Gazette Of The United States

Education has always been an object of the first consideration with the most enlightened nations. During the existence of the degrading feudal system, the importance of Education was lost, for the commonalty being the property of their chieftains, it became the interest of their imperious lords to keep their vassals in a state of ignorance: When mankind began to emerge into day, and learning acquired its possessors influence and respect, the wealthy found means to appropriate its advantages to themselves—Hence rose the institutions of expensive colleges, and universities, from which the poor derived little or no advantage and by the help of superior endowments of mind, the rich added to their immense wealth, and perpetuating the remains of feudal tenures, kept the people still in a state of slavery. This system did not however long continue, for learning soon spread its benign influences among the inferior orders, and in its progress opened the way for freedom: Ignorance and slavery are not more intimately connected, than knowledge and liberty.

The institution of inferior schools for the benefit of the people at large, must depend on the will of an enlightened majority of the people: In a free country therefore, the people must look to themselves for those institutions with which their own particular advantages are most intimately connected: The rich, as they have it in their power, can always avail themselves of the means of learning for their own children, and if the people are negligent and remiss, they must suffer the consequences. I do not know any reason that can be assigned, why colleges, which are supported by all, should be so constituted, that the rich only can be benefitted by them—or why there should be any particular place, or city, in the United States, where there is no public provision for the education of the poor.