The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-10-06
THE SOLDIERS CHILDREN.

That indefatigable public benefactor, the Rev.
O. FL. Wiley, Superintendent OF Common Schools
of North Carolina, has issued Circular addressed
"to the authorities and people Of North Carolina"
in regard to the necessity of providing some means
to educate the children of deceased soldiers. We
extract from Mr. Wiley's circular the following,
which will give the reader idea of the plan and
object in view, and we commend the matter to the
serious consideration of the public:
How are we to provide for the vast number of
persons rendered helpless by the war ;! Ii the
State undertakes, permanently, to feed and clothe
them, it will he burden which no nation can
sustain; and such course, as fixed policy, would
be eminently unjust, for it would lower the rank
of the benefciaries, and in the end afix on them
the stigma of paupcrs. Thus, in time, the very
class intended to be benefited would be degraded;
and the descendants of the heroes of this great
Revolution would be an unpriVileged and despised
class in the very country whose Independence vas,
under God, bought by their fathers blood
The Just Arbiter Of Nations would be sure to
meet such conduct with appropriate rewards; and
the ignorant and enssved masses would, In the
eLd, become element OF combustion and de-
struction to those who had made tue Revolution
IN which their ancestors were the great actors, a
means Of degrading their posterity. b.
What, then, is to be done? All that can be
asked all that be desired, is to see to it that
the children of the heroes of this war are made
vrtuous and self-sustanng equal in society to all
Others with the road to all the honors Of the State
as open to them as to others. This would relieve
the State Of AN immense and ever increasing
burden-it would render society more secure aud
happy, would enrich the country and cause the
face of. nature to smile from the energy, enter
people, and would, through their children, confer
the best, the most lasting aud most honorable
Enumeration grateful nation could make, on the
patriot heroes of the war.
Various plans have been adopted, by the benev-
olent, for the proper education and training of
portion of the youth of the country made desti
tute by this tremendous struggle; and the liberal
contributions to these schemes indicate the sense
of the community in regard to the Justice of the
cause But all Of these plans together, however
successful will be able to benefit only small
minority of class equally deserving; aud no pri-
yate or UNCONVENTIONAL enterprise can fully accom-
plsh the end in view. The SYSTEM to benefit all,
mast be as common and universal as the dews Of
Heaven; and as the State alone can undertake. such
q scheme, it becomes its duty to enter upon it.
The Common Schools furnish an admirable
foundation for such an enterprise; we have in it
system which, at very small cost, furnishes the
means Of primary education to every white child
in the State. 1t has already accomplished
glorious work i'll North Carolina; it has, under
Providence, been means of infusing that life and
yigor into the masses Of our people which have III
the last few years, covered the State with i'm
provements, with Colleges and High Schools, and
which have made the name of North Carolina
glorious in the present struggle.
In a recent National Convention of teachers and
friends of education the high honor done to
our State of recognizing her as the undisputed
leader In the great cause Of education in the Con
tederate States; and to the Common Schools is due
the credit of pushing forward the State to this
position. The machinery of the system has been
rendered consistent and cficent-it has large,
permanent endowment, and it has been put in
active operation in every part of the STATE. 1t is
now in a condition to build upon; and what it needs
to render it complete is system of graded and
higher schools in connection with it to prepare
persons for usefulness teachers and in other EN-.
The necessities of the country have
opened the way for these higher schools; and now
is the time to complete the common school system
and to make it means of special benft to Young /
men disabled in the public service and to the
children of INDECENT soldiers; and the President
and Directors of the Literary Fund have resolved
to recommend plan for this purpose to the earnest
attention of the Legislature. The scheme propo-
ses that in addition to the annual distribution
from the Literary Fund for Common School pur- !
poses, an amount shall be appropriated to such
counties as shall raise a like or greater sum by
taxes: the amount to be employed in supporting
graded or higher schools for the education of dis
abled soldiers, and the INDECENT children of those
who have entered the army, for teachers and for
other useful and honorable occupations. IF the
schools are not filled by this class, they will be
open to all others; and all will be entitled to send
their children, on the payment Of tuition.
They arc to form part Of the Common Schools;
and carried on in this connection, their benefits
may be equally ditfused the whole State and
they will constitute BY far the most economical
and useful system Of high schools that can be
established.
The plan was brought before the State Educa-
Lexington; and that body unanimously passed
resolutions commencing the system as the most
practicable plan for the permanent relief of the
families of soldiers yet devised. The Association
was, also, impressed with the belief that noscs the
time to act; and as the Legislature will not meet
till late IN the Fall, [ instructed to Law this
plan, and the action of the Association and that
of the Literary Board before the County Courts. .
and 20 iGaugurate such other incipient measures
as / might deem expedient for the accomplish
uent of the great work desired:
| will, Therefore. appoint some citizen of each
county, to bring the subject more specially the
attention Of the authorities aud of the people, and
be will be authorized to receive donations from
and to hold them until there is ocoa-
sion for their employment. 1t is not necessary to
inf 6afo CDf hol of