Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-01-10

Chloe Mason, icelored, for dsorderly con-
duct, was fined and discharged
MAGISTRATES OFFICE. Henry Perry was
committed to Jail on complaint Of woman
named +. NJ. Pherson, in default of security for
the support of his illegitimate child.
NIGHT REPORT. Night cloudy but light
There were no disturbances in any quarter of
the city and no arrests Sleighing was con
tinued until three clock this morning One
lodger was accommodated at the station house.
Address OF the Superintendent Of Pub
lie Schools.
To the people Of alexandria:
Within u few days the District Boards of
School Trustees will be appointed for our city
by the Board of Education. will have done all
that the Constitution and laws Of the Common
wealth require of them rs to the establishment
of public schools, and free, primary education
will have been provided for four hundred white
and three hundred colored children \ duty
now remains to be performed by you.
The census recently taken for the school
authorities shows that there are in Alexandria,
2,ll7 white persons, between the ages of 5 and
81; and deducting one third for persons between
Is and 81, many of whom are at work, we have
| 400 children who ought to be at school Now
the same census shows thatonly 90G-white chill
lren were to be found last year on the rolls Of
all the schools in town, 74G in private, and lG0
in public schools; and of those in private
schools, many are over ID, and not lew reside
outside of the city limits, or come here from 4
distance to be educated 1t is. therefore, GER
tain that more than 500 white children who
ought to be at school are growing up in igno-
rance and probably in vice. These are startling
figures especially when we consider that only
$50 of them are even now provided for, as
the 100 who went to the old public schools will
all want room in the new ones.
My object in giving you the above statement
is this 1t is my duty to see, if can, that all
the children are educated. Now if $50 chill
dren are withdrawn from the many estimable
and we'll qualified ladies' now, teaching primary
schools in the city,and semitic the new schools,
cannot see that anything will be gained towards
the great end We have in view. The parents of
those children will save ID or 20 dollars Il year,
those ladies will lose their support. and the
800 outside children will continue to grow up
in Ignorance to become, hereafter, nusallccs To
the community know that many of them do
not want to be educated, and that their parents
are just rs Indifferent about the matter as they
are but, surely it is the part Of good citizens
to seek them out, and to persuade their parents
to send them. Every man has. Of course, the
right to send his children to the public schools,
but unless they are filled with the children now
ont of school, the letter Of the law will be Carried
out, but the spirit will not. trust, therefore,
that the philanthropic and christian people OF
our city will assist me in my work, that the
next census may not show that OH"-thinl OF the
white children in Alexandria are growing up IN
ignorance.
| have not alluded 10 the colorrd children in
this address, because the coorcd people have
shown their appreciation Of the advantages
offered them. and have filled the schools opened
for them within three days after they were
opened. There are only 500 colorcd children
in town of school age. and Of these, more than
five hundred. notwithstanding the poverty OF
their parents. are ut school
RICHARD l.. CARNE
County Superintendent.
ST. JouN'S ACADEMY. Jan. TO- 1871.