Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1853-12-07
COMMON SCHOOLS.

points which feel it to be my duty to handle rather
plainly And in the outset wish it to be distinctly
understood that do not believe that 1t is necessary
to NAV the Cemagoguc even to kill off dcmagogues.
There are some persons, moro grave than wise,
who regard every appeal made pleasing to the peo-
pie, as savoring of demagogueism thus indirectly
and often unconsciously, accusing the masses OF
blindness as to their own interests. Every maxim
in common is not wise one, and certainly when
we speak of fighting the devil with fire we forget that
we would be peltng him with the element IN which
he lives.
The most learned infidel can find nothing impro-
per in sentiment in the discourses OF linn
who spake rs never man spake; and yet they gen
orally excited the lively sympathies OF the people, LOT
fear of whom the Scribes Pharsecs and Rulers were
long deferred from their wicked purposes
Truth, Sir, is mighty and will prevail; but un1or
tunately it has generally to fight with indifferent
weapons placed in its hands by injudicous friends
We will not permit it to appear to the people IN us
native charms-ts friends generally strip 1T OF these
and put upon it some ungraclo9s mark OF tnelr owl
This they call naked truth, and it is no longer Gods
truth clad in its divine and pleasing perfectIons Du
dsfigred and disguised with the mantle OF bigotry
prejudice, often appears as the invention OF mans
il-nature.
The Common School system of North Carolina has
had to contend against evil growing out OF the
anti-republican feelings of some OF our people and
yet because this evil fights with the weapons OF the
demagogue the democraticrcpublican friends OF edu
cation have been sometime afraid to meet it. Now,
it seems to me- these latter have but to state the case
truly to gain the popular mind, and this is the way
itshould be stated; Common Schools are repNohGan
ntheir nature, account lst OF their object 2noy
of the mode of conducting them.
Their object is to bring education within the rcach
Of ALL and thus to insure education to all; to prac
tically carry out our theories of political equality by
enabling ali to read and understand for themselves
to think and act for themselves in public matters ana
to push their private fortunes with the intelligence
and skill now or heretofore possessed only by part OF
the population. The mode of conducting these
Schools is republican, invests additional trusts IN
the people, familiarizes them with their own general
condition. and enhances their setf-respcct Now, the
true republican, anxious to insure the blessings OIL
free government, is ready to give dignity and
importance to the popular character. He knows that
discussion disputes and often angry feelings are the
necessary results of system of things managed by
all he will naturally look for contrarIety OF olhn-
ions and apparently slow action but all this he pre-
fers to submit to- rather than to the evils of
despotism whose machinery, all in splendid order,
runs smoothly, vigorously, and With certainty. lie
will make up his mind to bear and torbcar, to work
with patience and energy, to make allowances Tor
necessary imperfections, and to assist IN applying
remedies. He will DO all he can to give the masses
confidence in themselves to accustom them to the
of authority and to get them to exercise it. to
enhance their estimate of their own work, and en-
courage them to continued effort to fix their own in
stitutions deep in their affections, to make them
proud of them, and as tenacious OF them as OF their
own lives.
Now, look on that picture and then on this you,
who fear to defend Common Schools before the peo-
pie, when opposed by dcmagogues. am for the
z
list; now put him to the touchstone-"I Your Com
mon Schools common nuisance! Why? the
real answer is because the people have made mis-
erable failure. They mover can be well managed !"
Why Because the people at large cannot manage
such business! There is an eternal clamor about
them" Why? Because there is free discussion
free opinion, and every man has right to be heard
So is there eternal, uproarous clamo" about the
peoples government, is this reason to abolish it?
You clamor about it, yourself good demagogue, you
fond of clamoring in all places and on all occas
ions therefore, to carry out your real course of rea
soning the whole thing should be knocked i'll the
head and quiet despotsm established
'sThey have done mi .ief?" How? Where
Your Select School where your children were taught
is no more; and now, in its stead, are the wretched
Schools of the people where Tom, Dick, and Harry
get smattering of knowledge. And alas, alas! you
have to send your children among these rabble, to
be taught by fellow taken from the plough handles,
and governed by committee of boobies-that is to
say, by committee of that dear people whom you
began by praising. And now, you MIST submit to
this else what fall to dignity! you must go out
among your neghbors and try to explain things, try
to harmonic things try to help them to have good
S;hooli
"Thcsc wretched schools will be we'll man
aged for in tho nature of things they can't be-"
What is that opposing nature Of things? 1t is the
fact that the peopLe manage these schools that's the
difficulty alluded to.
And think you, good men of all parties, the peo-
pie cannot be made. to understand and appreciate
this mode of reasoning?
We have all been in error; some have done all
they could to ntnidate and confuse the people, to
disgust them with their institutions to destroy
their confidence in themselves, and make them dis
relish power.
And we, fearing the people could not comprehend
their own interests, have been afraid to speak and
this child of freedom has been dsowned, ridiculed
spit on showed out of decent society.
Nevertheless, it has grown apace, and its Inca
ments and its step betray freeman's soul. And if
we had but nursedit as VIC nurscd our government,
if we had but fed it that food most wholesome to
free men, confidence affection, honor, what proud
growth it might have attained?
Now, in this connection permit me to remind each
despairing friend of the cause who thinks he stands
alone, of passage in the history of Elijah during
the reign of the wicked Ahab King of Israel "And
he said have been very jealous for the Lord God of
hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken
thy Covenant slain thy prophets with the sword:
and !, even only am left, and they seek my life to
take it away" And the Lord said, Yet have left
seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which
have not bowed to Baal and every mouth which hath
not kissed him."
You are not entirely alone as you think what
you want say it in kindness, is not numbers but
courage and confidence Suppose every wel-wisher
to Common Schools to step boldly forth, armed
for the combat; tell you, at tho whistle of Rhod-
erick Dhu,
Bonnets and spears and Bonded bows"
would appear from copse and heath, and bush and
rock, aye, in the plains and on the mountains proud
invincible array. And if all these would confide
in themselves, each other and in the CAUSE if we
would, as we have in every conceivable form done in
regard to our Constitution take. pains to talk and
write; and speak for Common Schools to encourage
the people in their undertaking to make
, them pleased with their own work, to mako them