Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-12-14
COMMON SCHOOLS.
To Hrs ExcELLENCY DAVID s. RE-

certain points which feel 1t to be my du-
ty to handle rather plainly. And in the
outset wish it to be distinctly understood
that | do not believe that it is necessary to
play the demagogue, even to kill off dema-
gogues. !:
There are some persons, more grave than
wise, who regard every appeal, made pleas
ing to the people, as savoring of demague-
ism, thus Indirectly and often unconscious
ly, accusing the masses of blindness as to
their own interests. Every maxim in COM
mon use is not wise one, and certainly
when we speak of fighting the devil with
fire, we forget that we woald be pelting him
with the element in which he lives.
The most learned infdel can find moth
ing improper in sentiment or manner in
the discourses of Him who spake as never
man spake and yet they generally excited
the lively sympathies Of the people, for fear
of whom the Scribes, Pharisees and Rulers
were long deferred from their wicked pur-
poses.
Truth, Sir, is mighty and will prevail;
but unfortunately it has generally to fight
with Indifferent weapons placed in its hands
by injudicious friends. We will not per-
nit it to appear to the people in It's native
charms-its friends generally strip off these
and put upon it some ungracious mark of
their own. This they call naked truth, and
it is no longer G d's truth, clad in its di-
vine and pleasing perfections, but, disfgu-
red and disguised with the mantle Of bigo-
try or prejudice, often appears as the in
vention of mans illnature.
The Common School system of North
Carolina has had to contend against an evil
growing out of the anti-republican feelings
Of some of our people; and yet, because
this evilfghts with the weapons of the dem
agogue, the democratic-republican friends of
education 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 it should
be stated Common Schools are republican
in thei- nature, on account, lst, of their OBJ
ject; 2ndly, of the mode Of conducting
them.
Their object is to bring education within
the reach of all, and thus to insure an edu-
cation to all to practically carry out our
theories of political equality by enabling all
to read and understand for themselves, to
think and act for themselves in public mat
ters, and to push theirprivate fortunes with
the intelligence and skill now or heretofore
possessed only by part of the population
The mode Of conducting these Schools is
republican-it invests additional trusts in
the people, familiarizes them with their own
general condition, and enhances their self
respect. Now, the truerepublican, anxious
to insure the blessings of free government
is ever ready to give dignity and Importance
to the popular character. He knows that
discussion, disputes, and often angry feel
ings arc the necessary results of a system
Of things managed by all; he will natural
ly look for a contraricty Of opinions and ap
parently slow action; but all this he pre-
fers to submit to, rather than to the wors
evils of a despotism whose machinery, al
in splendid order, runs smoothly, vigorous
ly, and with certainty. He will make u
his mind to bear and forbear, to work wit
patience and energy, to make allowance
for necessary imperfections, and to assist i
applying remedies. He will do all he ca
to give the masses confidence in themselves
to accustom them to the use of authorit
and to get them to exercise it, to enhanc
their estimate of their own work, and ef
courage them to continued effcrt to fix the
own institutions deep in their affections, t
make them proud of them, and as tenaciou
of them as of their own lives.
: Now, look on that picture and then o
this !; you, who fear to defend Commo
> Schools before the people, when opposed
: demagogues. Il am for the people, loy
: you, begins the disguised Monarchist; no
t put him to the touchstone-' Your Con
! mon Schools are common nuisance y
y Why the real answer is because the pc
|. pie have made miserable failure. Tho
= never can be well managed = Why? B
:; cause the people at large cannot manaj
:, such business There is an eternal clar
it or about them Why? Because there
s. free discussion, free opinion, and every m,
: has right to be heard So is there
% eternal, uproarious clamor about the pc
j. ple's government, is this a reason to abb
e ish it? You clamor about it, yourself, go
!. demagogue, you are fond of clamoring
II all places and on all occasions therefor
!. to carry out your real course of reasonin
81 the whole thing should be knocked in t
/ head and qniet despotism established.
ID They have done mischief How
j. Where? Your Select School where yo
J! children were taught is no more; andn
OF in It's stead, are the wretched Schools Oft
10 people where Tom, Dick, and Harry sc
smattering of knowledge. And alas, all
you have to send your children among tn
he rabble, to be taught by fellow taken fir
p the plough-handles, and governed by &C
" . mttee of boobies-that is to say, by acC
,e' mittee of that dear people whom you bes
lf- by praising. And now, you must SUBJ
it to this, or else what fall to dignity! J
Of must go out among your neighbors and
nd to explain things, try to harmonic thin
ns try to help them to have good School
~. ~ These wretched schools never will
= we'll managed, for in the nature of thi
,he they can't be- What is that opposing
err ture of things? 1t is the fact that
people manage these schools; that's
difficulty alluded to.
)r. And think you, good men of all part
ok the people cannot be made to underst
,cv and appreciate this mode of reasoning
J. We have all been in error; some h
an done all they could to intimidate AMI
- fuse the people, to destroy their con61e
IN in themselves, AMI make them disre
power.