The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-01-17
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.


GENTLEMEN o. THE BOARD OF EDucAr.oS:
For ibis renewed expression of your kindness ana
confidence. need not say that thank you The
homer OF presiding over the deliberations Of such
body in any branch Of the public service, would be
subject of just PRIDE but to have been thus
elected aad reelected to preside ever such body
chosen, by the unsolicited SURFACES Of the citizens
rs the depository Of the great trust of popular edu
cation, and without other reward than the salts
faction Of doing good, to watch over its interests
to preserve il from external attack and from inter-
nal dccay-calls for my sincelest acknowledge
ments, md for my most earnest and increased en-
deavors to fulfil the duties Of the station for which
| am indebted to your kindness. This is the moro
agreeable TO me, as am sure to find, in he mem
bers OF the Board, tie same respect FOR them
selves and for each other, and the same
conscientious desire to 10 right, which hay, al
way; characterized them, whenever hare had the
pleasure to be associated with them in pubic
Affairs. Popular education gentlemen, !, a great
matter Of state policy. In it spring the fountains
of our political lie To Us it Is also great trust
Although fully established N popular favor, It re-
qui-es cur constant and watchful care. Il is our
duty 70 see that its foundations are 50 laid ard its
surerstrGetuTe carried up in such pro portions Of
beauty and strength as that il may constitute not
only ore OF the surest guarantees Of our liberty,
but a.1o ore of the most permanent and beautiful
noruT .nts OF our metropolitan glory. 10 accom-
pl:sh this, the Con mon Schcol system established
by tie State, and IN charged its officers, should
by Ga!u.aiy and Uniform general :. gulations, be
perfected ana stIepgi hened and eNetndeJ. a, uni
form ara home geneous system, competent 70
the wants and eeptaole to the desires OF all The
people May not rely upon the kindness Of this
Beard 20 indulge me In some remarks suggested by
the experience and observation Of the last year, ana
en- Estjscts which seem to me of considerable in.
portaaco When the nmoa schools w 70 fest
essabishtd in the city, in lsiz, many considora-
tioDs caused the school houses TO be placed in
desirable Situations, auc to be built according to
plans which subsequent experience has = ected.
The tTuo interest OF the community seems 20 70
quiic Tat the school houses should be plac.1 in
HEALTHY ard desirable situations, and that they
should be made pleasant, slightly and loc unoraa
mental IL their appearance If we would i-luce ths
cit;IeEs TO send their cbildlen to an excellent
school. The later schoolhouses are Therefore, or
better larger, and more open sites, AMI are
built with more neatncts ard architect urat
beauty, thcrgh SIM and unostentatioIs These
larger md better school houses are .oEad 10 be
more attractive, aod are constantly c-oRGeI 10
ovtI4owing with scholars. while tAe older school
housee. although scme OF them are 1ot cro TGsj,
have at-, in the aggregate, as many pupils as they
had before the ueSer schools were estabii he'd:
while ,hese last having drawn with much more
force from the people the children IF ell c,asses Of
the community, and the expense, ptr scholar, in
proportion to the Investment, is considerably less
policy thep, seems to be. even II point Of economy,
to place our school houses where they wi! secure
the largest and most constant attendance e scho.
lara, so1 thus alone does our educational capital
ard laboc bring the greatest 7etura, and thus we
shall, also, greatly add TO the attraction ard inter
est G tie city in the variety Of its public buildings,
aaaz the facilities offered for .he most economical
saa hest education Tor Inc people | venture TO
suggest, III connection with this subject .ae *.
pesia1cT Of offering suitable reward tor tae hes.
plan for school house, on site 6 hgn3: ed feet
In thn = L 80. e
the stxss, among US, is doubtless found ora Of The
creates. safeguards TO public morals still, i is
worthy Of inquiry whether, in great city Ike this,
the system OF public education would not be more
pesfact i the schools for the different seXas-ex
cept perhaps for the little chiidren-wers in sepa-
rate and distinct buildings There many points
Of eee Monty and conyenienee in constructloa ani
teaching. as well as OF morals and manners, which
seem to recommend change 10 this respect; and
since there il nothing local in schools, but The
bulldogs ard the school officers, kare 0ug ht TO be
difficulty in introducing general change IN this rss
pect, i, after an experiment OF schoo! house FOR
girls !. should be found to be q desirabl, improve
Ieat 1t is of the greatest Importance 70 the ell.
cheney ard economy of the systeln, taat it should
BIO uli4o-D and homogeneous, like the goTefnmen.
from Which It springs. The schools supported by
taxation, should be under the control aai marogc.
ne1t O. tac school officers of the government. Ia
no olaer manner can the best general -cgu atoms
the ussest supervision, and the greatest economy
be- scared. had hoped that the patriot. trustees
OF tho Public School Society would, before this,
have a,sa the Importance to the city Of his unity
OF .he sFstem, and have voluntarily made their
schools part Of the common schools 81 the city
There Is 10 power and trust no desire, 70 compel
them 70 90 wrong, and it certainly ought act to re-
men e 90 right. They have the power 10 do
30. No enc can hold in higher esteem than
de, s1e gentlemen who manage the afairs Of that
sociat-; but its existence is an anomaly, AMI dis;
tubing caIsc in our system Brought into exis
tesce by private charity, nearly half century ago
60 minister to tho wants of the destitute in the com
uuni.y, i acted as the almoner of the State til the
Introduction of the common schools. This was
doIe lnder circumstances of excitement ard alarm:
and il was wisely determined that that society
should remain at least, till the experiment should
be isi:d. Ten years have now elapsed, and the
success o. Tia experiment is certain. The yea with
watch TIC introduction Of common schools vas re.
sisted, the fairness with which they yere watched,
aad tae enthusiasm with which their merits are
now acknowledge, is an inercsting- proof 81 the
good faith Of the people Of their instructive
Iega-d for the pubic interest. That society
has COW ceased to be necessary. An eduoa
t:oral system fully competent to .he wants Of
the community has been established by he state,
is Inainta ned at great expense and is fortified by
universal favor. ID is therefore, difficult TO zee
VIZ saa 'ehoo!s OF thai society are not merged in
the common schools They are a powerful corro-
ratiCu, WITH large amount OF properly, eud hey
pa ctically a close corporation and we cannot
overlook the fact that that property has been p,in
wants Of the city, and is and ought 10 30 IL law as
it Is in equity, the property Of the city and thar il
ought 70 be under The control of the cdCca .ional
oficcrs d he law. This question has no relation
70 the moral worth, integrity and beneYo'enoe o;
the present trustees If that society, nor to its past
services, Thich are very great. in the earl pc.
RODS al the American Revolution, before the new
govorr u -rts were FULLY organized, committees Ct
satlsJ I'D ether voluntary bodies performed many
fine odiccs OF government. How strange il would
have seemed, il, aitc~ regular governments were
established. thosc voluntary bodies should have still
Nsi.;.d 1l.a continuing their powers concurrently
AID IL competition with the government, because
they we're PatIio'ic citizens AS long ago as l,2b
the society authorized TO convey i, property to
the cit. bat il has not done so. LIZ property has
now acegu 1latcd to several hundred thousand do
lars, ead It annually applies 10 this Board for large
sun Of money for the improvement of that pro
perty. and The payment Of part Of It's membranes
ae present trustees - the society not imu oTta,
ard i tbcir rocccAoIE, when, by annual additions
and Improvements, their property shall &c multi