The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-09
"WORTH CONSIDERING.l

In the Era Of the 4th inst find an articl
entitled, Worth Considering" in which tn
following sentence occurs, TO wit: &" If we el
cept Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan
States which, though advancing, are still be
hind the other free States in general intell
gence and civilization we do not believe Their
is a single free State in which these provision
Of the Indiana Constitution, if submitted TO
popular vote, would be adopted" Now, Nh
Editor, we who have the honor or misfortune
as the case may be, to be citizens of Michigan
have, up to this time, been happily ignorant o
the fact that we are behind our sister States il
general intelligence and civilization In oul
simplicity we had supposed that we were al
least equal to the free States generally in these
respects; and that our citizens, who are mostly
from New York and New England had lost
nothing in intelligence and civilization" mol
in honesty, integrity, and energy of character
by their removal to the western wilderness
There are but few States in the Union-nont
among the new States of the West-wherC
more attention is paid to the education of thu
young than in Michigan The interest felt il
our common schools is not confined to the olde
portions Of the State; it is equally as strong il
the humble lOg-cabins recently erected in Oul
forests as in the more costly and comfortable
dwellings Of those who were the pioneers in the
settlement of older parts of the State Our
citizens being nearly all from New England
and New York, have brought with them the
same love Of learning, the same earnest desires
for the education of their children, which ami
mate the citizens of those States Hence al
most the first thing after their settlement among
us is to see that the means of education are
provided for their children - that they may
lose nothing in intelligence and civilization y
by their removal to the West
here give an extract from Mayhew's re-
port on the schools of Michigan for the year
lS47, which will show that our citizens are not
quite as far behind those of the other free States
as the Era seems to suppose:
" According to the census of 1840 the total
population of the United States was in round
numbers 100000. OF this number, $50, 900
were whites over twenty years of age who
could not read and write. This gives one white
person over the age Of twenty to every thirty
one of the entire population of the United
States that is unable TO read and write The
proportion varies in different States from one
in five hundred and eighty-nine in Connecticut
TO one in eleven in North Carolina
off we exclude all colored persons and all
whites under twenty years of age the proper
ton will stand thus In the United States, one
to every twelve is unable to read and write.
The proportion varies from one in two hundred
and ninety-four in Connecticut. which stands
the highest to one in three in North Carolina,
which stands the lowest
in Tennessee, the proportion is one in four
In kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, South Carroll
ma, and Arkansas, each, one in FIVE In Della
Nd A Id Il /
ana, one in seven. In Illinois and Wisconsin.
each, one in eight
"On the brighter end of the scale, next to
Connecticut in which the proportion is one in
two hundred and ninety-four, is New Hamp-
shire, in which the proportion is one in one
hundred and tfty-nine. In Massachusetts it
is one in ninety. In Maine, one in seventy-two
In Vermont one in sxty-three Next in order
comes Michigan, in which the proportion is
one in thirty-nne.
But even this estimate, favorable as it is,
does not allow our own State an opportunity to
appear in her true light 1t is we'll known
that great proportion of the illiterate popula-
ton OF this State is confined to few counties
In two counties there is one white person
over twenty years Of age to every five of the
entire population that is unable to read and
write; in another, one in fourteen in another,
one in Twenty-Five; and in two others. one in
thirty-six.
Again, according to the census referred to.
there are eight entire counties in the State in
which there is not single white inhabitant
over twenty years Of age unable to read and
write In Genesee county, from which
write and also twelve other counties of the
State, there is only one white person over twen-
ty years of age in four thousand six hundred
and five of the entire population who cannot
read and write
This does not look much as though Michigan
is far "behind the other free States in general
Intelligence and civilization But if unfortu-
nately she is behind them, it would appear from
the report above quoted that she has no desire
to remain there
The report tells us that I" in round numbers,
the proportion of the entire population that at
tended school in the States of Maine New
Hampshire, and Vermont is one in three. In
Michigan, Massachusetts Connecticut. and
New York, it is one in four. In Rhode Island
one in five. In Ohio and New Jersey, each
one in six. In Pennsylvania, one in eight. In
no other State is the proportion more than on,
in ten while in ten States it il less than ON,
in twenty-five
This certainly shows well for the future an,
we who are citizens Of Michigan indulge il
the hope that our State will never be place,
lower comparatively, in the list Of States, a
regards civilization and general intelligence,
than she is at present
Again, the Tribune in an article in reply /,
which the words that have quoted from tn,
Era were written, takes it for granted tina
provisions similar to those engrafted in the In
diana Constitution, if submitted 10 drec
and naked popular vote, would prevail in near
ly every free State in the Unionp The Err
thinks such q vote would prevail only in " Iowa
Illinois Indiana, and Michigan" Now, wha
reasons can be given for surprising such yot,
would prevail in Michigan Can It be inferred
from the 10000 votes given for Van Buren, al
the last Pres dental election Was there any
such intmation in the vote given for Flaviu,
j. Littlejohn at the last Gubernatorial election
He received twenty-three thousand of the fifty
thousand votes cast He was the candidate OF
the Free Soil party, standing upon the Buffalo
platform, and pledged to extend equal and
exact justice 10 all men," II the people Of
Michigan are in favor of such measure, why
was not the subject preached in their late Con
stitutonal Convention The fact is the peo-
pie of Michigan can never be induced TO sane.
ton measure so palpably unjust and there
is no public man Of note in the State who
would willingly hazard his reputation by adj
yocating doctrines 30 Numerically opposed Il
the genius Of our Republican institutions
The opinions Of Free-Soilers on this subject
are well known TO be the same everywhere; and
it is equally well known to those acquainted
with public sentiment in Michigan, that large
portion of the Wings of the State-perhaps two
considerable share of the Demo
two-ffths or one-half--would
decidedly. firmly and from principle, oppose q