, 1872-05-08
10 the Editor ct the "St. Croix Avis"
Mr.. Editor

MI. E0lCOT
In your No. 81 "A Philanthropist' impair
tiully opines that the annihilation Of the
Public Schools ia both towns etc. will pro
duce good results ; but it's a policy detrl-
mental to the public welIbeing; and not
congenial to the progress Of the nineteenth
century :; for such institutions ought rather
to be multiplied than diminished in any
civilized aud enlightened country.
Were it not for Public ScoooIs,' what
would be the minds safe ofthe great mass
Of mankind? The same as the ancient
Britons, prior and subsequent to the con
quest of Julius Caesar ; or that Of the Dark
Ages of continental Europe when men's
minds were fraught with ignorance and
superstition which were the means Of sub
iecting them to the caprice and aggran-
%dixement Of their more ambitious county
men, who for private ends exercised their
mental faculties, and thus successfully
emerged from the common leespond OF IL
norance.
No Mr.. Editor! To destroy any Pub
lie School whatever unless 1t produces no
beneficial results (and who can dare to
maintain the negatiye) argues u retrogres-
sive motion of a people, aud places the ed
ucatiOn OF the c~ommrnaIty which at pre-
sent is o great desideratum at an inaccessi-
Bile point of attainment. If said schools
do not produce the results expected OF
them, let them be properly systemutized,
as has frequently been suggested, but not
broken up. See what Public Schools
have done and are yet accomplishing tor
Europe, America, and some Of the West
Iudies But for US, comparatively little ;
there being SO few, and the generality 80
despicably provided for. Wa want more
schools of u character which will extend
the opportunity of receiving knowledge to
the poorest class.
That each Sect ought to establish o
school Of its own, whereby instruction will
be with greater facility dlffused, is certain
" a marked trait in "A Philanthropist' from
which the many Pastors may make this de-
duction that as long as their parish exists
without a school, their work is but little
begun-and their duty is not only the ma
ranguing of On assembly for half an hour
biweekly, (then concluding they have full
filled all righteousness), but also the par
ticular Attendance to the mental we'll being
of the Youth of their flock which is only
attainable by their presenting to their reach
the places and means of instruction, visit
ing them, and investigating their progress.
That Ministers of this Island are much
interested in the training ofyouth, remains
only to be proved by their visits to places
of instruction, which is but once a year
when a crowd attends through q matter
of form /; and then neither Ministers nor
others can form a just opinion of the chill
dren's progress, they being left to the OPP
ton ofteacher and scholars to be duped by
the delivery of old lessons or new ones
hurriedly put together to suit the purpose
ef the day. Many pastors say ii great deal,
butin reality do very little. The oface
seems speculative after all, each one being
bent on hording up the almighty dollar
that at some future period he may recline
at ease upon the results Of his public la
bors. Our 'Philanthropist' will therefore
look 10 vain for the establishment of more
''Uenominstional Schools" than those