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Life of Thomas Eddy

SW_WH1793_Page_157

EDUCATION. Though not the first among the states of the con-federacy to introduce the system of universal educa-tion, New-York may, with some truth, be said tohave surpassed all the other states, in the liberality,as well as the sound policy, of her provisions for itsmaintenance. She has happily taken the due meansbetween relying wholly upon taxation on the onehand, and upon accumulated funds on the other, forthe support of schools throughout her community.She has avoided the error of applying all her legis-lation to a single class of institutions; thus showinga spirit above the petty jealousy that would annihi-late the higher, and a sense and patriotism that im-peratively forbade her to neglect the lower semina-ries of learning. We do not find colleges and uni-versities multiplied till one actually devours another,while the mass of the community is without eventhe ordinary rudiments of knowledge; nor do weperceive, on the contrary, the avenues to classical at-tainments so hedged about by the expensiveness, theuseless requisitions, and the forbidding ceremonialswhich might appal the youth, whose treasures were only of the mind, from attempting to gain the stationin society, for which his natural endowments hadqualified him. There does not appear any ostentatious displayof extravagance in her expenditures for education,—nor any of that niggardly parsimony which wouldcompel the people to buy a cheap commodity of learning, sure, at the same time, that it must be apoor one. She has not hesitated, while prosecuting the mostmagnificent schemes for improving the value of herphysical resources, to devise and execute plans farmore magnificent for the development of her intel-lectual treasures. It has not been the spirit of her