New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-01

a, man never spake,' the magnificent poetry ana
rnn, inspiration Of the Prophets and the Psalms tne
aesn and far-r~aching wisdom OF the Proverbs, the
,,r Die and truthful chronicles Of the earliest hlsoss
OF the race and the epistolary admonitlons OF me
venerable Fathers Of the Christian churcn' might
,an and safsly be trusted 10 win the hearts purify
IN. lives and direct the conduct OF the young "lou'
being mingled with nnumerabe diverse Hld c"i'la-
dictdry siosses and interpretations by those MnY
ever honestly and ntiously, radically ainetea
in their judgments and conclusions. Such IntefPeta
lions and comments were clearly out OF pace tlelei
wherever else they might be deemed useiul vi n 49,,
.ary No word or hint from the teacher wac tnous
nrcner 10 be allowed in any manner 20 weaken u4''u
or undermine the peculiar religious views OF any SCI
or Reorganization while all might be permitted ana en-
couraced reverently TO listen TO those oracies u
common faith upon which all theee views were oass,
and around which clustered all their hopes ior uihe
and for eternity And vet, because TINS ",se
and most discreet limitation was interPo-ed oy
the lawgiver-because the Jealous anu Pe!h"P
intolerapt devo.ee of some one or al! Oh tAe
numerous and differing forms OF religious ny
~ rorshin could Dot be allowed 10 convert the nails
Of public instruction into an arena OF
putation because the mysteries OF transuostane.o
on the one hand and the endless controversies eohen
ing fate ree-wilL and knowledge absolute, on t'e
other could not be transferred from the pulpit and me
.c,ure-roOm 10 teachers desk and CLASSROOM ll
alarming pr,clarls,jon il made throughout the and
that our noble system Of Public Sehoos-the prlue
and the ornament of State and CITY, the Keystone
Of the arch of our civil and social institutions
tainted with ndety. and utterly unworthy OF puoc
confidence or private regard. IL 1t wise-ls Jus-s
/, right for those whose high position and command
inc abilities invest them with extended lRnuence over
fsrgs nortiop of the community in which they hve
,bus 10 seek 10 undermine the broad foundations OF
our individual and social security In the face OF
fcts such az have been cohated IN previous portion
Of this report, and the evidences OF when are sasy
accessible 10 every nGuiring mind Is 1t fair TO charge
unon our Public Schools the fearful array OF VIOLENCE
boodshed and crime, which casts deep shadow upon
the civilization which surrounds us Where are the
eonyc.s who have been reared under the influence oi
our Public Schools or who have attended upon their
rninistra.ious for my considerable length OF Tune
How many and tho of the millions OF pupils whose
names have been enrolled on the list OF regular al
tndan,s uuon these institutions during the past my
wears or OF the hundred thousands now participating
in their instruction and discipline, have been convict
ed or even accused Of oenses against property or
person or of any crime in the catalogue OF Ieohes
punishable with Imprisonment or death "he,e Is
he evidence upon which charge serious and ex-
phcit is based Its production is confidently ehai-
ienged. and its existence unhesitatingly denied.
Foually confidently and unhesiatingly is the allega-
ton denied that the Public School system either o the
state or city is responsible well for what 1t has failed
10 accomplish in the education of the entire population
10 whom its doors freely opened, rs tor what II
has actually DONE Neither the officers nor agents of
these schools and systems have been invested Wl'l
any authority 10 bring within their supervision those
who did not voluntarily choose to place them
selves under their guidance and control Their doors
were and have been nvitingy open and free to every
child in the community rich poor high or low, VIZ
tuous or vicious. They have undertaken the respou-
sibiy of bestowing upon each child, fully awaiting
himself of the facilities thus afforded sound practi-
cal Christian education, and 10 this high respoAamty
they should te rigidy held But they have not I'M
deraken nor had they the power to undertake, me
compulsory education OF any cd-nor sGh vi" 49,,
any pretenson justice, be held responsioe lot te
vices or the guilt or those who have never or on nor
]. b,ief and intermted periods at time, been Paced
nnder their instruction There 49, however, tearful
and solemn responsibility resting upon those who pos
sess both the power and the for securing the
universal education of the futere members of the
community and who have hitherto neglected and still
continue TO neglect TO make such provision efectua
With the experience of ages before them, all
pointing in the came direction, and all combin-
| ing to demonstrate the intimate connection be-
tween ignorance and crime-with the moral certainty
staring them in the face that the idle aud the DISCO
lutte the darkened and benighted inteects OF to-day
will become the paupers or the Criminals the robbers,
the ncepdars the burglars or the murders OF 0-mor
row. With the full knowledge that the streets and av-
enues of our great cities and towns are swamlng with
the rapidly ripenng elements OF wretchedness, and
vice and crime, and with the undoubted and clearly
deducble power, even a. measure OF sei-deIehso
and in the exercise OF the most obvious means OF SAL
utary prevention to arrest the further progress of this
aesoaing plague and TO convert into fertile source
Of blessing by comprehensive and wedevised sys-
tenn Of universal education. The legislators OF the
Commonwealth yet shrink from the discharge of their
imperative duty in this respect, aud vainy and nef-
fectualy hope to accomplish the work OF reform by
penal enactments and vindictiye punishnents These
are the men, and not the officers oragents of our pub
lie schools who may legitmatey be held Responsible,
not alone for the consequences and results OF what
they have done but for what, having the power and
to do they have left undone In the intellectual
and moral training of the youth of the State.
Respectfully submitted,
s. s. RANDALL. City Sup't.