The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-10-27
Educational.
From Ae Raymond Gasetie,
Of D. D. Williams.


ETMMHNHEHH kUG FWAKtUfNh
q = world, inviting al to come and paFtake
q our rich inheritance f liberty, where I'LL
power and protection Ii not III i military MI
nonal guard, but in an educated public senti-
meat, We have no gilded throne lining one
head over all. We have 10 armed tEEadeIS n
fortresses, bit we have over Rfty tkotsahd
eomncn schools, each school i sentinel or iib-
ertyi q light hOuses6f trssddm. wa Have not
a society with its lhonsand abuses 10 reform.
with is half Ted, untaught millions crying fol
food and guidance at the point Of the sword.
No; but we have q prospectus free people win
over four millions Of ShidFen u w educated.
There has always been in the world,two EN-
piress one Of force and one Of ~reason; for, lie
history Of The world and every one's experi-
encehas shewn that men can only be governed
p one Of these ways; consequently I must
either have soldiers or school masters, books.
or muskets, camps and campaigns, or school
houses and churches, the ballot box or the
cartrige box. Mr.. J, Oryille Taylor says that
he has a table Obtained by travelling in sixteen
States; and from q close investigation for
eleven years pteviots to The time Of making
his table; be has demonstrated that, Of those
taught to read in this country, 10 out Of every
20 receive their instruction in the common
school. This important information shews, as
Il the common school so Is the education Of
.fhh vatiNr, TL,o nAnAnts1n &c ,LaaA 49,
people, taken as a whole, is just such as the
common schools are prepared to give. How
many within the circle of the acquaintance Of
the citizens here assembled have received any
other education than from the common school?
If these schools had been Betief, d better edu-
cation would h We been obtained. Although
all have beei improved BY eduEation; every
one Of reflection is conscious when he beeins
10 reason and compare the many defects in his
mental powers; and the many inconveHient
and embarrassing habits WHICH might have
been prevented or remedied by a better early
education. The Common Schools, whatever
may be their condition, educate the nation;
they educate farmers aud mechanics; the leg
%islatOrs andsWothetsi they arb the peoples col
leges; lamps Of freedoms liz up ell over this
land. Defective as they are, they sustain the
nations liberty, Which will rise or fall with
the common schools. Liberty, under law; can
not exist without the school master. Whoever
builds d good school; erects the proudest mon
ument to liberty and ireedom. Strike from
existence these intellectual fountains, and
rapid would be our steps back 10 the savage
state. To neglect these schools is worse than
to destroy them; bad information is worse than
none at all; hunger is better. than poisoned
food. The worst people on the whole earth
to govern is a half and badly educated people,
with learning just enough to know what the
d%emagogue says, but the mind not trained TO
reason to know what he means, or what he
says is true or mott
Why are there so many children in our State
without the means Of education? and why are
Our schools SO low in character The great
cause lies ia the views and action Of our veal
thy citizens. These, except lew more noble
minded and patriotic, send their children to
private schools and academies, and many send
at great expense to other States, where the
fell spirit Of abolitionism is daily poured with
lava tide; our institutions, our country and
our people abused from the pulpit, the hastings
and the newspaper press. BY such means our
common schools are left iii the hands Of the
uneducated; or with those whose business is
so pressing and whose means are 90 limited
thdt no time nor attention can be- devoted TO
the school. The common school thus becomes
allow, disreputable school, deserted by all who
are ~ealthy and feel an interest in their
children's education, and patrOnized only by
those VINO look upon the school as a good
prison to keep their childten out of the way
till they are able to work. The mtoneysd dris-
tocrat certainly not the mental aristOcrat)
says, 81 cannot send my children to school TO
sit on benches beside the dirty and anwashed
Ohildren9 TO all such | would say, that they
had better go and wash the children while
they are young and easily handled, for they
may grow up and soil your finely clad chill
dren much more hereafter; for by such I'M
washed children, (and the wealthy will have
to partake with them,) will vulgar obscene
speeches be- made; for them will fostering
newspapers and books be printed, and for
them will dishonest ignorant rulers DO elected.
fEFHF EE &NM| EN Az .aAEA MIR III VI LML
or all these heavy curses will the wealthy
children, however separate and select they may
have been kept at s%cnool, be equal partakers
whonthey grow ,np.r Had We not better sweet
en- the fountain asIts source, than to let the
bitter waters swell and increase, until they
overflow and enter our dwellings. Nothing
will SO eifectually arrest the practice Of the
wealthy sending large sums Of money every
year from tho State for educational objects, az
the levying Of d sufficient tax L make our
own schools such as all would BE- willing to-
lEM - 80 AtM. Ev ~