"The 3d object to which their wisdom & humanity were "directed, was, the protection and comfort of new set"tlers, to whom they were ever ready to extend a help"ing hand both in the way of advice and assistance. In "the mean time, their house was an academy for morals, "for manners and for solid knowledge. ******* The "Colonel died before I knew her, after they had lived forty years together, in unexampled happiness; and "reared (from the time of their being weaned, till they "married or launched out into active life) fifteen nieces, "nephews and other relatives, several of whom have "since been distinguished, both for their merit, and their "uncommon success in various pursuits." What a noble picture of benevolence, patriotism, morality, wisdom and prudence, is exhibited in this venerable pair! The writer proceeds to give an account of the manner she became acquainted with the angelic old lady, and of her own personal obligations to her, so like those, which I myself, sir, have experienced in a family in this country, into which it was my happiness to be received. when an orphan, too young to be sensible of the misfortune of being bereft of parents whom I have reason to believe amiable and worthy; or, of that providential dis-, pensation, by which I was snatch'd from poverty, and per haps ruin, and received as a child and a sister in a family, where to this hour I have found a tender mother, an indulgent and affectionate father, and fond and amiable brothers and sisters, to whose blood I am as perfect a stranger, as if I were descended lineally from the aborigines of America. I cannot, however, conceal from you, that one of my adopted brothers, a few years ago discovered to me the secret, that he was well apprised that. we were not as nearly related to each other as Abraham and Sarah; but that it was his wish we might become so. I confess I had made a similar discovery not long before, and felt a corresponding sentiment in my own bosom.Our good parents were soon apprised of our mutual discoveries and wishes, which meeting their most cordial approbation, I have now the happiness of seeing myself not only the object of parental and brotherly love, but of conjugal affection and tenderness also; all which I am determined by every act of my life gratefully to acknowledge, and thankfully, as far as in me lies, to return. I am with best wishes for the success of your patriotic and laudable undertaking, Sir, your most obedient sereant, SUSANNAH THANKFUL. Fumber XXVII. Ipse mihi custos incorruptissimus omanes My honoured Father" of unblemished truth” Horace. Francis. IN my XXIIId No. I had occasion to mention a visit that Alfred and several of his young friends and associates made me-During their stay, we devoted every evening to the examination of some particular subject connected with Literature and Science, Among others, the all-important one of Education became more than once a topic of conversation-Every one acknowledged the necessity of putting it on a better footing, than it at present stands on but there was some difference of opinion as to the mode of attaining so desirable an end. I embraced the opportunity which these discussions afforded, of placing before them a Pamphlet on the subject, published in Washington in 1806, entitled a "Prospectus of a National Institution to be established in the United States," and desired their sentiments on its merits seriatim. What these were in the general, will be seen by the annexed letter, received about a fortnight after their departure. If my Nephew is correct in supposing that the best mean of enlightening the public mind which Government can adopt, is by establishing a school in every county or parish of Virginia, I cannot but remark that a late Act of the Legislature, passed the 12th of February, 1811, to provide for the Education of the poor, is more important than it was at first believed to be, and perhaps deserves a serious revision. A Gentleman in my neighborhood, who was appointed by the "President and Directors of the Literary Fund," an agent to superintend the collection of certain fines, &c. appropriated to the establishment of schools, has several times complained to me, that from some defect in the law, he was unable to execute the duY ties entrusted to him-that he could not possibly ascertain what portion of the fund designated, had not been paid by the collector-because unless he went to the Auditor's Office at Richmond, and the Clerk's Office of his County, he could not compare the amount due, with the amount accounted for-and that the Legislature by obliging the Auditor and Clerk to render annually an easy and simple statement, might readily remove his difficulties, and provide for the due collection of the only monies they have ever appropriated to the object of all others, the worthiest their attention-If there are such defects, or any other, in this law, the Legislature, now sitting, would I imagine, apply the necessary remedy, however unwilling they may be to go farther. My Dear Uncle, When we were last together, you may remember that the project of erecting a university at the seat of the general government, became one evening a topic of conversation. My young friends were unanimous in their approbation of this scheme. They lamented the low state of Literature and the Arts, & seemed to think that a great National Institute like that of which a prospectus was given, in the pamphlet you placed before us, written I think you said by our Countryman Joel Barlow, would greatly contribute to revive them. I doubted whether a University established upon that or any other plan, especially if endowed by government, would promote in any great degree the end of its institution; but having bestowed no very particular attention on the subject in its details, and finding so large a majority against me, I contented myself with merely expressing those doubts. You desired me, however, as the subject was one of frequent recurrence, and deep and universal concern, to examine that pamphlet more at my leisure, and communicate my sentiments to you, not only of its particular merits, but of the utility or necessity of public endowments for the education of youth in general.I have done so, & my impressions against Mr. Barlow's plan, if his it was, and all great public institutions of this nature, are confirmed. I hasten to lay before you my reasons for this opinion; and to state how far, according to my view of the subject, Government can usefully interfere in the business of Instruction.If you think me in an error, you know, my honored Uncle, I listen to no oracles with so much faith and devotion as to your opinions. First, as to the general Question: It has long ago been a subject of considerable doubt whether public Schools and Universities, where the salaries of the masters did not arise entirely from the fees paid by their scholars, but from the general revenue of society or the liberality of private donors, had in any degree increased the stock of national information, beyond what it would have been without their assistance: Adam Smith in his admirable Enquiry into the nature and causes of the Wealth of Nations, has argued with great force of reasoning that their tendency has been directly the reverse, and his followers have been numerous and respectable. He has shown that the endowment of schools and colleges has diminished the necessity of application in the teachers, because their subsistence is derived from a fund independent of their success or reputation in their profession, and the rivalship of competitors is altogether prevented. Their emoluments are the same, whether they do, or do not perform their duty, and as it is every man's interest to live as much at his ease as he can, they will either neglect that duty altogether, or discharge it in a careless and slovenly manner. The indolent will indulge their natural disposition, and the industrious will rather employ their time in some pursuit from which they can, than from one in which they cannot, reap any advantage. Nor will they, in all probability, be animated to increased exertion by ambition, or the authority of a superior. Success in several professions leads to splendid objects of ambition, and yet few excel in them, who being born to easy fortunes, are under no absolute necessity of application.-As to the exercise of authority, it either resides in the body where they are members, and so all are equally interested in continuing abuses, by indulging one another; or in some extraneous persons who can indeed prescribe the quantity, but not the quality of a lecture who are liable to exercise their furisdiction both ignorantly and capriciously and to render those subject to it obsequious and dependent. Let these public teachers however be ever so ignorant, lazy and subservient, their pretended lectures will still attract hearers. In the institutions whereto they belong, degrees are obtained, which, if they do not, as they generally do, confer upon the graduates some important privileges, attach to them a certain reputation of superior learning, that of itself is sufficient for that purpose. No private institutions, therefore, however admirably and skilfully conducted, can enter, upon equal terms, into competition with public ones, & RJ thus the respectable character of the private teacher is comparatively degraded, and the all important business of education necessarily falls into the hands of men who have no motive to conduct it properly, and very pow erful ones, to neglect it altogether! But if the professors are diligent and able, yet the discipline and the regulations to which every public establishment of this nature must be subject, frequently tend to prolong the reign of error, and obstruct the progress of discovery. Its forms and statutes are so mahy artificial impediments to the successful investigation and ready adoption of truth-the mind is chained down to certain studies and to certain opinions, which are so interwoven with the constitution of the place, that their abandonment can seldom be reconciled to it. The richer the university too, and the more extensive the es tablishment, the greater difficulty has been experienced in introducing improvements-perhaps in analogy to the physical law, that heavy bodies move slowest. In England, where their two universities were under regulations as favourable to the progress of knowledge as in most other countries, it is notorious that doctrines were a long while taught in them, after they were exploded from every other place; thus the physics of Aristotle maintained their empire long after Newton's works had become familiar to every unfettered pretender to science, and his logic and metaphysics have hardly yet given way to the Novum Organum of Bacon. These facts fully justify the assertion, that universities "have frequently chosen to remain for a long time, the sanctuaries in which exploded systems and obsolete prejudices found shelter and protection, after they had been hunted out of every other corner of the world." i, Were there on the contrary no such institutions, it is hardly possible any science would be long taught, for which there was not some demand, nor taught longer, than the demand existed. The private teacher depending on public opinion for support, would find his account in rapidly foilowing the light of science, and instantly adopting her discoveries and improvements. He would admit nothing useles or antiquated into his system of education, and what he pretended to teach, he could teach well; because the number of his scholars would always enable him to inspect the studies and conduct of each. Thus the essential objects of education would be obtained, and the mind and the morals equally improved. 1 |