Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-05-08
Burlington, Mdy 3 1916.
{ communications.

Mr. EDITOR: l. has been estimated iha, nine
teen. i~cn rtl,s Of the entire population Of the
United States receive their education at the
coirInri sch ol- ; or At such institutions as sup.
ply their place, where our New England system
docs not exist. In Vermont, ] believe, the
common school furnishes the only means Of
education enjoyed by something like five. sixths
of our population. Now sir, This being he case
every rejecting reader will see, at once, the
vas, Importance OF ecvatngour schools to such
a position that the education they furnish shall
be adequate TO the absolute wants OF this great
majority Of our children.
Do men pretend TO say that the common
schools in This town, county, or state, in their
present condition. furnish such an education; -
from such I am compelled to differ Actual ob.
servaiion convnres me 10 the contrary. Do you
look for good readers, writer's, arhmeiicans,
and grammarans in our common schools, few
can be found, even passaJly good, in one or all
these branches. There is general and alarm
ing deficiency. As many of our schools at this
moment are, a good English Educat on is no,
furnished by them. The defect is no, in the
system, for that is good, but in sustaining and
carrying out the system. Mere leg isa,ion on
the subject can never elevate our schnos To their
proper position. Laws must be executed with
promp'ness and fidelity. The evils Of which
we now compla n, grow nu, Of extreme apathy
and, perhaps may saw uninten,ionH glcc' on
the part oi hose cool citizens, whose duv IT ev.
er mast be to guard and encourage with an cv.
or undated vigilance, these nurseries Of uni
versal intelligence and virtue.
Would your readers learn the origin and
! primary design Of oar common school system,
they have bat to revert to our cary history
Our sage and pious ancestors, IN their distant,
but now abandoned homes, had seen rich, over
grown institutions dispensing their blessings to
the fen only, while the many were left in dark
and vicious ignorance. They had seen the po"r
4 degraded, deprived Of the means Of instruction
and, in consequence, shut out from all thnse
bland Influences, which emenaie from free so.
cal Intercourse with the more opuenl and in.
tellgeni, when vr,uous. They deplored such a
state Of things. and resolved that on the soil OF
their adopted country it should no, exist. This
led to the establishment Of our Free School
system. The proposition that republican form
Of government cannot long exist and prosper
without the universal diffusion Of knowledge,
had already become. with them, an established
axiom. And in nothing is their wisdom more
cons uous than in the very ample provisions
, they made 10 support these free Institutions
To them they looked as to fruitful garden for
all the plants of intelligence and virtue. 1t is
obvious that they regarded The free school sys.
ten, as laying at the very foundation Of our civ.
il and republican institutions.
While we eulos re our honored ancestors
for their wisdom in the cabinet and bravery il
the field, are We rot. IN this golden age" much
. in Danger of overlooking their sage and pou,
! forecast which led them To- provide so early an,
y literally for the general diffusion OF hnowlednc
. without which, bravery would prove a curse, ans
Y oar goyetnment would become itself an enrin,
. OF despolism In the rich legacy transmitie,
to u, through the sage, the pious, and the brave
efforts of our ancestors, we owe them much fo
$ our civil institutions, bu, incomparably more fo
!
n Of knowledge, since it is absolutely indispensl
BILE to self go,ernmenr.
To every true phlanhropis, it becomes
/. question Of permanent interest, How can W,
8 best guard and improve the free institution
!, committed to our custody! How, with mos, Ger
! tanty, transmit to posterity, unimpaired, The ric
q legacy which has come down to us. Is il no
J. true. that every measure We as individuals O
{ communities adopt. tending to degrade the pub
$ lie schools, is blow aimdd to remove the cor
y ner stone that supports the consecra,ed tempt
g Of Freedom! Ifyou, by neglect Indifference
4 pride or parsimony, contribute your influence /
bring our public schools into dIsrepute, are 20
y not warning against that equality for which on