The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-05

Irestore ana preserve tbe ancient power and
glory OF the CommonWe alth. s
| It Is not my business to discuss the merits
or dement's Oh the general public free-school
system. Those who framed sthe Constitn-
ttion, and the people by Wtomit was adopted,
Idetermined that it should prevail In Viz
Egiria; those who bold Office are bound to
support 1T, as they are bound to support
feyery other provision of That Constitution.
Not that the Constitution OF the State OF
Virginia is supreme, and by It's Hat disposes
! Of all rights. It is not supreme in morals,
over Justice, TO- q man who recognizes bis
tobligations to God. 1t is not supreme ia law
as long as we areIunder the Constitution OF
| the United States-and in the assumption
| OF Office, whilst we take no formal oath to
Isupport the former. we do the latter. But
Office is not obligatory on any one. am nota
believer in 81 higher law" to man Clothed
with the responsibilities OF office; nor have
any faith in oaths taken with mental re.
l.serYation. And we're Of opinion that could
not conscientiously carry out the provisions
OF the instrument was sworn TO support,
l.
be filed by one who could.
Entertaining these views, there has been
no time since assumed the duties OF the
Executive that have faltered or hesi.ated
| to do whatever lay in my power to make the
public fTee-school system what the Constl-
tuition and the laws intended 1t to be. AS
cx-officio the president Of the Board OF
Education, / have given my best efforts to
crown 1t with success, and to make the sys-
ten render TO the present and future Of the
Commonwealth everything that its most en-.
thusiastic admirers and supporters claim for
| it or could desire. My acts 10 that connec-
ton speak louder than words.
Notwithstanding this, which can in the
nature of things be only or best known to
the members OF the Board and by their
records, my official utterances have been
| ignoranty or wi!fully tortured into
ASSAULTS UPON THE PUBLIC FREE-sCHooL
| SYSTEM
as II could be guilty of the folly OF attack
| ing formally and publicly what had just
taken an oath to support, in the same formal
and public manner. -----.
The further accusation has been brought
| that have arrayed the creditors and the
| iree-school system against each other, thus
engendering antagonism OF interest and Bit
terness OF feeling. With respect and defer
encc, this is Just what have not done. The
bin OF the General Assembly. which. felt
called upon in the discharge OF my duty and
under official obligations to decline TO ap-
prove, drew distinction and made an array
of one against theother, for which could
| find no warrant in the Constitution-that
instrument declaring in language not to be
mistaken that both should he faithfully and
fully provided for. j
I said, and it gives me pleasure to repeat,
that the public free-sehool system in Viz
ginia is the greatest benefaction OF which
we have any record in history. Though she
came out OF the war lacerated and torn as /
have described her, she, in her poverty, not
only provided for the support OF her Gov
eminent and the payment of her debts, but
she provided for the education OF her poor
OF both races. This was done. by common
consent; not by force Of arms. or the more
subtle but none less dangerous force OF The
ballot. It was done by the approval OF
every clasS-educatcd and ignorant. rich
and poor-as an offering TO the present and
rising generation, and q promise OF the fu-
ture greatness OF the Commonwealth. It's
warmest advocates and most enthusiastic adj
mircrs will claim for it no moro than this. Il
education be a great boon, il its advantages
deny that to secure them the system must not
be founded in wrong. 1t would be no honor
to State, and consequently no benefit, to
be decorated by spells wreSted from the
weak and innocent, especially If those weak
and innocent had befriended the State in the
time OF her need, and those evidences Of
friendship constituted the very elements Of
the States strength. Granting the friends
OF public free schools everything they wish
or claim for them; granting that the State
ought 10 provide them, and that they ought
to be thrown open freely without money
and without price; that they are absolutely
in theory above any and every public or
private objection; that their blessings, per-
meating every class OF life and pursuit, will
1Ny1GoRArE, ELEVATE, AND BEAUTIFY THE
COMMONWEALTH;
even then it does not follow that we ought
to violate established law and plighted faith
to uphold them; because we know that
without the recognition of these latter their
friends cannot by any possibility long pre-
serve the benefits which they seem so album
| dainty to promise themselves.
When I think OF these things, there is
nothing I have ever said that need wish to
retract. I would not, because would not
detract anything from the credit and honor
of my State, whatever might be my views
of the eXpediency Of her course or policy.
| So when / find this great benefaction lying
! in the path of her history will not stultify
her conduct and diminish her fame by say
| ing that the me ans for the benefactlon were
| to be provided at another's expense. She
| did not so intend, and she has so expressly
| declared in the writing OF endowment.
| place no value upon intellectual educa-
ton without the moral accompaniment. In
deed, / would much prefer ignorance; for
such an education does not make good men
or good citizens, but puts weapons in the
hands OF the wicked to accomplish evil pur-
poses. Mephistopheles is none the less
wicked, only the more so, because he is
simply intellectually cultivated. Education.
| mental and moral, must go together, hand
| in hand, and then will both its power and
| goodness work for the common welfare.
When free schools are established they
ought to be the best that culture and the
| means at hand can devise and perfect;
but above everything there ought 10
| breathe through them in their differ,
eIt departments and grades the purest
morality, and their foundations and su-
perstructure ought to be proof against
the charge that they were built of money
which should properly have gone to others.
| What sort of citizens would youths cdu-
Gated in such way make, or wherein is
any benefit to result to the individual or the
State? I therefore repeat, that il the peo-
/ pie of Virginia want public free schools
they must pay for them out Of their own
means. And it is no relief to say that the
Constitution provides for them; it also pro-
Vides for their support by taXation-the