The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-17
For the Standad.
FREE SCHOOLS AT THE NORTH.

as the limited States for the general educa
ton of its people. This is simply stating
| an admitted fact with no vain contempt fol
other countries. While the Scotch arc
shrewd. the English SQUAD, the French smart
and the Germans learned, none OF these ma
tions have done as much as we for the en-
lightenment of the masses: in none OF them
can so many of the. poor read and write
holding thus the key to all learning in none
of them are the dwellings of all classes, even
the lowliest. so universally provided with a
well-read literature. But all parts OF our
country have not deserved equal praise. In
this Southern land besides the millions OF
ignorant slaves, great numbers OF poor
whites could neither read nor write. News
papers had small circulation and high
price: public libraries were few and small
and little patronized and not many OF the
shanties of the poor were ennobied ny
those precious volumes of Milton, Cowper,
Pollock and Addison which are found on the
mantel or the parlor table in almost every
dwelling at the North.
A new day of general education IS dawn
ing on the South. The freedmen have rush
ed with enthusiasm to the long-locked treas
ures of learning, and their zeal IS not likely
to flag. The children as they grow up must
be encouraged to higher and higher attain
ments. Both races and all classes must ca
gerly seek in friendly rivalry the highest i'm
provement of their minds. The old theory
that education was no advantage to laboring
people, but rather harm by making them
disconnected with their lot, is already thrown
away. The State will soon assume its office
of furnishing the highest possible enlighten-
ment to all its inhabitants, so that all the
powers OF mind which they have received
from the Creator may be developed for His
glory, the good of their fellow men and the
stability Of the republican government en-
trusted to their control. The most ignorant
citizen is now allowed to vote, and therefore
as matter of public safety his ignorance
must be taken away, and the greatest effort
must be made that the next generation OF
voters be educated for their high trust. Gov
ernments in these States may be steadied for
few years by the power of the nation, but
they will fall at last if the masses are not
thoroughly educated. A monarchy may be
strong if its subjects are loyal and moral, but
a republic must be sustained by men that
are intelligent also, to preserve its delicate
balance.
The nation not only knows but feels this
truth and so we hear from authorities OF
every rank at the North, that one OF the es-
sentials of our new constitutions is provis-
ion for free schools for all the Inhabitants.
NORTH CAROLINA FREE SCHOOLS.
North Carolina is almost the only south
ern State that ever attempted free school
system, and she began in comparatively
modern times. We happen to have in our
possession copy of the Carolina Observer,
a weekly, published in Fayetteville in 1924,
which contains in its report of the proceed
ings of the legislature for Nov. 23d the in
itiatory resolution respecting free schools,
called out by some suggestion in the Gov
ernor's message.
But nearly two hundred years ago, in 1647,
Massachusetts made the support of schools
compulsory upon the towns and education
universal and free" New York disputes
with her the priority of their establishment
1t is three and in the Western States which
their SONS have organized, that the free
school system has grown to be the praise of
the world
1t is important for US to know what the
free school system Of the North and West
really is. For when members of Congress
say that free schools must be established by
every reconstructing State, it is the Northern
system which they have in mind, and the
people in North Carolina are liable to misun-
derstand the requirement if they do not no.
tice in how many points it differs from their
old Common Schools. For the sake of Civ
ing information we propose to point out Il
few of the differences. We intend no odious
comparison, for we would never disparage
our praiseworthy records of the past. The
N. G. reports for 1860, the n. Y. for 1854,
and Mass. for 1860 are our authorities.
NORTHERN sCHooLs-THEIR LARGER ATTEN-
DANCE.
1. In the North larger portion of the pub
lie patronlZe the free schools, which are kept
open much larger part Of the year. In
North Carolina &c counties) there ere 1877,
OFT white children between the ages of and
81. The free schools report los, 04S pupils,
or less than "a per cent. The average length
of schools was about four months, and in
only two counties was it as high as six
months. We have no statistics respecting
punctuality, but it is believed to have been
in most parts of the State extremely def
cient.
In New York, whole number of children
between and 81 years, 1907, 1922. Number
in public school 1871, IA, or more than 81
per cent. Average length of schools in the
country months 9 days, in the cities 10
months 5 days.
In Massachusetts,, children between and
Is years 22a,714. Number at school 1885,
$3.50 more than rs per cent In only three
of the 1913 towns was the number of pupils
less than half of the number of children !;
while in six towns there are more in the free
schools than the whole number OF children
between and Is years old. Average length
of schools months, 10 days. Every free
school is required by law to be kept open at
least six months in the year.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
2. In the Northern schools the pupils are
carried on much farther in their studies
Our Superintendent of Schools 1853 con-
graduates the State that of the whole number
of teachers licensed, at least three-fourths
teach grammar and geography, whereas ff-
teen years before these branches were not
taught in one-ffth of our schools. All the
Mass. schools are required to give instruction
in photography, reading, writing, English
grammar, geography, arithmetic Hist. of U.
s. and good behavior, while every town con-
tanning five hundred families is required to
maintain high-school in which are taught
general history, bookkeeping, surveying,
geometry, natural philosophy, chemistry, bot
any, the civil polity OF Mass. and of the U.
S., and the Latin language. In larger towns
provision is made for still more advanced
studies. There are 1O2 High-schools in
which Latin and Greek are taught. The