The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-08-04
MR HoLpRNs ADDRESS.

We have received a pamphlet copy of
the Address of w. w. Holden, Esq, teditor
of the Raleigh Standard) delivered before
the State Educational Association of North
Carolina, at Warreaton, on the LIST day of
July. The Address traces the history of
Schools in this State from 1862 to the pres
emit time, and abounds with valuable stats
teal information ON the subject. BY it
we learn thai the permanent School Fund
of the State, exclusive of swamp lands, is
S2,156,745 AZ.
After careful review of the educational
facilities of other States, the Address saws:
"North Carolina, though her white popu-
lation is 100000 less than that of Ken
lucky, expends nearly as much as she does
for educational purposes.
North Carolina has a larger school fund
than Maine, or New Hampshire, or New
Jersey. lby 81 ,500,0OO) or Maryland, or
(by $500, O0O) Or Georgia, (by 81 GOO. O0O.)
North Carolina has as many colleges as
Georgia, more academies by 100, and 2, 900
more common schools. The two States
are about equal in white population.
North Carolina has more colleges than
South Carolina, more academies by l0O
and nearly three times as many children at
school
Virginia has 100000 white population
more than North Carolina; yet the latter
has quite as many colleges as the former,
as many academies, and five or six hundred
more public schools.
Kentucky has 100000 white population
more than North Carolina; yet the latter
has as many colleges as the former, as
many academies, more common schools by
1000, and as many children at school as
she has. The same is substantially true in
the comparison between Tennessee and
North Carolina.
It must also be borne in mind that North
Carolina has no large cities, Like Virginia,
Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky, to build
up and sustain colleges and high schools.
Upon a calm review of the entire facts,
it is neither immodest nor MUST to assert,
that North Carolina is clearly ahead of all
the other slaveholding States with her sys-
tenn of public instruction.; while she COM
pares favorably in several respects with
some of the New England and North
Western States"
Mr. Holden's remarks on Polytechnic or
Military Schools strike us as being appro-
pirate and deserving of attention. He says:
ave need also State Polytechnic or
Military .SchooL.-The dream Of universal
peace is pleasant fancy, destined never to
be realized. The moral improvement of
the world has not kept pace with its intel
lectual; the most intellectual communities
in the United States are the most unstable
and aggressive, and the least disposed ap-
parently to regard their constitutional and
moral obligations. We must deal with hu-
man nature and with States and nations as
we find them. Possessed as we are CT
eculiarinstitution. so thoroughly interwov
ell with our domestic peace, and SO essential
to our continued progress and prosperity,
it especially becomes us to cultivate a mar
tal spirit. We must prepare our sons for
all the duties that may lie before them,
whether in civil life or IN the paths Of acar!
Our rights and the peace of our fre-sides
must be defended in the last resort, by
every drop of blood and by every ounce of
treasure that we have. Virginia, on the
one hand, expends fifty thousand dollars
per annum on her military schools, and
South Carolina on the other, thirty thou
sand dollars; yet we have no public militia
ry school,-there are but eight or ten vol
unteer companies in the State, and our mil
itia system is neglected, and entirely inef-
fcient.'
The Address is, indeed, highly creditable
to the author, and will be found useful and
interesting to all classes of readers. We
wish a copy of it could be placed in the
hands of every common-school committee
man in the State.