New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-05-19
YrCRESCENI
OFFICIAL JOURNAL .g,ss.
OF THE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
SECOND D1srR1cT.. PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

SECOND DISTRICT. PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
| -ng ~ sITrIsG OF MoSDAys May IT, 1852.
This being the day appointed by the ordinance
Of the Common Council Of the city Of Newt Orleans,
approved Sd May, 1852, the Board of Directors
met accordingly at s o'clock P. N. at the City
! Hall of the late Municipality No. One
| On motion Of Mr. J. L. Fabre, Mr.. g. B. Dun
can was called to the Chair.
| Present Messrs. Ed Barnett, II. Buisson, G.
| u. Duncan, Chas. DeBlanc, Jr., A. Ducateb c.
NJ Emerson, j. L. Fabre, w. A. Gordon, Ed
Tricou, V. Wiltz, j. L, Warner-11.
| Absent L. Surgi-1. ,4i4 re blr5
| The Journal Of the last sitting was read and
| approved. ls. s5.
| On motion Of Mr.. Buisson, the Board pro-
ceeded by ballot to the election of President
| Messrs, Buisson and DeBlanc, Jr., were ap-
| pointed tellers. Eleven members present. ,e
| MIR. Il. b. Duncan received 10 votes.
| Mr.. G. NJ. Emerson received / vote
| g. B. Duncan, Esq, was declared duly elected
President ofthe Board.
On taking the Chair, said gentleman read the
| following address:
Gentlemen of the Board of School Direct
ors-Shcerely impressed, as am, that owe
the compliment of this station, to which you
have just called me, in 80 fattering manner,
to your unlimited generosity / assume the posi-
tion with unaffected diifidence. I return you
the unmingled expression of my hearts best
thanks, ~ ...9sr
This is neither the time, the place, nor the oc-
casion-nor does it devolve upon me at any
time, to set forth the specific duties which have
been con6ded to us as Board, and yet there are
some few which stand forth SO prominently that
l hope to be indulged in slight notice Of them.
We hold our offices under the 38th section OF
the Charter Of the city-a Charter consecrated
to Union-to Progress, Reform and Improve
ment--a Charter which 1 humbly trust will be
Al
expectations of its framers-to secure the public
confidence and atfection-to dispel the fears and
doubts Of large and honest portion Of our citi-
zens, and to disprOve the objections Of its oppo
nents, go that we can present to the world a tree
united, prosperous, liberty loving, law w-abidiDg
people, with every element Of great commu-
nifty. F
This Charter cannot go into complete effect
until this Board is fully organized, for it is a
part of the machinery of the City Government,
having its chartered rights and its chartered
duties. ~
Care has been taken by the Legislature to
make this Board as independent Of the City
Council as it possibly could, and exclude all
influence from that quarter, by forbidding any
member Of the Council, or any officer Of the
Corporation, to have seat at the Board
1t has provided against any combinations of
parts of the City against any other District, by
providing the basis upon which oil appropria
tions shall be made; and that when made they
shall be under the exclusive control of the Board
While we are thus fully secured, gentlemen, in
our independent action, we cannot if we would,
and believe we would not if we could, shut our
eyes to the solemn fact, that these rights and
positions of ours bring along with them high
and important duties. .Ys.. s .p.l.e..=
Among the duties imposed on us is that of an
efficient organization. On this, every thing de-
pends. ITith it, and prompt exacting of q
| compliance on all hands, all will 60 on. har-
| moniously, to the great advantage Of the public
interests entrusted to us in this department OF
government. and to our own satisfaction and
honor. Without it, nothing but theartburnings,
mutual reproaches, the just public reprobation
| and dlscredit to ourselves, can be the fruits.
| Let us, then. gentlemen, at once provide, by a
set of Rules and Regulations, for an efectual
| working Of this great scheme of Free School
| Education. Let our own duties be defined, and
| their performance insisted upon; the order OF
business should in short terms be set forth the
| subdivision of labor into Committees should be
| provided for their duties set forth, and regular
| written reports, at short intervals, should be
| made imperative. The duties obligations and
| rights Of the Superintendent and Teachers,
should be so distinctly expressed as to preclude
all misconception, and it should be at once un-
derstood that for any neglect of duty, the con-
| sequence will be prompt removal from the
trust, without fear or favor.
| In the selection Of Agents for carrying on the
| great system, let qualification be the measure
| of our selections under all circumstances eyen
if necessary, sternly resisting our own inclina-
| tions and sympathies In the administration of
| public trust we have no right to indulge in our
generosity. We have funds to large amount
placed under our administration, and we have
no right to expend one dollar without securing
an equivalent to the Public. The Public is
| taxed-heavily taxed-to raise this fund, and
| the Public have right to exact of us a faithful
application of the means thus raised, to the ends
| proposed; and one Of the strongest wishes of my
heart is, that the Public will take an interest in
this matter, and demand of each of us rigid
accountability.
| When we axact accountability, gentlemen, we
must not forget either that we shall owe to the
| Superintendent, and each one of the Teachers in
| their several departments, our constant aid and
sympathy. We must be with them, to encour-
age them in their sacred office. We must give
them our confidence where it is due. .g
| think, too, that some plan should be devised
| for the occasional and regular meeting together
of the Teachers themselves, that they may take
counsel together, and thus, by an interchange Of
thoughts, adopt some uniform system of teach
| ing and managing children. The teacher who
has met his fellow teacher in a public assembly,
enlightening his and her mind by the result Of
| the experience OF others, freely impaired, will,
as it has been emphatically observed by one
having large experience in these matters, 'go
back to the school room, with the light of a
hundred minds in his or her head, and with the
zeal Of a hundred bosoms burning in his or her
heart"
If this be true land who can doubt it ?---that
the School Teacher needs this encouragement
and support, how much more will we need the
counsels of wise and worthy men who are en-,
gagged in the discharge of like duties with our.
selves' For, gentlemen, if you are really now
prepared to work out the great problem of Free
School Public Education without further aid anG
light---aid and light to be had from the toll ant
experience of others then indeed are you for
tunate men, and the public still more fortunate
in your selection; and it is equally true tina
you have selected for this station an individua
a thousand fold beneath your attainments
Taking it for granted, however, that we hav
ourselves much to learn, submit it to you
whether you may not, with delicacy and propri
ETY., take the initiatory in bringing about an oc
casional convocation of others with us, who ar
, holding like public trusts, in other portions {
this city, and even of neighboring parishes.
One of the advantages, which hope to Sc
i result from such meetings, which would be en-
tirely unofficial, and merely advisatory-woul
be the reduction of the system to something lik
|. uniformity. The knowledge impaired on sue
.. occasions, as to the practical operation of Ii
| yoriOns systems os elso the oanerol sta ta