Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-12-26
The Southern school Book Scheme


At the Southern Commercial Convention
held in New Orleans, Jan. 1855, Rev c.
X. Marshall of Nicksburg, Miss. made dis
course before the Solons there present on the
immense Importance to the stability of their
peculiar southern institutions tlnt n stop
should be put to the use in their schools of
school books made at the North. Such books
"as Wayland's Moral Science and the Abo-
lition Biographies. Readers and Histories"
must be driven out of use, and new and pc
culiar school literature, adapted to the wants
Of the south, must take its place, or it was
idle, in the view Of Mr.. Marshall, to expect
that the blessings Of Slavery would he right
~ appreciated and supported. Mr.. Marshall
felt sure that with mOneV enough such a
school literature might be created and sus-
tanned and he threw out a hint or two as to
the wiscst course to be taken in tie pre
mises
The Free Press of the first week in August
1855, contained an able and interesting ar
ticlc, from another pen than orr own on the
doctrines and plans of Mr. Marshall and
others who thought as he did, showing up
the imrracticability and absurditv Of such a
scheme
Rev. c. X. Marshall Of Nicksburg il still
alive, and has taken the occasion Of the new
Southern Con vention, lately held at Savan-
nah, to develope his plan more fully, in Il
letter to the M's"sspp'an. From his letter
We take an extract or two. As to the practi-
coLiHtV Of such a plan, the y. Y. Eve Post
compares 1t fifty to plan for lifting ones
self up by the Wristbands, Air Marshall 5
ears do not seem to have shortened any with.
in the last two years, il one may Judge from
the following sample. The italics are ours
MY plan may not be the best, but shall CONT
nue. to suggest it now and then till something better
is offered. 1t is for our Legislatures to place at the
disposal of their Governors from $1,000 to : 900,
to be used in the enco urarcment Of the production
of home school and text books. Let it be provided
that any number of States shall operate together
by raising committees to act as upipires to be
nominated by the governors Of such States. .Ntp-
poNC ten States TO adopt the piIr. Each State has
a committee of say seven out of that number they
elect two to act oi mt committee formed of two
Of each State committee of the ten States Then we
have twenty scholarly educated nil ghencd gentle
| men, composing committee who shall offer rrcmi-
uns Tor such works a. they want For instance,
thep ofs slO,0 900 for the best uprk moral mil aphv
| adapted to our schoos-it would not be many
months till such works perhaps from dozen pens,
| would be found competing for the prize
"The day of adjudication arrives. All the State
committees have examined the several works and
| given their votes, and the choice is known The
announcement is made public. From that day on
not an order would be sent, for the abolition text
| books used, to the Northern publishers ANY
printer in New 0rlesns-the smallest iuh Office the
| owner Of which owns nothing else, and poverty
hourly staring-cqn easily afod 10 pay ths ,ucS sftl
othor on TIME, (dnd not tTg long tn'e) $1,000 for
has manuscripts
g No the author has mad, 81 900 start ruth nd
the struggling iobber might safely esteem himself
in safe condition, if prudent and perscvering for
| orders for the book would come in faster than ho
could possibly supply them though he mig ht set
| number of Hoes steam presses at work, Such n
book might not b. good, after ALL the commit
tee desired but it being free from lies perversious
ani-scriptura dogmas sophistries and uithal hghy
respectable, it might be considered not only safe, but
an advancement. And they would see that the ball
once in motion and authors offered rcmunerat ton
and the South bent on having its own books, their
services as arbiters would not long he required.
| The thing pould 'cork ,ts way.
"Suppose, now, the same is true Of primers, spell.
| ling books readers, Biographies, histories arith-
metcs, works on mathematics, languages, &c. &c
! and the joint committee pronounce. in favor Of
! each as they are deemed worthy. Why, sir, within
year two your city would concentrate an inter.
est or ownership in some four, five six such pre-
! MUM works, and you would one OF two rublish,
/ ing houses Of the largest magnitude aud uohlett
enterprise engaged in such publications to he found
/ in America"