The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-01-15

stltnle the great political element in our re.
Rnnsi:o. o.. which Justly rest. upon the principle
the people. AZ the people arc to govern, II
!o!lows that the youth, who are to be tho
| future rulers OF the commonwealth, either
personally or through their votes aa inde-
pendent electors, should receive the neoessa ry
mental culture, that they may rule intelIi-
gently, and, being educated in the knowledge
OF their sacred rights and duties as cftixens,
may know how to maintain the one and to
perform the ether.
The ignorance OF the masses may be OF lit
tie consequence in monarchical State, or
decd, it may be largely conducive to the vel
| fare OF such rulers and the stability Of the
Government, for tho people. being ignorant Of
thesr hsn'' sssaron %ako Hen rs st to
Berkeley, the old Colonial Governor OF Virgi.
nia, was perfectly consistent when he said-in
reply to the Britieh Lords Commissioner g.
vii questioned him as to tho condition of
that colony in 1910:
II thank God that thore are no free schools
or printing here. in Virginia; for learning hath
brought diso6edience, and heresy, and sects
theIo and libels against the best government.
God keep us from BOTH
That was sound doctrine then and under
our present system, it reduced to practice.
with us it IL sound public policy to enliehten
tho people, from whom all political power
must rightly enlanate. The theory tn al man
|
throughout tho civilized world like an ire.
| sistlblo wave. This is due to the more gene-
raj spread Of educated intelligence among the
WORKING , masses OF mankind; afact which has
| that seven bayonets think" Let the youth
st South Carolina be educated, that they NAV
| stand abreast with the foremost in this ad-
vancing march OF intelligence. The common
schools should bc multiplied, and punotuai
! attendance upon them should be enforoed
by law. Tho immonse number Of alb
sentees from tho schools already established
renders it imperatively necessary that the
General Assembly should enact a statute to en-.
force the attendance at school Of all children
OF scholastic age, whose physical and mental
bodies to Section 4. Article 10, Of the State
Constitution. wherein it is declared that ..it
shall be tho duty OF tho General Assembly to
either public or private schools, OF ali chill
| dren between the ages Of six and sixteen
years, not physically or mentally disabled,
for term equivalent to twenty-four
months at leaet: Prouided, That no law to
that effect shall be passed until a system Of
public schools has been thoroughly and com.
pietely organized, and facilities afforded to all
tho inhabitants OF the State for the free edu.
cation Of their children" No sagacious
statesman will doubt the wisdom of this con.
stltuti !na' provision, or the policy Of rigidly
| enforcing it by statute. Even il compulsory
education were not expressly authorized and
enjoined in our organic law, the right to en-
| force it would still be unquestlonab able, on that
principle OF selt-defence which pertains to
States as it does to individuals.
State has the same right to arrest the
growth Of ignorance in its population as il
has to check or suppress an incipient pestf-
lence. Indeed. it's right and duty in the for
| the public conscience aud more deeply con-
Germ the common welfare than In the latter.
The skill OF the physician may stay tho march
81 the destroying pestilenoe, and the due en-
forcement OF known sanitary laws may break
it's force; but the fearful evils that epring
from the mis-directed power OF . great multi.
tnde controlling the government Of 4 tree
state. and Themselves controlled by igno-
disaster without remedy. and eat like cancer
into the very fibre and vitals Of society. An
e1celi: mt system OF public schools, modelled
upon that Of Now England-the land OF the
school -house-has been thoroughly organized
in this State, and the facilities Tor free educs.
tion, as designed by the Constitution, are y ov
iina ahHr,isd our people and therefore the com-
schools. should be enforced by law, AZ ro.
CURED ia the constitutional provision citt d
The facilities for popular education ehould be
annually increased, and the proceeds OF the
tax levied for that purpose should be sacredIy
set apart for the liberA and unfailing m aints-
nance OF our system OF free common schools
In every valley and upon every hilltop. the
tine huiw wark OF a free state-a fortress we'll
designed and strongly built to arrest the
march OF ignorance and vice. I ask for this
the fourth annual report Of the State Snperin.
tendent of Education, (the Hon. J. h. Jill
son. the careful con sideration of each mem
Der OF the General Assembly. cannot sufii
clently commend this officer for tho untirina
diligence and the rare fidelity and efficiency
with which he las discharged his import AMI
trust, amid tho greatest embarrasemcnts He
descrves well OF every friend OF the people
and may be Justly esteemed al educationa
ben ella tor to tho State.
iovRvt
herewith transmit tho annuai report o
the Board OF Trustees Of the State OrLh al
AsylHm. with tho report Of the principal Ui
the institution. Il appears from these reports
tha' thero are l40 inmates in the aayluin, ol
whom there are II boys anc 60 girs All the
children are colored.
riIp number, at the date OF the last aunua
report. WAS IA. Since that report thirty
seven children have been admitted, nineteen
hsvo been delivered to parents, and twenty
Two have died. The number OF deaths, 1t vii
be perceived, has been enormous, in proper
ton to the number OF children, amounting tc
about sixteen per cent. This is q startlingl,
great mortality, In view 0f ths exceptonaiI,
healthy year, in the city in which the asylum
is situatod.
II must bo accounted for, in part, by tn.
fact. noted by the Board Of Trustees, that th,
building is damp and unhealthy, and require
very great repairs and improvements to fit /
for IN asylum for children. In it's presen