The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-02-23
ANOTHER STRIDE.

NOt INC lcttSl dltrIlllup Ol llle forward steps
toward Capitalization and monarchy which
are contemplated and being taken at Wash
ington, is that of taking the care and cduca
ton Of children from the States Of the Union
and vesting it in the general government. A
bill now before Congress provides for the
appointment of National, State and District
superintendent, with large authority, who
are to wleld and direct the immense influence,
patronage and power growing out of the new
order of things. There is no warrant for
the proposed change in the constitution-on
the contrary both its spirit and letter leaves
the whole matter of education with the
States. The only pretence for the measure
is the general provision that Congress shall
provide for the general weltaren-which
may be stretched to cover any usurpation.
Congress might as well provide that hus-
bands shall at stated times kiss their wives
and present them with new dresses, because
it is charged to ENSURE domestic tranquility
1t is our clear conviction, SAYS the Wash
ington Patriot, that the House compulsory
education" scheme is a job, so far as indiyid-
ual interests are concerned, as well as part
of the desperate machinery by which the
spurious supremacy. If we had any doubts
on the subject before, they are removed by
the utterances Of the gentleman himself, in
introducing his measure to the House OF
flfI a NI>o
orable member began his speech by moving
an amendment in the interests of his immedi-
ate constituents-thc book manufacturers of
Now England; for it is part of this scheme
that the school-books out of which the ignor-
ance Of the "natlonn-that is. the Southern
States-is to be enlightened, must be all OF
an accredited and orthodox pattern. The
spelling-books are to be phonetic, and accord
ing to the strictest rule Of consonant econ
omy. There is to be but one 'z' in traveller
and not the shadow of a 81" in honor
Geography is to teach that Boston is the cen
tire of civilization, and History that Lexing-
ton was the greatest battle ever fought, and
that 1t was great mistake the substitution
of George Washington, of Virginia, fol
Artemus Ward, of Massachusetts.
Any one who has examined a New Eng.
land school-book will admit that this state.
ment OF the case is not exaggerated and
MIR. Hoar is as we have said, true and Iowa
to his book-making constituents. Arranging
the textbooks, he proceeded to discuss tho
main topic, and he thus defined the elemen
tary principles out of which was to be eyoiy.
ed the great scheme Of compulsory education
If man does not educate himself. his family
must do it. If the family do not the town
must. If the town does not, then the State
and If the State fails, then Congress; and il
Congress does not, then everything goes into
immediate and irretrievabe ruin. Now, this
is grand graduation of duties, but, I'M
luckily, the framework of our Government
never had room for it, and if it is to be con
structed it must be outside of the Constitu
ton. Nay, we go further, and, while we
concede that man is morally bound to give
his children an education, we know no polt
ical duty of the kind, and utterly deny the
obligation of what is called the State to give
children anything but opportunities, of
which they may avail themselves or not, as
they please. Even Massachusetts, at home
enforces no such duty though she is deter
mined to do it for Delaware and South Caro-
lima.
But the oldest result of all u.s. that, accord
ing to the tabular statement which Mr. Hoa
ostentatiously exhibits, the primary duty OF
which he so earnestly insists-of paternal O.
familiar education-and which we recognize
seems in the South, in spite of all the disturb
ance OF war, to have been faithfully dis
charged. 1t is only the political education
which has failed. In the seven Southern
States, which he selects as samples of intel
lectual restitution, while, between 1860 an(
1870, pupils in public schools have fallen of
about 10000. in private schools they hav,
increased, as near as may be, in precisely
the same ratio. Take the case of Georgia
the worst treated of the SHINING States Ii
1860 she had 1852 public schools, with &C.
O97 pupils. In 1870 there were but %,
schools and 1882 pupils. But, Oh the Other
hand, in 1860 Georgia had PA private-tha1