The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-07-27
"A I'D ED as H. $ $
DELIFEKEU B1
THE HON. JAMES SH1AOiS,
DELIVERED BY


Of South Carolina, on tie Opening
Of tie Free School, on tie 20M JNne.
1t is source of great satisfaction
+ TO me to be the organ selected by
my colleagues Of the Board Of Com
missioners of Free Schools, to ex-
press the sentiments which NAV be
. regarded as suitable and appropriate
to the circumstances Of the interest
ing occasion which has now assembled
us together. We propose to dcdi-
cate this beautiful temple to the holy
purpose of training to virtue and
knowledge the hearts and minds Of
our growing youth. When We have
offered, as tabcrnaclcs for the worship
of the Almighty, glorious editiccs,
wrought by mans skill and ingenuity,
the next most worthy service is to
build up elcyan. seats for learning.
= lie who lays stone in the wall of
the House of Wisdom, bcqucaths to
posterity a noble bounty. When the
hand of the builder shall have long
aince mouldcrcd in its native dust,
his name shall live after him and
countless thousands Of the coming
generations will revere his memory.
who opened the caskct Of knowledge
to adorn the brow Of youth with its
precious jewels.
1t appears to me not inappropriate
on the present occasion. briefly to re.
;aEicw the provision which the libcrali-
ty Of the Legislature has made for
the purpose Of public education.
Perhaps no subject Of genera! inter-
nal policy combines at the samctimc
go much interest and difficulty as
that Of common education, and from
the peculiar @ccnstitutionapar
snents Of thissState in its representa-
enuJq ghaEsaltt54+; Inc
difficulty has been magniRed. What
effect this representation has Oh the
subject, will appear from the remark
which follow
Very early in the history Of this
State, we find the Leg gislaturc, rvo,bp
ted by considerations Of enlightened
policy, encouraging public and free
seminaries Of learning. Thus as
y early as the year 1910, they laid
the foundations Of the system which
has since been erected. In that
year an act was passed for I" the
Founding and Erecting Of Free
School, for the use Of the inhabitants
Of South Carolina Tie preamble
of the act recitcd that it was '.ncces-
sary that a Free School be erected
for the instruction Of the youth Of this
Province in Grammar, and other arts
and sciences, and useful lcarnin,.
and also in the principles Of the
christian religion - that "scvcrsl
charitable and wcll.disposcd Chris.
tians by their last wills and tcsta
mcnts, had given several sums Of
money for the founding of a Free
School, but that no person as vet was
authorised to take the charge & care
of erecting Free School. according
to the intent Of the donors, ana to re-
ceiye the lcgacics, if rendered, nor
to demand the same, in case Of re.
fusal to pay tic same; SO that, for
want of some person or persons, or
body polite and corporate, proper for
the lodging the said legacics therein,
the same were not applied according
to the pious and charitable intention
of the testators or Donors The
act then proceeded to organize a cor
poration comforting on them the pow.
ers necessary to carry into effect the
matters referred to in the preamble
Just rected. 1t is apparent, howcy-
er from this act, that the only pro-
posed School, were derived from the
gifts and donations Of public.spiritcd
individuals. Nor indeed, was the
policy of the School such as to OK
tend its benefits very far, as will ap.
pear from the title and required
qualifications Of the Master. The
Commissioners were authorized to ap-
point a Master of tic School, :: by
the nam, and stile Of Pracccptor and
Teacher Of Grammar and the other
Arts and Sciences, to be taught in
the School for the province of South
Carolina )" he was also required to
be OF the religion "of the Church Of
England, to conform to the same, and
to be capable to teach the learned
languages, that is to say the Latinc
and Greek tongues, and also the use,
fulparts of the Mathematicks.' lie
was also, il case Of need, to have an
assistant or usher, aud the law fur
ther provided, that, g because it is
necessary ihat fit person should
teach the youth Of this Province to
write, as aIso'ths principles Of yuI,