Year: 1861

intendents and teachers, where it ought be, and
no incompetent person, if they do their duty. can
secure a position in the public schools. have
made it rule to draw no warrants in favor Of any
district unless the teacher employed by the trustees
can produce a certificate of qualification.


| Many of the trustees have performed their duty
faithfully, whilst others have evinced no interest
whatever in the of public schools under their
supervision. Not one-fourth of them comply with
| the law in keeping account book and district
record. The schools have been frequently visited
by them and all have sent in their reports, prompt
| ly. To awaken lively interest in behalf Of the
public schools they should visit the parents of the
pupils and induce all interested to visit the schools
This will stiIxulate the teacher to exertion, and
! cheer him along in his arduous undertaking.


Besides the public funds, money is raised by rate
| bills assessments and subscriptions. Nearly every
school in the county might easily be maintained for
ten months in the year. Parents generally will
ling to pay small sum monthly towards the teach
er's salary. One dollar for each pupil would COM
monty suffice. This will greatly aid in securing
regular attendance. Then parents would take more
interest in schools, by occasional visits. By fire.
quent visits they kecpup thenterest in schools and
stimulate to greater exertion.


All of our school districts are out of debt, and
draw no warrants in favor of districts when the
funds have been exhausted


Improvements are very much needed for the sue
cess of our public schools We need good school
houses, with libraries and apparatus; efficient
teachers. and money to pay them; uniformity in
text books uniformity in time for opening schools
each year: regularity in attendance at public
schools and Law that is practical in its workings
Much has been done to accomplish these ends when
we consider that new State. The improve
ment that has been made in this county has not yet
entirely removed the obstacles, But due allowance
must be made for the adverse circumstances by
which we have been surrounded Our immigration
and settlement here have been peculiar and anex-
ampled differing essentially from the settlement of
And fr1e tn Our
and the best interests of country, we must use
our time and means to institute q more improved
system Of common school education, and by perse-
veranee we must and shall accomplish this great
undertaking.


II is gratifying to witness the efforts that be-
ing made for the instruction of the youth of Califor
MA when we consider that short time ago the
region of country that now inhabt was the do
minon of an inferior incapable of developing
its resources, or approaching its advantages.


However it is a fact, which think no person ac-
ouainted with the subject will deny, that our sys-
TEN of education is not equal to the population,
wealth and progress of our State, and an humble
advocate of the rights and interests of the rising
generation, must urge more universal interest
and more harmonious action in this Particular
Every motive that can move generous spirit bids
us to act. Religion, patriotism and philanthropy
call upon not to neglect to provide means for the
education of our children.


Education is a stimulus to learning in developing
the understanding. In whatever light we may view
education it cannot fail to appear the most impor
tant subject that engage the attention of man
kind 1t is the greatest essential in life to success
and happiness. No matter how limited mans
education may be, he derives from it benefits to the
extent Of that limitation. Therefore, the education
of the youth should be liberal, and free from pre-
judices and the understanding aud heartreceive as
much attention, in culture, as the memory.
| Education, then, should embrace the culture of
the whole man. with all his facilities. Each demand
a careful and all equal development, subJecting
his senses his understanding and his passions to
reason to conscience and to the laws OF the Chris
| rian religion so as to the highest physical
moral and intellectual perfection. Integral educa
ton is the goddess of and science, and the key
| to all knowledge and understanding. The para
mount importance of educating the rising genera
| tion has been recognized fundamental idea by
those citizens of the United States who have looked
forward to the development of our political princl
pes and social institutions, to ameliorate and ulti-
| mately remove the evils which, under antecedent
political organizations, had appeared to be incident
| to humanity.


Education does not consist in mere book learning,
in the acquisition of knowledge of facts, of history
or science in the pursuit of literature, however
varied and extensive. These are but its incidentals
and the to effect its great end which Is the
| elaboration in and development through the mind,
of those high moral powers necessary to qualify the
individual for that state of perfect freedom indiea
ted in our institutions, and in which viii be real
| lied the true idea of Il democracy.


Rejecting minds will see that in order to have n
school successful wherein children should be pro-
perlv and thoroughly trained and educated, kind
and udicious teachers should be selected to unrod
the hidden treasures of knowledge to eager, impu-
| sive childhood.


JTpon the success of our public free schools rests
| the future happiness and usefulness of the rising
generation. and the stability and success of our
| Government. They the nurseries of learning.
| and the only opportunity that many children will
have for an education. The instruction communi-
Gated in the schools has direct effect for good
on the morals of the youth. 1t represscs vicious
incnatons inspires love of character, and 1t ava
! kens honorable aspirations.


Ignorance and vice go hand-in-hand. Then, if
we would have the children of this generation grow
| up moral intelligent and useful, they must have
| good schools and thorough and efficient teachers,
who will look to their physical and moral as well
| as their intellectual improvement.


Observation enables me to express confident
conviction that the present year has witnessed de-
cded Improvement in the scope and efficiency OF our
| public schools This has chiefly resulted from the
introduction of more efficient and competent teach
ers Joined to improved system of instruction, and
/ rising by regular gradation from mere elementary
studies to the highest educational attainments.
| Popular education, in a great measure is the Off
| spring of the present century, and has not been
carried to its highest perfection. The greatest
amount of practicable education should be aim,
| and in this term is included much more than in
structiou in those primary branches which consti-
tuted the meager fare impaired by the schools of
other days and still mutated in various localities.
The natural wealth of citizens has increased be-
vond the expectations of the most sanguine in for
mer DAYS. and limit acquisition Is yet discern
able in the future.


But there is no reason to apprehend that general
education is not advancing in the same ratio, in
mart from mistaken notions of economy, and partly
from a self-satisfying view of the progress already
| attained. Surely while monarchial governments
are seriously occupied in advancing the education
al interest their Subjects ths citizens of country
whose institutions rest upon popular intelligence
can ill afford to neglect any practicable improve
ment which involves the perpetuity of our govern
ment The problem is still to be solved whether the
| American of the succeeding gendration shall hold
the same preeminence in general intelligence which
he has heretofore enjoyed, or whether be shall be
excelled in this respect by the nations OF other
climes whom inclination or ill-fortune may throw
upon our shores. If we would maintain our ma
tional supremacy five would melt the mixed races
with which cur country iss thronged. in.o one
population we must extend to all the benefits OF a
thorough common school educatiou We must in
doctrinate our youth with the advantages of supe-
rior knowledge, and endow them with all educa-
tional facilities requisite to life of honor virtue
and usefulness Our educational institutions have
then become a matter of national importance Our
children demand of us instruction immortal be-


ngs, but patriotism also joins in the appeal for the
republic viii not long survive when the mass Oft the
people are sunk in vice aud ignorance.


Tho patriof and philanthropist. therefore. hail