Newbern weekly progress., 1860-06-19
WEEKLY PROGRESS
SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 16, 1860.
What We Need.

what We Need.
Newbern needs good school. Strange as
NAV seem the "wealthiest town in the State,
remarkable for It's general intelligence and the
ENTERPRISE of some its citizens, has not a schoo
in it. if we except few where infants are taugh
their letters and or two limited establishments
where those of larger growth are taught some
thing beyond the alphabet. We have materla
here for a mammoth school; we have the children
of both sexes that ought to be taught; IN mos
instances those whose duty it is to educate them
are abundantly able to do it, and we even have
among us those who are we'll qualified to teach
and others who have all the practical ability nee
essary to manage and successfully conduct large
school. Every dollar sent away to educate on1
children tends to enrich other communities at the
expense Of our own and besides, the parent is de-
prived of the privilege and duty of governing and
directinc his own child at time when that child
most needs parental control and guidance What
town better adapted for large and hourishing
school than ours Newbern is healthy, people
are intelligent and moral living is cheap and
consequently instead of sending own children
away to school we should establish schools here
which would not only be equal to all home de-
mand but such would deserve and commend
patronage from the adjoining counties.
We learn that there are over 600 children in
Newbern that regularly attend Sabbath school
800 at the Methodist Church. 90 at the Baptist,
100 at the Presbyterian, 125 at the Episcopal, and
we don't know how many at the other churches,
of w hich there are two three. This number
we are assured is not more than half of
the children in the town who ought to be
taught; so we have here in the town of New bern
H. o0f
school and our Academy shut up. And here let
us say word about this Academy: We are con-
vinced that the Academy buildings and the pro-
perty that was donated to the town with them,
has been a curse rather than blessing to the
community. 1t requires too many men to attend
to it, and consequently has generally been neg
lected by ALL Schools that are established by in
dviduas or by few gentlemen who associate
themselves together for that purpose, generally
succeed, and had this property never been left to
the town we doubt not but Individual and private
enterprise would have established and kept up
schools that would have been both useful and
creditabIe to the place
However, what is passed cannot be remeded,
but for the future we responsible and to it we
should look What shall be done? We are con-
fdent that if a Male Academy be established with
the right kind of gentlemen at the head of it, and
teachers procured Of character and ability the
iirst session may be started with at least hun-
Ared scholars, and we need not leave the town of
New bern to get a single one Of them. This is
serious and important matter, and If the Acade'
my property and buildings cannot be used and
applied to advantage, we suggest that our citi-
zens, forgetting the existence of such property
should at once take some steps to get up good
school Independent of it, and that action be had
at once SO as to commence the comming Fall.
No community can flourish and create for itselfa
permanent prosperity where Educational interests
are neglected. and we would respectfully suggest
to our wealthy citizens that looking after their
dividends and stocks, and living in Incidence and
ease laboriousy and honestly acquired pro-
perty is not fulfilling all the duties which devolve
upon good citizens. They must do something
more and in way they better employ
part of their time and portion of the wealth
with which God has blessed them than by lend
ing their aid in building up Educational interests
in the community of which they are citizens
In furtherance of the objects of a correspondent
whose series of letters the subject publish
ed a few days ago, we suggest that public meet
ing be held at an early day and that our citizens
take such steps in this matter as to them may
seem right and proper.