The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-19


had the high satisfaction Of witnessing eminently
favorable results from the abors peror med by him
self and the teachers under your fostering care and
liberal sustenance.
1t has been the constant practice Of that officer,
during the nine years he has been with us, to
spend all the school hours in the rooms of the
several teachers, he deemed his services might
be most useful; sometimes suggesting improve
ments in discipline and instruction. and showing,
by example, what modes he approved, and some-
times examining classes in their respective lessons,
that he might, with the greater certainty, note
their progress in learning. The principal service
rendered by him, has been in aiding the nexpe-
rienced teacher; for there is no calling which
more constantly needs the results of experience,
than that of the teacher.
For several years he has kept daily journal,
which has been presented to the Board Of Directors
monthly with his usual report though the reading
Of it has seldom been called for. By turning to
that record, it can be seen how every hour of his
time has been employed and how faithful, diligent,
and persevering, even highly qualified person
must be, to win the eminent success he has
achieved in conjunction with the public school en-
terprise of this Municipality.
Too much praise cannot well be accorded our
liberal and enlightened citizens, to the wise and
benefcent policy of the Municipal Council, and to
the untring and philanthropc exertions of former
Boards of Directors, exempliied in their exer-
tlons to found and foster these schools but to Mr.
instrument, lasting debt of gratitude is due by
parents, children, law-gvers and citizens in this
Municipality, and indeed throughout vastly more
extended and indefinite scope of our country.
There is one obstacle to the benefits conferred
by our schools, which ought to be removed. We
allude to the unnecessary absence of pupils from
their regular school exercises. Parents ought not
to permit this. In allowing their children to be
absent they are throwing away portion of the
fund which the State and Municipality have pro-
vided for their chdren's benefit, and are, SO far,
unjust to their offspring But whatever right they
may thus unnaturally claim to neglect and injure
their own children they certainly have no right to
place obstacles in the way of those of other people
for every one at all oonversant with the economy
OF school, knows that the absence of a part Of
class is miserable drag upon the efforts and pro-
gress OF those who are punctual. We earnestly
hope this matter will come to be better understood
by both parents and children, and being better
understood that shall witness fairer exhibition
OF that regard for others rights which we'll or
dered society demands
Within a few weeks past, two new school.
houses have been completed, and are now occu-
pied. They are spacious and convenient ediices,
erected in good taste and confer much credit ON
the Municipality. You have already given to them
the names of Jackson and Jefferson. At least two
more houses OF the same dimensions are at this
time desirable, more than six hundred pupils are
now accommodated in seven rented houses: aud
should the numbers continue to increase in the
same ratio as they did until the past year. and as
they have done for the past month, the erection of
one house year, as heretofore, would scarcely be
sufficient.
Great as is the expenditure on these seuiinaries
we do not see how it can be essentially diminished
1t will rather increase with the increase of the city
The salaries of teachers constitute the principal
item OF expense In our present scheme of popular
education though none Of them are perhaps too
high. AS will be seen in the sequel, they amount
at their present rates, to SIXTY thousand eight hun
dred and eighty dollars per annum.
The outiays for books and stationery are also
heavy. Since the beginning of the present year
four thousand dollars of bills on this account have
been audited and paid.
Other expenses, for repairs furniture, rents fuel,
porters, ETC., make up, as is known to the honora-
BILE Council, gross sum of no mean amount, and
must increase as the enterprise in which we are
embarked continues to develop its proportions
But what more needful cause for expenditure than
the education of your children-than the providing
fJr the Il of Intellectual and moral treasures treas
ures of more value than all the money of the uni
verse without them The same number of child.
rem are, moreover, instructed at much less expense
than they could be in private seminaries, to say
nothing of the advantage of their being subjected
to constant and watchful supervision, by persons
elected for that purpose, without reference to DO.
litlcal or religious distinctions. Such institutions
are truly republican, and the proper schools for
rearing American citizens; these schools, like
the institutions OF government under which we
live, recognize no privileged class, and interfere
with no ones religious political opinions. Sem
naries of learning supported by the whole people,
must, of right, be for the benefit of the whole peo-
pie, and no distinction can be rightfully made be-
tween different classes or sects preference given
to one over another. They could no longer be en-.
titled TO the name of public Schools were the inter-
esis OF one portion of the community regarded more
than those of some other.
[ n he 1feHh he,3, t1 tbo
iHence of republic, that all children have the
means of a liberal instruction. Otherwise, they
cannot grow up to be men and women, capable of
performing the duties and enjoying the privileges
of Americans.
A little consideration will convince any capable
mind, that no system of instruction can effect this
object except system of public Schools supported
by public funds, overseen and directed by men ap-
pointed by the public, and free to all who choose to
enter them.
If schools supported only by the bounty of
the rich, that bounty will not extend to all who
condescend to be the recipients of charity. The
education which we need, is one that shall give to
to our whole population one homogeneous charac-
ter, teaching them to fear and reverence God, to
study and to do his wise and holy will, to respect
the laws OF true morality and the laws of the land
and to perform under deep sense of responsibility
to God and to their country all the duties of men
and citizens. This is the kind of education which
patriots and statesmen must extend over our broad
land, from ocean to ocean-the very kind which no
system Of instruction dfuse to all, but the in
stitution of public schools. Without this educa-
ton, our country will cease to be the home of lib
erty and the light of the world. With the dark
masses OF Ignorance pouring in from all quarters
upon us, we must nation, arouse ourselves to
this great work of mental and moral illumination,
or be ourselves overwhelmed in the accumulated
gloom As the citizens Of this Municipality would
cherish all that can elevate humanity and make a
prosperous and happy, SO let them
not fail to sustain their public schools with liberal
ity; with that liberality which has hitherto
marked their benefcent course
The numbers in the several schools on the Goth
day of May were as follows:
Boys. Girls.
High School Tor Boys 81 High School for Girls
Marshall School Franklin School
Washington School l62l Washington School