The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-04-29
pubiic Education,


shirt on the subject of education, than LOUISIANA.
For wears before the adoption of the new constitu
ton. the Legislature had annually iavlshed thou-
sands on pausible but generally abortive attempts
to estahlish semnares and colleges for the nstfuc
ton of our youth, and some progress hau peoii
made even in the establishment of those great COLI
servatores of republicanism and good government
common schools. But the convention which
framed the new constitution seemed, ana Jus'iy' 10
think that the education of the people was one Vi
the first duties of the political power anu sepa
rate title of the constitution was devoted TO The sub
iect of education, and particularly to that KIND OF
education which would most equalze the condl-
tion of all cIasses-the education of the primary
school # was made the duty of the Legislature
to afford the children of every citizen to the
school house, and to bring the elements Of know
ledge to every mans door. The Legislature
directed to provide for the administration of the
school lands of the proceeds of their sale-to de-
vote to purposes of education other lands of the
State not given or set apart for particular purpose,
and to raise by taxation sufficient funds to carry the
common school system into full and successful ope-
ration. The first legislature which met after the
adoption of the constitution, passed general edu-
cation law-defectve it may be in some of its
parts-but a very good law TO begin with, and one
CAPABLE of improvement, as experience should point
out its faults or suggest amendments. They also
provided fund for the support of the schools, from
the sale of the school and seminary lands, the inn
position of a pol-tax of one dollar each free
white male over the age Of twenty-one, and a fur
Their tax of one mill on every dollars value of pro-
perty in the State. The system was to commence
its practical operation during the present year.
Things Went on swimmingly, and we We're dis
posed to boast in advance of our school system.
The poll-ax and property-tax would produce over
a quarter of million year for educational pur-
poses the proceeds of the land sales invested at
six per cent. would be perpetual addition to this
sum; the superintendent had been interchangeable In
organizing the school districts in the parishes; and
in November next the great undertaking SO beautl-
full in theory, to assume the character OF tan
gibe, g fixed fact" In the meantime, however,
some of the parishes wishing to avail themselves OF
the benefits of the system in the shortest possible
time, desired to put their schools into Immediate
operation and wrote to the superintendent to know
whether, if they did SO, they would be permitted
to draw any money before the time fixed by law for
the apportionment of the funds among the several
parishes in November The superintendent con-
suited with the auditor. Together they looked
over the laws, and they found that not one dollar
liau DeeH loi
support OF common schools!
1t seems that bill appropriating two hundred
and eighty thousand dollars year, for the years
1S4S-'49 had passed the House of Representatives
and been sent to the Senate, and there had been
suffered quietly to expire. The members of that
august body were too busily engaged in log -rolng
through their own little personal schemes-too anx
ious to find some way of evadng the constitution
Io,, nbor IN nhta in,
from the State for the advantage of worthless cor
porations--and too deeply interested in perfeeting
the notable scheme by which the State should
sumo one-third of the losses of the stockholders of
the Consolidated Bank, to think of the education
of the people. They accomplished most of their
objects, so far as their action was concerned,
though fortunately no farther, but left the school
appropriation bill with number of others of great
importance utterly untouched
4 What is the consequence The people during
the present and coming year will be heavily taxed
for purposes of education, and will not reap the
slightest benefit from what they may pay. The
taxgatherer will withdraw the money from their
pockets, only to deposit it in the Treasury where
it will lie idle and useless until another session of the
legislature for without special appropriations mol
dime of it can be used Ifthis be permitted for two
, of public education planned with much fore
thought, erected with so much care, and from which
such numberless blessings were hoped for in the
future, may fall to the ground and become worth
less ruin ere it was completed. The difficulties of
establishing general school system, alike advan-
ageous all, among the scattered population of our
State, has caused many to look upon the success of
the whole project as problematical; but when to
| ha added
necessarily arise from the objectionable blunder
} which we have mentioned, fears may be justly en-
tertained that the scheme will result in partial,
perhaps, total failure.
We do not know of any greater evil which could
befal State, under ordinary circumstances, than
to have its Legislature in session. but the present
state of affairs is unfortunate, peculiar, and
likely to be followed by consequences so much to
be deplored that we think the Governor would be
justified in calling the Legislature together to pass
the requisite appropriation bill. We know there Is
danger when the assembled wisdom meets, that it
will not separate without perpetrating some mis-
chief; but it might be called together in June-the
fear of the yellow fever would prevent the MEM
bers from sitting long, and in half an hour they
might do all that is necessary. We know the Gov
ernor is warm friend of education, and trust that
he will take the matter into serious consideration.
MEETING OF SYMPATHY.-From the st. Mar
tinsve Creole of the 18th inst, learn that there
was large meeting ofthe citizens of that town on
the 9th inst for the purpose of expressing their
sympathy with the recent revolution in France.
Numerous resolutions adopted and among
others, providing for a subscription list to be
paid at 50 ticket, the proceeds to be applied to a
grand banquet to be held the 29th inst.
| ERROR O. THE MooN-oR AS BAD.-The New
York papers lately contained Geographic dispatches
announcing the startling intelligence . that Gen.
Scott had been g mpeached.' No body thought
of inquiring how such thing could be, mhat it
was. The next morning the mail papers put it right