The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-07-13
ANNIVERSARY OF THE C COMMON SCHOOLS

| tute Hall on Wednesday. Notwiths nndinr
The great heat, the o""asi"u attract cd mtin"r-
| "ns and choice audience. Long bcfnr. the
! hour appointed for the exercises, the gall .rirs
were thronged with ladies and after the re.
striction was removed. every available space
on the flooEof the spacious room was occupied
10y IL human form. The stage was filed bv
gentlemen OF the learned professions who had
been esP""la!!y invi'cd TO attend, several m"m.
hers the Commission appointed hy the State,
the Aldermen. the Commissioners of Schools.
AMI the Committee Of Visitors.
| lhc programme of exercises was Of The
most interesting Misunderstanding o cl,orrc
music. addresses hy the pupils. the reading Of
the various interesting Reports from Tn. Com
mi''ecs. and the delivery Of the diplomas to tie
! graduates.
Mr. MEMMIScEE finally introduced 10 H.. au
dicncc Gen. McrinwAx. a member Of a.. Com.
mission appointed by the State to cxam;n. ,h.
Public Schools III Charleston and report on the
system OF education pursued in them.
| Mr.. N"GowAS spike in substance ns follows:
-hH }"""y fr'r Gs:-It is, perhaps. inrii,tl.
t"hI upon iiie lo say something III response to
tn" invitation Of my d.-,inrn:sh",. friend; but
"sS"t" I"'i 1t Is hot my pm pose iniimt n,,:,
l"u >p""ch The Commission of witch a,i:
II mr'ii""r Is here. not for the rurp"~. Of at
| i"'nI'in I" give ihs;ruc ti"m. hut ON III. con.
! iri:v t" hr instructed 10y vni. Jh.. fame rr
! ih"s' S"'i""lS has gone nl.r"al over H.. Inn.l.
an" th" l"ris'ni urr If ilr >ia:r co,nr,,, r,i.,r
| "i us ail-has sent us here Ia examine ;l,c
"p'ra''"L AMI nh.crv" your progress wi i,l u
| view "f extending. if possible. th,s system of
| pub 'c education over the cn,ir. ,x,rni of the.
S,aie. from the b"ar,i 10 The noun, aims
We have been pleased, We have hccn ,,.!irhi.i
| WIN what We have seen and h"nr,l and Wa
Will tax" care I" report it all 1" that n,ly which
alone has the power "f making laws for he
gnita' c" of us all. uni which, a. W. we'll know
ic"is The deepest interest in the r,luca: son oc
all the children Of the State. To he cna!,!eL 10
make that report sal i>firt"rilv is the only oh
l"ri OF our visit here. and upon Ibis sui i,t we
will rc-vry- further coi:Iuirnt u:,til we Ln;e
discharge" that duty.
But Gs we happen to he here on this interest;
my occasion. Vfll your permission | will suy
! on" word noie. You have munv reasons In
""nGr"i n!aie yourselves Your lot. hav. Lcpu
east in pleasant I.lacrs-yours is the ron) for
| tune to have tested in your own r.r>ons the
efficiency of "A system of instruction, which we
sincerely hope is destined !" work n .-rrut re-.
v"intion IN the educational system of the State
IL has happened I" y"n, beyond the ordinary
l"' OF other pupils, t" have every facility for
acquiring an ,iucaIil,-cn,nfur,mble and rl.
aud devoted band "fcity fathers to stimulate
and watch ovrr Your rr"gr-ss IL after Years
III locking back upon these &.enes YOU will
hnve double u atlicaIion in the consciousness
OF having bad thorough elementary cJura
t'"n, and IN The knowl"lr" thai. ,ou were
pioneers IN the new system. from whicll,we nil
expect so much. We earnestly eXl,nrt vuu 50
10 ron'luct yourselves here. and hrr-aiI-r in the
great battle of If' i'll such III :nnrr ~ To com
mend to the world this system under which
1t has been y"nr good f"rtun" to hc c.,rn,c.l
lhe t"rihinr "i ca"i,"n ut early ,nw;i. n;nl ,
the muster "f citizen s"!dirrr in the streets
rrniin'! MS that this is u" Fourth Of Ju,v--,hc
glorious annivers,rv of the Declaration Of our
lhl"pem'lrmcc. 1t is most f AMI r,"I.cr that.
ui'on tls LAY. the Public Srhn"i, uf lie cn,u.
try should have public exhibitions. and in that
why call attention to the grra, suhIcr, of e;!i-
cation In our free country, the calls. Of c.l,,.
cation il not only the ca,Isc of human iv Of
ref tincmrnt Of sentiment unl of vi"tsl-. hut i
ls r;r.clnncnt'y t." cansc Of patriotism. !, !
IL worse than f"iiy for any people To alter pt
se!fI government without the i:.t.iiircnce. to
understand their tights. aud i" sriii - main
tain them. both If which HE pr"timr.s of
education. The attempt, under sHrI, crcuu- !
Stances, viii always end in war aud LLuul- !
she'd.
Poor unfortunate MrXico--w'ili her intestine |!
strif's and civil warS--aiTnrds good .xnr,pl.. !
Of the condition "f TINT d"nlr.l people which |
unlert AXE n" diff u,t task Of self government
with out Intelligence and virtue" Better far Ia !
b" under the irot rule Of some military chief !
;nin, possessing the power mt lens, L" secure.
the calm "f d-sp"iisrn! In this I.niut Of view,
every Public School is an arm"ry where ,l,. !
weapons of liberty are forgcl--rverv school |
h",:-t is n hulwark of Republican fr.e,lntn, anl !
much ratification of defence for our in !
situations ns Old Point Comfort or famous Fort |!
Moutr". It. is our dniy, our p,trictic .,pty. !
tn strengthen the arms Of those who " oud ,
afford 10 our people lie means of I,u,.lic c,lu |
cation. Let it Z" abroad in The land lie, it |
reach every hamlet from the scabonrl to the !
mountains. ard cover the f,ce of the country |
ns the waters cover the bosom Of the great |
arrpl
In this connection it il afnot. W orhy of re- |
mark that whilst onr government, from the |
nniure Of our institutions. depends more than !
all others upon the r,incaiion If the people, il |
has Yet perhaps done less thnR any other Of
equal intel ig"nce for tic promotion Of general |
cdurntirn. Our State. it is true, l,as sustained |
with steady and magnificent librrnh'y her
noble State C"llr"r, and in latter Years the
Aisenal and Citadel Acaa"mics and she makes :
m annual appropriation OF seventy five thou
sand dollars for the support of Free Schools !; |
but beyond this she iias fnr fha most part en- |
trusted the alIimp"i tant .IBniter of the cducn. |
ti"n OF her SONS and daughters, to tile vuimn-
'nry antcaprclops. pro,nlt;n.s Of those intl,. |
vriuals Interested i'll their welfare. She has ,
passed no laws making education compulsory. |
but has left il for parents and guardians 10 |
perceive for themselves chat it is their first !
duty as well aethsirs rsreatts." interest to vlu-
cnte tbeir'clildrensSssr -LS@
This was not tbe course Of some of the most |
DISTINGUISHED Republics Of an,iquTeS. They
regarded the children Of the citizen os the
children: Of. the Common wealth. and took
charg" of them. and educated them according.
~ at the public 'exPonsr. This principle is re-
cognizsd nowsina modified form hy some of
ths more ciVilzf1 monarchienl governments Of
Europe. It isiler system dfSpuhlic education
that l'ns enat d every grown. man and woman
in the kingdom of Prussia to read and write;
and it was her system of public instruction
which in the oldeai Lime. hurled Spar,a,. with
irresistible impetuositv, upon her foes, and
spoke insthe immortal epitaph. eStrnnger, tell
it'ats Lan,laemon that welded ! here 10 ODE
die1ce to her laws" *
Then. feIlow,eitizene, let MS suppbrf and ex
tend this syslem, of public ed,,cation which
you have ,naugurated here. 1t is more neces.
sary for us than any other country ubbp the
0f fh..o arfh ~ - l