The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-12
WASHINGTON, ID. c..
EDUCATION N SOUTH CAROLINA.


that proposition for this purpose has been in
troduced into the South Carolina Legislature
Gov. Manning, In his recent message, thus in.
troduced the subject to their notice:
Undoubtedly the most important measure
which shall bring TO your consideration. is
the reformation Of the present system cf uuh-
lie instruction in the State H. as has been
frequently stated, education is the cheap de-
fence CT nations, and the permanence of re-
publican institutions depends upon the en-
hghtenment of their citizens, you have but lit.
tie security for the prosperity and haupiness
you now enjoy. Education has been provided
by the Legislature but for one class of the cit
liens of the State, which is the wealthy class.
For the middle and poorer classes Of society It
has done nothing. slnce no organized system
has been adopted for that purpose You have
appropriated seEenty-fve thousand dollars an
nually to free schools, but, under the present
mode of applying it, that liberality is really
the profusion Of the prodigsl rather than the
judicous generosity which confers real benefit.
The few who are educa ted as public EXPENSE
in those excellent and truly useful institutions,
the Arsenal and Citadel Academies, form al
most the only exception to the truth of this re.
mark. Ten years ago, twenty thousand adults,
besides children, were unable to read or write
in South Carolina. Has our free-school system
dispelled any Of this ignorance! Are there not
any reasonable fears TO be entertained that the
number has increased since tina. period Are
generations to come and 20, and still see nc
improvement in the education of the humble
portion of your population III no change is
effected, with increasing commerce, with / 300
miles of railroad, with your machinery, with
your unimproved lands, who are to be your
merchants, engineers machinists, and mechan-
ica, and your farmers"
Mr.. Tucker, the author Of the bill for the
Improvement Of the free school system, made a
speech which is warmly commended. Mr..
Sullivan thought MIR. Tucker Lad suggested
in his plan "the introducing of fJreign North
ern) systems into the State, against which he
earnestly protested" The subject was finally
laid on the table.
The Carolina Spartan says:
ave are for educating the masses and in
favor Of the State of South Carolina paying her
money for it. upon q system which shall extend
the privilege to all. No other system will suit
us-no other will answer the purpose"
Some excitement was manifested By the me-
chanies in South Carolina by some derogatory
remarks in an address recently delivered in the
S. C. College by Wa. B. Taber, Esq, editor of
the Charleston Mercury. The Patriot says:
He took the ground boldly that laboring
classes had no right TO be educated; that the
poor man had to work; and it was useless for
him to learn to read and write; that little
education made the people vicious and idle. He
opposed the common schools, and denounced
them as mischievous. He deprecated dcrna-
goguism, and urged conservatism, whilst urging
the most claptrap arguments in favor of TIE
aristocratic few, who were 10 be. educated, and
who were to govern the rest. of mankind in
their Ignorance and poverty!
Il heard Mr. Teber's graduating speech
some yeas ago, and was delighted with it.
have been on terms of kindness with him ever
since, but must confess that never before has
it fallen to my los land say it with sorrcw) to
listen to such farrago of insolence, ignorance,
and tyranny, as were embodied in his speech.
Ii was worthy of the dark ages of Europe, and
the iron rule of ieudal baron. The whole
speech was not only against human liberty, but
IN opposition to republcanism, to civilization,
and the spirit of the age. In order to show
the mischief OK education among the masses
: he appealed o. the Northern States Surely,
Mr.. Taber has never been in the Northern
States, and has adopted all the slang of those
who 20 North every summer to spend their
money and enjoy the richness Of the North, and
return home affecting 70 despise tbs North.
They have more wealth in the Northern States,
more education, more literaturo, moro repubh-
canism, and more religion, with much greater
improvement and progress in everything, than
we have at the South, MIR: Taber to the con-
trary notwithstanding And, in my opinion,
it is owing mainly to the education Of the poo
pie"
This notice of Mr.. Taber's address called
forth a note from him 70 the editor of the Pa
triot, chsrac!eriziDg his remarks as an assault,
"highly offensive and unjustifableD The
editor Of the Patriot replied that the address
was public, and contained principles and ar
gumen:s extremely Objectionable to all my Ihisl
notions on the subject of education and its
consequences" and that his assault was on
Mr. It's arguments and conclusions, and not
on him personally. Whereupon Mr. Taber
felt constrained to challenge the editor of the
Patriot to fight a duel, which, as ho had said
nothing impugning Mr.. rs honor or charac-
ter as gentleman" Mr.. Perry declined.
Mr. Taber subsequently published card, in
which he states that portion Of his address
was delivered without notes "that he made
the Athenian Democracy and the universal en-
Eghtenment which prevailed among the whole
body Of the citizens the basis of all his remarks,
and distinctly recognised the fact that the edu-
cation of the people was essential to repubI-
canism. He holds no such opinion as that the
State should educate a particular class, to the
exclusion of others bat he believes it to be es-
pecially the duty Of free government to instruct
the citizen, simply because he is citizen, ire
spectiye Of his social position His comments
upon the common-sehool system were not d.
rec.ei against Popular educator but simply
against the Nav England system, which he
believes TO be faulty. in the hope tha. his poor
efforts might contribute to thorough exani-
nation Of The subject, so that our State, in
= adapting system for her sons, might select
whas was gocd, ard avoid what was evil"
AL this indicates progress in the right d;rec-
ten. If j. be trae, as the New Orleans Ores
eent asserts, that South Clrolina exports her
two great staples cotton and political science,
and consumes less Of either than other people, /"
we may conclude that better day is dawning
for the masses of her people, and that general
intelligence prosperity, and happiness will
some day be the portion Of al within her Dor
de.s
A LIFE BoAT.-We are informed, that when
the revenue cutter Hamilton was driven ashore
on Folly leland, near Charleston, the oficers
and crew took to two boats. The long boat