There is a difficulty, if not an utter impossibility, in obtaining authentic information respecting the exact state of the schools erected in early times, in accordance with these laws. They were man aged and controlled solely by the little corporations called in the eastern states towns; elsewhere known by the designation of townships. No regular gene ral report of their condition and operation was ren dered, and the government of the colony was not authorised to interfere in their management far ther than to grant the remedy for neglect to provide schools, where the law authorised and required such provision. But public opinion appears to have been ever in advance of the requirements of the law; as few, if any penalties were incurred by the towns for remissness in this particular. The colony of Connecticut was early engaged in the cause of universal education; and her system of public common schools has at all times constituted the chief object of care and anxiety. The same provision and the same limitations as to number of families required to oblige a town to support schools, were found as in the older colony of Mas, sachusetts.
But notwithstanding the obvious policy and use fulness of the system of general education, it will require but little reflection to convince us that the greater part of the efforts of a public nature made for the diffusion of education, have been applied to those classes whose moral and intellectual culture least requires the fostering care of government. With the exception of some of the New England states, particularly Massachusetts and Connecticut, little had been done for common schools before the commencement of the present century. In the two states just named, provisions for universal educa tion were, as already stated, among the first objects of their pilgrim founders. Their reason for wish ing the blessings of knowledge to be widely diffus ed, are certainly as cogent under the independent as they could have been under the colonial govern ment.
In the first law of Massachusetts, it was provided " tliat none of them (the colonists) shall suffer so much barbarism in any of their families, as not to endeavour to teach, by themselves or others, their children and apprentices so much learning as may enable them to read the English tongue, and know ledge of the capital laws." By a reference to the list of colleges given below, it will be seen that up to the time of the revolution in 1776, only eight of those institutions had been formed for a population of three millions. This number it will also be seen is now increased eight fold, for about a quadruple population; and other schools of a higher class have doubtless been mul tiplied in a proportionate degree.
Harvard college, the oldest in the United States, had, during the ten years immediately preceding the American revolution, about one hundred and seventy students. The other seven colleges did not probably, at that time, average more than half that number each, but the wealthier and more loyal part of the colonists were in the practice of sending their sons to England for education—a practice, which, while it fostered a colonial dependence, with drew a portion of encouragement from the institu tions founded in America.
The constitution of the United States has not confided to congress the superintendence of' public instruction, rightly judging, perhaps, that such a power could be best exercised by those who were most immediately concerned in the faithful execu tion or laws respecting this matter. The bestow
ment of a portion of the public lands to be held by the several states for purposes of education, is, in fact, an acknowledgement that congress does not possess the power to regulate the details of instruc tion, at the same time that it indicates a just esti mate of the important cause, for the promotion of which the appropriations in question have been made.
The local legislatures of the twenty-four states are therefore the only acknowledged organs for de claring and executing the public will in this par ticular.
But though the minute arrangements for pro moting education, are not under the control of the general government, there is one mode in which it may conduce directly to the advancement of the cause of instruction; and that is, by furnishing, at the time of taking each census, a full account of the number of persons receiving education in every precinct of the country: such statistics are a great desideratum, and could in no manner essentially impede the progress of those employed to make the enumeration.
The different kinds of institutions for education established by public authority, maybe reduced to the following classes: 1. Primary or " common" schools.
2. Academies, high schools, or gymnasia.
3. Schools and institutes for practical popular instruction.
4. Colleges and universities.
5. Professional schools.
To which may be added several establishments for the instruction of particular classes, who from certain peculiar circumstances arc precluded from a participation in the benefits of the general pro visions for instruction. Such are the deaf and dumb, for whom several flourishing institutions have been erected, and the blind, who are likely soon to enjoy such a measure of the blessing of instruction as their unfortunate deprivation will admit.
It will he evident that the cause of education is one on which the American people set a high and a just estimate, when we recollect that the establish ment of public seminaries, of all the above descrip tions, has never been made to prejudice the right of any individual or company to establish similar in stitutions on their private account and responsi bility; and that no authority and no inquisitorial power whatever can be exercised to limit or abolish that right, but on the contrary numerous establish ments of the first respectability have from the earliest times been maintained on that footing. The seminaries of a private kind have, indeed, sometimes far surpassed those which claim public patronage, both in the liberality of their provi sions, the ability of their teachers, and the numbers of their pupils. They are useful in giving that free scope to the choice of methods and range of studies which is seldom allowed in those public institutions especially of a higher class, which rest on the basis of chartered privileges. We proceed to give such facts in regard to the nature and condition of the several classes of institutions as the imperfect and scattered statistics of the subject will at present admit.