Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-12-05

retain.
But there is another and very numerous
class. who are influenced by none OF the con.
sideration- suggested: a hard-working. proyi-
dent and valuable clsss, who are attached to
their homes, aud To all the usagcs, laws aud
associations which surround them, hut who
are obliged, nevertheless, TO abandon them all
under the stern requirements of duty TO them
selves and their families. Without any adj
quate market near them, and without any dis
thnt one To which they have cheap and sui
table access, the whole products of their labor
are 80 absorbed IN the expense of exchanging
them, AMI the expense iiseltis 50 irreducible
by any economy or prudence of theirs tba
the only alternative left them is 10 toll on i'm
comparative poverty, or to 90 elsewhere, where
their cxcrions can bc turned TO wiser and be l.
ter account. llowcv, ma tural aud proper 70,
citizens thus situated To do this it is neither
the one nor the other for the State passivcly
To allow it.-She is the final sufferer of every
loss hich emigration can involve, and she
too. is the final and righ,lul party TO prevent
the loss. whenever il arises from the general
instructions to labor, which private means are
not adapted or sufficient To- remove. Let the
distinctions which have already operated Sc
Oh ~asirousl (which have paralyzcd the labor
disturbed the peace, prevented the education
lnicrdit ted the Intercourse, lowered the moral
and social advantages oi 80 large a portion of
our peoplc--lct them but continue, and the
ruinous process Of dcpopulaiion and impover-
lshmcn', now at work, will 20 on with accu-
mulating force until the Commonwealth will
BE- rendered powerlcss for the vigorous mca
surcs which her restoration will require. I'M
less Virginia, therefore, is ready TO submit
herself 10 the unmitigat ted evil Of such result
and, forgetting alike her security and her re-
nown, is willing 10 drag on in a downward
career OF languishment and decay, let her put
forth her power and remove at once the OBJ
struCt tons which are 50 overwhelming To her
people, and thus enable the grea, mass of
them 10 find US eligible home within their
native borders as any where beyond them
She cannot, indeed, by any exeriion or policy
oil hers, take from other States any advantages
OF resi- hence which are peculiar To them, but
she can check any emigrating spirit and move
ment OF her people, by raising up kindred and
equivalent advantages of her own. To this
end, and as one of the surest and most indis-
pensable of all the means OF obtaining it, let
the Legislature revise, amend and enlarge our
system of
Education and Internal improvement.
In relation 10 the first of these subjects. as
nothing need be said upon the general ques-
lion Of its importance, will submit, in a,ldi-
tion 10 " hat has been said i'll former commu-
ncatlons, d remark or two only upon some of
It's other aspects; And, first, it is obviously
important that the Legislature should settle
dehniuvely upon the ground on which this
subject Is 10 be treated-whether as a private
affair or State ailair.-lt, in its Judgment, it
should be treated as private business, which
ought 10 be left, like the requirement of pro-
perry, 10 every mans separate eXertions-
those 10 receive much who have the me ans 10
procure ii with, and those nothing, who are
without the mei ns-and il determines, in
consequence, to add nothing 10 the provision
already allowed for it's benefit-if this is its
Judgment II is highly proper that it should be
made known, that the necessary steps might
be taken by the people themselvee, either 10
reverse II or to carry into effect. If, on the
other hand, the sounder judgment is entertain
ed, that education is public as well as a
private concern, that, unlike the requirement
OF property, which can be pursued by each one
Tor himself, without dependence upon others,
It's oily permanent success depends upon the
effectiveness OF the cooperation with which
II Is conducted; that this cooperation can be
more fifty settled by public authority than by
casual and voluntary arrangement; and further,
that education is too sacred an element in the
well-being and safety Of State, governed like.
ours, TO be left to hazards of unorganized, in
dividual combination; If this is its opinion. it
follows, that the public aid, which il recogni-
yes as legitimate aid, in the case, should be
extended 10 every grade of education and
every description of learner. The first rud-
ments OF the language, and the highest attain
ments oil the scholar, should be provided for
as the objects 10 be accomplished The pro-
VISION which Is recognized as due 10 all should
De sufficient Tor all, any in the case of pTim-
airy instruction at least, II should be free to all
Nothing less than ;his will satisfy the obi
CATION assumed, nor the wants TO be supplied.
and nothing greater could be Effected for the
honor, advancement and renovation of the
State. Once establish education upon this
basis OF public liberality and justice, and
watch over and dcvelope il afterwards in the
fostering and determined spirit which osteems
nothing to be done whilst any thing remains
TO do, and Virginia will soon throw from her
SOIL the reproaCh and the pain of ring upon
II Il body OF cfsHHren outnumbering the revo-
lutionary soldiers who gave us the power to
rear them as we pleased, and TO whom, from
year TO year, not moment of instruction is
afforded BY the State, nor afforded at all.
II the legislature can agree upon the pre-
liminary principle, the Education is State
duty or State trust, which ought to be provi-
ded for by law, ii can have no difficulty i'm
determining upon the point to which its fidu-
ciary labors should be chiefly directed. A
single glance at the statistics of this subject,
will show, that the greatest want which we
suffer is that of common education. and the
greatest sufferers arc, of course, that very mass
OF our people upon whom the State depends
for Its support and defence in every possible
event, and who arc therefore especially enii-
tied TO be spared for so undue share of pub
lie misfortune. In the higher grades OF edu-
cation this want is Tar less seriously felt.
The number OF pupils at the University, Col
legcs, Academies, Classical and Grammar
Schools for this State. being something less
than two per cent. on our whole population.
is greater, nevertheless. than is TO be- found in
any of the States. except those Of New Eng.
land, and is less than il is there, only BY an
inconsidcrable fraction; difference, which is
unqucstionably owing TO the greater facility
and choaPncss with which education can be
had in the midst Of a country and village pop.
ula,ion, - much more crow dcd than our own.