3

monotonous school room from day to day. Even where the money is not thus
squandered, the teacher employed although in most respects a worthy young man
seecking the means necessary complete his own eduction, is often without experi-
ence and destitute of tact in governing and in communicating instruction. The
same zeal to complete his literary course which drove him to the school
house for means, still urges him on in the prosecution of his own stud
ies, and neither heart nor attention is on his duties as a teacher. The mony [sic]
would perhaps do more to futher education, if the state would give it to
the young man without the useless task assigned to him as the condition:
for no one is profited by his teaching, many have learned, perhaps,
to be indolent and careless in the school room.

III. In all this distress and perplexity it appears the state is not ready to go
foraward in this great work. A majority, it seems. deem it more important
to lay up om external fortune around their sons and daughters than to
fill their minds with the incorrupitable treasures of knowledge; or rather,
perhaps, a majority have never seen the value of a good education.
In view of these humbling facts the question, What shall be done?
thrills on every [cord?] of patriotic sympathy and christian benevolence

Let us first ask, What is the object of direct effort? for we will all
agree that the ultimate object is the universal diffusion of knowl-
edge; but how is that to be accomplished? Shall those who see and feel its
importance undertake the work by a direct effort? or will it not be
better to stimulate, if possible, the people to efforts to enlighten themselves?

If we undertake the work by a direct efffort, the number of volentary contrib-
utares will not, I suppose, exceed one tenth part of those, who are so far enlight-
ened as to bear without flinching legislative enactments. which would secure ade-
quate funds: and there is, perhaps no more than one third of the votes of the
state that would yield to such legislation. On this plan, then, one man must
educate his own children and those of twenty other efore sucess would be con
plete. This is impossible. But if we hope on this plan to enlighten the peo-
ple so as to lead them to do the work for themselves, then it must be done
by establishing model schools here and there as the funds collected by vol-
untary contribtion would permit. Who could hardly hope that this would
amount to ore than one school for each congressional district; and let us suppose
that to be done. Then. 1st. when the proclamaton is made that such a school
is established, it will immediately be so crowded that none can be benefited, and it
will prove a failure in every respect. Or, 2ndly, let it be announced that for
the sake of making it a model school tto enlighten the people on the subject, its bene-
fits shall be confinded to a select number, and it will excite more envy and spite
towards the favored few than zeal for the extension of similar privilages to all.
3rdly Nine tenths of the people in the distrct where it is estabished, will merely
hear of the fact and cease to make futher inquiry; because they have no zeal on
the subject, and they of course will not be exicted to to urge on the legislation on the
subject. 4thly Many of the contributors will give from motives more or less self-
ish, hoping perchance to have a school established in their own vincenty; but as it would be impossible for all such expecttions to be realized, they will withdraw