The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-01-23

or the people anu Wnat uOeS a just ap-
probation OF this maxim require at
our hands at such time?"
0S64-'5, Doc. No. l, Page Is, by Gov.
Fance.)
The common schools should surely
be kept going at every cost, and if
sufficient inducements cannot be offer
ed to disabled soldiers and educated
women to take hold Of them, the
necessary males should be exempted
from military service"
OS65-'6, Doe No. 7, Page II, by Gov.
Worthy
"Whatever may be our pecuniary
distresses, our youth must be edu-
Gated. We must sustain our institu-
tions Of learning"
QS65-'6, Doc No. 7, Page "a, by c. H.
Wiley, Supt)
ITO the lasting honor Of North Car
olina her public. schools survived the
terrible shock of the Civil War; and
the State of the South which furnish
ed most material and the greatest
mum Der and the bravest troops to the
war did more than all others for the
cause of popular education.
The common schools lived and
discharged their useful mission
through all the gloom and trials of
the conflict, and when the last gun
was fired and veteran armies once hos
tile were meeting and embracing in
peace upon our soil, the doors were
still open, and they numbered their
pupils by scores Of thousands.
This history and experience fur
nish us with great resources for the
great crisis now upon us, the spirit OF
education is strong and hopeful
among the masses, and the memory
of trials overcome inspires courage to
meet the lesser difficulties now con-
fronting us.
The feeling universal among the
people, is that the schools must not
90 down; and although they are told
that the literary fund has been greatly
reduced by the failure OF the banks.
and although they know themselves
unable to pay taxes yet they will not
bring themselves to believe that the
public schools will fail
page 27, Same Document.)
Il am sure that the failure to make
an earnest attempt to sustain our use
full and great system of popular in
struction will cause general, profound
and mortified astoflishment; and
will not believe that we have any pub
lie men so completely incapable OF
grasping the great facts OF the pres
ent situation, so indifferent to the
stirring traditions Of the noble past,
and so blind to all the best hopes OF
the future as to be willing to let our
public schools. with all their glorious
memories, perish without regret and
without enquiry. This is one of the
important eras of history; and her i'm
partial pen, now ready to prepare its
enduring records, will not permit the
| word statesman" to be attached to
the name of any public man who fails
to see in our common schools one OF
the paramount interests of the coun-
try. Our great material want is in
telligent labor; and what is so likely
to promote this as a good system OF
public instruction?
page 27. Same Document.(
..And let it be added that new
race of free men now enter the lists in
intellectual competition with those
who have been the ruling class; and
that while we all rejoice to see those
people rising in the moral scale, il
will be reproach to the whites to be
outstripped by them. The colored
people will naturally have more aid
and sympathy from abroad to educate
their children than the whites; and
We may also expect considerable
immigration, and much more mixed
condition of society than formerly
If then we would preserve the free
spirit, if we would maintain that con
servatism which formerly distinguish
ed and blessed US, we must use greater
exertions to establish and keep W
pervading moral agencies. The wei
fare OF all classes and races demand:
this. There will be infused into th'
body polite an immense amount o
ignorance, now left to the control o
moral power; and if we would not b,
submerged by the wave let in upo,
US, we must dig and ditch and drai,
with an energy aud skill heretofor,
unknown among us. Ii We will d'
this, those new floods will prove
source of increased fruitfulness. ant