New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-13
ADDRESS
OF THE FREE SCHOOL STATE CONVENTION.
sYmcusE, wednss5ay, July lO-2P.x.

SYRACUSE, Wellesley, July lo-2P.x.
Mr.. GREELEY, Of the City, from the Com
mittee appointed to prepare an Address to
the Electors Of our State, reported the fol-
lowing, which was considered and unsni-
mously adopted:
FELLow.ClTizEss OF NEwYosx
At the instance Of your chosen Ia s.rDakors, you
voted last November on the question OF opeaiag
your Common Schools without charge or distraction
To all the chi dren Of III age reading within your
State; and your majority in favor Of such opening
overwhelming In thas voting, you did nos
imply that the details Of the Free School Act Of 1870
were perfect nor were you understood as 90 dc.
Gliding. You LEFT the Act open 10 amendment by
each successive Legislature, whenever amend
ment, not inconsistent with its vital principle,
should be deemed advisable. Your last Legisa.
ture, In full view OF these facts instead OF correct
ing any errors which in the frat reduction of great
principle to practice are well nigh unavoidable g, de-
cided to resubmit the Law, with all it's alleged imper.
fections on its head, for your approval rejection
this Fall In other words the Legislature, while Il
lefi,its own work undope required you 10 do yours
second time. And now the enemis Of Free Schools
seek to profit by this neglect, coupled with the I'M
fair manner in which the question is resubmitted.
and 10 secure your saffages in opposition 70 the
Free principle by harping on and magnify log tas
defects and inequalities 10 the details Of the law.
They would have you believe that Ia voting with
Us you vote against any Amendment Of the present
law.
Against this statement we most emphaticsliy
protest The issue ought to have been fairly and
truly presented by the act OF last session, For Free
Schools or Against them; for that and that only
is the question TO be decided. A vote on our sido
simply shirms the principle that our Com non
Schools shall be free; vote agains. az B Ia effect
q vote for return to rats-bIls and trustee az
4..ka- -
oDerations-a vote 10 reestabish distinctons u
casse in our Common Schools, and subject portion
OF our children 20 the bitter Humiliation OF being
poipted out as district paGpers To revive this dis
tipction 10 to Danish thousands Of children from the
Schools altogether and doom them 10 lifelong igno-
rance, through the mistaken bat natafal pride a
their parents and kindred. A vote against us in
the approaching election Ia vote TO recede from
the educational platform Of Massachusetts ia the
direction Of Virginia, Italy Turkey. A vote
against the law, as the question Is now most IN
fairly presented, is step toward popular ignorance
baI6sfism and moral night. We are con6dent thai
no such step viii be taken b. New York, in the
yearle50.
Whoever among voc has had patience 10 follox
an opponent Of the Law through his deyioas course
OF reasoning, wei knows that hs citadel u the as
sumption that u Is wrong TO far one man TO edz-
eafe anotkTs ckpdyen, nnless ], be the children OF
absolute paupers This assumption, II conceded, ID
fatal not 70 Free Schools merely, bat 10 any Com
mon Schools whatever. II elementary education
be properly and only parental dnsy, then the
State should leave it wholly 70 the voluntary and
urcbserved efforts and conbinzlious 0f parents -
Then the taxation Of dissr:c: - baid school.
house, 10 usurphtiOn ard ex.oErton. Then I'll the
laws which have beer passed making compulsory
provision for Common Schools, Or Intended % IN.
crease their efficiency, are impairment agrarisn
ard coIhscating. Yet few OF Jar opponents VII
venture 10 take this any oshGr ground Of radical
hostility to the Free School principle The differ.
epce between their position and oars Il mainly one
Of 6eTee. We abide consistently by the priaci-
pies on which only can sDy public provision for ed.
ucstion be justified; they stop half way. and 10 20
doing, condemn their own courrc IN coming % far
To the ASSERTION that il 10 wrong to tax A to pso-
vide irstuttiOn fr Tie children B, we rcply TIM.
We would tan bosh A and II. f5r school csrpose.,
each 10 proportion % bis ability % a. parents bas