Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-10-30
Mr.. Adams i'm SeIf-Defence.

We find in Walton's Daily Journal of last
Friday the following report Of Mr.. Adams
address before the General Assembly:
The Secretary of the Board of Education.
j. s. Adams, Esq is at loggerheads with the
Board, and in his annual report criticises
their action in the selection of textbooks.
last February He claims that they have
selected inferior books and says this resulted
not merely from an error of Judgment, but
from a wiIful determination to take the books
without a full hearing of their merits.
For this, Mr. Willard. of the FREEMAN
sharply censured MIR. Adams, calling him
impairment. On Thursday evening, Mr.
Adams, by request, addressed the Legislature
giving a history Of legislation the subecl
of education, and particularly discussing the
book question. On the latter subject, he
fire -ly discussed the points of difference be-
tween himself and the BJard, and severely
castigated Mr.. Willard for denying him the
right to official and personal independence.
We have given elsewhere the report of Mr.
Adams address, from the Burlington Free
Press, which makes no mention of the - Sc
verely castigated Mr. Willard We also
copy below, from the quite full report in the
Argus and Patriot, all that part of the ad-
dress, which can, in any way, be construed in
to IS castigation
The Secretary referred to the selection of
books made by the present BIard-of the
want of harmony in it at present organic
ed, and want of sympathy between them and
the Secretary. He had differed with them
he could not play the hypocrite. lie could
not recommend the selections of this Board.
and say what he knew to be lie
~
nothing but a whiffet and puppet, TO be
blown about at the pleasure of the Board
ne was not the man. The old Board were
not too great, or too wise, to consult their
Secretary, a man who was in the business all
the time, and who was in Communication
with the teachers of the State. The new
Board did not ask the opinion of their Secre-
tary- When he ventured. on an experience
of ten years, to suggest such books as he
thought should he selected, every book save
one, which he recommended, was rejected
The Board have made their selection. He
believed some books should be added which
the Board had rejected. The books and rea-
sons were fully given, and these were some
Of the reasons for the resignation of the Sec
retary-
We Judge from these reports, that Mr.. Ad-
ans attempted to justify the manifest impro-
priety committed by him in officially assail-
ing what the law makes final decision of
the Board of Education but the severely
castigated Mr.. Willard must have been
principally an Imagination of the writer of
the paragraph in Walton's Daily Journal.
We did not have the pleasure of hearing
Mr.. Adams, as we were absent from Mont
pelier when his address was delivered, but
from what we learn of it by the reports in
the newspapers, we do not see how he made
it to appear that,-as an officer appointed by
the Board of Education,-he had any right
to use his official position and his official re-
port to attack the decisions of the Board
What is meant by " official independence -
Does it include tho right, when textbook .
have been by law decided upon, to create
what dissatisfaction he can with that deci-
sion? We understand President johnson to
hold to a similar e" official independence" 30
far - the acts Of Congress are concerned, and
be has been thought worthy of impeachment
for thus officially assailing and resisting the
requirements of the laws of the land.