Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-02-20
THE VIRGINIA ARMoRY SCHOOL.


The bill! tor the establishment OF this School
|. now before the Legislature under more iaVora-
Bile circumstances than al any time heretofore,
and we cannot but believe that under the imrne-
date patronage of The intelligent committee re
porting il, it will receive the favor oil both houses
and thus become law OF the land
The plan is no experiment" as IS 100 oneh
said for it is essentially the same as that now III
tull and mos, successful operation al Lexington.
Nor will it Interfere with the laltsr in The
smallest degree, in as much as the Superinseh-
dent of this las, named institution, stated snort
t;me since before The Military committee oil me
House of Delegates, thai when he lett Lexington,
there we're more applicants for admission man
could be appointed Iext July. This was meh-
should ne erected Tor the uenianus or tie Staa.
Ia ruth, such is The popularity Of .his KING oi
education, that no one establishment can meet
The wants OF our people any more than one Col
lege can meet The demands Of our youth through.
out the Stale.
Tie features of this bill, which we have eSa
mined with some care and much satisfaction,
are, first lc take from the present annual appro-
priation for The support of the Public Guard
a sum sufficient to enable the superintendent OF
the Peniteutiary to hire a citizen watch Tor his
establishment, as is done in every other State ~
this Union. This will entirely dsconnect the
school from the Penitentiary, and thus remove
all objections on the part Of parents to tins
school, in consequence Of supposed immoral
tendencies arising from their sons having 10
follow convcts about their labor; so that The
only remaining duties will be TO guard the
public arms at the Arnory, and protect the Ca
pitol to which no one can have objection.
Second, with the balance Of this annual ap-
preparation, CATER the above deduction,) supply
the means TO support for TIE first year one
estate Cad,r rrorn each Senatorial District
the second wear, and ever thereafter, two cadets
from each .rstorial District these TO be poor
lads, selected By the School Commissioners OF
the several counties. The next description o
cadets to be 'pay cadets, supported BY their pa
ren,s. The duties, dress, fare, &C., Of both
classes, 10 be exactly the same.
The estate Cadet" is to agree to keep school
two years after graduating, somewhere within
tho limits of the State. Thus will our own
sons 1--WE speak with the editorial impersonaliiy)
be taught BY our own teachers.
The Armory buildings, with some interior ar
rangement Of rooms suited to the purpose, can
accommodate one hundred and fifty cadets; so
that at the tap of the drum there will oe under
arms one hunired aad fifty young men, well
drilled. between the ages Of sixteen and twenty
one years. instead Of some sixty enlisted sol
ders of the Public Guard; and no one q, all co.,
versant with history, ancient and modern, can
doubt that the former will afford more ample
protec ion to the arms at tie Armory, than can
the smaller number Of the latter.
To tsis scheme, we hope there viii &C no &C.
action, and as The bill is drawn ~ hose who
have looked 10 all its bearings as whole, we
srus, no amendment will be enaratted 10 inJure
It's tsir proportions No more money is reqor
ed than is now eXpended 10 pfolec The pubic
property, and this protection will be more exien.
sive; 10 which add tn sc,, tina. some sixty poor
lad. will be annually receiving an education,
where now they thirst in vain for ii, and who can
object With clustering reasons for the adop-
ton OF this measure, and Dol one sound objection
10 ii, VIC earnestly and warmly appeal 10 The Lee
gislature, 10 pass the bill a, once, and immortal
ize themselves BY striking 50 noble blow in
the cause OF common education. We would do
nothing to affect the prosperity Of the Lexington
Military Institute In whose utility and IS,
as reported in The letters of Col. Smith and Gen.
Richardson, we sincerely rejoicc-bul we you'd,
by thi. measure, extend the field of usefulness,
without adding cent 10 The expenses otthc State
or 10 the slightest desre interfering win The el-