of economic conditions in 1833.

These citizens also said that prosperity and intelligence could only be aided by a system of internal improvements Further statement and public education. Of the same tenor was the report1 of another legislative committee of 1833, to whom was referred "sundry documents and schemes relating to the Internal Improvements of this State." This committee said that nine-tenths of our farming lands were then for sale and referred to the laggard policy of North Carolina in delaying for thirty years any general system of improvements. This report also referred to the prejudice then existing against railroads and said that people were daily leaving the State to go where they would have better opportunities to reap the fruits of their labor.

North Carolina said to be a century be

"Old Field," a correspondent of the Raleigh Register hind in education. during 1833, grimly observed that he thought "the people will have to learn to spell internal improvements before they can comprehend the meaning of that term." And he added that North Carolina was then a century behind other States in education and all other subjects of importance, caustically referring to the policy of borrowing the small Literary Fund each year, with which to pay the members of the legislature.2

Disturbing in

fluence of convention question.

Proposal to make

school establishment a feature of

new constitution.

The convention question was long a disturbing factor in the life of the State. After it had been settled, in 1834, that a convention would be called to amend the constitution, the Raleigh Star said that this question had "long proved a bone of contention in the councils of the State, to the exclusion of calm deliberation on everything else." On the eve of the assembling of this convention, a Raleigh Standard correspondent, who signed himself "D," suggested that the new constitution should contain a provision regarding public schools, and argued that the lack of schools was daily draining the State of wealth and population. This article resulted in a declaration on the part of the Standard, oft repeated, in favor of "the universal

diffusion of the blessings of education."

But no change was made in the educational clause of the constitution of 1776, nor was the question considered by the convention of

1835.

zens and Gov. Dudley on economic

and educational

conditions 1837.

From 1835 to 1840, conditions do not seem to have im- Fayetteville citiproved to any great extent. In a memorial2 to the legislature of 1836-7, the citizens of Fayetteville represented that they had year after year witnessed "with pain and mortification the depressed condition which each section of our State presents." The memorial also spoke of the "discontent, decay and ruin" manifest throughout the State, and of the "illiberal and contracted policy to force our people" to "go forth and seek other lands." In his inaugural address, in 1837, Governor Dudley said that North Carolina was "actually least in the scale of relative wealth and enterprise"; that her "lands [were] depressed in price, fallow and deserted"; that her "manufacturing advantages [were] unimproved," her "stores of mineral wealth undisturbed"; and that her "colleges and schools [were] languishing from neglect."

3

4

In 1838, Rev. A. J. Leavenworth, a Charlotte Presby- Illiteracy in 1838. terian clergyman, estimated that "we have probably 120 thousand children between the ages of 5 and 15 years, who are destitute of a common school education." He further said that "in some parts of the State, many large families are found, not one of whom, parents or children, can read their alphabet; and in others, whole neighborhoods of forty and fifty families exist, among whom but few individuals can read their Bible." In his report on education to the legislature of 1838, Wm. W. Cherry said that "those who have mixed much with the people of our State know that there is an average of nearly half of every family in the State, who have recd no education and who are as yet unprovided with the means of Learning even to read and write." And the Western Carolinian® remarked about the

1 P. 710. 2 P. 795. P. 803. 3

4 P. 813. 5 P. 862. 6 P. 816.

M

CRS T

Why so little was done.

Wealth of State in 1833.

same time upon "the prejudice entertained by some to have their children educated in a 'free school,' preferring them to remain in ignorance rather than have them educated at the public expense.'

But why was so little done, by the legislature during all these years, to remedy the educational condition of the State? In 1834, an assembly resolution' to inquire into the "present facilities for instruction possessed by the people of North Carolina" failed of consideration. And the Raleigh Star, about the same time, naively inquired: "Can it be presumed for a moment that the Legislature would have so long indulged in a profound and listless apathy on the subject of popular education, if it had been sensible of the number living in ignorance and dying in darkness?" Possibly the remark of the Western Carolinian ten years earlier touched the question more nearly when it said that the people complained much of taxes and would not approve the establishment of schools by that means, and expressed the opinion that the only hope of their establishment lay in providing a permanent school fund. Then the popular idea that a State with such sparse population and no large towns could not maintain. a system of public schools, undoubtedly had its effect on legislative action. It was true that New Bern, the largest town in 1820, had only 3,663 population, 2,218 of whom were negroes. But as early as 1815,* the landed property of the State was valued at $53,521,513. The personal property valuation at that time must have been at least $100,000,000, for in 1838 the Literary Board estimated the land value of the State at $64,000,000 and the personal property at $136,000,000, making an aggregate value of $200,000,000, notwithstanding the fact that the State Treasurer said in 1833 that the deficient property assessment laws and the poll-tax listing laws resulted in defrauding the State out of as much revenue each year as was actually

possible before 1840

collected.1 The actual revenue then collected was about $68,000. If this amount had been doubled by proper Public schools legislation as Governor Swain and others urged, it is easy and why. to see that an educational income nearly as large as was actually in hand in 1840 could have been easily provided as early as 1830, and possibly much earlier. These facts seem to dispose effectively of the argument so often advanced during these years that the State was doing all it was able to do on the subject of education.

But it would not be a true picture to recite all these Educational ideals. things and not say something of the educational ideals voiced by so many of the leading men of this period. Though their voices were unheard for a long time, still what they said about education must have had some weight. It is, at least, true that what these men said has great historic value in any discussion of the evolution of our social institutions.

of some early

In 1802, Governor Williams called the attention of the Educational ideals legislature to the subject of education and said that edu- governors. cation would enable the people to appreciate their civil and political rights.2 The next year, Governor Turner said that education was the foe of tyranny.3 In his message of 1804, he said that prosperity and happiness depended on education, and mentioned the subject of taxation for schools. In 1811, Governor Smith observed that education prevented crime," while Governor Stone two years earlier had suggested the establishment of schools secondary to the University, the first mention of State aid to high schools in these documents."

Opponents of narrow courses of

The narrow courses of study then dominating all the schools had vigorous opponents. In 1803, O'Farrell's study. school bill declared that the dead languages were not necessary to be taught in the schools of a republican government. In 1810, Jeremiah Battle raised objection to the

Education in agriculture favored.

Educational ideals

of other governors and citizens.

dead languages as the basis of all education. In an account of the course of study in one of the Warrenton female academies, 1810, it was said that the standard English authors were read. In 1795, Rev. John Alexander wished both "books and needles" to play a part in the education of his daughters.3 Before 1810, music, painting and embroidery were taught in the Raleigh Academy.*

As early as 1810, an agricultural society was formed in Edgecombe and a library of books on agriculture began to be collected. In 1822, Governor Holmes lamented the neglect of agricultural education and suggested the teaching of agriculture in the State University. He also referred to the fact that the learned professions were crowded with incompetents who might make excellent farmers." The next year he urged the acquisition of a farm near the University, on which students might be taught agriculture. In 1826, Robert Potter, of Halifax, introduced a bill in the General Assembly to establish a political college on a farm in Wake County. This college, if established, would have had a professor of agriculture and the students would have spent a considerable part of their time in farm work. In 1831, a law passed the General Assembly to establish a free school in Johnston County. This school was to have a farm attached and trades were to be taught." In 1836, Donaldson Academy at Fayetteville asked State aid for the equipment of a manual labor department, a teachers' department, and an engineering department.10 These facts are abundant evidence that this period possessed many men who fully realized the importance of training in agricultural and mechanic arts, but possibly the presence of slavery had something to do with the failure of all their plans.

However, it was not the early governors alone, who

1 P. 69. 2 P. 77.

3 P. 10. P. 76. P. 71.
4

6 P. 195. P. 212.