Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-01-30

VOAOM ML ll.---NOs 70.
Government cannot do more to enrich a people
than by removing obstacles to their industry,
and aftording them facilities in getting their pro-
duce to market. Too much importance cannot,
therefore, be attached to any plan which could
extend and perfect system Of internal commu-
nication throughout the State. In this manner
every branch Of industry is released from the
heavy burdens of transit cost, and the argu-
ment for tariff to protect what is called home
industry from foreign competition weakened,
and in the end annihilated. ..D'-
With the operation of the free schools in this
State much discomfort prevails; and yet in that
discomfort see promise hall fulfilled, that the
system will stand its ground against all assail-
ants, be improved, and gradually become more
practical and popular. Let it be remembered
that it is the fate of all valuable human institu-
tlons to advance to perfection through error,
mistake, and protraeted conflict. If, then, the
first efforts to develop the free school system,
imperfect as tits, and opposed all the while by
powerful interests and prejudices, have not real
lied public expectation, still enough has been
accomplished to encourage the Legislature to
act with vigor in bringing about such modifica-
tons and charges of the law, as have been sane
toned by experience and observation. The sys-
tenn has been practically in operation but a short
time, and yet the State has been laid out into
SIX hundred and ninety two districts, in which
six hundred and eighteen schools have been put
in operation, and where twenty-five thousand
children, have been educated. This result, un-
der all circumstances, is more encouraging than
could have been reasonably anticipated. But
the resources of the present school fund are
inadequate to educate much more than one-half
the number of children who are entitled to
claim the benefit of it, and if the constitutions is
obeyed, which commands the Legislature to
establish free public schools throughout the
State; and if it is just to spend money for the
purpose Of producing the greatest good to the
greatest number, then say the Legislature has
no alternative, however repulsive, but to in
crease the means Of education. @v@i ''saa-s
- One Of the decided tendencies of this age,
as acknowledged by several despotic govern
ments, is that which asserts and enforces the
principle Of taxing equally the property Of all,
to give the primary elements Of knowledge
to the children Of all This principle forms
part Of the constitution Of the State, and
must govern until stricken out by the people,
sentatives to tax and appropriate, to preserve
noble function and imperative duty of giving
the elements Of education to those whose hard
lot exposes them TO the unhappy consequences
of merely animal existence, can be misdnect-f
ed. The principle on which it depends, when
once established, never retrogrades. In all. how
ever, that relates to this absorbing question, I
refer you, with great satisfaction, to the lumi-
nous and elaborte report of the State Superin-
tendent Of Public Education, who has vigorous
ly grappled with it's numerous difficulties. Ow-
ing to the failure Of the Safe Legislature to
agree upon an eligible site for Seminary of
learning, a law was pissed on the 20th Decem-
Der, l848, under which Iappointed p. w. Ro-
bert, w. Aikenhead, and Col. Claiborne, as
Commissioners, diligently to enquire into the
subject, and to report the result of their labors
to this Legislature in the first week Of its ses-
sion. gt,,t .t'.t
It is Of great moment that this troublesome
question shonld be disposed Of at this session;
but fear an unyieldiDg spirit Of sectional COM
petition for the site will prevent it. 4 ~ 5.s
The capital of the seminary fund has been
varied but little by the sale Of a few acres Of
seminary land since the 3lst Of Dec, l848: at
that time it was 990, 0,346 and the interest $l8,-
573 80 cents So that with the interest which
has accrned at per cent to the Slst Of Dec,
1s48: at that time it was &90,346 and the in
terest @ls,573 80 cents: So that with the in-
terest which has accrued at six per cent to the,
3lst Of Dec, lS49, the resources Of this fund
may be stated at $50 BAG of capital and $23,-
$50 66 ctr, Of interest OF the seminary lands,
there remain unsold, ten thousand seven hum
dred and sixty-two acres; but these acres are
represented as the refuse Of the selections, and
thereis no prospect Of selling them at the mini
mum mum P,lce q SS e! acle. Inc pIice .nen,