New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-10-20
SPEECH OF 0 D. sT1LLMAN.

re-
This distinguished gentleman, American can.
didate for the office of State Superintendent Of
fueile Education, recently delivered q very
able address before q large assemblsgs of people
st Colony precinct, in the parish Of ouachita
We areFindebted to aiIr esteemed correspopd-
ent IN Monroe, for his kindness in writing down
and sending to us the subjoined extracts. or
rather synoptic report, of portions Of the ad.
dress, which we publish with pleasure. twill
be perceived the speaker only refers to the sub.
ject Of Public Education, which he handles in
highly creditabls manner. The other por
tioBs of his speech are passed over by our cor
respondent. We doubt not his vindication of
the national principles of the American party
was masterly and eloquent.
Remarking. en- pdssant, that circumstances
have prevented Mir. g. from canvassine the
State, we submit the extracts alluded to; e il
Mr. stilinsn sais: In answering the call Of bis fell
low citizens on this occasion, he found himself in new
engaged n tbs practice Of law in this District a
profession very productive of politicians he had never
sttemped political speech But he had been hon
ored with conspicuous position Sams company or In
other wo-ds, place on tbs American ticket a. casdi
date for our snffages and had become fasbioushr
late almost every efce in The In ~
people, whether it be tical NOT IL might BE- exaee
ed that he would the people soma ra IN
regard to the tfice for which he candidate
The subject OF education in its various departDeps
and especially schools for primary instruction 70 te
ever been Regarded since the formation of
our Government, Of the highest nsiiopal Importance
only as means q promoting our social aud intellectual
happiness, but for tine preservation ipstitutiops
and the perpetuation of the Government itself at an
early period OF our history pubic attention was directed
to system Of educaton which shoud be conductsd At
the public expense for the benefit in whicn ali,
the youth OF our country both rich and moor couia
equally Participate Under the guidance of Lsz..iaty.
authorities aud ndivauai enterprise pubic schools
were established 49, 'sis'l E --1-
Tins States emuated each other In perfsct;oy svste
aud providing permanent funcs for their support until
public education has not only become fi1sd and s,tted
policy OF the Union, but has been means Of dosipr
more general knowledge and intelligence among III
people than Ia TO be found in any other Govern
ment In the world. sETfS7 = 7E9
Nor has Louisiana been wanting in thiz grsst ,, nj
| mental culture = = - - =
Mr. s. entera into brief history of the rise and
progress Of pubc education in the State commencing
with the first meeting Of the Territorial zoyerun.n NJ
said that as early 1854 Governor CLAIBORNE in an BIZ
address, advocated general system of pubic eduestio
this Unversty Il Orleans vas
and provisions made for other ssiaries of learning
That In lSll-l2 several public were established
under an appropriation by tho State of two tbou nd
dollars TO each coupty That the means provided an
peared to be simple under heyste adopted but st this
time there we're only twelve counties in the State each
embracing large extent OF sparsediy settled country
and In consequence the difficulties presented in .saf
schools ~ thny populated districts, eystea
tailed 10 satisfy the wishes OF those entrusted with a
management That in 1919 the public school laws were
materially amended thrannua appropriation was rei,-
ced to elk buudred dollars parish and the
authorized TO further by tax That the pri-
mary oJect OF This law provide means
ting ndigent orphan children Of nde.nt
aud although many benefits dispensed undcr it, ana
the light OF anowiedge found It's way many
hearth yst ths system objectionable IL
humiiiang distinction iu the scnuois between The ch
dren ot the rich poor lis Spirit TO tba
principle Of equaty which chsractere ali public
,nsatnaons aud taat many poor parent scsuatsd BY
That iaudaoe pride which celebrated has
eared To be the oniy vanity excusatei refused hs
its bsnehts believing There be disuiuc.
ton betweentns children OF pubic schools except
as should be created by the themselves by their
alsnts and attAlnment5. That ia 1883
abolished features wer. subsequently, re-
enaeted which, with many changes and anne m1nts
CONTINUED Until l84S ffee public schools were
lestahllsned RAIDER the present law.
| Mr. Continued pei hsps no State in the
Union which has mad greater imppdimeuts
in establishing public State of Louisiana
hat ns patient perseverance, and hberaity coInmen-
win the ohJect the people OF the State have
vanced step by step 40 the work of
now our pubc schools, colleges institutions
learnng VIII compare fsvorsbIy any other slmla
Iinstitutionsi sin athea Unon
After more than forty years. experience leislatp
upon the subject nf education the State pruvi
sion OF the Constitution of 1Sa5 established the
system which has been in operation about seven years
Since its first org there been several amend
which has pointed out TO be necessary
ahd there are other important changes necessary
must be Effected by future legislation But genera
principle of The aw 30 far as it provides for eduea
ion OF the youth OF the country schools established
State would he trusted contiune to receive tht
support of all true friends of education He said tn,
greatest objection system was that the prpcpa
part abous eighty cent? of the fund is raised by
tax which operates untqualy upon the people of
different parishes. Some of parishes paying much
larger sum into the school fund than they
school purposes And until some change could be
by which The apportonment of the unds
would equal the amount paid by them the system wouic
fail to be a popular one.
in reference to the character OF books used in ou
senoos institutions OF learning suggestin
that they should be purely Southern spirit eentmen
tendency free from all Frsesoiii.m and that
slavery sentimenalty which pervades many Of the work
education Issued from Northern European
He said, to these suggestions every Southerpsr mus
sssentthat there could be with one opinion OF
the subject. That the suggpstion, however was not
new one Several years ago, Professor Dmitry gu
psfintsndent to whose active and able exertions
half of education the State s much indebted amopJ
first labors in organizing the Public Schools
meuded certain books for the of teachers pupil
for the various branches taught in the primary school
throughout the State These books selected with
great care both with reference 70 the reading matter
which unexeeptonable, especially with regard
aud with references to their adaptation tn
pupil the best and most approved works for mpa.in
instruction Many of the schools still continue the
of these books and he believed that If the selection
. made and recommended by the State superintendeu
should be generally adopted, and the Public School
throughout the State should strictly enforce
Instructions the to the introduction into ou
VI all linceudary and fauatica inmi1
to our peculiar institution would be efectuay coae
That the Importance of good selection of primar
books-correct guides in the rudmens learnng-cou
De niBpiy est1mHted Inese teXtbooks II
basis of our future education, and in aer life
reverted to as
III Gems in tbs vista of memory, 5=-
TO light our pathway upn zzz-
The early school-book and the old shool-bouse Wit
. its ever interesting associations, anong the mo
vivid Of youthful Impressions and there perhaps
who occupies more conspicuous place in schoc
boy "reminiscences than the worthy school master WI
It guided our youthful minds in the path Of knowedg
That the true sehoo-maser benefartor to his
and his profession should receive
rhn,vIA
at horne and IL practicable, establish normal sehot
feel ourselves Interested in the workvit thu sehoe
not be decsiv in their real acqnireneps and by pc
forming duty haye ths pleasing of ID
Re old maxim Of Solomon and not the mortfc9tion of
Ia modern version Train up child and away be goes
He would for moment call our attention to hnoth
GLASS Of teachers and in speaking of them would say
cate your daughters 1t is the motherfr whom
ceive first ostrucon who lays the foundation of
future character who mouds the and directs n
N thought for virtue for vice Whist glorious
10 Pile have OF that maternal tuition in the immort
,s WASHINGTON Upon the mothers of nation often d
pend its destnies. How important then that you ed
cate your daughters.
m The Troy IN Y Whig of the 9th relates h
70 following horrible and fatal accident, which 0
ID Cured on the Union Railroad track in tn
w city: 5"