Carolina Watchman

              n'ltlls of tiik ( ullll.lm watchman '"' rear t ' , lynble in t - i fniit paid in s ivt , two dollars ... i xi for ili first and 95 cts t rich ibsequent insertion courlwder ■ mil ihesernles a lisb — by ihe year i l'r ii washington union stom of the jackson statue . _ |,,,| jusl ihul i should give and lhat : «, » batcver met n is due f .,.,., i,,ve done anything in giving i ,,., nnl in ihe vviulil the magnificent metu a •'" ti , ii.in sl line nl n'lierul jackson liii liiii square especially should to name ibe t-haiacler and a knowledge ul ljiiriculli i il ttilisl he handed dnvvi n ... we havo collected the fads irom .'.',■ i himself mr clark mills and now "', ' .[, ik-iii a ii historical record he know not with whom the idea ol erecting luf 0 general jackson originated it was jcmtnon thuughi and probably had been sug i.d uy many al different times as we hear mrydayol halties lo clay lo webster and i oilier i our gieat countrymen the lirsi 11.111 made lo carry oul ihe idea appears kl,,fe been a public meeting iu apollo hull m the 13ih september l**l resolutions nre there pa i for ihat purpose sul.se poilr and during the presidency nf james k polk * meeting oflhe cabinet officers ami mber officer ol ihe governmenl was held at j fieiidcnt's house for the same object i committee was lurmed nl ihe following pull men : cave johnson amos kendall jjdnp vim ness james hoban john w iliury charles k gardner jesse e dow ll , n a man is charles p sengslack francis p h lair juhn c rives thomas jichie mid benjamin li french lo collect onirtbui s nnd lo carry mil the work al wmrds in consequence ol ihe decease of john i van ness james hoban and jes-e _ i ami ihe resignation ol william a jlrri messrs j im m mccalla george w hughes atidtew j donelson and george puker were chosen in their places this com lines collected twelve thousand dollars to lieir exertion _ we owe the means lur making ike staiue liul at ihe lime no one deeming el possible lhat any miist would make a bronze mu.slrian siaiue ol general jackson for the until sum collected it w-as seriously debated skeiher nr mil a pedestrian staiue should be llicleil and ihe work giv , mr powers enn alier mr mills had propused to make ihe q_._iii.in staiue sutne oflhe committee doubt ioe his capacity were disposed lo have a pe fcilrian statue by powers llm when mr sills produced his model aud offered lo give security tair the due performance ol the work lie conlracl was made wiih him lur ihe twelve ionian dollars it was in llie year 18-13 while the jackson llilitecomuiiilee were louking lor an artist thai dr mills chanced lo be passing ihrough wash ington cily on his way lo italy he had been i house plasterer in charleston s carolina he nas a citizen ol ihat stale having left ibe state uf new york ihe slate of his nativity i].!i a boy and settled in south carolina — hiitirsl ellmls in art were directed to making finer bursts ue suuueeded in giving such itfinirable likenesseb lha bo soon was much ployed lie ihen resolved to make a busl il mr calhoun in marble the greal south carolinian saw there was j : i in if m ui ami he sal lu him mills chose the finest piece of carolinian marble he could liml and chiseled it into shape amid the ibes nnd sneers ul ihe people " whal fully bey said lur ibis plasterer to presume lo t_l|ittire marble like ihe greal artists of italy d shut himsell up rum their gaze — he hid ihsell from their sueeis in his little shop un fibs had finished his work he had never nen works of ait the manner in which the kulpior does his work nor the instruments he lies jet wiih his own rude lools he produced ur ol ihe jncsl pieces nl sculpture in ihe world ihe im.i of mr calhoun it was ihe ad italion and astonishment ol all the city of wirlesion as an appreciation of the work reined him a splendid gold medal and plac n be busl in ihe cily nail some fiieiiil admiting his genius offered wans io semi linn tu lialv ; and be was 1*8 have said on his way there passing tough washington at ihe furlunate mum but ilie jackson slaiue committee was in nf an ariist he had never before been j vvashinglnn bul spending a few days in ■» city to look at its public buildings and iis juki ol art ho became acquainted with botne ibecoinmillee and with their object they ;'■'(! linn logive a design at firsl he du titled never having seen an equestrian slaiue as mwlesi — thai is his character bul genius nl his fame disturbed bis rest and tipihe strong native powers uf his mind willed his imagination ; when all the world j wl«p a thousand beaulilul lorms luated wore hi waking visions there was ihe n jackson who has impressed the grandeur u s«ul mid the republican simplicity of his inner on tlie institutions and minti of bis "•■ mid on the future ol the world that passed lie|..re ihe imagination ol the artist :" character of a poor peasant boy of a pioneer ol ihe wilderness ol a judge of pmor nl a general and as president of the e°s|ales ihe artist saw him in all the wiksble scenes of his life he embodied im marble and in bronze one onn be n-„„e vision he arrested ami fixed iu his d ll was the hero of new orleans in all characteristic majesty intrepidity arid firm "• mounted on a magnificent war steed j»mg the air with fierceness and res'lessim **»«. as conscious ol the coming bailie wing to ihe iron nerve ,, i his rider « *»• at tbe battle of new orleans when wns hurriedly riding in review ol ii"'0 a u'w enls beloro the engage "> wbteb was llie form and scene that fas jr-tlfelfon the artist's mind in an insianl kia j '' '"'" bronze and it stood before "«« a living thing his mind was ngita .'; "• a haunted wiih un idea but ie lie looked back to his past bis a 1 be difficulties before him a fatal rj^ltlg block to modest genius the world j",u"li its schools iis aulhori'ies aod its lit *'|'°'' i1 1 rebuke ihe presumptuous plus lk'e i '' ""' eeognise him be was nut :.. i''1 i us society bo never gi initialed in "-'"' be fell discouraged bul then j 1awhi.ppr i is ear ihe genius ol ,'""'' said •■ follow nature genius is su j'l-art makes ils rules from nn iu | "" evid»"c«s of history nature trie beautiful ami as various ill a '*,» \-" '" llaly <" ku.npe — study nature i , s ' now he was cheered other "■' passed belore him he thought ol the i - jlaj v7il__l lwijal f vv ijl jl yjjllv j _±\_ ii e j.j b_.u_.l_ll > editor 4 proprietor k.»*.n.o»,o»«lro ( ni.w series l>...'lll.s,a-.|.l,,,..,.,ll .,..,,,." ) ii-i.'i ii'i.ir / volume ix number 30 salisbury n c thursday february 3 lfi/>q «'•">' "' do'»g bis work nl leaving to ,„„. i terlly representations of olher heroes and greal men ol america nml nl great scenes and events in his country's history and above all ! i ihe glury ut making a mighty colossal slaiue larger lhan anything in tho world to ihe father ol ins country , "'' l"r 1 i make ihe jnckson slaiue lie knew ihe amount offered v 1,1 t pay him much less reward him but ho said " i will work for a future that shall be my reward he itilnrnieil ibo r milieu of his resolution i bey desired him lo make n miniature model ' he returned to charleston ili friends them were offended with him some hardly noticed him they reproached him wiih presumption and fully ; said •• bo was going lo throw him ! sell away and thai he could never du such a work ii was in vain i appeal lo ihem j from whal he had done to point lo ihu bust of calhoun ; ihey could nut possess themselves ol his idea nur comprehend his capacity f ter eight months he produced his model they werethen satisfied he would succeed and vol unlarily offered to become his security he returned lo washington the committee tip proved nl the model and made a conlracl wiih him they required security ten gentlemen were his bondsmen fur ihe due performance ol ihe work we give the names of these gen tlemen as it is highly lu mural lo lu ihem for this acl of confidence and kindness they are all men of properly in ihe ciiv o charleston nnd iu the slate nf south carolina their names are james rose james gadsden h gourdln f 11 elmore d 15 norlhrop chas i c.-ur edward frost na m i'o ter j si-lininrle and george klnlnch the conlrnct j required ihe statue lo be a third larger than lile it is n little mure than lhat governmenl fur ! nlshed the metal which wns old cannon and sumo nf which was captured by gen jackson congress voted five thousand dollars fur the pedestal on which tho statue stands all oth j er expenses have been borne by mr mills what an undertaking lur a charleston plus lerer i what an instructive comment on the history of genius and nn the power of republi i ran institutions in developing ibe qualities of the mind ! mr mills was ihen thirty iwo years of age a man in whnse personal appearance : iheie was nothing to strike an ordinary observ | er as remarkable ; plain in his manners and dress and exceedingly modest ; never advanc i ing in conversation but retiring except with lainiliar friends and on ihe subject ol llie statue ! and ol arts ; then he would be liee comtnuni ' calive and instructive ; for i hough he had never seen any works ol arl ho had in his leisoie hours read much and had studied anatomy — lie i as an ardent mind und temperament enn trolled by a sound judgment ami a thorough practical know-ledge of men and business — this wiih a well balanced mind su uncom i mmi in artists be has acquired in the school ' of poverty and in the struggle of every day life his mind is characterized by a ready and jusl perception especially ol lorms and lor greal firmness of purpose he is passionate bul ' ready lo forgive in personal appearance be presents ihe figure of a man about five leel len inches iii heighl well and strongly madt — nol j siuui — with a quick and eneigeiic step he has a searching light gray eye good regular caucasian features and gray hair lurned gray i during ihe period of his labor and anxiety over the great work he has ace implished this is mr mills we have been thus circumstan tial because we believe posterity will wish io know something ol ihis remarkable untaught or self taught arlisl now he commences his work on a v.i cant i..i of government ground near ihe pres 1 1 nu houst al the corner ol ihe 15th streel and pennsylvania avenue he creeled a small frame building for a workshop and a residence lie buiight a horse iu virginia known in lha tuil register as olympus this ho trained tu present the attitude he wanted this horse is well known in washington nuw as the model horse he dissected horses he stud ied ibe breed und character ol different kinds ul horses ha selected ibe various parts of beauty and strength from ihem all lo produce ( the splendid bronze one he has made as the van uis poinla nl female beauty never found in one leniiile yel all perfectly natural ate lound in ihe venus de medicis su be resolved iu make his horse ; yel ii i a perfect war horse he studied ihe character ul jackson and the besl likenesses that could ho found su as lo give a lailhlul representation ol him hetook from the military dress mien jackson deposited ill the patent oliice llie model by which he clothed the hem the very sword he wore and every minutim of the saddle holsters bri ill . and even buckles is faithful lo hisloty — vet is there nothing still'or awkward in tho entire gruup — all is lute natural and easy he modelled his colossal group in plaster he was nut quite two years ill lining ihis — the model was exhibited lo the public all ad mired its beauty hut critics artists and sci entific men declared il cnulil never stand — the slatue stood on iis bind feet alnne this had never i n dune before all the cplebra led equestrian statues in tho world represented as rampant with ihe lore feel in the air had been supported by borne additional ami reslrainl means generally by some prop nr by laslen ing the tail to the pedestal giving an unnatural al lidue and destroying the lile like expressi il ihe animal people could nol realise ihe fact thai the firsl eiqueslriau blalue in america exe cuted by an untaught american ariist could be supperior in ilns respect io all ihe an oflhe old world mills howevor following the die tales of his own genius and nature bad dis covered that a natural horse to get in such a position must throw the centre of gravily ihrough ihe rider lo his hind feel lie slaked his repu lion on lhai principle and has contrary io tho predictions of iho learned and scientific tri utnphed the model finished the neit thing to bo done was casting ihe staiue mills had no loundiy he sent lo different large lefandries in pennsylvania and olher places and vivas lold lhai such a work cnulil nol be casi in iheir foun dries bul that one eould lie i in i lur llie pur pose fortweniy thousand dollars tins would not do his contract lur the whole work woi only twelve thousand dollars and he conse quently eould nm afford such it sum lur ihe ens ling whul was he lodo founders and ar lists hud said ihere wus no place it amorlca where such a colossal statue could lie cast his means his contract would not enable him to go in europe full of resources be having ns mirabeau said lo his secretary thai nothing wus impossible ami us the 1 uracil laise said in kossuth lhai nothing was impos sible to he who wills mr mills built a luun dry himself with limited means and in a small miserable bhanty he built a foundry up on a ncic principle wilhoul u chimney smnlte stuck ur drafl uf any kind — an invention ol his own nml casi his colossal siuiiie whal is nol ihe human mind equal lo when conscious ol iis power and pressed by difficulties '! ol this foundry as well as nf balancing the staiue scientific men bud said ii was contrary lo eiperience ami iu all ihe known rules of science how could sufficient heal be genor ateil iu melt such a miss of melal wilhoul a draught he proved by an experiment lhai ii could im done with three eighths ol a cord of wood he melted sixteen hundred pounds ol metal and cast fuur bells he confined the caloric and lound that wiih comparatively lit lie fuel nnd in a very small space he could gen erate iho mosl intense heat he found also lhai he hail increased the hardness and there fore improved ihe quality ol the metal by his furnace he informed ihe governmenl of bis discovery thinking it would be very important in the manufacture ol cannon he proposed iu nisi a cannon and have ii lesicil by a board ol competenl officers the board ul ordinance treated his proposition with neglect ami doubt they said " mr mills vas not a i'uiintli'r anil ihey could not entertain such a proposition from him such are iho difficulties which besel poor men nf genius and merit mills notwith standing had succeeded thus far he hud mule his model and his foundiy mr mills was nut a lounder ; he had proved himsell lo be an attist by nature and a man of greal inventive genius bul ihe ptaciical busi ttess ol casting he had yet lo learn up could litiil numbers of workmen capable of casting things in llie ordinary way or any small piece he could find no ono who understood casting so large a muss as his stulue which required so much skill and precision he trusted in himsell ; he look irom the street ordinary labo rers and as he instructed himsell he ditected them he did nothing rashly ; he mmle him sell well arquainled with ihe principles and pratttco of casting metals ll was impossible however lo furesee everything his idea of lining ihe work was correct bui his experience was insufficient the sides oflhe burse were lo be cast whole these were large pieces lo im c.isl by such means as lin hail al his command ho ailed several limes by un foreseen accidents in producing period casts he was determined lo have llio whole per feci and at a greal expense and loss of lime he continued to su cast until in the month ol october l*j..j ho finished llie casting all complete when wo consider the length uf lime such works take in their execution in europe vary ing irom live lo twenty years und the many casts which arc often made there before a per led one can be obtained wo must be surprised lhai mr mills has succeeded sn well and performed his work in su short a time from ihe in mill of october lo the i-igluh nf january lull wing the il iy un which llie statue was in augurated lhai is in less ili in three months — mr mills put the staiue together and placed it uu its pedestal the design ol ihe pedestal and ils con blrucli was lull io ihe artist the five thousand dollars apptopriated by congress or lhai purpose was placed al his disposal had iho appropriation been larger and iho time not su limited he would have made n tnoro im posing structure it is however a plain handsome while marble base for llie gruup — the cap blono alone weighs about eighteen inns the entite height ol iho pedestal and mound is about fourteen leet during ihe progress nf ihe work and espe cially while lie was making unsuccessful cast ings mr mills had lo encounter ihe scepti cism of lite world win can appreciate his difficulties and menial sufferings 1 1 havo been ready im says lo throw myself in the potomac nona but a man of uticunqnera ble will anil perseverance could have over come such obstacles he had spent all his means — the twelve thousand dollars of his contract — and had nut finished casting ihe slaiue the world said he never would do it where could ho burrow money under such circumstances ? there was one man a mem ber ol the commille who sympathised with him who believed in him john w maury ihe pres ent mayor of washington advanced him money irom lime lo time as he needed — in al over fuur thousand dollars eternal honor lo the man lei ins lellowcitizens and luture a_''s know ihat ho generously aided at ibe critical moment ihe poor struggling artist to finish his beautiful creation aflerwards as the work approached completion several other gentlemen oi ihe com mittee kindly advanced money messrs isiair uiul itives ami mr li ii french advanced sev eral hundred dollars each lei ihem ion bo honored lur lhai the entire cost of the slaiue has | n aliuiit 19.000 or several thousand dollars over lha cotllrocl this is the actual expenditure without reckoning mr mills live years labor or the value of his work as a work of ail on the stli of the present month the anni versary ol the battle ol new orleans the slaiue was inaugurated the day was bright and beaulilul suitable lo the occasion in ihe pres once oflhe president of ibe united suites the commander in chiel bolh houses of congress many ol ihe personal friends and companions in arms ol ihe old hern ami iweniy thousand 1 pie the arlisl had the satisfaction ol seeing ihe end ol his labor uml ihe idol of his soul re ceived wiih applauding admiration tbe hun s \. douglass was ihe orator chosen to dellv ei ibe inaugural address thai address and the whole | eedingi have in published whal a proud day for mills ! alier ihe oration he was introduced to tho assembled thousands he raised his hand lo the sta'ue for the cuitniii which covered ii lo fall and as his speech in response lo the enthusiastic plaudits li was ihe moment of his life ; th again he saw that tieiiius which had inspired him lo action holding tho laurel crown over his head lie had " followed nature " as il directed him uml hud acquired fame well dues he deserve it we believe — nml it is alsu ihe judgment uf men ol taste of travellers of arlisls and ol ihe public who have seen it — thai mills bronze eques trian blalue of gen jackson in lafayette , square is the first wotk ol ait of ibe kind in tho world the last new planet — the celebrated 1 astronomer in communicating the eic ments of the orbit of tho seventh planet which bit hml discovered writes for ! his parly knowledge of tbe planet's orbit we are mainly indebted lo the observa tion of mr hartnup of liverpool ; ami it is only one of many iiistaiices where as tronomy has benefited the establishment of the line observatory in that town which is supported by ihe enlightened liberality of the corporation it must we think be gratifying lo lite authorities of this town 1 to see that while nothing of a practical nature is neglected which tends to facili tate navigation or render it more secure our local astronomer still finds time louse the magnificent instruments in which he has been so liberally supplied in such a way as to gain the approbation of the must celebrated astronomer of our day and to contribute in no small degree to tho ad vancement of n science lo which naviga tion is so much indebted mr adams who lias been requested to name the new ' planet proposes to call it calliope mr : hind remarks tbat the discovery of the i planet was nol complete till the morning of tho isih ult nml that calliope whose oliice in ancient mythology required her lo perpetrnte the illustrious deeds of he j roes can hardly fail to remind us of the event of the 18th when ihe homage of so many nations was paid to the memory of the greatest hero of modern limes this planet which will accordingly bear the name ol calliope the music of epic poetry is the seventh discovered by | that distinguished astronomer mr hind { and the xilst nol known to exist between mars and jupiter within a few days i we have an account of yet another hav i ing been found at l'aris which had receiv ; ed from arago the latin name of that ci ' ty lutitia ;) but the statement requires confirmation — london times wrought iron manufactured by a ntw process — an important improvement in the manufacture of wrought iron was made at newark new jersey two or three years ago and a few weeks since an association nt ihat place put it into success ftil operation tbe improvement it is said consists in the production of pure wrought iron directly from the ore wiih mineral coal thus dispensing with the time and money consuming process of reducing it first to pig iron and thence into wrought iron by puddling or with charcoal the newark advertiser says : the chief advantages claimed for the invention are that ihe iron is produced for some twenty dollars per ton less lhan the puddled or charcoal iron and that it is worth ten dollars per ion mote on account of ils superior quality ; that a greater quantity of iron is extracted from a given amount of ore than by the old process and that it is tbe only process by which pure wrought iron can lie produced the rationale of the invention is that the iron is deoxidyzed by beating a mix ture of the pulverized ore and coal in close tubes so that by tlie combustion of the coal the oxygen is absorbed from the ore anil passed off in an aeriform slate the residuum is taken from the tubes and worked into balls weighing 100 pounds each these are taken to the trip-hammer by which they are reduced to blooms — two tons of the iron are now made per day nnd il requires about iwo ions of ore and one ton and a hall of coal to produce one ton of the wrought iron the iron is extracted and perfected by a continuous process very simple in its operation and iherefore is said to be more uniform and altogether superior to that made by other processes by which the ore or iron musl j undergo two successive exposures to the lire before it can be reduced to wrought iron mvu tiirouon excessive joy — a writer describing ihe lunatic asylum ul illackweh's island says : " hern is a woman whom joy has deprived ul her senses her husband and child wero on , board a vessel which was wrecked going down i iho shore every day as if with the wish ol being nearer tho beloved ubjecis lhat lay hurried beneath the sea suddenly she be held them landing from a vessel which had picked ihem tip and saved ihem an over whelming flood ofjoy pervaded her bosom and reason was gone forever she never has known ihem since but sits on what she thinks the same ruck where she used lo bewail their late wringing her bunds and mourning mosl j pitouusly — whilo every week tho husband and sun come and gaze on her face in bopo lo ruuse une gleam of memory — but in vain important decision — in the case of , morse 0'l.eilly,tl.e u.s supreme court ; have decided lhat an art cannot be pa tented this important decision fore shadows the result in any case in which i an ait is a material clement etiquette in church there is a good deal ol common sense says the new york times in ibe follow ing suggestions the reverend gentle man who utlets litem is a watertown clergyman : " a few evenings since rev mr holmes of the ijupiisi denomination of ; ihis village made a very sensible request of his audience which we hope lo see a doptcd by every congregation it was that the habil su prevalent in tbe church of a whole pew full of gentlemen arising and filing out into the aisle merely to give one or two indies a seat in ihe olher end of the pew should be at once aban doned ; and that the ladies when coming into church would take their seats in the end of the pews vacant quietly and with out disturbing thn whole congregation if such a reform in church etiquette cannot be brought about we suggest the follow ing rotlne or system of tactics which we find in an exchange be adopted that the thing may he well done if at all : " suppose then that six men are quiet ly sealed in a pew upon the rigbt hand side of the broad aisle when a lady pro : poses to herself the somewhat difficult task ! of taking possession of the remotest seat i which a foolish custom has assigned for tbe special occupancy of the elder lady of a household or in default of ber pres ence any lady or anything that wears pet | licoats though it be bul a child this she proposes to take possession of " peace fully il she can forcibly if she musl — happily the sterner sex are tlisposed to yield the point and il is desirable that il be done with grace this can be dune in this way " let the lady advance one pace beyond ihe door of the pew halt about lace and salule the pew must then be vacated : by a lank movement the squad occu j ' pying it should rise simultaneously then j j deploy into the aisle the bead man facing | ! the lady and ihe rest passing to his right j and rear changing ihe direction of line by i i a right countermarch and forming again in line up and down the aisle still laced , by the right flank the lady when she sees the coast j clear completes her salule and advances i at once to her position in the pew the | gentlemen break off by files from the rear j i and resume their places great care j should be taken of course by other parties not lo enter the aisle where this evolution is in progress until il is completed if this evolution appears too formidable '■ we have another mode to suggest by j which the evil can he avoided and that is let those who come first take the remotest seat and as others arrive let them fill up in due order of arrival without regard to rank raul !— there is no rank but good ness in the sight of god whether it beat i the head or loot of the pew - boy-men while sealetl in our sanctum the oilier evening we were aroused irom a semi comatose i every by the entrance of a young gentleman we might give offence were we to call him boy who after very politely giving us the top of the afternoon diliberately opened the stove lighted a strip of paper and touching it to the end of a light brown mild havana and pro ceeded to smoke iu the most approved style yes this young man (') of about ten summers sap was up lo all the fancy touches in the use of his cigar such as ta king it between his lingers with the back i of his hand lo his would-be whisker patch puffing the smoke out at the cor ner of his mouth holding bis cigar be tween the i'oielinger and thumb while lie gently snulled it with his liltle linger tip and finally damning his bullous if there , were any good cigars to be bad in town ! ' we looked at him go ihrough all the mo lions and could not help agreeing with the observation oflhe tlarkie lhat " cigars had got so now they didn't care who smoked em we hope we shall not have lo light a duel lor writing the above — war news loveliness — it is not your dress ladies j your expensive shawl or golden lingers lhat attract the attention of men of sense1 — they look beyond ihese it is your char acter they study if you are trifling and loose in your conversation no matter if you are as beautiful as an angel you have i no attractions for them il is ihe loveli j ness of your nature that wins andcontin lies lo retain the affections of lite heart \ young ladies sadly ntiss it who labor to improve their outwartl looks while they bestow no care upon their minds fools may be won by gew gaws and f'ashiona . ble showy dresses but the wise and sub stantial are never caught by such traps let modesty be your dress — use pleasant and agreeable language and though you may not be courted by tin fop the good j and truly great will love lo linger in your steps voung mother — who is extremely senlimen tal on noticing lhat her lirsi burn in the eradle is excessively restless ) — the angels are whis pering lo thee my " w 1 1 darling babe grandmother — exiremelj a matter ol lact it's no such thing laura the child has on | iy got wind iu iis stomach addkess to ho officers of the common schools and lo ihe friends oj education in ... carolina lu entering ot ihe duties of general super intent ol common sellouts lor ihe slats of north carolina i feel that ihu occasion is a proper one for addressing n lew plain remarks lo iho officers agonts and friends ol the sys inn there oughl tu have been rum ibe mart a head nml chief director ol the system lo give it t'flicit in v nnd reporl ll its defoeis ; and had ihere i ii such an officer we would nol now bo groping iu the dark igllornnl alike of the past operations of the proseiil situation and of the future prospects ol nur cummon schools they have never yel reporled progress lo the public | nml now while in ihu absence of in formation we nre on the point of despairing ol iheir success the legislature has made provl siiui for iln bppolnlnienl of a controlling head and vested that appointment in ine thin po in ui which fiuiii the firsl would have been a highly responsible one has from the circum stances under which it was created become nne of vast importance nnd wiih my concep linns ol ilm difficulties which surround me of the greatness ul the cause and id ibo impor tance ol the duties i owe la ihe public 1 leel oppressed and neatly overvwelmttd with con cern ' i have tin tl nlil bul lha i mui-li iso.pecledof me though ihere are no definite ideas as to the means by which i initio accomplish il : thebo means i si liml in the sympathizing heaits and willing hands oflhe subordinate agents and iho friends oflhe system that 1 may ihere fore do the besl i can lur the slate i will en di'iivor lo pm in active motion a complicated machinery and in doing so while aiming at practical results by practical means i shall lorego all attempts at personal display and shall be mure concerned lo push on ihe cause than lo biini ilie operalor in notice 1 musl therefore u»k the public lo awnil re suits and not lu look fur a mere display nf zeal and will begin vv iih n plain tu ik nnd sumo sim ple suggestions fur which 1 invoke tho serious consideration of all concerned the common schools ol iho state have not fulfilled ihe expectations of the public ; and this because perhaps loo much was looked tor in n very short lime st 111 we might reasonably have expected more ; and iho reasons why it has nol been ac complished are 1st the delects ol the system and the prejudices misconceptions tuid ignor ance against which il had to contend udly the inadequacy of the pecuniary means and y.lly the want ol an active public interest in ihe cause of popular education the first cause was natural and could not be immediately re moved ; but now that we aro in ihe way of having light we may expeel judicious amend ments and more efficient operations the removal of iho last cause of difficulty will remedy llie second and that il is to this purpose that 1 wish to direct much of my effort and i sincerely hope that 1 will not labor in vain the public has nol herelofure manifested that active itileresl in this cause which its impor lance demands ; and many well wishers have been content with mere good wishes while a mule exertion in iho shape of advice visits at llie school houses attentions to scholars and examination of teachers would have been much inure effectual much — a greal deal — depends upon the ex ample oflhe leading classes of the community and if they make it appear that ihe common schools are things in which they have no di reel personal interest and that ihey desire their success only for the sake of iheir poorer neigh bors their course will not certainly lie product ive nf ginid lo ihe bchools tho common school should he regarded in every neighborhood as one uf the most sacred inslilutions of ihe country — il should be looked on as une ol ihe inestimable advanlages olhome identified with ihe dearest interests ul society and bound up with the hopes of the old and the affections oflhe young ll the uld will cherish tho young will rever ence ii : and when 111101113 and children invest llieir affections and their hopes upon it it will ever be occupied by teachers who will not feel iheir responsibility and diligently exert thetn selvea as persons on whom aie cetilered many watchful and jealous eyes the common school house should show in itself ihnl it is nno of ihe cherished monuments of home ; ii should be carefully constructed or 11:1111 i red ami presetved and become a central point ol resort a place lur the public meetings and the social parlies of ihe neighborhood — when occupied by schools ihese nouses should imi be as ihey olten are isolated torn iho curi nsily and ihe interest of the public on ihe conlrary ihe teacher and the pupil should feel lhai they are constantly before the public gaze ami the centre of alliactiun for all classes of ihe neighborhood all llie officers and agents ofthc system nught lo lali.u iu enlist ihe sympathies ol the people iu ii behalf to try lo impress on others their own convictions in regard to ihe importance of universal educatinn — lo manifest their interest in the siliiiiils by attending examinations by sending their own children and gelling their neighbors lo send — by employing buch teach ers as they would wish lo stand in loco parentis iu the place ol parent and instructor for their own nil pi ing — by preparing com lor i able school houses ami exercising an active vigilance over the interest ol the system the idea thai these schools aro intended on ly lur pour children should everywhere be dis cournged ; and it shuuld bo understood and pro claimed thai this is a greal bounty a lountain opened for all the children id the stale without distinction ol classes promising equal benefits tu all rod worthy of ihe fostering caro of all it is ihe duly of every one accepting a place oflrustin ihis honeficeul system io discharge faithfully its duties and lo lake 1111 itileresl in them ; ami i have no hesitation in saying that il ihey would bul occasionally visit ihe schools lhai this single and simple circumstance would mill mui li in iln-ir usefulness stimulating ichol urs in their studios inducing childion who havo never attended bchool in go and causing teach eis tu be more careful and zealous it is iho duly ol leading persons male and female — a duly ihey owe lu inciely and lo them selves iu manifest by iheir acts and words an interest in ihu success of ihe cummon schools and their example and advice will encourage pupils and teachers oxclt ing emu la 1 inn iu built and ihrovving the powetful influence of fashion in i.i-.i.i ui the 1 : ii of general education li i the duly of teachers lo ende ivor lo dis semiunte a fueling in favor of ihe cause and in so doing ihey will liml iheii personal inter est promoted thereby