SW_WH1793_Page_156

for assistance. An act of incorporation, under thename of the Society for establishing a Free School,in the city of New-York, for the education of suchpoor children as do not belong to, or are not providedfor by, any religious society, was obtained. The schoolwas soon opened, and twelve scholars admitted. Fromthis exertion, grew the splendid system of educationnow in operation in the state of New-York. There hadbeen some legislative provisions previously enacted,but the act had expired, without producing anybeneficial effects. At the commencement of the sys-tem, the instruction was confined to the poor, whowere not otherwise provided for; at length it extend-ed to all classes, and the reluctance that was felt, bythose in good circumstances, to sending their child-ren to these common schools, is every day diminish-ing, and will soon cease altogether. The first menof New England were educated in their commonschools.* * In New England, although every man who pays a tax, has a vote notonly in general elections, but, also, in town offices, and in raising money and expending it; yet, the wealthy and well-to-do, have to take care ofthe poor; for, in many instances, they have been opposed to raising moneyfor their common schools. In a town in Massachusetts, of no inconsidera-ble size, where education is under the best of regulations, a proposition wasmade, in town-meeting, to establish another school. A poor man who oftenadmired his own eloquence in these primary assemblies, opposed the measureon the ground of oppressive taxation and spoke so strongly that many beganto doubt the expediency of establishing another school at that time. A friend to the proposition for another school followed the orator. He had prepared to meet this influence. He showed, in the first place, that the speaker, who alone opposed the measure, had been the father of ten sons, who were all edu- cated at the common schools in town, and that these sons had, on an ave-rage, been at school seven years each. The gentlemen who argued in favourof the additional school, next exhibited the school tax, from the time the oppo-ser first paid a tax, to that year, and showed that his proportion of the wholesum, for the seven years schooling of his boys, had been 39 cents only. They were bright boys, and often obtained prizes of books. Such is preju-dice without calculation. EDITOR. Professor Johnson has written a fair andpretty full account of education in the state of New-York, which I here insert, as it is the best extant.This system has even exceeded the calculation ofMr. Eddy himself.