Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-04-15
Farmer High =
School,

than diminished by the official returns.
o-----
PelsnsyEvamia Farmers High :
School.
The subject Of Agricultural Schools is
beginning to attract very general attention
throughout the Northern States of the Union,
East and West. Many Of our readers, whose
sympathies are strongly enlisted in this cause,
will learn with pleasure that the institution
of this kind set on foot by the Pennsylvania
Agricultural Society has been in actual oper-
alton since the early part of February last
1t is pleasantly located in one Of the rich
farming valleys of Centre county, in that State,
some y miles distant from Bellefonte The
Philadelphia Ledger, in a recent fattering
alusion to this school, INDUCES in the follow
ing remarks pertinent to the subject in
general
The consistency of tho State, in contrib
uting money to establish school distinctively
for the memberS Of any one profession OF
calling, while proportionatc disbursements
are withheld from others, is Indeed another
question. There is a propriety, perhaps, in
extending such facilities first of all to that
branch Of society on tho results of whose
labors our common prosperity, comfort, and
even existence, fundamentally rest But it
would be dangerous for the Legislature to
attempt to decide OH the comparative impor-
tance OF the different calings, as ground for
distinction in the appropriation Of the public
funds. We would hope rather that the
i,ykf rs hn
until she is ready to offer the means Of both
general and business education to her citizens
without exception, and so to insure the fullest
qualification of each man for that work in the
community to which Providence and the
general welfare call him.
There are, however, conditions on which,
alone, as we conceive, this school can become
an ornament and blessing to the State. On
the right selection of a Principal will largely
depend the success of the movement He
must unite in himself qualities rarely if ever
nietw in combination. A thorough "tiller
of the ground both practical and scientific,
he must be, of course, and not less man Of
cultivated taste, a scholar, a teacher, endowed
with that ndescribable talent for the manage
ment of youth which is quite essential in the
head of such an institution. There are
scarcely half-a-dozen men in Pennsylvania
whose abilities would not be taxed by the
duties of such position. ..
Another point, at once difficult and impor
tant is to arrange such a course of study
that the general education of the mind shall
not be neglected, while the special preparation
of the farmer is duly provided for. Mere
narrow, exclusive, occupati0aa! training we
are confident will never do. The sciences
auxiliary to the enlightened practice of agri-
culture cannot be mastered without certain
previous development of the mental powers
by study. Many influences will press upon
the school in favor of low standard of gen.
eral culture, and a contracted range of studies.
Here, then, will be occasion for circumspect
delberation, and perhaps for experiment,
before the best course can be determined.
Another important requisite for the success
Of this institution is an adequate provision for
the moral and religious education of its mem
bcrs The chance of sound moral cultiva-
ton will be to our honest yeomanry point
of primary consideration with reference to
sending their sons and, looking at the mat
ter from within the school, in relation simply
to the order and efficiency of its pupils, what
can compensate some hundreds of uniformed
youths for the absence Of domestic influence
and ordinary restraints and motives, unless it
be those moral considerations which derive
all their force from the living principles of
religion? We hardly see how, in an isolated
institution, this want is to be satisfactorily
met, but we trust that the managers may
have found solution of the problem.
We certainly wish them, in all these, and
every other point connected with the building
up of great, permanent and widely useful
institution, abundant and honorable success.
Our PopuLArIoN- The Muscatine Journal
contains an editorial stating that, at census
recently taken in Davenport, our population
was only II 400. Any census giving these
figures cannot but be most miserably falla-
cious. Our vote last Saturday proved this.
On a rainy day, and with by no means a full
vote, and but little excitement, we poled
about 1900 ballots. According to the usual
estimate, that would show population of
over 14,00O. A full vote would have shown
population Of over fifteen or sixteen thous
and A great many Of our laborers have gone
where they could obtain employment on
public works. Many of these have left fami-
lies, who cannot exercise "the precious privi-
lege of freemen." The real population Of
Davenport cannot be far from what it was
two-and-a half years ago, when we claimed,
by census, 10000 population. Since that
time, the population has increased and
diminished. -Darenport Gazette.
1t will be observed that the Gazette does
not deny that census was taken at the time
we stated, but only doubts it's correctness.
This is question on which it is, of course,
better posted than we are. We have no dis
position to do our neighboring city injustice,
and therefore give place to the above 'expla-
nation" without further comment.
aw- The territorial enactment for the pro-
lection of slavery in New Mexico was designed
not merely to secure the black property" of
army officers, but red chattels, also, to those
who are "seized of" such. 1t has been a
practice, for some time past, to make slaves |
of Navajo and Apache boys and girls that are
taken prisoners. These red serfs are popu-
larly called "nits," and stand on the same
footing as the blacks.
tw-The New York Herald, which has
confidential relations with the
for the last year or more, is
breaking ground for an extra session, to COM
mence on the 1st of October. The semi-organ
alleges that the state of affairs in regard to
Central America makes this necessary. i