The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-12-23
National Education.

Z
of the sales of public lands and patent
fees, to the purposes Of education. On
the 18Th, the bill was further discussed, and
several amendments offered and adopted,
and then passed by vote of Al ayes to '6
nays. The following is brief outline of
it: 1.-The net proceeds of sales of public
lands and OF patents are forever set apart
for the education of the people The Sec
rotary of the Treasury shall yearly appor
ton to the several States and Territories
aud the District of Columbia, upon the ba-
sis of population between the ages of and
90 years, the said net proceeds for the pre-
vious year. which shall be credited on the
books of the treasury as an education fund.
to be paid to the States as above. Provided
that for the first ten years the apportion-
ment shall be made according to the num-
Der of population of 10 years old and up
ward who cannot read and write; and pro-
vided further, that one-third of the income
from said fund shall be annually appropri-
ated to the completed endowment and sup
port of colleges established or which may
be established under the act of 1862, until
the amount annually thus accruing to said
colleges in each State shall reach 200,
after which the whole income of said fund
shall be appropriated by the said States, Ter
ritories and District to the education of all
children between the ages of and l6. The
Secretary of the Treasury is authorized
to add to the fund any sums given to
the United states for that purpose. A sum
not exceeding 80 per centum of the amount
received by any State. &C., the first year,
and not exceeding 10 per cenG. in any year
thereafter may be applied at discretion to
the maintenance of schools for the instruc-
ton OF teachers of common schools. To
| be entitled to the benefits Of this act. any
State. &C., must maintain for at least three
months in each year until January l, 1865,
and thereafter four months in each year a
system of free public schools for all chill
dren between six and sixteen years of age.
Any State, &C., misapplying any OF the
money received under this act shall forfeit
foreclosure grants until the amount go mis-
applied shall have been replaced by said
State, &c. Nothing contained in this act
shall be held to alter any previous law re-
garding the disposition of public land nor
to limit the power Of Congress over the
public domain, nor to interfere with grant
ing bounty land to soldiers and Sailors
The bill also authorizes colleges estab-
lished under the act of 1862 to establish
schools for, the technical education of wo-
men,
would have it In consideration Of the fact
that the National government emancipated
the slaves and invested them with the rights
of citizenship. it would accord with justice
and philanthropy for the same authority to
make provision for aiding in their education
up to an appreciation and understanding
of what those rights imply and impose. 1t
| would have been better for all sections and
all classes, had the pro eeds OF the sales OF
the public lands been set apart exclusively
for the education of the negroes Of the
Southern States, at least for ten or fifteen
years to come. The financial and material
condition of the Southern States lily pre-
pared the people of the South for the obli-
cation that was thrust upon them in the
freedom of the negro and the necessity for
his mental and moral improvement. 1t
would have been an act of simple justice to
the negro and the people Of the South in their
impoverished condition, for the Congress of
the United States to have dedicated the fund
arising from the sales of public lands ex-
clusively TO the education of the emanci-
pated race, until at lea the public school
system was well established and permanent
ly founded, and the industrial capacities OF
the South more fully developed.
he speeches of Messrs. Morrill, and
Brown are interesting, and to the degree
that they indicate new departure i'm public
thought. instructive. The bill itself. Unsupported
by Republicans and Democrats, is total
abandoument of one of the cardinal dog
mas of the Democratic party. as it affects
the proceeds of the sales of public lands !;
it is a surrender of the pernicious idea OF
State sovereignty, and broad recognition
of the national theory Of our government.
In these points it is important. as ndicat-
ing the rapid advancement being made in
the education Of the le islatiye mind to a
comprehension Of the wants of the coun-
try. even TO the utter and complete over
throw of the whole fabric of Democratic
distractions and restrictive construction
of the Constitution. Senator Brown, es
pecially. has made himself prominent in
the discussion, because of the bold position
he has taken as the friend OF the coioped
race and the advocate of practical meas
the negro. 1t is a refreshing episode in po-
litical discussions when a Southern Sena-
tor has the courage to proclaim on the Sem
ate floor that the white race owes a duty to
the colored race. which the commands of
conscience and of public policy require
him to perform. Instead of devising
methods, through legislative enactments,
to deprive the negro OF the rights
which tine laws and Constitution guar
antee to him, as is the case in the Sena-
|
the State of Virginia-ifthe legislative pow
ers of the Southern States had at once re-
cognized the situation, on the admission Of
| the seeded States TO represe ntation in the
Congress of the United States, and sought
to live up to its requirement, different
condition of things would noW confront us.
The conflicts arising out of passion and
prejudice, which have done so much harm
to our ction-paralyzed its energies.
dwarfed its growth and estranged essential
/ ylppathies-would have been greatly mod
flied. it not altogether escaped, and We
would to-day be ten years in advance OF
what we now are, in material development
and the peace and order OF society. We
have been simply fighting the inevitable
The laws of the country. in letter and spir-
| it, will be enforced. That is the verdict of
the people as recorded in November last