New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-26

Soo fbihcDl vi tcnOO1 tnrOugn"us enc 'S~ "
" such manner that the poor may be taught gratis.
But when the subject came to be acsed upon In
the Legislature, an effective opposition ws' oeins
made to it BY the Quakers and the members OF some
other religious .ects, including large portion Of
the best educated part of the people on the narrow
selfish and short sighted ground that, as they
already had schools for the benefit OF their own
children and their own sect il was not fair nor ust
to tax them for the education Of other peoples chl-
dren. In spite Of this opposition an act was hnauy
passed as long ago as 1903, BY which all children
between the ages of FIVE and twelve, whose parents
should report Themselves unable TO pay for their
education, were authorized to attend the most
Convenient neghborng school at the public expense.
1t n evident, however, that this was most IN
efficient provision, and it proved not much more
available than does similar system still in force
in Virginia and other Southern States. In large
districts there were no convenient nelghooring
schools; while the eleemosyna character OF the
provision, the confession Of poverty required from
the parents, and the narrow limit OF age within
which it could be availed Of made this provision
of veIy little practical value.
AT length, the intelligent and educated people OF
Pennsylvania awoke to the conviction that by re-
fusiDg to educate the people they ran the rsk OF
suhjectiDg the State ard themselves to be ruled by
a set Of demsgoeues who found the means OF po-
htical Influence in appeals TO popular passion and
prejudice, and in the arts Of pot house pohucans,
potent with those unable to read, and never accus
10 81; 6 Rut
tempt to give efficiency to the provisions OF the
Constitution encountered an opposition similar IN
many respects to that which had defeated the for.
mer one. There were still many old hunkers un-
wiling 10 be taxed to educate other peoples chill
drer. There were counties which had settled down
into such condition Of self satisfied ignorance, as
not TO feel any disposition to be at the expense OF
providing for their own children that advantage OF
schools which they had never enjoyed for them
selves. Partly to obyiate this objection, the plan
proposed and adopted-but which only went into
operation so late as lS5-was to leave each county
to determine by its votes whether it would enitle
itself to its share of general fund raised for the
use Of common schools, by assuming itself
certain proportion Of the expense of these schools.
If any body wishes to know the counties which
have been slowest to assume this expense, let him
study the returns of the late Presidential election,
and he will find that the msjOrties given for
Buchanan afford pretty certain guide not only as
TO the parts Of the State but to the very coun-
ties in which the system Of common schools has met
with the least acceptance, and has made the least
progress.
Let us now take glance at Indiana and Illinois.
So long as the chief immigration to these States
was from Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky, no
effort was made to apply to the education of the
people the splendid bounty Of every thirty-si1th
section of the public lsnds granted for the estab-
lishment of common schools, by the immortal Ordi-
nance Of 1857 So far from it the proceeds derived
from the sale of these lands at least in the State of
Illinois, were diverted from their intended purpose,
and applied TO the general expenses of the State.
Si1ce the recent introduction into the northern
portion of these States of large immigration from
New.E England and New York, the school funds and
CON mon schools have been placed on better foot
ing But, Of course this very recent legislation
has had as yet effect to dissipate the deep igno-
rance Of the earlier and southern settlements.
BY the census of 1850, Indiana contained 69,ii5
persons over twenty years of age who could not
read and write and il is precisely to the counties
which contribute most largely to make up this array
Of ignoramuses that the Buccaneers owe their
majority in the State.
Precisely the same thing is observable in Illinois.
In the IXth Congressional District OF that State,
commonly known as Egypt there are-or were
in 1s5O-Il, ls6 persons Of adult age-all of them
of native birth except l99-unable to read and
write This District gave the Buccaneers some
ten thousand majerity-just about his entire ma
iority in the whole State. In Winnebags County,
on the other hand where the last census shows but
nine persons who could not read and write, Fremont
had majority of upward Of 5000. Nor does this
hold true merely of the three States Of Pennsyl-
yana. Indiana and Illinois. The same thing is 70
be observed throughout the Free States The cities
the wards, the counties and the townships in which
BucbanaD's vote has been heaviest. are precisely
those in which is to be found the largest number Of
ignorant people.
Let us learn from this that ii is not merely by
eectioneeriDg efforts and spasmcdic exertions, once
in four years, that the yoke of the shareholders is
to be thrown of. The great means which must
give to Republican principles their final triumph,
and which can alone give them final triumph, is
the enlightenment of the people. Schools and the
press are the great instruments on which We must
rely; snd with the school systems now in operation
in all the free States, and the rapid increase in
ability and power Of an independent press, We
may reasonably hope that twenty years viii show
most satisfactory change in the abb ity of the free
labor States 10 govern not cnly themselves but the
nstiop.