The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-30

the social status and return to it no small share of
the stability which 1t enjoys. They were established
in New England, at the settlement of the country,
for the education Of the children and the conversion
of the Indians. About the time that the wearers of
black doublets and steeplecrowned hats, who fed
from oppression here to establish Cayinistic des
p0tism, whose influence still draws down the chns
Of their descepdants-about the time that they re-
enacted the Mosaic code, penalties and all with mar
gna references 10 chapter and verse; they partioued
thepublc lands into parishes, on the English system,
and assigned part TO the commonage q part TO the
church, and part to the schools. In process of
time the common land has generally ceased to be
pastursge, aud is in many places planted with
trees. and made into public walks: the church
feles have disappeared with he State orgauiza.
ton; and the portion assigned to the schools has
been absorbed in the settlement OF the country
and exchanged for the right OF general taxation,
which right, as the sum t. be raised is determined
each year by each town for ITSELF and as suffrage is
nearly universal, means the right Of the poor to
educa.e their children as they see ct of the ex-
fensc OF the tax payers. The system has been ex
tended from New England more or less through the
free states, and works to the satisfaction even Of
the property holders, who must be sometimes
mulc.ed heavily by it. Mr.. Tremenheere for instance
tells us, That in town near Boston, " The whole
real property Of which is valued at only 100000,
not less than $1,000 were expended last year in
the erection Of five new school houses besides
the ordinary expenses OF maintaining their three
gramm ar and two primary schools Boston pays
SIS ~ per head for the children educated in her
$40 81 st. Louis, on the Mississippi, 50 50 and
Cincinnati, on the Ohio, Sc 81. These taxes are
cheerfully submitted to by the property holders,
who require no argument to be convinced that,
without education universal suffrage would be de-
sructiye TO political liberty TO social virtue, and TO
property, on which both must lean. They feel that
the schools are essential even for the native children
with American homes and douby so for the f,reign.
ers, sometimes with worse than no home at all.
thus the moment the emiorant arrives and ia set.
ueo, ne and his children are Cared for. He finds
persons on the pier waiting 10 employ him and he
pockets at once his four shlings day: or II hc be
Ill there is hospital to receive him. where skiIfful
surgeons and Kind nurses minister to his wants.
Schools say to his children, Come to MS and be
taught;' and they go. II was fouId, some years
since, in manufacturing town Of Massachusetts,
with population nearly onc-third of which was
Irish, that Of about 900 children between the ages
of three and sixteen only nineteen were not attend
ing school somewhere and that sixteen of the nine
teen stayed away because they had no good clothes
clothes were given, and the ona.tendants reduced
70 three The proportion throughout the Union is
not a. large as this but vet large enough 10 change
the character OF the whole foreign popuation.
There Is no greater mistake than t1at the chara,-
tiers Of nations ard unctaneeable; leading
minds mould The popular VII TO Their pleasure.