The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-11-24

enlightened by knowledge and controlled bv
Vlrtuous principles, there is not between their
apPelItes and all you hold dear upon earth. SO
much as the defence Of a spiders web. With
a sense of the inviolability of property
your deeds are but waste paper. A gu,llv
few can destroy the peace Of the yirtuous
many; one incendiary can burn faster than
a thousand workmen can build; and this Is as
true OF social rights as Of material edifces,
Inc parent who wishes to bring 10 his own
children well, but refuses to do all in his now.
TO perfect the common educational %institu-
tons around him, should 60 with his family
into voluntary exile; he should az to some
Juan Fernandez, where no contagion of others
wees can invade his solitude, nor defeat his
care The youth Of Mississippi must be either
educated for stations of usefulness and res
possibility in society, church or state. or. bv
wllIful and determined neglect, they must be
supported as Paupers OF the alms-house or as
condemned convicts. Wiser far, even in a
Pecuniary point of view, to provide for
the education Of the youth, than for the crime
of adults. This is the lowest standard that
can be instituted in comparison with moral
training The annual cost of educating an
individual at the public schools of Boston is
from So to $50. The annual cost of an i'm
dlvidual at the House of Reformation, the
cheapest of all such institutions is ga; and,
In the House of Correction, probably not less
than 500, exclusive of the administration Of
criminal law.
For more than forty years the wealthy citi-
gems Of New York city have desired to be
heavily taxed for the support of a public
system. Some years since they asked and OBJ
tanned an act from the Legislature to tax
themselves four iOld for the maintainance of
schools, where the tuition, books, apparatus,
and all incidenta! expenses should be free 10
all the pupils. The sagacious men Of that.
city had the foresigh, to perceive that, as a
mere matter of internal policy, it is the cheap.
eat and safest the city can adopt. We trust,
here the time is not far distant, when the doc
tTlne, that the State is interested and bound to
furnish to all a common school education, will
be properly appreciated and meet with cores
ponding action, and that the wealth of socie-
ty should make the necessary provisions lorit.
As a State, Mississippi has made no provision
for education, the vital principle, yea, the cor
ner stones Of her moral state edifce. Too
long has she slumbered and slept, while tho
arch-enemy has sOwn broadcast its tares. In
the tits and tournaments of politics and po-
litical strife, this unObtrusive element, court.
ing attention, has been lost amid the din of
vociferous ~demagOgues, Let the time past
suffice for the Dark ges pitts existence, and
now let the dawn appear, harbinger of a glo-
rious era, in our State history, We cannot
persuade ourselves to believe that she will
suffer herself to be SO far distanced by her sis
ter States more recently admitted into the I'm
ion' In very many of the distinctive features
OF her constitution, she even now has not
reached the standard of Iowa or FlOnda-tho
one enjoying state experience Of more years
than the other of months.
From a cursory review Of the annals of our
elders, we NAV learn much. In every phase
through which history represents them to have
passed, provisions for universal education
stands out a prominent feature in all. Long
before the last Pilgrim OF 1920 was called from
earth TO resume converse with his peers in
heaven, he had seen the germ Of popular edu-
cation planted, and Witnessed the vigorous
growth of that which is now the browning ex-
c%ellence of republican institutions. Where
once was kindled the council FIRE, there, in
1896, arose the temple dedicated to the culti-
vation of the mind opening wide its doors
inviting all, forbidding none, to enter, and
freely, without money and without price,
enjoy its blessing, The example Of this
anomaly in the history Of the world, in Mas
sachuselts was projected and carried, was fol-
lowed speedily by neighbOriug States, which
also made more or less ample provisions, ac-
cording to the circumstances or the fancied
demands of each. The aggregate results Of
GA years experience, presents an aeeumula-
ton Of testimony in favor of the practlcabili-
ty Of a common school system which the most
credulous cannot guinsay nor resist. Common
Schools are not to be degraded and christened
by the abstract appellation, experiment. A
noble and more honorable title is affixed &c
them; theyare existing, demonstrated realities
the Peoples Colleges.' The system of Pri
vate tuition has long been praOIicedi this grad'
is too aristOcratiC to harmonize with our FREE
institutions, having with them no affinity, ant
has therefore signally failed In eleVating tn
masses.
Next in tho scale are Public Schools
These, whether dependent upon individual Q
public local munidcence, have, il is true dis
penced with liberal hand the blessings Of edu
cation to those who could avail themselve
of their opportunities. This system, even il