The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-07-01
For the Standard.
AN APPEAL I'M BEHALF OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

peared to us not only TO be IN Itself OF the
greatest and most permanent importance OF
any which we have ever considered; but
also as that upon which at this time, it is
most essential that right notions should be
entertained by every class of our popula
ton. Nov that the good people of our be-
loved State have nobly responded to the
call of Liberty, the spirit of the age, and the
drift of American politics by adopting, as
the fundamental law Of the State, a free Con-
stitution, it behoovcs us to consider how
in the great future before us we may but Sc
cure for ourselves and posterity the wealth,
freedom and happiness guaranteed by gen
er0us, wise and prudent constitutional law.
We may Congratulate ourselves that the
great preliminaries to North Carolina's adj
vancement in the path of greatness have
been agreed upon, and while we are so soon
to be restored to our rights. honors and priv,
ileges under the proud flag of a nations
pride, it will be well for us to consider the
best practical means of promoting the edu-
cation of the body of the people. In other
words, of improving and in many cases, We
might say, creating the moral and intellec-
tual character Of North Cardinals sons and
daughters. .r.ifr .. ..s
. ut SySIctu I'll cuuC2lLlOu WHICH y CbuCo W
be legislsted, upon can be made either pro-
ductive of great general satisfaction and
permanent good, or it may be so narrow and
useless in its ultimate aims as to bestow no
blessings upon the people. North Carolina
ought to take a leading course in the firm
and liberal foundation of her public schools.
Already powerful in moral, intellectual and
physical resources, which she may soon call
them all into action and accept as her due
proud position among her sister States of the
American Union; but still she must not be
upmindful of the fine and unsurpassed resour-
ces, the States north of the Potomac offer for
public education, as with many of them
schools, free schools are the great engines
of popular industry, giving an impetus to
all kinds of labor and moving the minds
and hearts of men to correct appropriations
of the rights and blessings of freedom. Shall
we have the same intellectual prosperity in
&, our midst, or must the great mass of our
population grope on in darkness, with no
light of mental culture shining in brilliant
lustre upon their uniformed understand
ings2 Away with all talk of advancement
in industry, religion, public enterprise and
social improvement, until free and liberal
public system of education is opened and
established IN our borders. There have been
times when the sympathies of the people
have been deeply moved in the absorbing
interests of education, but hitherto our steps
to Improvement have not tended in the right
direction. and the means expended in the
poor, halfway srlstenance of few "cross-
roads schools" with an unqualified and often
unprinciplcd corps of teachers, have only
been wasted after accomplishing but little
benefit to the people, who have been severely
81 taxed in days gone by to support these very
poor apologies for public instruction.
Now what seems to be the duty of the
State in view of the experience of the past
The spirit of this ageis progressive, and it can
not be chained. The bikes cannot he thrown
up against these waves of progress and i'm
pr0vement, which are flowing from the broad
ocean of freedoms depths. The educational
societies of the Northern States have sown
good seed in our borders, and we may profit
by the fruits they are bringing forth, but we
must make great and united effort to gath
er up all the uneducated from the lower
classes of society-from the most ignorant
and depressed families without regard to
color, Then suitable and competent teach
ers should be provided and paid out of an
established school fund. Under such auspi-
ces our poorer population would be stimula-
ted with new hopes of being conducted into
the paths of knowledge and breathing the
pure atmosphere of liberty, they would feel
a deeper interest in the scenes of their ma
LTD. tiyity and childhood. The light of knowl-
In, edge will no sooner flash upon their minds
b than they will be eager to impart 1t to their
d, friends, and no sooner will the page of truth
be unfolded to their gaze than they will
spread it before the eyes of all in whom they
have an interest. An educated population
is the best evidence of States prosperity
and the surest bulwark of its liberties.-
Show us man of an improved understand
ing and with him we will discover, extend
ing in the circle with which he is familiar,
IN influence better and purer than the uned-
~ ucated ever can command. Public schools
aim to seek out the genius which lies hidden
in the lower classes of society. Not unfre-
quently in the most remote and widest por-
tions of our State, we find tile grandest and
q least adulterated examples of genuine talent
and intellectual endOwments, covered over
? it may be. with the uncostly garb of poverty
81 q or want yet possessing natural talent suffi
cient to move the heart of greatness and
hold nation spell bound in admiration of
its genius.
Heretofore only the rich or those who
were considered well to do in the world"
have enjoyed anything like good educational
privileges, but now under the grand gui-
dance of Republican principles the path of
education is to be accessible to all, the poor
as well as the rich, the colored as we'll as the
white child. The demands of the times in
which we live have called forth advance
ment in the cause of education, promising
unlimited scope for improvement and pro-
> gress in intellectual culture In this land of
absolute freedom, native talent and laudable
ambition must have no impeachment in their
path. Every man is to have precisely that
amount of influence to which his mental ca
pacities and education entitle him. No man
of moderate information and common sense
supposes that every farmer, mechanic or
tradesman can have private tutor for his
children or send them to expensive institu-
tions of learning. To he taught at all,
therefore, they must go to school, where so
many children attend as can be properly in
ifstructed and educated at the expense of the
L free laws and generous provisions of the
State. The Superintendent of Public In
struction will be the head from which all
good results must flow, after the Legislature
shall map out the course and furnish the
means for such system of free education as
shalt tend to reflect credit upon its wisdom
and secure inestimable blessings to the peo-
pie OF the State How important, then, will
ID it be for our next General Assembly to give
p this matter grave and wise consideration =
3; In the first place, the school districts should
. be properly marked out and schools estab-
1ished not according to the number of square
miles, but in conformity to the existing