Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-01-27

org IN ,hp primary schools1 If The people are convinced
thai this important end be attained, "lhou' cos'os
do,r more will they regret TO sec thrown away So s'o
ous an opportunity OF pushing forward tho great cause o.
| Education 7
the Amory, has been about 81 oou Inc au'ss
aro tho ousng the exterior OF the Peni,entay the Capt.
I tho ,ms and other public properly the Amory, and
10 bs In readiness for any emergency which may demand
n,omp action The question Isl cannot oil Idle %
dime and nj the same time the cause OF education De
vanccd 10 very considerable extent without Gaming upon
tho State fer one dollar than is now appropriated
Rv reference TO an annual Report OF The Board OF f!stefs
of the Military Institute Lexington It will be seen 'na'
the annual cost TO the State for each State cadet 10 Sl e
cadet furnishing his clothing only the cost OF "heh Is
abop s By suppcsng the salaries of the necessary Pro
essors and agents be 600 per annu und dcducns
this sum from The $50 800 remains sou 10 meet the
expenses Of Stale cadets which sum- at s. per heao p
aunum, will support at all times l0l cadets.
If next nav cadets be admitted they paying The eni'e
cost, besides s25 in addition for tuition per annum' nho
supposing so be the number there Will nrSe from 'e'e
fees the sum Of ST. 250 which will 60 TO educate seven
State cadets per annum go that The whole number Will e
be-Stae cadets l0s-pay cadets 5o-n all loo. WIN WA
number the guard duties will come round once 10 e'g
the remaining time be exclusively devoted 10 Inc
not many suppose, OF military science a'0'' ou' -
the branches Of civil knowledge
But can these young do the duty OF sennesi Ia
king them from II years of age alone there can be no
doub, upon the points If reference be had 10 the historical
fact that all able and distinguished commanders have ever
selected Young OF about This age for their confidential
ouarde and 70, The crisis in action The nero duty OF
sentinel h 10 walk his pos. fox hours then TO come CT
md re four hours; thus alternating during the twenty
four hours for which he has been put on guardi
which In the here supposed s once In eight Gays
Is here Iaen granted that the same NUMBER Oh sehneS
sba, he nosed az now Then for any sudden call, when
The whole force required 10 be called out there VIII &c
battalion of 1873 instead Of the 81 now composing Inc
Guard-neariy dorbe so that mere a'so WIN " '
be fully sustained.
So uch for one grand objection urged 10 any chanse Of
b system Let us epeak OF The advantages OF
the transformation. ,hoi,
By takiug cadets from parents unable 10 eua'a'' w..
sons tina, number would acquire an educa'lon " "'
oherwise they would be s!rangers And srpPo"ne
that out of the 0 % graduate every year, and hese re
n teach school within Stale at least two years. 81
comnensaon barely enough maintain them, there VIII
IN 6fv Inns en- aaged after tho fret classes snail nave
graduated ever afterwards and suppoeng hat each mas
school numbering 90 will be 900 children every year
htno thua aurh, by these graduates In ten years. oUo
will Tins have been educated II we suppose many OF hese
Young men, thus teaching school as return ior Inc
~ OF the Slate embrace Il as profession ana continue
beyond the two years required BY law as doubtless WI" DC Tue
case the number OF schoomasers will soon DC ample
for the State whou, having 10 depend on ohe "ates io
them.
Another and by small gain 10 be derived Hom
this school will be that the textbooks and the same
sysem of teaching will be adopted wherever these graduates
msy settle.
Bu, II is urged tina, the intoxicating military knowledge
will be highly dangerous. This error arises from an en'e
misunderstanding TO the extent 10 which his science "
taught and we here insert the subjects to which aehon
ia paid a, the Lexington Institute 10 which The proposed
School is 10 be nssimilated
ETrs, ,sar-arhmetic, first Principles oil Algebra aho
Geometry, English Grammar, Geography and French
Second year-Asebra, Geometry, Analytical 'eome"y
commenced French, Drawing, Landscape.
Third year-A cal Geometry concluded, Descriptive
Geometry Shades and Shadows and Perspective Survey
Ing Dfeentia and Integral Calculus French and Spanish
Latin, Drawing, Topography and Linear.
Fourth vsar-NIechanics Chemistry Military and CiVh
Engineering Tactics Infantry and Artillery, Latin, Eng'sh
Literature, Rhetoric Geography and History
Thus will be seen, that it s only IN the last years
course that any military studies are placed before Inc
they simply learning the common drill Ia the lhree hrs'
years known Tor should be- every member oil our VOL
uneer companies throughout tho State and this taught
ween s,ndy and recitation hours when all other In
su,ions the eudcnls In the Streets acquiring loose
arc condemned as being Of immoral tendency
R,r,no ,b last wear of instruction. the movements OF
ery are specifically looked into and the construction OF
roads canals bridges carpentry and masonry are also
tauoht and some eeh. attention paid 10 the principle
Field Forts aud Forrresses the whole OF which Qhe Militia
~ part does s5sorb than ~ minutes cach Gay
the 9TH year. IT, then. little attention be given 10 Inc
military sciences why call them military schools-why mol
strike out this altogether from the Amoy schoo
,La,y I,tine ha nor
formed at the Armory-ese, the 5000 stand OF arms and
oil The other military property there In depot will be eOdan-
gered aud the qua ds the Penitenay and the Captc
neglected; so that the question is not original one but
an alternative 10 state of things they exist at present
An impression prevails in the minds of that viii
be Improper to post cadets senncs at The Penennry
parents may hesitate TO place their son, at the school
where such Ga,cs 10 DO performed We do not feel th
force Of this objection But this be considered o5ec
ton by the Legislature 1t can be removed thus Take from
500 the of 50 0O and let this amount go 10 thu
Superintendent of the Peuientury, with which TO hire
watch is done almost State in the Union
THE will relieve the cadets from that duty regarded oy som
as ignobc ant degrading and nothing in the slightest dc
gree Objectionable car be complained Of The annual appro
priaon for the school will then be S9OO0 with which s.
State cadets be kept the institutions TO whom ii W
add the SO pay cadets the whole number will be 49, with ht
sum appropriated for guard - the Pencnary The Super
n,endent may hire twelve additional citizens, at the
corresponding with The cost OF soldiers, and with thos
twelve and the others he has, form his own guard as
done al every other Pcni,eniary 10 The Unon This %il
relieve the cadets from all connection with The Pentcntay
and thus any prejudice parents may feel having
| their sons surrounding prison.
In advocating this radical change should not be re
carded as designing dispense with the services of tit
presen, efficient officers OF the State Guard We have
doubt that the plan may DO arranged incorporate
them among tho teachers of tactics &C. The details We
have not attempted discuss 1t Is the great principle
conversion into school, which are pressing Settle
tina, point and the details may BIO arranged afterwards Wa
have sought TO show the merits OF saulay reform which
s in fact The nucleus OF wise and efficient system Of edu
cation The simple question lie. whether the Legislature
will continue 10 devote s22.500 to nero police
for the protection of the public property here or will
vert that the advancement Of education the training
up Of teachers for the primary schoos-at the same time Sc
curing the same ecien, police which now have With