Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-10-21
. lie Elitorsof ne Enqnif7:
pITRIIc EDUCATION.

1 LII
Throughout The great Valley, from The los-ca-
bin of the prairie, 10 The reading-rooms ou' cily
hotels, The Enquirer regularly shows It's lace,
and This is nothing more Than The result u ""
| Virginia habits and feelings. Most OF the Vir-
omians Of The present eenerainn were brought
m in households where The Enquirer, when 'hey
were children. shielded the cradle-wlien h"ys' oiu
,hen when their schools would oren-and when
mcn rehcarsed The ancient, sound, political doc
trines of The blessed old Commonwealth Now,
is il surprising, that the paper inentihca WIN ;"
many associations should lie i"und w e'el
lanJ where Cohee or Tuckahoe rcsIdcs!-
and Thai lhry should moi only read it, but thai
even its advertisements should be a subject oil IN
lere,l 10 them? Truly, il is SO! And in The busy
and crowded lie of The great West, there IS tiine
enough Tor every Virginian TO look across Inc
Allegheny and learn from your paper now our
"duLCissipla mater" comes On-ior wherever her
sons may be, they are ever ready 10 10y IN her
loys. and sorrow with her sorrows. Ana you,
yea all of you, have at last enlisted III The good
cause 1 aPublic Education" subject which
wears ago, the wisdom of a Jefferson and The clio
auence Of a Filzlugh brought irresislibly before
The pubic mind But is il not 10 be feared, mat
Won are discussing the subject with too much sud
roses and thai TOO many resolutions addresses,
ora,ionS statistics, essays, &c. arc devoted 10 Inc
nucs,ionl There Island ever will be, from all vio-
lent exci.emenls, both collapse and apathy; and
the cause of Education may perish from too much
preparatory nursing. There is no necessity Tor
discussing lis advanlages-and no judgment in
even parading forth its blessings in style which
reminds one OF Swill's witticism "Librrias e. na-
taic Soi.m.' The people know, feel, and apPre-
&, Ill thn q
BuIkeS brilliant condensation, THAT II is The
cheapest policc--the best deience~
A that YOU need is, first, MoSEY-and second
H. an elevation in the social estimation and pecu-
niary recoinpenSe of your teachers. Lei your
new Convention (and is there republican who
does not ardenlly hope that the people will call
one y declare bv ordinance, that ten or fifteen
per cent. on the whole amount OF taxation shall
forever be sci apart Tor the exclusive use oil public
education, and that direct educational capita
ton tax Of thirty or fifty cents he laid on white
males of a given age, and that these funds shall
forever be permanent and secure, not 10 be boz
rowed either BY The Legislature, banks or ncor-
pora,ions. Let them be annually distributed 10
such towns, villages and school districts as show
n willingness 10 form Common Schools" and
with them pan tic icdchcr. The bar The pulpit,
and The medical callngS, have their rewards, and
a constant stimulus is before The Inc mberS OF these
professions, OF increasing their profits. To The
leachcr-he who forms Ter good or evil that most
delicate and wonderful OF all things, the youthful
lnina-ihere is hnl one destiny forever darkening
his palh-a manhood of labor, and an old age Of
poverty. Remove from him these difficulties,
open the race Of honorable ambition 10 him, honor
his calling, CHERISH protect, and PAY him liberal
Is, and edo not muzzle the OK that lreadeh out the
corn" In few years, from The successful ore
ration Of your schools, you would have sntli-
cheney of teachers for The demands Of The whole
State, and the lime will come Gil this liberal po-
Icy be adopel,) when The plains, valleys, and
mountains Of Virginia will be dotted with school
houses-iar prouder monuments Of nations
happiness, freedom and prosperity, than groves Of
architectural marble or millions OF miles Of rail
ways and canals PAMUNhEf.
Usage, Missouri, Oct5 1913.