The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-19
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
We spent some little time yesterday in
visiting our public schools, in company
with the committee Of the city council,
and it is but justice to say that we were
more than ever gratifed at the evidences of
improvement which were everywhere
shown. The whole corps Of instructors
seemed to be imbued with the same spirit
of advancement which has been shown in
the supervisor Of the schools by Super
intendent Binford, who has allowed
no new methods of instruction to
escape his observation, in his more re-
cent visits to the schools in our larger
Northern cities. He is fully up to the
demands of the day in matters of drill
and discipline, and evidently keeps sharp
eye on the Institutional corps under him,
to see that his own suggestions, and those
of the best practical educators in the land.
are effectively carried out in the Richmond
schools. s.. .z-sg
We doubt if there is o man of intelli-
gence in our city who would desire to see
the present economical and well-organized
system of instruction in our public schools
abandoned. The results of its brief trial
are too marked and satisfactory, and its
practical working too manifestly adyan-
tagecus, to allow the system to be con-
tracted or narrowed in its influence upon
society. By extending the facilities of in.
struction to all classes of the community,
the moral and intellectual character
of our youth is improved, tie
standard of intelligence advanced,
and industry, thrift, and general happi-
ness and good order promoted. The
whole community is feeling the benefit of
these schools under their present admira.
BILE management. Destitute children are
especially the recipients of their great
benefits. The instruction they receive
imparts permanent impression to their
minds. even though it be of only few
months duration, and so far moulds their
character and shapes their destiny for
the future, that the influence of ignorance
and vice, twin companions that always
iraternize in crime, is overcome, and socie-
ty thereby receives much greater bene-
fit than it confers in the way of paternal |
blessing.
The public schools of Richmond are |
among the best to be found anywher g,
aud the time is soon coming when, if
not tempered with by the meddling in
reference of outside legislation, they will |
be sought in preference to any other for
the instruction of our youth of AN classes,
ranks, and conditions. We can imagine
how their usefulness would be entirely
destroyed, and the money now ex
pended upon them be worse than
thrown away, by legislating them into
practical machines for the use of dema-
gogues thousand miles beyond our own
borders. Here is the danger to the whole
system of popular education in the South,
and the sooner our members of Congress
learn to attend to their legitimate duties
under the constitution, and let the domes-
tic matters Of the states alone,
the sooner will the South and the
whole country come up to the standard
OF educational advancement desired
of them. The people of Virginia ,
have made no distinction in the quality and
quantity of education impaired to the
white children of the state over its colored
And especially Is this true of
our city schools under the superintendent
of Mr.. Binford. We think that, if the
visiting committee showed any preference
in their attention to the schools yesterday, .
it was manifested in those of the colored t
children, where their stay was relatively !.
longer, and greater commentator was q
bestowed. s,
The colored people Of this city ought to s
petition Messrs. Sumner and Butler, of il
Massachusetts,, to keep their meddling 81
lands off the public school system under h
which SO many thousands Of the brighter d.
aced children of their race are now being I'll
educated. If they do not do of
his, but encourage such unconstitutional tn
as is now sought, they will re
wake up one of these mornings to find the us
oors of every public school-house in the
tate barred to all educational advantages
or their own and white children alike. M