The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-05-17
A System of National Education.
From The Porldtnor journal. !SHatOr Anthony
fHIlEF

From The P1orldrncr Journal Srnaior AHthony'S
pdIEr.
Mr.. Wiley, one Of the Senators Of West
Virginia, has lately introduced in the Sell
atc resolution OF inquiry rs to the cXpe-
dicncy Of providing by law for atlurding
the opportunity Of n common school Cdu.
cation to all the people Of the United
States, The resolution, ut his request,
was referred to the Senate committee on
education and labor. The speech OF Mr..
Wiley on the question did him great
credit, and showed that he had given
much attention 10 the subject. The sta
tistics, also, which he brought together,
showed how great need there is Of some
measure that shall enlightcn the ignO-
rance which pGrvndCS 40 large II mass Of
our population. From the census Of 1860
it appears that there were ut that time
| ,I9G.5I5 white persons over the age OF
twenty years who could neither read nor
write The entire colOred population ut
that time was A,427OO7. These Nre not
to he described rs altogether unable 10
read and write, but MI immense proper
tinn of them OVER twenty years Of age
undoubtedly come under this head.
Since 1850, great changes have taken
place in the country, but II Is by no means
probable that the amount Of probable t.
n0rancu llls diminished, or TINT those Of
adult ugc who can neither read nor write,
arC my less numerous than they were
then. Besides all this, we have added
during the past two pears, ut least seven
hundred thousand Of the COlOrcd pupnla.
tiOn to the voting lists in the several
States, and Of those white people over
twenty years Of age, who could not rcAd
In 1850, more than four hundred and tiny
thousand were men and consequently
voters. In some States this uninsiruCteil
multitude constitutes large part Of the
entire population, and these, rs Il general
fact, arc the very States that arc the most
Indifferent 10 popular education. In such
States there arc also large numbers Of
people, who, though they may read anu
write, are yet iar too ignorant to be fitted
ina tOlcra6lc degree for the duties Of
American citizens. The mass Of igno.
rance among tho American, as well rs the
European, African and AsiatiC clements
of our population, which Mr.. Wiley
brings to Stcw, is truly appalling, and, MS
he well suggests, It is even threatening to
the sa(ety Of the republic.
II Is on this account that he demands
that education be made national con-
CCrn. lie ascribcs 10 tho want Of It, the
sectional troubles that ended in the civil
war, and maintains that the late rebellion
would never have taken place Ind COM
mon schools been established in tho south
as carly as they were in some parts Of the
north. To leave this great national inter.
est, us we have hitherto done, exclusively
and forever with the States, he regards us
serious mistake, and he advocates its Us.
sumption by the general government. He
urges In support Of his view the fact that
Congress exercises control over many in.
tCrcSts Of far inferior Importance, and
while he admits that such step would
increase the tendency to Capitalization
already so strongly developed in our
affairs, he still would have II taken, Cen.
tralizatiOn ho regards as 0n inevitable
stage In OIr national progress, which We
must pass through whether We desire Il
or not To assign the care Of common
school education to the general govern.
ment, at least 90 far as TO establish 1t and
to secure It's efficiency, he holds to be n