Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-17
Il, @. HOLIDAY,
WM. BLAZE,
SAMUEL lsIGGs,
County Central Committee.
- Pmm the PAlrmont National.
The Common school System and the
New State,

FtDm THb FAltlHOnI Nht0Ilhls
The Common school System and the
New State.
We hive never estimated accurately,
but we believe there aro ut least u hun,
dred good and substantial reasons why
every man who is citizen of West Yir,
giniR and cpxccts to remain in it should
vote for the new State. Tho two argu.
ments most frequently urged and which
Of themselves are sufficient to convince
every candid mind Of the prOpricty il not
necessity Of being cut loose from Eastern
Virgiuiu, arO
lst, Liberation from tho burdens Of
n taxation unjustly assessed and unfairly
appropriated, and
2nd, The great and permanent advun,
tages resulting from having free State.
But theroisa third reason which, to our
mind, is not less important. 1t is IN ad-
vantage, resulting from the adoption Of
the Constitution, Of tho most enduring
character 1t affects alike for good, all
CLASSES orsOciety-thc rich rs well as the
poor. We refer to the articles Of the
Constitution providing for system Of
Public Schools. 1t is true TINT it has
already been adopted, yet it is lost with
every thing else it tho emancipation
clause is not ratified. 1t, therefore, is an
element in the contest before us.
+ The common School System provided
for by tho Constitution Of the new State
commends itself especially to the pOOrcr
classes. Its only enemies are found
among those who havC tho means to send
their children to Colleges and Scu.inarics
and who would probably have to pny ten
or twenty dollars annually towards cdu-
eating the children Of their less OpulVnt
meighbors. We don't propose, ut this
time, to argue the question Of tho duty OF
the State to provide for the education Of
its citizens, in fact there is no question
involved in the matter ltis the bounden
duty-a well recognized principle in all
republican Governments that "whatever
mikes constitution must maintain it,"
An CducatcdlpcOplc can never be enSlavcl,
nor be made the dupcs Of designing dem
agOgues.
Our object, ut present, is 10 remind the
friends Of Free Schools, that their interests
in this respect are ut stake. a Public
School system in West Virginia Is worth
more to the State, is of more general utili-
ty aud better safeguard against opprcS'
sion and wrong than all the slaves iu Chris
tendon. If there is any advantage IN
owning a negro, there are thousands toe
poor 10 possess 1t, but no mau is too poor
10 realize the benefits Of Free Schools. We
know that slavery and Free Schools arc In
compatible. They have always been so re
gnried in the slave States. The reason il
this if'cducati0u was made GeuerAl-iE L
was scattered broad. cast with gVucrou!
hand, the slaves would pick up more OF less
iii, and, learning their rights would dart
maintain them. Hence, of white person'
over twenty years Of age in North Carolina
according 10 the Census Of 1850, there wa
one in every eight who could not read ia
New Hampshire only one in one hundred ant
five; in Virginia, one in every eleven ii
Maine, in niuety-six.
The question before the people is simply
this: Shall wo remain tied to old Virgiail
and suffer our lands to be sold to pay be-
enormous war debt and deprive ourselves
Of System Of popular education for thC
sRke Of retaining few slaves? Non
shareholders, what think you Of thesC
IbiuVs2