learn majority Of
the bctroihcd men unable, al The Clerks OFFICE 10
read III, !iccnce according 10 which they are 10
he married These facts speak the triumph OF
the Ruya Governors policy in swords that burn"
Bul The census does not proclaim the worst An
examination oi lie statistics oi The several ccun-
u, -, ~, 4.
v4rab!c 4 view ui ,he >la- Of education amongst
ns .lnI that the hunter .! persons over The age
81 twenty, Who cahaOi iead or WTile Is nearer
ii coo than 50, Isl, as reported. In most coul.-
,irs. We believe the number >lalec in the leinIn
is a, near The Truth as such things could be ub
tanned The eetegious errors lie in The realms
from some twenty or thirty Counties, in which
either persons al ~. 9! very few, are reported
un.,olc 20 read as in tie case OF The large conn-
lies u Rockbrdgc ami ohio, where he number
is stated al $ the county o. Powhaian, where Il
* stated al c, the county Ct Fairfax, where II is
] stated Al Is; and the counties oil CHARLES Cliy,
stafford Frederick ana M4!>haiI, which are re-
presented 10 beso fortunate as noi 10 have IN IN
! educated man within lhcif boiLe,s.
Bat we will ;akc tie census tables Tor OH cfi-
icIion, and by them We will prove Il" deficiencies
+, Of our Stale From other data, derived i!om The
Auditors rcrors al yariuns tines. We snail con-
! .rast the several sections and counties. Xix
! ,parseneSs OF or population has been mich
/ dwet upon as ar excuse ior Cur neglec; in re!l.
lion 10 the establishment OF schools. Il j. played
upon all occasi.as asthe trump carl OF those who
NANTES, indifference or avow open opposition, 10
asys,em OF popular education. From eur heats,
We wish that ih. s'as the greatest ohs'"cc 10 The
accomplishment If the end We have in "ic%' :
We fear dis'sAce-srsat barrier as il is 10 some
| undertaken. lar less than We fear The ABSENCE
! Of determination fdI less ;han The wait oil lu>t
! appreciation oil tie benefits which teaching ~i!l
l con.ef "WLen there's viii: there's a way.
I whcD there are proper >choo! houses with hitting
! instructors, learner, will come, though Tie road
| be long Distance has never prcTcnlei The rco-
, lie OF Virginia ION being social AID conyyial.
Sparse settlements have never prevea,cd them
from mnging with each o.Eer nloIe, pcTHH Is,
l.an any o;!.e5 people the continent. They
have ever cn!oycd lie reputation Of carrying free
hearts and open hands. Ia Times 81 peace, they
have always been rrou>e Of hospitality, and
liberal, 10 fault, in their Individual expenditures
whilst in war they have been bountiiu both Of
blood and treasure. But Tor public purposes, Tor
objects designed 10 advance The general coed,
without any individual return, more have been so
careful 10 spare themselves from taxation as they.
Nearly all Of The States, even including those
SunIh OF Us have oulstripprd Virginia in popular
education and that, TOO in spite oferca,er difficult
ties in roin, ofsparseness Of population. Georgia,
Alabama and Mississippi are all ahead of he'll
Missouri, a State o; yesterday, Is it were, and
a slave State TOO, with population Of sir 10 The
square mile, is better of for education than the
Old Dominion, where knowledge might have been
planted and been growing up for ages. II her
people were as well educated in proportion 10 The
density with which they are settled, as are those
OF mos! other States, the aggregate Of uninicrned
men would lie reduced 10 iFiile in nearly every
comparison.
The following able has been calculated, in or
der % exhibit The relation in which The States stand
10 P1EI UlllCI Will Icgdiu W VIZ JtHSIsS y!
their population, lie proportion OF entirely une-
duca,ed persons over The age CT b. and the pro-
portion Of scholars attending primary schools,
scholars at academies, ana Students at co!ese.-
The proportions for The 10 States, commencing
with Mari land ard going Southwark, are cacaa-
led Twice In tic first part OF the table, The
whole population is taken into The count: in The
second. Inc free white only. Whis; some per-
sons argue that The white population only should
be considered, because the blacks carno; be edu
Gated, others contend that all persons should be
cour,ed, inasmuc as, he slaves being totally un-
educated and wholly cri?!ovcd in manual labor,
there is a greater reason why all he whites should
receive instruction. We lave made The cacnla-
lions beth ways, in oder that those interested in
the sui jec may choose which is the fiirest and
most effective mode Of unfolding the Notifying
facts 10 The gaze of surprised and Il; is 10 II.