Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-14

system of schools. Perhaps it is SO. II
we cannot, on this account, employ teach
ers for year, we could perhaps employ
them for half or quarter OF year. II
we cannot do every thing, surely 1t - not
a valid reason why we should do nothing.
Among other matters connected with
this subject, invite the special attention
of the Legislature TO the reports OF the
Presidents of the boards OF police IN the
several counties, on the subject OF the
school lands. These reports were elicit
ed bv circular which | addressed them.
and which is herewith transmitted twill
be seen shat all have not responded, but
enough has been collected 10 show the
manner in which the school lands have
been treated, aud TO make ], apparent that
a radical change is demanded.
After devoting rs much time as | could
spare to the subject of schools, consisteut
with other official duties, | feel prepared
in a spirit of the utmost confidence as TO
its success, TO make the following recon-
aendations. The Stlte ought To assme
the $4,000 90 lost in the Planters bank.
and place it at once on the same footing
with the SlO3,287 90 now in the Treasu-
ry. The fund would then amount m
round numbers to two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. Two hundred tn luslnd
dollars of this should be retained IS a per-
uauent fund, and the residue Appropriated
to the erection of college bindings ut Ok
fYrd nc heretofore SlirupSted
The permanent fund should be kept in
The Treasury, and an annual interest Of
eight per cent paid on it. This interest
10000 dolIars) should be set apart in
the Treasury at the beginning Of every
year, and kept sacred and inviolable for
the purposes hereafter named and here
let me remark that the yexation and eN-
pense which has attended a first collection
of this fund, and the heavy and ruinuuS
losses which ii has sustained in the hands
from which it mas been slowly wrung.
should admonish the Legislature to take
charge Of il and keep it secure in future.
OF the sixteen thousand dollars interest, |
recommend that eight thousand dolIars be
appropriated to the annual purposes Of the
College. There should be then establis-
ed ten academies or high schools at as ma
ny different points in the State, TO be de-
signaled by the Legislature, having refer
ence to geographical divisions. To each
of these there should be an annual pay
Ement of eight hundred dollars ont OF the
remaining eight thousand. Nothing Is
clearer to my mind than that the College
will not succeed, without the aid a. auxIl-
ary schools. These schools need MT
and indeed should not, be IN the irumedi
ATE vicinity of the College, hut at such
points rs 20 give IL the most efficient aid
and at the same time 10 dlffIse the grea.
est amount of intelligence among the PEG
Pile The languages of the Act Of Con
gress in making The grant of land fcon
which we derive this is, that - it shall be-
vested in the Legislature Of the State IL
trust for The support of "a Seminary q
learning,'" has been thought 10 limit the
Legislature 10 the establishment of one
! school, and 10 negative the idea that tina
school could have auxiliary departments
| Il has seemed so palpable that the Trus
tees could so act as to carry out the grea
object of the trust which was the diffusion
of knowledge, that | have not fallen into
what is to my mind a cons trained Idea OF the
| law of Congress. II does not necessarily
follow, that because the Act Of COGgTeS,
said ga Seminary" that it meant theirs
should be one school under one roof. OF
that the Seminary and all its auxiliary
departments should be in the same cnclo-
sure, or even in the same city or town.
The spirit of the Act of Congress is car
red out by the establishment of one Semi
1.nary. University OF College, with such aux
4 ilary departments as are necessary to lis
dsuccess These should he UNDER THE
I SAME GENERAL SUPERVISION AND CONTROL,
and be located at such points as to be uI
The greatest advantage 10 the main Col
lege, and to The cause of education.
/ There must yet be another, and still
more useful class of schools mean
the common schools. The 10Th section
of land in each township, sci apart, by
wise enactment Of Congress for this pur-
pose, have been most shamefully neglec.
ted. The inattention with which these
lands have, MANY instances been treated
makes 1t very apparent to my mind, thu
whatever system of schools we adopt
must be taken under supervisory conrro
of officers who shall be re>pnnsihle TO IN,
State. There must be some general head
and there must he an immediate response
bllity Of that head 10 the State laws. Tn,
, people in mass will never require respon
sibiIity, and they wlll never ACT unitedh
and constantly as one man far ihe com
} mon good; eachone win content mmsel
with acting for himself, and the genera
! good will go unattended to. OF the lei
OF twelve hundred sections of school land
} heretofore, and now under the. control I