Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, September 03, 1852, Image 2
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fFrom the Palmetto State Banner.
Elcctioii of Electors.
We this morning present our readers with
another important Report? that of the Committee
on Privileges and Elections, on "A Bill
to provide for the Election of Electors of President
and Vice President of the United States by
the people of South Carolina." This report was
made at the session ot iw-ity. it is very auiy
drawn, and signed by four gentlemen of distinction
in the sections they represented. Mr. Witherspoon
was from Lancaster; Mr. Moorman from
Newberry; Mr. Taylor from Pendleton, and Mr.
Giles from Union. The first, second and fourth
named are now candidates for the Senate in their
respective Districts. We were not able to obtain
a copy of this report until Saturday last,
otherwise we should have pubh-h. b ;t< nan earlier
day. It is w. il worthy < f a careful consideration.
Its pu<i*-iits are iinpteoiiable; its argument
arc unanswerable. Let the. people
whose cause it si. ably advocates read and rellect.
If they will but d thi<, we know they will arrive
at jtist conclusions:
REPORT.
Of the Minority of the Committee on Privileges
and Elections^ on u ^-1 Bill to provide for
the Election of Electors of President and
Vice President of the. United States, by the
Peonleof South Carolina." 1849.
The undersigned, a Minority of the Committee
on Privileges and Elections, to whom was
referred A bill to provide for the Election of
Electors of President and Vice President of the
United States by the People of South Carolina,
beg leave to make a
COUNTER REPORT
To that of the Majority of the said Committee,
and to recommend the Bill favorably for the consideration
of the House.
Your Committee believe that the Election of
Electors of President and Vice President of the
United States by the People would be more in
accordance with the provisions and spirit of the
Constitution of the United States and the principles
of the Government.
The Government of the United States is a
mixed Government, partly popular and partly
federative, and these features are manifested in
the Constitution for the Election of President
and Vice President. In voting for President
and Vice President, each State votes according
to her representation in Congress, South Carolina
nine and New York thirty-six. A majority
of all the votes so cast is necessary to a choice,
and this represents the popular feature of the
Government. It is only after the popular branch
fails to elect, that the election assumes a federative
character, and the States vote as States, each
counting one. This last mode of election is the
result of the failure to elect, and a provision for
siifh enntinrrenev. The Constitution provides
that "each State shall appoint as the Legislature
thereof may direct, a number of Electors equal
to the whole number of Senators and Representatives
to which the State shall be entitled in
Congress." From which it is clear that the Legislature
would have the power todireet as to the
appointment, or in other words, to direct the
mode by which the appointment shall be made.
But in prescribing the mode, regard should be
had, not only to the provisions of the Constitution
regulating the Election of Electors, but also
to the principle by which votes are cast for President
and Vice President. The election upon
the first casting of the votes being a popular
one, the mode of appointment should conform
to that principle. And it is submitted, that the
Election of Electors by the People, would be
more in accordance with the Constitution of the
United States, and the popular principle by which
the votes are cast, than the Election of Electors
by the Legislature which partakes more of the
federative character.
Your Committee would also recommend the
passage of the bill, from its expediency as demanded
by the position in which the State if
placed by the act of Congress of 1840. Congress
has bv that law prescribed that the Election
of Electors throughout the United State#
shall take place on the Tuesday after the tir-1
Monday in November, at a day anterior to the
meeting of the Legislature of this State. A necessity
then e\i<ts, that the Constitution of tlii;
S'.ate shall be so amended, that the legislature
will be in se-sion at the time, or that the Cover
nor shall call an extra session of the Legislator#
every four years, or that the Election shall Ik
given to the people. The two first proposition*
are objectionable. Constitutions long oxistini
and understood by the people, should not bo al
tered for slight causes. A great and absolute
necessity alone should exist to justify a change
in that instrument, which is the exponent o
Government itself. The Constitution of tlii;
state has not been altered or amended more than
five or six times since its adoption; and your
Committee cannot see, in this case, any necessity
for alteration or amendment. The whole difli
culty may do provided tor ova simple legislative
enactment, giving the Election of Electors to tin
people.
As to tlic other proposition, for the Oovehioi
to call an extra session of the Legislature even
four years, there are objections to it. It is .1
question of doubt whether the Governor can con
stitutionallv convene the Legislature for the pur
pose of voting for Electors. " He may on extraordinary
occasions convene the General Assembly,"
but it is submitted, that the Legislature
having met since the passage of the act bv Con
gress, the occasion is 110 longer an extraordinary
one within the meaning of t lie Constitution, bii
becomes an ordinary one and capable of beiti"
provided for by ordinary legislation.
Even, too, if there were no doubts as to tin
power of the Governor to call an extra sessioi
of the Legislature for that purpose, still then
are objections to a call session, on account of tin
inconvenience and expanse. It is true, howeve
that the expense would not be very great, only
about ton or twelve thousand dollars every fou
years, but it is tho principle. If the principle i
wrong, it is unnecessary, and therefore uncallcc
for.
Will this bill interfere with the Parish repre
sentation and the Compromises of the Constitu
tion of the State? Your Committee believi
' that it willjnot, and they are|indisposed to inter
fere with that Compromise. The principle re
cognized in the Constitution of this State is, tha
not onlv population, but taxation also shouk
have represents! ion ; but it is only in the Stat<
legislature, where laws are made, and taxes im
posed, that that principle obtains, and in the relation
which the Districts and Parishes bear to
the State Government in the Legislature there,of
and not in the Election of Electors?a relation
altogether different. The principle of representation
in this State is a domestic settlement, applicable
alone to the legislative action of the State.
The election of President and Vice President
grows out of our Federal Relations, and is provided
for by the Constitution of the United
States.
Your Committee would also rpromtnptid flip
passage of tlio Bill, because the Election of Electors
by the people, will prevent the mingling of
State and National politics in the Election of
members of the Legislature, and give to the people
an opportunity of calling into the Council
of State, tit and suitable representatives to serve
:li?-in in the Legislature, and who. at the same
time, might dilLr with them in the Presidential
. Lotion.
In conclusion your committee would allude to
the fact that South Carolina is the only State in
the Union in which the Election of Elector is
made by the Legislature. This is a circumstance
well worthy of consideration, and furnishes at
least, a presumption in favor of the Election by
the people. They are satisfied that the people
of South Carolina possesses the same intelligence
and integrity of purpose with the people of the
other Saates, and are as capable of mahjug a
! proper selection for Pn-sidct and ViceVresi|
dent, as they are capable of making a proper
selection of members of the Legislature.
Fntnrtimmiir v'i.*\vc vmir f
would respectfully submit the Bill for the consideration
of the House.
George McC. Witherspoon,
K. Moorman,
D. S. Taylor,
Wit. Giles.
Tlie Furiiiau University.
The annual meeting of the Board of Trustees)
Examination of the Students and Commencement
exercises of this institution have transpired
during the. past week. The attendance of the
Board was quite full, and the business transacted
was of an important and interesting character.
The University was organized, and its plan
of future operations determined upon. The plan
of organization we shall publish so soon as we
have room. The present Professors were elected
to positions under the new organization, and
an arrangement made for the early appointment
of an English teacher in the Academical department.
The election of a presiding officer and
other Professors was postponed until the meeting
in June next.
The. report of the Committee on Examination,
consisting of Drs. Johnson and Curtis and Judge
O'Noall is highly creditable to the Professors
and students, and shows that the system of instruction
pursued is through and judicious.
The Commencement exercise took place in the
Baptist Church <?n Mon lay, when a theological
essay was read by Profosor Minis, graduating
addresses r|<-liveivd by Messrs. Alexander, Coben
and Humphrey, and the annual oration be
tore tue .-Vi-ipniau aim riiilosoplican Societies
delivered by Judge O'Neill.
The prompts of the University are highly
flattering. It numbers over sixty students with
a fair pro-poet th .t the nuntber will Ik? increased
next session to one hundred and fifty.
The centre building of the. College is rapidly
being completed, and will be ready for occupancy
by first of January next, and the chemical and
1 philosophical departments shortly afterwards.
A handsome appropriation lias been made for
the purchase of philosophical, chemical and other
apparatus, and arrangements entered into for
the establishment of the library.?Southern Patriot,
20th ult.
?
Origin of Newspapers.
In the reign of the first James or rather to1
wards its close, when Shakspcavc had just left the
stage of life?Cromwell having not y< t enlarged
from the brew house at Huntingdon; Milton at
college pursuing his studies; and many of the
- eo patriots of these men yet undistinguished?
' the fir-t English newspaper appeared in London.
I'rior to that time a man named Nathaniel But
' ter hail been employed to write letters, contain
ing the news of the city, to country gentlemen.
Several of these news-writers made their living
* in this way, each endeavoring to obtain as many
' "liatrons" as lie Could. Butter, however, coii1
cived the idea of niiiiii?] ??lizii)if, or at least of
r extending the business, so as to render it more
lucrative, and on the 'J.'td of May. 1G12, printed
* his weekly letter, and despatched it to his coun1
try "patrons" under the name of "Weekly News"
f lie endeavored to sell copies of it in London,
* but met with poor success; was ridiculed by the
i wits, even as the ''penny press" has been in our
' day; and soon afterwards Ben Johnson produced
r a comedy called''The Staple of News," in which
-1 his cutting satire is levelled at the new enterprise,
i Butter bravely contended against the storm, but
i with a success that was only profitable, as is frcquentlv
the case, to his sueeessors.
A. i ? .1 l?.i A .1 1
UH> Uii\, l"?'ir no UUUUI IIIUI lilt' UOIlOr
of the enterprise lx-longs to Mutter. Irregular
pamphlets were issued before his time, contain
ing news, but his was tlic first systematic attempt
to establish a periodical juihlication. Ill the life
of Jluddiman, Mr. Chalmers states that the first
newspaper was "The Engli>h Murcurie," published
in 10S8, and ascribed "to the sagacity of Elizabeth
and wisdom of Murleigh," the honor due
to Nathaniel alone. The careful biographer,
Mr. Watts, subsequently proved the "English
Mercuries" to be a glaring forgery and sustained
the evidence derived from research, by "thecomparative
modernness of the paper and type of
the "Mcrcurie."
The honor of the first newspaper has been ascribed
to the Romans; but the 'Aetesdiurna'
which were referred to in support of the proposition,
are understood to have been common to all
r nnfiniis in tbn iir<icr>ss nfi-ivilivufimi on.l Iv.im tl.A
s character of public proclamations-?sometimes imI
parting news, and at others new enactments.?
The tyranny of Nero,, it is said induced him oc
casionally to suspend them so high that they
- could not be read, and then he would gratify his
3 brutality bv punishing their infraction; and thus
give the first publicity to them. Venice has also
- enjoyed the honor of originating newspapers, bct
i cause the name "Gazette," now common to the
II press, litis been adopted from the name of a coin,
b ! called "gazetta," paid for admission to the place
-1 in which the Venetian reports, still preserved in
Florence were read daring the long Turkish wars
in which Venice was ultimately shorn of her pow
er and glory.
The writers for the "Weekly News" in its bes
days were under rigid censorship, and were onl)
permitted to publish gossip, and such foreign in
telligence as they could gain from travellers, o:
correspondence. And thus with the first papei
originated that system of'correspondence, whicl
now ramifies the world. -We cannot pursue thi:
history in detail. It must suffice that from th<
time the Star Chamber was abolished, in 1641
which was >ldeath on newspapers," till the Kes
toration, some 30,000 journals, pamphlets anc
papers were published, often with large editions,
Tne Long Parliament had itself published dailj
reports of its proceedings, which were continued
until Charles the Second put a step to a custom
so incompatible with the policy of the crown.?
A. Mr. Thomasson, who lived during the parlia
mentary wars made a collection of the publica
tions of the time, which was finally purchased
by George the Third, after it passed through va
rious hands, and was lodged in the Baptist Museum.
During the civil wars both the contending
armies carried printing apparatus in theii
baggage; so that the press on the battle field ino
modern incident.
During the time of the Long Parliament, the
press had a severe and desperate struggle for the
maintenance of that partial freedom, without
which it must become the degenerate and contemptible
thing it is now in France. Private
printing presses sent fourth innumerable publi
cations, which were denounced as "scandalous
seditious;" and the most strenuous efforts wen
made to detect the sources from which they is
sued. Milton at this time came to the support
of the press, and in the "Areopagitica" buldh
addressed the commons, and put forth sentiments
so much more honorable to him, as they wcr<
superior to the age in which he lived. The influence
of this address was never tested, for il
was followed by the civil wars, and the press en
joyed freedom enough until the end of the Pro
tectorate. and the succession of Charles the Sc
cond. Then succeeded a period of severe censor
ship; and L1 Estrange, a staunch friend of the roy
al cause, was appointed licenser, and authorize<
to publish a journal called 'The Intelligencer.'?
But we must defer our subject until anoth r ->p
portunity; when some incidents of the ; -riowill
aflbrd a striking contrast with the state <
the nress in this, or d:iv of "liberty and indi i en
dence."?Bait. Sun.
The Ages of IIisband and Wife.?Thewri
tcr of the following argues in favor of a euston
which we fear will be unpopular in this region
There is, however, sufficient truth in the para
graph to entitle it to a pcsural:
'There ought to be a dispioportion bctweei
the ages of husband and wife; for allowing th
years to be equal, and they too frequently arc
the lady is virtually many years in advance. 1
woman, all the world over, is as old at twenty a
a man is at thirty; that is to say, she has a
much judgement, as much tact, as much finesse
as much judgement of character, as much self
possession, as much cunning, we were going t
add, but gallantry forbids. Now this want u
disproportion gives rise to many serious evils.?
The young women undervalue the young met
with whom they associate, as inferior to them
selves in tact,manners, and conversational powei
Hence they form a low opinion of men, as mer
and are tempted to value them only for their ex
ternal advantages?personal beauty, skill in dan
cing, and, above all, wealth.
Again, where the ages are equal, or the mai
is only a year or so older than the woman, in i
mere external and physical point of view, th
first consequence is, that she is an old womar
while he is in the prime of life; for the womar
naturally fades first. The inconveniences, mis
takes, mortifications, and jealousies that constant
Iv arise from such a discrepancy, are too evidon
to require more than being hinted at. Again, ii
nine cases out of ten, the lady rules the roast.?
That cardinal duty of a wife, respect for her lias
baud, is utterly ignored by her. He is regardoi
as little more than an upper servant. Now th
main cause of this is undoubtedly the origin;]
inequality of ages. As the bride, we repeat it
is substantially five years older in world know!
edge than the bridegroom, she soon gets lb
upper hand of him. If he is a man ofsome chai
acter, the fight may last two or three years; oc
casionnlly lie is drawn by his domestic trouble
into evil courses, and goes to work with sue
earnestness and rapidity as to kill himself oft'i
twelve months, and leaves his widow more tri
umphant than disconsolate The wife in noensi
then, should be less than ten years younger tha
the husband. When she is too near him ii
that respect, she flies far from him in others, ate
the union is broken in upon."
The Mas Who Visits the Watering Pla
cks.? 1 'ickens introduces in the character of M
lleavydrop, tie1 man who may be found at an
of the fashionable wateiing place* in the sum
iikt, and in the winter in a conspicuous box a
the opera, or at the corners of the most fashion
able streets, when the most fashionable peopl
arc abroad. Dickons has found him, and take
a note of it in the following description;
' lie was a fat old gentleman, with a fals
complcclion, false teeth, false whiskers, and
wig. He had a fur collar,"and lie had a paddei
breast to bis coat, which only wanted a star, o
a broad blue ribbon, to be complete. He wa
pinched in and swelled out, and got up an
strapped down as much as ho could possibl
bear. He had such a neck-cloth on (nutting hi
very eyes out of their natural shape,) and hi
chin and even bis cars so sunk into it. that i
seemed as though it. must inevitably <1<>nl>1<3 uj
if it wore cast loose. He hail under his arm
hat of great size and weight, shelving down wan
from the crown to the brim; and in his hand
pair of white gloves, with which he tlapped ii
as he stood poised on one leg, in a high-shoul
dered, round.elbowed state of elegance, not t
be surpassed. lie had a cane, he had an eye
glass, lie had a snuft-box, he had rings, he lia<
wristbands, lie had every thing but a'touch c
nature; he was like nothing in the world but
model of deportment."
Heading Off the Rum Drinkers.?It is pre
posed by a correspondent of the Providence Join
nal that the alcohol used for mechanical purpc
ses should be doctored with tarter emetic, to pre
vent its use as an intoxicating bevorage. Th
Journal thinks this is a little too bad.
; THE SEMLWEEKLY JOURNAL ;
t FRIDAY EVENTING, SEPTEMBER 3, 1852,
THO. J. WARREN, Editor.
Meteorological Jouraal for August.
j BAROMETER.
. Greatest height 30.200 in.
5 Attached Thermometer, same time, 73 dg.
Least height, 29.548 in.
Tliormrtnint/ir camo timP 71 fl(T.
[ Monthly mean height, 29.978 in.
THERMOMETER.
r Greatest height, (9th) 95 dg.
[ Least do (2d and 15th) 63 dg.
i Monthly mean height, 78.01 dg.
Cloudy days, 21.
Fair do 10
Rain, 8.027 in.
The Result of the Freshet.
There is a trite, but true, adage, that "things are
never so bad but that they might be worse." On Mon,
day last when we wrote concerning the heavy freshet J
in our river, our worst apprehensions were excited, and i
| we feared i hat the crops would prove total losses to our
j planters. We haver reason now to hope that matters
' I will not be quite so bad, altho' things are'very gloomyt
; Yet hope may beam through our deepest gloom. We
have heard that a good deal of corn may yet be saved,
' and altho' the loss of the planters is immense, the over
whelming crops in all sections of the country will, it is
hoped, bring the price of corn down the ensuing year.
} This freshet has proved the most disastrous of any
" which ho have had for twenty years. The plantations
' | along our river have sustained great injury; the washing
up of the Lands, the falling of trees, destruction of
' ! fences, the ruin of the crops, is a mournful spectacle to
' behold. These are things against which no human
foresight can provide, and wo should regard them not
with bitter feelings of complaint, but as sent from him
who doeth all things well, and in whose hands are the
destinies of all men.
Our Excuse.
j Our readers must excuse our want of news and va
ricty in to-day's paper. We have had no mail from
I Charleston or Columbia for several days; and as most
, of our northern and western papers are brought by this
: route, we are at a great loss for matter for our paper.
We hope, however, these things are to lie short in their
duration, and that soon we will be under full sail again
Hoping for the best, we trust our leaders will appreciate
our situation, and excuse us accordingly.
Our Rail Road Bridge.
We learned yesterday evening, that the Rail Road
Bridge was still standing, and that all fears for its safe^
ty had ceased. The water had commenced falling, but
0 the trussel work was still covered
^ Z3T Every day's experience teaches us the consums
mate folly of trusting too much to ourselves. We are
s apt (the error is universal) to receive and enjoy the
, blessings of life, too much as a matter of course, without
properly considering the source from whence they
j, are derived, or appreciating their importance, as neces,f
sary to our comfort and happiness. We never appre
_ oate tnc goou tilings 01 me, until we are aeprivcu 01
^ them, and learn by experience how important they
i. have been to our comfort and well-being. Thus we
r. are forced to learn from the severe lessons of experii,
cnec, truths which are only to be learned in this way
Man, from the very nature of his being, distinguished
i- in the sealo of creation, aslie should be, far above every
other creature, lie is said by one to be a
I Dim minature of greatness absolute
a An heir of glory. Ac,"
e And yet after all man even a "distinguished link in
i. being's endless chain," is sometimes in his thoughts and
' actions little above a mere animal, governed by its own
wild instincts, and unconscious of the existence of a divine
being. Man, receiving the blessings of his maker,
t without being thankful, is liko unto the animal which
II feeds upon the fruit falling from the tree abovo him,
never looking up to see from whence the blessing comes
Our troubles are sometimes sent upon us, to warn us
of danger. They may prove blessings in disguise, for
' verily is the proverb, " Prosperity doth best discover
vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue."
j' " Virtue the strength and beauty of the soul,
is me uesi gin. 01 ncaven,?a Happiness,
That even above the smiles, and frowns of fate,
Exalts great natures favorites, a wealth
s That neu'r encumbers, nor can be transferred.''
I' Fur the Journal
^ Mr. Editor: Among others I am interrogated,
i- though your paper, as follows:
?, 1st. "Are you in favor of the Bank of the State?"
n '3d. ' Of giving the election of President and
n Vict; President lo the people."
I 3d ' Of changing the present free-school system
in order to make it answer a better purpose."
1st. I believe that great mischief is dune to the
governed by Legislatures governing too much:
'* that such laws and such administration of them
r- 'as shall effectually protect each individual of the
y community in life, persona! liberty, freedom in lai
oor, and he acquisitions of his labor, comprise, in
t, general, uie proper luneuons 01 an governments.
, llence the result, that the less government inter0
Teres with all enterprises Tor which private, or in'
dividual associated industry, capital and skill are
11 competent and sufficient, the better Tor all who are
governed. I believe the Legislature of South
c Carolina would not be eminently successful in
a growing cotton or in converting it into cloth; in
L1 keeping a dry goods store or apothecary shop; in
,r growing sheep or hogs, and so on ; and tor the
s same reasons, I believe that the Legislature is
, not eminently qualified to manage a Bank ot* pa1
per circulation. This, like the other mailers I have
-v alluded to, is belter done by private enterpri.-e,
8 skill and vigilance under the restraints of law.
8 With Mr. Calhoun and Mr F. II. Elmore himself,
it I believe in the doctrine of a separation between
), Bank and Slate as well as between Church and
a State. " No State*' (says t ie constitution of the
j United States) " shall emit bills of credit; make
anything hut gold and silver coin a tender in pay'
inent of debts." I believe the original scope and
design of this fundamental restriction, would em'*
brace a paper circulation, through a Bank or otlift
lit' n\rl An tint o nf Iwiritf nl'n SStQlu
v n\VIJ?r? lonutu yjj aiiu un uiu aituiuuvi \jt utntw ,
and the only ground on which the Supreme Court
d of the United States lias ventured to place the
,f constitutionality of a State Bank circulation is,
a that for more than a half a century some States
had exercised thw power, and it had not been annulled
; yet it cannot be said that it had been unquestioned.
It is undeniable, that there is a proclivity
in governments to contract debts by loans:
all governments among civilized men, are guilty
K of it. A State Bank furnishes the utmost facility
>- to do this mischief to the governed, indirectly and
e unobserved by the people. We need not travel be
yond our own State for proof of this. That on
I
I
4
own State Bank is thus implicated, and has be- jj^
come thus instrumental, in accumulating public
burthens, is the very argument that has persuaded
a majority (I think) of the people of this State to
acquiesce in the suuposed necessity of prolonging ' ???
its operations by a re-charter. Its late President '
Elmore, while admitting the impolicy of the es- Jw
tabhshment as a new question, thought the pledge v;m
of the Bank to foreign creditors obliged us to keep 2S
it in existence. It is a strong argument,! admit,
fir the individual case; but the stronger it may
be, so much the more does it support the theoret- I :
ical doctrines which I have advanced. twO
I think it has led the judgment of the Slate; and JH-V
supposing that to be true, I have entertained and Jt\ now
entertain, no expectation that any resistances,-'-1,?
will be made (I have contemplated none myself}
to the re-charter of the Bank of the State of i
South Carolina. It is not for such a purpose that 4l?8;"
I have asked a seat in the Legislature While I ,
expect no practical issue upon the naked question
of re-chartsring the Bank, and will acquiesce in -jlvj
what 1 conceive to be the wish of the people in' .yjajLI
its favor, I shall not promise to swallow any and\&j?J
every sort of detail in 6uch a measure which may
appear to me to be injurious to the people of South
Caroina. For instance, I shall not agree to make
the State the exclusive Banker among us; nor tof jjk <1
any provision calculated to shield its direct managers
from the most rigid scrutiny and accountability
to the public authority,?nor any that shall
exempt them from restraints which may serve to i
secure the public money and the State credit in
their custody from spoliation, partial or selfish appropriation
and abuse. With all possible appli- |3|.
ances of this sort I do not expect that the public j?'
rights and interests will be too secure.
12d. Tho' not in fa^or of sudden, frequent and ^9 r,
whimsical changes in our fundamental structure
of State Government, yet I am in favor of giving ?j
the election of Presidential Electors to the people; S-'C
and have accordingly heretofore so recorded a j?;J
3d. Every body admits, and sees with regret, j|'
that Free Schools, in a general sense, do not an- . i
swer the wishes and hopes of those who founded v.f
and have sustained the benevolent scheme. A. '/?
very enlarged inquiry was directed, some years " :
ago, by the Legislature on this subject, and volu- ? '
minous reports were procured from every part of . &V:
the State. Frequently and anxiously has the
subject been considered and discussed by the publie
authorities and in private circles. The matter
is full of difficulty. The fund is too small at best \
The greatest portion is not directed to points of
the greeter need. In general tlje families who vjf
need it are too far apart, to congregate a sufficient ,[?.
number of pupils with convenience, to make a
good schoo. Many need the services of their -J j 1
children at home during a season Teacher&are 9- J
too few and too incompetent. Parents are too in- Xv\
different, no matter from what cause, The su- ??^ .
pervision over the expenditure of the fund and
the conduct of teachers is quite too lax?accoun- "
tability is nominal rather than real. These are
serious difficulties. The) are more easily pointed \
out and discussed in newspapers, than removed. {
I will join, very heartily, whether in or out of the >'
Legislature, in means to remove any or all of them...
1 am not able to show how this is to be done, and
should be happy to hear the fortunate statesman
who can. In this, as in other things, let us not' vj
depend too much on government. Private reso- aJ
lution, energy and sagacity are required?parents
must be duly impressed with the great importance / j
of educating their children, or nothing adequate
will ever be done, by government or otherwise.
I cannot but feel a deep coucer i in this subject,
since I rest my hopes of sustaining all political * I
and social organization, which is worth preserving y !
not merely on the wisdom1 patriotism, or honesty,
of Legislators, but on the sound sense, intelli- ,-<]/j
gence, morality and intrepid resolution to do right
?the sagacity to detect trickery and scout decep: ,
tion?of the mass of the people, on whom, andS|l\i r
on which qualities our whole sunerstructure rests '
Respectfully submitted, AY:
A. H. BOYKIN. y,}
Education. -v..
During the short space of a few months, we f have
noticed with much satisfaction and plea- | 1
sure, the attention given to this important sub
ject, by various Journals in our State. As it fSP<
applies with equal force to every people and jt.
community, we have been induced to thiuk, that" hi
by saving a few words more, it might possibly
be like unto "seed cast into good ground*'1? .
Many good and wise men of our State, haveob-'
served with much regret, the repeated failuresr .vjj:
,>f the various schemes and plans, adopted by -.^-!
Legislative authority, for the spread of educa-.
tion through the land, and especially, for car- .^ rying
knowledge to the darkened minds of the^humble
poor. The wisdom, (would that we f"
/.r. 111.1 civ fhr? pnprnrv t/w^ nf mir T/inriclahirft. ?
lias been of none effect in devising a feasible plan M
for the attainment of this desirable object. The f. M
number of persons in the State who can neither I
read or write, is truly astonishing; and it does I '
strike our mind? very forcibly, that the welfare, | -I
prosperity, dignity, safety, and pride of the StateyM
are involved in putting the means of information
within the reach of the truly destitute portion J
of our fellow-citizens. Ilcre, then, are reasons off \K
expediency, sufficiently potent to bring every lever
in to play, which can have any effect in re*
moving"this incubus which rests upon our peo- j jH
pie, to say nothing of moral obligations, which a V
portion are tenfold more weighty and strong.?M
An enlightened public mind, and consequently,
high national moral tone, is the surest foundation^ H
upon which can rest the pillars of any govern-^?fl
inent. Republics like ours, are more especially, H
based upon the integrity of the people, the source $ 9
of ail their vitality and energy. fl
Purify the fountain, and from thence wall issued fl
streams "that will gladden and fertilise the land." fl
That nation which pays a proper regard to the
mental culture of her citizens will stand firm, and-^H
immovable?when others pursuing a different "^9
course, will have been buried in the rubbish of B
the past. If all efforts to extend the blessings ' 9
of education have failed so far, this is no reason V
why another, and still another, should not be 9
made. Wo are not prepared to suggest any plan. rB
Hut our object in penning this article, will be to }B
some extent accomplished?if it should have any JJM
effect iii stimulating, to renewed exertion, those
who, under a view of its importance are now etw>"?
gaged in studying this subject with an eye to aj
practical results. While our Legislature is JB
doavoring to throw more elections into thehan^ ifl
of the people, let them remember that portion*'* M
of the people, who cannot, from the very nature s jfl
of things, vote understandWlv. hut are the wib fl
ling du])cs of ambitious mon^' Lot no portion of^r.
any district then act as a continual drag upon**
the other; but let all things move on harmonious *
ly and orderly working together for good.
Slack River Watchman.
Ellen Craft the Fuottive Slave.?The Ms/
con Messenger of Wednesday says: "We under*
stand ttytf the celebrated Ellen Craft, the Fugk
v
' . .U*