Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-07-14

to lay before your honorable body, at your rc-asscmbling, such facts and ilg- ures as win facilitate your action, and I hope to be able at the same time to submit such terms of adjustment as will conform to the interests and honor of the State and satisfy the rights of the public creditor.
 EDUCATION.
 Your attention is respectfully invited to a question which is perhaps more important than any you may be called upon to consider. It is that of univer- sal education.
 To the ears of tho oppressor this is startling and dangerous subject, for where ever ennobiing influence of ed ucation is felt, the shackles fall from the limbs of compressed. The slave becomes freeman. To the lover or freedom it is the very philosophers stone" which changes the base metal of the ignorant and slavish mind to the pure ore upon which the light ofliber- ty is caught up and reflected upon oth- CT minds until the whole becomes illu- mined. To us it is the keystone of the grand arch upon which rests the fair structure of our free government. No State founded upon the principles upon which our government is based, can prosper where ignorance prevails. The people cannot rule successfully unless they are educated and informed.
 Free school and free labor are neses- sary adjuncts; they go hand in hand together. The ono produces from the garden of the mind it's choicest fruits, tho other causes "The wilderness to
 blossom as the rose"
 The wicked and shameful manner in
 which the servants of the people have neglected their educational interests and appropriated to their own selfish
 uses and tho unhallowed purposes of treason, the magnificent endOwments
 of a generous government, subjects | them to the merited condemnation of all true patriots. In regard to the ad- vancement of the common school inter- ests, the question heretofore seems to | have been, not how to do it, but how
 not to do it. A comparison ofthe con- | dition of common schools in this State
 as shown by the Governors message,
 delivered to the General Assembly,
 November 18th, 1860, with that of the State of Michigan, which became a | member of tho federal Union at the
 same time with Arkansas and under circumstances less favorable, is calcula- | ted to create sickening sensation in 1 the breast of one having the interests
 of education at heart. In 1855 Michi- gan maintained 3255 common schools, l and employd 597S teachers. In 1860, as shown by the message above refer
 red 10, but p common schools were
 organized and kept up, in this State, | from the common school fund. l am | unable to give you correct information
 of the number of common schools now
 in operation, but for practical purpo- ses it would be safe to proceed as 1 though there were none.
 | From reliable statistics obtained | from the lists of registered voters,
 made last fall, it is shown that thirty l per cent, of the white, and fifty per
 cent of the entire voting population were unable to write their own names. 1 Nothing but due sense of my Con- | stitutional obligations, and an earnest desire to promote the educational in i tercsts of the State, induces mo to 1 make this shameful disclosure.
 i Fortunately, after thirtv-two years of 1 ignorance and misrulc, way is at last l opened through which the light of in- 1 telligence can enter and shed it's bcnef- ! ieent rays over the whole Shatc. l Tho iramcrs of our present Constitu- | ton have placed themselves in envia- | bie comparison with past legislators, l and meritcd the appreciation and grat- ! itude of posterity by that one act of ! i;,r-secing statcsmanship which secures
 70 future generations tho inestimable ! boon of education and gives life and ] perpctuity to the State, by providing { the means whereby it's future suppor- ! ters and defenders may be prepared ! for the proper exercise of tho duties of ! American citizenship.
 You arc expected to take up this
 work which has been so well begun. | and at an carly day devise and estab- ] fish wise system of common schools :;
 one that will not be out of proportion :, with our limited means but will be so adjusted as to grow with our growth, and strengthen with our strength. Af-
 ter system is established, the work of
 execution should be put into the hands
 Of competent men, depending more
 upon efficiency than numbers. The
 work that under the present system is
 entrusted to nearly sixty officers, could,
 in my opinion, be more efficiently per ! formed by ten. l, therefore respect | fully suggest the propriety of abolish ' ing the office of county school com missioner, and creating in lieu thereof
 district superintcndents for each judi :
 cial district that is now, or may here
 after, be established. These district | superinicndents should be charged with the work of organizing school ! districts and establishing schools, they
 should have immediate supervision over the school directors of the various 1 school districts, and see that said dircc- | tors perform their duties promptly
 and according to law; they should examine and license teachers, and
 organize teachers institutes; they should provide rules and regulations ! fer the government of schools, and visit
 the school frequently for the purpose
 of aseertaining the efficiency of the
 teachers; they should examine the ! titles of 2ll school lands that have heretofore been disposed of and re- ! port to the proper officer such, if any, as are illegally held and their condi- ttion.
 In short, they should have full super vision of all matters appertaining to the school interests in~thcir respective districts.
 In addition to these duties, the dis trict superintendent, with the state superintendent, as presiding officer, should constitute a board of education, which should meet at the capital year. ly, and have conferred upon it such legislative powers as may enable said board to make such amendments in the school system as the application of theory to practice, or the cxigcncies of the educational interests may demand.
 The present condition of our school interests is unprecedented A large