Weekly national intelligencer., 1852-05-22
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF WASHINGTON.

Thursday, one of the sweetest days of the season,
was proud for the Public Schools Of this city.
Much as our citizens had seen and known of these
schools, and long and faithfully as some of them
have labored to give enlargement and permanency to
the system Of public school instruction, they could
hardly have been prepared for such creditabe dis
play as was exhibited yesterday.
The various Schools numbering about thirty, and
embracing some twenty-five hundred pupils, met at
the City Hall at ii o'clock A. NJ, where they were
joined by the Mayor Of the city, the Boards Of Al
dermen and Common Council, the Trustees of the
Schools, &C.. and, attended by several bands Of
music proceeded to the CAPITOL for the purpose Of
presenting to Congress petition asking its aid in
behalf Of the public schools of this city.
From the City Hall along the route of the pro-
cesson our streets presented an animating spec
tacle Hundreds upon hundreds of our citizens
were out to witness and to welcome the pageant.
Each of the schools, under the direction of its
teacher, bore standard or banner
On arriving at the Capitol an immense multitude
was found already upon the ground The schools
were formed upon the beautiful green on the East
front of the Capitol and occupied every part of the
centre, from the fountain to Washington's statue.
A committee of one pupil from each school hav-
ing been appointed to perform the Office of present
ing the petition, headed by band of music, and
attended by Mr.. LENox, the Mayor, as President of
the Board Of Trustees, and several other persons
connected with the schools, they proceeded to the
East portico, where the Hon. Mr.. HUNTER, of the
Senate, and the Hon. Mr.. CHANDLER, of the House
of Representatives present for the purpose of
receiving the petition.
AT this point the scene was beautiful beyond de-
scription. Members Of the Senate and House Of
Representatives Officers of the City Government,
Trustees Of the Schools Representatives of the Press
citizens and strangers, all looked upon the scene
with delight
After the performance of national air by the
band Mr.. LENox addressed Messrs HUNTER and
CHANDLER, and informed them that the children
then before them, as a committee from each of the
public schools present to place in their hands
memorial asking the aid of Congress in behalf of the
Public Schools Of this City, and to request them to
have the same properly presented to Congress. He
said that he would forbear to offer any remarks in
favor of the objects of the memorial as the children
peloIe tnen were DOtn the Witnesses ana the adV0-
Gates in this noble cause
The Secretary of the Trustees, (Rev. CHARLES
A. DAVIS then read the petition and stated that it
signed by about eleven thousand of our citizens
The petition was most kindly received by the
honorable members. Mr.. HUNTER expressed his
deep interest in the of public education, and
the great pleasure it would give him to present the
memorial to the Senate and Mr. CHANDLER re-
sponded to the objects of the memorial in a most
eloquent address
This ceremony over, the Schools retired in the
most perfect order and nothing occurred throughout
the day to mar the joyousness of the occasion.
Of the petition presented we take pleasure in
saying that it bears the signatures Of our very best
citizens. Persons Of every rank and profession
ministers Of the Gospel, lawyers, physicians, mcr-
chants, mechanics, laborers-the rich and the Door
alike have sentup, in this memorial, their testimony
rs to the beneficial results Of this system, and ex-
pressed their wishes to the aid which ought to be-
extended to them.
We trust that Congress may be induced to con-
sider this appeal favorably; and nothing could be-
better calculated to produce favorable impression
than the scene and the ceremony of yesterday.