The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-08-24

a&etu IA A4AI ~ t4E Drrt ++~N-A~
neishborhoods in the State--a
moral Presbs terian community WHICH /
mas contrsb8fed a number Of distin- =
gaished men 10 the.learned professions
bad lhe privilege. from infancy 10 The
ace Of fifteen. when 1 began Latin AZ
tie Academy. Of attending just seven
short Schools about three months do.
ration each, and at two nf these was
bparslsd out from home. And il Was
thought that my neighborhood enjoyed
unusual advantages in this respect !
and IN fact my acquaintance with the
progress nf things in this State salts
mes me that nay own experience is
much more favorable teri OF our old
subscription y stem than that Of large
majority Of ms contemporaries. was
examined 10 test my qualifications to
practice Law with a now distinguished
Editor Of Raleigh / think he tald me
he never saw a Grammar before he
VAS sub-editor, aud in fact he pick
edup most of his education IN printing
Office. He is one OF thousand, all
perhaps not equally energetic; and
the history Of vast majority Of our
most raising men would put to utter
shame the present'complaints in regard
To the facilities Of education. Sir, till
within the last few years. men IN poor
or moderate circumstances had noia-
cilities Of education in North arolina;
a few gnelehborhoods excepted, they
had to shift, and scuiilc. aud work
with an enterprise and an economy Of
means and time to which the raising
generation are 20 The strangers.
Men in the middle aud humber
walks, desiring good education. had
to contend against public OPT. ion. Of.
tenagainst parental wishes. and against
What would now be considered, in
view Of the cost, a hopeless pro,erty oil
. pecuniary resources. The costs we're
great, always including board and high
tuition, at distant Academies; and to
raise the means by teaching was then
|. much more difficult than at present. a
there we're few schools to be taught
D and general apathyonthe subject, ant
!, little sympathy felt for such persons.
This j. a very faint picture Of ths
former condition u things Of the DARK
D Ages in North Carolina, Of tie Egsp
tian bondage. for return TO which sanl'
, are signing. Sir, we had no system
Of subscription schools, to speak pro
+. lperly--perhaps only five men in si'
= could write their own bonds, and no
: one in FIVE hundred could understan,
I Geography, the great science Of moderT
times, write grammatical Article iol
newspaper, survey a piece 81 land
0 or demonstrate the simplest rule II
! mechanical geometry. To be able L
i read plain text and write their name
I was the highest female accomplish
D. ment Of the middle classes the temal
m Academies were very Few and expen
n si,e. and the associations highly arts
r tocratic and exclusive.
rs We had University, moderated
successful and we'll conducted, but q
70 thering foursfifths Of its pupils frol
I'll the highest ar;stocracy, and sendin
nd off its best scholars to other lands
ne aud We had no other male Coileg,
nj and only the Female High Schoul ;
~ Salem. As a consequence of this stat
re Of things the lines Of society wer
P broadly marked, and the high arist'
$ crazy had hereditary claims upon 4
$ the great Offices, distinctions, aud eou
pccunlary speculations Of the Stat,
Y No reflection is meant On them;
Of was not their fault which gave the
ne The asceniency 81 long, but the tau
8; of the state VI society as regards edl
ur cation.
II They we're shrewd, ap9rceiating Il
advantages Of enlightenment, begu
he in their families long before GENT
.n and enterprise in the middle rans
IN would also sometimes break their fe
at tiers and climb to the highest positio
Sc in the State. But igonrance and col
.. sequent suffering aud social inierioril
y were the hereditary doom Of the mas
IS es; our varied and vast resource
g needing the eve Of intelligence to 4,
NJ tect them, were neglected aud VI
ae known, and every Autumn wituesse
Y, a flight Of carts and wagons, transpoF
10 ing our iaborIng masses to more hop
rs full regions.
ne And now, when we begin to ha,
70 knowledge Of the existence of our T,
ut sources, it seems that We have to boz
ef row the skill necessary to develop
SO them--to Get our engineers, teacher
70 skilliul nachinists, &C., &c, fro
10 other States.
In short, till very recent perio,
~ general education was in an aimo
T. hopless condition in North arolina
;; so much SO that one of the Historian
a. of the State records the incorporate
=, Of an academy as an important inc
/ dent in our Legislative experience.
ir And notwithstanding the efforts
a. religious societies this backward sta,
OF things remained until very rece,
y period; and then, as shall show In m
4 next letter 20 your Excellency, a gen,
l. rafand bow erful movement began. mr.,