New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-14

were directed 20 be made upon tue same Jus
with the apportionment OF the tax, there can be
no doubt in the judgment Of the Superintendent
that State tax for the support OF our Common
Schools will prove the simplest, most efficient ana
beneficial mode Of providing for the OBJECT N
view the establishment aud maintenance oil a
system Of free school education, In accordance
with expressed wishes Of the inhabitants oil the
State.
II however. this were found impracticabe, the
same result NAV be obtained by requiring the
Board of Supervisors of each County OF the state
10 raise twlce the amount apPoruoned 70 tue
County, as 2 County tax, and levy an e4GAl
amount as q Town tax, in the mode prescribed oy
the existing law, which requires only an eq'"s
amount to be levied as a County aud Town tax
respectively This provision would simply IN
crease the amount Of School money now by Ia"
Re ouired 10 be raised one third, while It would
entirely dispense with District taxation Tor the
current support Of the Schools. inequalities IN
the standard Of value adopted by different Coun'
ties would in this case prove unjust and burden
some 70 none. as the existing law has made COM
pIete provision for the adjustment OF such me
qualities in the case of joint Districts formed irom
parts of two or more Counties or Towns. The
whole amount Of taxable property OF each county
would contribute in equal and fair proportions 20
the support of the Schools located within its terri
tory and the angry dssensiOns growing out oil the
necessity of District taxation, the fruitful source
Of nearly all the opposition which has been made
10 the existing law, would be averted
In apportioDng the public money and tue
money raised by County or State tax among the
several School Districts, the Superintendent IS OF
opinion that some more efectual provision than
now exists should be made for the smaller and
weaker Districts upon whom the burdes OF sup,
Dcrting School for any considerable length oil
time during the year is peculiarly oppressive II
q specified amount-say, for instance, s5O-were
required to be appOrtioned to every duly organized
a. ,ffr-rr 90 al
be found in accordance with law, leaving tue
balance TO be apportioned according to the number
of children between the ages OF four and twenty
one wears residing in the District, the necessary
announcement would be afforded TO every DIS
trct however limited its means or however spare
it's population, while ample resources would De
left for the larger and more pOpulOus Districts.
The several Districts being thus furnished with
adequate funds for the maintenance of efficient
Schools during an average period OF eight months
in each year, the Trustees should be peremptOruy
required to expend the moneys thus placed at
their disposal in the employment OF suitably quail
fed teachers for such a length of time as those
means may justify.
Such an advancement would, it is believed prove
almost universally acceptable to the people OF the
State. The principle involved has repeatedlyre-
ceived the sanction Of public sentiment. 1t Is IN
accordance with the enlightened spirit OF the age
1t is the only system compatible with the genius
and spirit Of our republican institutions. 1t Is not
a novelty now for the first time sought 10 be en-
grated upon our legislation but principle recog-
nized and carried into practical operation, IN our
sister State of Massachusetts from the earliest
period of colonial history-identihed with her
greatness and prosperity, her influence and her
wealth, and transplant from her soil to that of
some of the youngest States OF the Union.
In each of our own Cities. and in many OF our
larger villages, IL has been established and sue
cessfully sustained by the general approval Of
their citizens; and wherever it has obtained
foothod it has never been abandoned. 1t IS only
reouisite 10 adjust the details of the system equl-
tably and fairly, to commend it to the appreciation
of every good citizen as the nobest palladium
and most eiectual support of our free institutions
The existing law has excited degree OF oppo.
siton which was not anticipated, out it is believed
that has it grown out of the detects Of the law,
rather than from any prevailing hostility to the
principle of free schools,
No law can be successfully and prosperously
administered under our government, which does
not receive the general approval of the people. 1t
is the earnest desire, therefore, OF the Supernten
dent, that the present law should be so amended
as to produce greater equality-to remove all
reasonable ground Of complaint, and TO render
our great system of education more efficient and
useful.
The idea of universal education is the grandcen-
trial idea Of the age. Upon this broad and compre-
hensive basis all the experience OF the past all tue
crowding phenomena of the present, and all our
hopes and aspirations for the future, must rest
Our forefathers have transmitted to US a noble IN
heritance OF national, intellectual, moral and rell'
gious freedom. They have conhded our destiny
as people 10 our own hands. Upon our lndlvld'
ual and combined intelligence, virtue and patriot
ISM rests the solution ofthe great problem of self
government. w should be untrue to ourselves,
untrue to The memory OF our statesmen and pa
trots untrue 20 the cause OF liberty OF civilization
and humanity, if we neglected the RssidUOus cut
- hxv III olar m
secure the realization Of the hopes we have ex-
cited Those means are the universal education
of cur future citizens, without discrimination or
distinction. Wherever in our midst human being
exists with capacities and facilities to be devel-
oped, improved, cultivated and directed, the ave-
nues OF knowledge should be freely opened and
every facility afforded to their unrestricted en-
trance. Ignorance should no more be countenan-
ced than vice and crime. The one leads almost
inevitably TO the other. Danish ignorance, and in
its stead introduce intelligence, science, knowl'
edge and increasing wisdom and enlightenment
and you remove, In most cases, all those lncen-
tiveB TO ideness, vice and crime, which now pro-
duce such a frightful harvest ofretribution misery
and wretchedness. Educate every child /" to the
top of his faculties" and you not only secure the
community against the depradations of the igno-
rant, and the criminal, bat you bestOw upon it, in
stead, productive artizans, good citizens, upright
jurors and magistrates, enlightened statesmen
scientific discoveries and inventors, and the dis
pensers of pervading influence in favor Of homes
ty, virtue and true goodness Educate every
child physically, morally and intellectually from
the age of four TO twenty.one, and many Of your
prisons, penitentiaries and aims houses will be
converted into schools Of industry and temples Of
science; and the immense amount now contrbu-
ted for their maintenance and support will be d.
verted into far more profitable channels. Educate
every child-no; superfcially-not partially-but
thoroughy-develop equally and beautifully
every faculty Of bis nature-eyery capability Of
his being-And you infuse a new aud invigoratng
element into the very life blood OF civilization-an
element which will diffuse itself throughout every
vain and artery of the social and political system,
purifying, strengthening and regenerating all its
impulses elevating its aspirations, and clothing it