Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-08-05

object which has long commanded, and which,
trust. will continue to command in yet fuller meas
ure the support the confidence, and the admiration
Of the whole people of the State.
Meanwhile, from 1889 to 1925, though the "od-
field or English schools were multiplied. and few
academies and high schools were established, no
provision was made for common schools. In 1916,
Hon. Archibald d. Murphey, of the county of Or
ange then a member of the State Senate, made an
able and highly interesting report to that body on
the subject of public instruction, urging the estao
lishment of common schools, and also OF an lnsttu,
ton for the deaf and dumb. The report concluded
with a resolution authorizing the Speakers OF inc
two houses to appoint three persons to dges. u
system of public instruction, and submit the sa'i'
to the next General Assembly. The report ana :,
resolution were adopted; and subsequently, anu :.
is presumed under this resolution, duncan Oane'o
and Peter Browne Esquires, and the lev. Joseph
Caldwell, the President of the University were
charged with this duty. The committee never met,
but q report was prepared by their chairman, anu
laid before the Assembly. in 1873, Mr.. Murphey
made another report, more in detail ana more pray
tcal than his first one, suggesting plG" OF puoh'
instruction This was, however, preceded by re-
commentator of some plan of common schools, by
Gov Miller, native of Warren, in his message to
the two houses in 1885, and to their honor be 1t
stated, all the Governors of the State, so far as
have been able to observe from the earliest period
up to the full establishment OF the SysteH, lh"ue
similar recommendations
In 1926, the Legislature passed the first act on
the subect-"an act to create fund for the estab-
shment of common schools" To Bartlett Yancey,
of the county of Caswel is due the high distinction
of having conceived and penned the rst act or the
establishment and promotion of common schools,
which took its place among our laws This act SET
apart for the purpose certain stocks, the vacant ana
unapproprated swamp lands the tax on auct'onecrs,
retailers of ardent spirits &C. the pdrngs OF the
treasury" as they were called by MIR. Yancey NM
SELF But the funds accumulated slowly, and the
friends of the system went to work by tongue anu
pen to increase the fund.- and thus obtain means for
starting the schools. Foremost among these, was
the Rev. Joseph Caldwell, a scholar, philosopher,
a statesman, and Christian. He wrote, and caused
to be published at his own expense in 1882, series
of Letters on Popular Education addressed to the
people of North. Carolina" in which he examined
the whole subject with great care showed the I'M
and urged the people TO instruct their
to take early and efectua steps in this their high
est temporal concern. These letters, characterized
as they were by clearness and simplicity OF STYLE
by sound common sense, and intense earnestness'
produced most happy effect upon the public mind.
was then lad of fourteen in the Recorder office
in Hillsborough, in which they were printed ana
thus happened to the honor of aiding somewhat IN
putting them in type. l remember well the NM
gled surprise and qualification felt in reading those
letters SURPRISE that the head OF the State Unver'
sity, which was regarded by many even at that late
day as an exclusive not to say arstocratcal esab-
shment should thus think OF, and labor for, the
children OF the people,; qualification, that his laborS,
| and the labors of the eminent men who had pre-
coded him, were about to he crowned with success.
| But the University true then, as it is now, to
the cause of general public instruction. Its present
| distinguished and patriotic head is known to have
been always, as he is now, fast friend OF common
schools; and indeed, the presence on this OCCASION
as on former at Salisbury, of persons OF high
standing in the University, is Of the best pledges
that could be offered, if any were required of the
friendship and cooperation of that institution in this
| noble cause.
No monuments have been erected to Murphcy and
| Yancey but there is in the campus at Chapel
| Hill to the memory of Caldwell. Once year, III
the rich atmosphere of early June, and in the shad
ows of the stately oaks that crown the campus, as
| the young men who have gone up thither to be in
sruced in "all useful learning" and the citizens
who have also gone up thther to observe their pro
gress and to encourage them, muster together in
procession and pass by that monument, every head
| is uncovered; and the homage of the heart thus
offered, is far more impressive than any ever rem
dered at the tombs Of emperors and kings. Tha
granite column will decay but the examples of such
men as Murphey, and Yancey, and Caldwell will re
MAN, to instruct, to direct to animate, and to Gle
vate succeeding generations.
| In 1885, another act was passed. organizing ~
Board of Literature "-providng for draining thu
swamp lands and still further increasing the schoo
fund. The public mind now began to be generally
aroused on the subject and several able papers
advocating public instruction, presented to thu
Legislature in 1s3s--one by the president and di
rectors of the literary fund, and one by Mr.. W. w
Cherry, of BERTHE, being report of his as chairman
of the committee on education. In 1887, the Stat
received on deposit from the general government
under the deposit act of 1896, the sum of one mil
| f>nr Id md fbroo
hundred and ffty.seven dollars and thirty mine cents
The create, portion of this wisely vested il
bank stocks and internal improvements for the ben
eft of common schools. In 1886, the permanen
fund for common schools amounted to about tw'
hundred and fifty thousand dollars; in 1887, t
about one million seven hund,e and thirty-tw
thousand dollars, exclusive of swamp lands.
In 1888, bill drawn by Mr.. w. W. Cherry, pro
vidng for laying off the State into school districts
and for submitting the question of " school " n
school" to the people of the respective countless
passed This act embraced the present plan of re
quiring each county to raise one dollar for ever
two dollars distributed by the literary board il
1882 nearly all of the counties adopted the system
and in 1s4l 1t aods put in full operation. MI
Jonathan Worth, of Randolph from the joint com
mittee on education in the Legislature of l84O-41
reported the bill which finally passed, and is tn
basis of our present system. This committee con
sisted, the part of the Senate, of Willie P. Man
gum of Orange, Sam'l L. Arlington of Nash, Wiliar
B. Shepard Of Pasquotank, David S. Reid of Rock
ingham, Jonathan Worth of Randolph, Absalor
Myers of Anson and Thos Ward of Lincoln; an
on the part of the Commons of w. N H. Smith
Hartford, Isaac Joiner of Pitt Geo. w. Bannerma
of Baden, Duncan McLaurn of Richmond, Geo. {
Mendenhall of Guilford, John Walker of Meckler
burg, Nat. Boyden of Surry, j. R. Gillian of BERT,
w. B. Wadsworth of Craven, William Eaton, Jr.,
Warren, Cadwallader Jones, Jr., of Orange, B.
Beall of Davidson, and E. P. Miller of Burke.
Having thus glanced at the history Of education
the State, and having traced common schools frol
1925, when the first permanent fund for the sam
| crnofad To lQdl hor, h.