TEE PEOPLE'S JOURNAL
S. MA NN, A. AVERY, Editors
- -
VIIURSDAY2iIOIINING, JAN. 25, 1855.
t_VP Wei are under obligations to
un. WM. Fearon, Jr., for various
and valuable public doctinienis:
. .
'Nest week we shall publish nri
Original poetical story; by one of the
It is very plain that w hilinominally repub
lican institutions exist in both the North and
South, they are aniniated by a very different
spirit, and used tai a different purpose. In
the Nardi - , they aim at the welfare of the
whole people; in the South they are_ the
inst runtents by which a few control the many:
fit the NOith, they tend toward Democracy;
in the South, toward Oligarchy. ~
It is equally plaintive while there may he a
union between Northeen and Southern States,
it is external, or commercial, and not internal
and vital, springing front coutmon ideas, com
mon ends, and tontuwei s ympathies. It i s a
union of merchants and politicians, and not of
the people:
lied these opposite and discordant systems
been left separate to work out each its 'own
results, there would have been but little dan
ger of collision or contest.
.But they are - politically united. They
tome together into one Congress. There
i _ n ,_- ~ 1 these antagonistic principles,which creep
UrOn the third Friday in Febru , ' with subtle'infinence through the very vein's
fur thi!ir
. rFspective States, break out into
itry, the people will meet together in 1
. open collision upon every question of national
Town meeting, and among . other ; policy. And, since the world began, a repub
atomsecuurlei
t .power.
st lt c ;1 .71-
&ties, will elect two - school liirect--:
e li r% a t i e l l sp il rit ii i-s the many.
brat to set+e for three years. Thus ' spirit always has mat - Ude end impulse toward
they will have an opportunity to mat e f.oh";ienr.4,l i t io se n e p k r s o a , i v i l d s gza d spf n it as .t naturally as
}he Town meeting a very efficiet.t
.., For fifty years the imperi ' o p u ' s sp s l utii 3 Of the
educational society. Will they em- :t-gull
Gayeh s sought bee
n n a i n b d ut q t t i c e d -power. it
TThe seat
consequence
trace the opportunity and elect School were that power still republican.
of empire may be indifferently on tine Massa-,
toirectors who are devoted to the dimwits Bay or on the Ohio, on the Lakes or
e_atise, and - capable of making their on the Gulf; if it be the same empire, -acting
in good d faith for the same democratic ends.
m
devotion effective in the improvem t Bu in the South the growth of pit:Wer has
Of the schools ? been accompanied ley mucked . - • •
i .. a rev °Tinton in
political faith, until now the theory of Mr.-
Calhoun, Once scouted, is becoming the pop
ular belief: . Ard that theory differs in nothing
front outright European Aristocracy, save in
the forms and instrunfents by whiff lt it worki.
The struggle, then, between the North and
the South is not one of sections, and °Vat-ties,
but of PitiNeiet.ns—,of principles lying at the certificate.
foundations of governments—of -principles 4. They must direct what branches of learn
that cannot - coalesce, nor compromise; that in, shall_be au„ it , ut is expected that the
• ,* t ‘ , l ' b it
must hate each other, and 'contend, until the
following branches at least will be taught in
one shall drive out the other. ,
Oh! how little do Men dream of the things j every school, viz.:—Orthography, Redding,
that are transpiring about them! In Luther's Writing, English Grammar, Geography, and
days, host little they knew the magnitude of \ 'tl t'
: rt. one m.
the results pendng that controversy of frac
-
tious monk and haughty Pope ! Dow little ' 5. - They must also direct what books shall
did. the frivolotis courtier know the vastness I be used in the district during each school
of that struggle in which- Hampden, Milton year; and to this end
are required to hold a
and Cromwen 'acted ! We are in just such i
meeting immediately after their election, the
another era. Dates will begin in the period
in which 'we live! . teachers being. present, and make a selection
_
ad in Oswavo has just hand- bolted l. Clot
onot io tliink that all the danger lies in that fur the year.
f 'Afrien
• -
d which dashes in the Southern t a II ma suspend or expel from the
billt bix dollars for six new subscribers, horizon. There is decay, and change lucre "••••••••key Y. •
.i school all pupils found guilty, on full critniu-
Old . New-England, thatsuck.ed .
ind promises as many more in a-few
lathe North. •
man liberty, is non suckling wolves to anon and hearing, of refractory or incorri7
ddys. That is what we call the prae- devour it. gibly bad conduct " in school." . ,
t ca. way of sustaining a free press, " For fifty years the imperious 7. They Inuit make en Annual It eport to
and we return our unfeigned thanks spirit of the South has sought and the County Superintendent, on or before the
first Monday in June, for which purpose
to those friends who - leave made such gained P .1 " 1- er." - Why s ? . Be can ' e, in l blanks are provided through the County Su
' - noble efforts to increase the list of I nearly 0-cry- county seat throughout perintendent. - . -
the Journal. if all pens of the county the Free States -there have been S. Th , y must keep open all the necessary
would wake up as well as a half wolves devouring the Republican I school in the district at least four months in
each school year; and certify the fact to the
dozeii Towntlips lui ve , 1 . 1 , c . s h ou ld spirit. Men who have placed party
C aunty Superintendent, for which purpose
soon be at the top of tlieladdc,r. It is above principle. Who made it their
blanks are provided through him. Without
•ttli easy matter to to make the printer constant effort to deceive the _people I :
tins certificate, the State appropriation cannot
reitice, when you once make Up your on the slavery question—telling them be obtained, nor any school tax that is levied
,
• Wnd to do it. Who speaks next 1 there was no danger, and if they be lawfully collected. .•
would only stop agitating tiftl could 19. They must make arrangement, AN hen
circumstances. require it, to enable pupils in
°Mt . r., ITIM? pay for their farms easier, or could
r
% e are deeilly pained at the mis- get more work as mechtinics. Even the district to attend a school more conve
nient in an ad' • •''
J oining district.
fontune which has overtaken this pub-- now, these men tell the people it is
lic' T sirited and large-hearted man. better to keep quiet. What if slavery
p
The panic caused' by the failure of does go into Kansas ? What harm
'several proininent houses in Pittsburg, I will it do the people of Potter county ?
caused kruti upon his tank too severe For an answer to all such questions,
we ask the reader. to look over the
to be s iStained under the peculiar
stringenee of the money market. above passage again, and if he is not
Mr. Karimer has invested very then satisfied, ask himself what harm.
• , large Ettis in various public improve- I it will do to have the "stun of all
meats,- 'Which Will . add much to the villainies " and the Meanest despotism'
prosp4ity of Pittsburg, but are not , on the face of the earth, take posses
.
'available to him at present; He has slon of all our western Territories.
als? Contributed large' stuns to pre- We shall give farther extracts froin
vale' enterprises, and is one of the this masterly Lecture, which we trust
bes'i men in western Pennsylvania. will induce our readers to procure it
:He l'ias a host of fribnds, who will le and read the whole.- It is worth a
'fianiy to do all itt . their power to re- half year's subscription to the weekly
litefe' him from MS present embarrass- Tribune, in which it will doubtless
.:: Irbeflts; and none of his crellitoi . s ivill appear this week. We take it from
Vu er . al his hanits. the Daily of Jan. 17th. -
liattves.
1 7- P' Brief thoughts on reform, .ICo.
1," by Jonatitati,is very good. Plea,:
write again soon
Imo'" P. Pry, Jr.," t .receiv6.l too late
fin• 11113 number. Will appear next
ireek. Please write again.
rr F—. There is no Foreign news of
importance. - The Allies have not yet
taken Sevastopol; and there is a frehh
ittempt_to settle all difficulties by
Diplumcci.
• eir . We fate peculiar pleasure in:
Calling the attention of the reader to!
the %am:rural Address of Governer
, .•
Pollock. it is a noble document, and
isill exert a powerful influence in
fitter of the right and true. Whoever
Compares this adliess with that of
the retiring Governor Bigler, will
have no difficulty in seeing which
Magistrate s the frank, bold' and
determliied advocate of Republican
ism, and Which is the dodging,. timid,
tmooth-tongued demagogue.
f?"" Laziness in the &kith ; and
Nnotley hi the North, are the chief
e'k Slavery The South vir-
Itually,Ays to the stave, 'Be lazy, for
ikfiat you earn shall di) you no good;
be lazy, for *hen you are old and
helples4 we are bound to take care of
i you.' it is this apparent care for the
helplessness of slaves, that has' won
many northern men, and Many who
bught to have known better the effect
Hof taking_ ~8 have.
men the responsi
bility oti,labor, in both ways, its fru ,
hints add its penalty. Once declare in
New York that Government would
Vette cite of poverty and old age; so as
!Hake it honotable, and it would be a
kiremium upon improvidence. With
6s, tt is expected that 'every man will
!week, :will earn, will lay up, will de ,
diver his family front public charity:
There is, to be sure, an Alms House
'to catch all who, by misfortune or im
providence, fall through. But such is
'the public opinion iu Caviar of the per
sonal independence springing from
industry, that a native-born American
citizen had rather die than go to an
- Alms House."
THE AGGEMIONS OF SLAVERY
Every intelligent man has known
for years that the South had been
year by year making encroachments
on the rights of the free North, but' it
was not so well understood how theie
encroachments were made.
The Rev. H. W. Bee Cher in his
Lecture at the Broadway Tabernacle,
NeW tork, on the 16th inst., accounts
fir this in part in the" following
Passage: ,
Messrs.,' 1 communicate the follow
ing. thinking that it may compensate
our temperance friends for their labor
in a righteous cause. Two of our
eititens concluded to have a New
Years,and as whiskey with them
was always the first guest, a fine load
of wood was started for town, the
avails of which was was to purchase
it. They first applied to Maj.. Mills—
' No, gentlemen, you can't have a
drop." This brought on a damper ;
but there was an expedient. "We'll
g
o to the Druggist ; and under pretense
of
sickness can succeed." But guess
at their chagrin, when informed. by
Mr. Tyler that their sickness must be
attested by a physician. What vol
leys then rolled out, and are still
rolling against the - Maine Law!! So
instead of whiskey, which has already
.made one as wretched a .being as the
world ever saw, they brought home
tea, molasses, Src. A CITIZEN.
The above is sent us by a man of
tintloubtea integrity, who Touches for
its truth, and in a private - note gives
the navies of the men who. - carne for
the whisky. We are greatly encour
aged by such facts, and We . thank our
friend for the information'. We think
it ecpial - Co almost any Temperance
Lecture, and.it shows what agitation
haS done for the canse of TemperanCe.
We shall labor on in undoubting faith
that the same means wilt accomplish
like results for the Anti . -Slavery cause.
We aro • much gratified. with the
part Major Mills has in this trans,
action, and trust the day is not distant
when his good sense and Tionotable.
feelings • Will induce him to answer
all applicatiOns for intoxicating drinks
sityT" No, Sir, you can't have a drop."
- I
IHE 'SCHOOL LAW.
The following abstract of certain
portions of the School Law has been
prepared by the County Superintend ,
ent, and revised by several gentlemen'
of legal attainments; and is published.
For the benefit, of all persons con
cerned:
DITTIES AND POWERS OF DIRECTORS
1. Each Board of Directors must establish i
a sufficient untidier of schools in the district,
for the acCenhuedation of all thVpupils in the
district, between the ages of five and twenty
one, who seek instruction. They must also
provide suitable school.kouses, or school
rooms, with proper convenience and fuel.
2. They must oversee the schools, and one
at - least of their number must visit each school
in the district as often as once.a month, and a
report of such visits must be entered on the
.minutes of the Board.
3.—They must employ suitable teachers, and
may at any time dismiss a teacher, by verbal
or• written notice, for incompetence, negli
gence, cruelty, or immorality. They should
make no contract with a teacher not holding a
certificate from the County Superintendent,
and cannot legally pay ateacher without such
TEACHERS' REPORTS
. .
Teachers must make a monthly report to
the Directors, and Directors are prohibited
from paying any teacher unless such reports
are made. The reports of the teachers
should be filed by the Secretary, and are sub
ject to the inspection of any citizen of the
district.
T 3 / 4 x.r.s
I. In addition to the ordinary tax for sup
porting the schools, the directors in any dis
trict May, once iu a school year, if necessary,
levy a special tax for school-house building
purposes. This tax is to bb .levied and col
lected at the same time; in the same manner
and with the same authority as the regular
annual tax; and must not exceed the amount
of that tax for that year.
2. The business of farming, or working
on a farm,. is not taxable as an occupation;
but farmers or farm-labors, if single freemen,
are taxable as such. -
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS
1. He mast visit all the schools in the
countfas often as practicable ; he must note
the branches taught, and the mode of teaching;
he must also, in conjunction with the Directors,
give instruction and advice in the mode of
teaching.
2. He must see .that the requisite branches
are taught iu each school, and must notify the
directors of any neglect in this respect.
3. Ile must examine all persons who wish
to teach, and apply for examination, and
grant the proper certificate to such as are
found qualified.
4. Ife may for good reason annul any cet.
tificate given by himself or predecessor, first
giVing ten days' notice to the teacher and
directors concerned.
A GOOD CHANCE FOR LAWYERS is
advertised by the St. - Paul (Minne
sota) Pioneer, as follows% "One hun
dred able-bodied lawyers 'are wanted'
in Minnesota to break piairie land,
split rails, and cord wood. Eastern
and Southern papers please copy."
What a blessing if they would all go
to tilling the soil instead of soiling the
tin, (That last is an original idea of
our own, and we protest against its
being stolen !)—Sat. Expness.
IS KANSAS TO. BE OIVESI-lIP TO SLAVERYI
This question will be practically
decided very soon. The slaveholders
are detetrnined to make' it a slave
State. The people of the. free States
are opposed' to thi'a extension of the
hateful curse. But the leaders of. the
sham Democracy; are in alliance with
the slaveholders, and are doing their
utmost to prevent any • action, of the'
people to save Kansas from the peril
which hangs over' it. Before the
election these same leaders told their
followers that Kansas was safe enough
-Slavery would never go there, and
hence there was use in leaving the
party to vote for freedom. This false
pretense was not—believed in many
places, but it took in this county, and
so we found •neatly every old line'
democrat who pretended• to le .op
posed to. the extension of slavery
sticking to the .party that repealed
the Missouri CoMprordse, on die
ground that Kansas was safe • from the
pollution of slavery. Well, the elec-.
tion is over, and the Delegate from
Kansas is carried for slavery by fraud
' and outrage. And what do the lead
ers ofhunker democracy propose to
do now? Why, simply that the peo
ple shall stop agitating, and let slave
holders have everything their own
*ay. Yes, 'the people : of the 'free
States, and particularly of this county
are expected - to stick to• the party,
fold their arms, put a, padlock" on
their lips, and send et-slaveholders
to Congress, "that slavery' may -be
established and magnified* in , Kansas,
that barracoons may there built, hand
cuffs manufactured, and the auction
block erected whereon may be exposed
to public sale the image of God—
where husbands may be sold.. from
their wives, wives • from husbands,
parents 'from - children, and children
from parent"
'We ask the voters of this county if
they propose to. permit this 'to be
done without making an effort to
prevent it. If not, what do they
propose to do? The active friends of
freedom propose to all opponents of
slavery extension to unite together
and form a • new party, whose first
object shall be, to exclude blai - ery by
act of Congress from all the Territory
of the United States, and to prevent
the - admission of any more slave 'States.
If any other way. can be suggested by
which the, extension of slavery can be
prevented, kill some of.. those Anti-
Nebraska Democrats
.who voted the
01(1 party ticket please inform us?
If no other way can be suggested,
then it will follow that those who
continue to support. the old . party,
have given - up their opposition to
slavery extension, and are ready to
submit to the control of slavery. How
many in this county , have - become
thus servile future elections will show.
NOT TO BE GOVERNED BY A MERE SMUT
OF GAIN
The allies of Slavery in Mliwaukee
are astonished that the 'people . should
oppoie the Government, in , view of
the harbor improvements lately made.
The Free Democrat of Jan. 8 says
"The Marshal and . one of the Grand Ju
rors were, last night, speaking of the iffgrati
tude of the indicted in rescuing -Glover, when
the U. S. Government had done so much for
us, in the way of Harbors, &c. 7
What would the men who followed
Washington to galley Forge think.of
such base propositions ? What would
the men of New-England, ivho spurned
the prospect of gain if they would
submit to British aggressions, think of
their descendants who would consent
to suppress their-free thoughts for the
sake of securing Southern Support ?
It seems our British tyrants had the
same idea of- purchasing the acquies
cence of . our . forefathers that the
Slavery men have of purchasing ac
quiescence now. In his Bunker Hill
Oration, Webster says:--.-" It had been
" anticipated that while the Colonists
' would be terrified by the severity of
" the punishment inflicted on Massa.
" chusetts, the. other seaports would
" be governed by a rnere.Spirit of gain.
" .* How miserably such rea
" scoters .deceived themselves. * *
"Everywhere the unworthy boon was
rejected With scorn."
We make these quotations for the
benefit of those men in this county
who are disposed to listen to the.prop
osition of hunkerism, to stop agitating
and " be gorerned by a mere'spirit of.
gain." . We suspect the ally of Slavery
who made this base .proposition will
be as miserably deceived as were the
British tyrants in 1776..
Mxssas, EniTorrs : lam glad to see
the interest which is being manifested
of late , on. tie . subject of improve:
ments , in our common schools. I hope
the subject will he
. agitated until, if
not all, at least some' of the evils in
herent in the present system will be
remedied. In a former article on this
subject, I gave it as my opinion that
there 'Should be an. equitable division
of the school money = s among the sev
eral districts, without regard to the
number of Months'. school in each.
This will bear a different construction
from what I intended should be given
to it. I would not he in favor of
giving money to a district that should_
have no school at all. - I gave that
opinion on . the supposition (though I
failed to express it) that there should - ,
be a minimum fixed 'by law of the
number of months a school should be
kept to entitle a-district to any money:
at all ;. and having complied with this
condition, should receive .its just- pro
portion without reference to the quan
tity of school it might see fit to have
exceeding that amount. Suppose the
minimum to be six months in a year,
by a qualified teacher, without which
a district would not be entitle d to its
Is the first stage_ of , great
share of money; would not every dis
trict exert - itself to come up to the reforms. Christianity was: cradled
amidst' the whirlwinds of agitation,
requisition? while districts. that were
and in its . onward triumphsoVer dark ;
able could have•as much more as they
nnss, error, and sin, has been depend
pleased. - In connection with this Plan,
cut upon it fir success. The truth is,
there should 'also be an alteration in
mankind newer advance in morals, in
the mode of levying and collecting
telligence, or politics; while they are
taxes for school purposes. That Our
sleeping on in their present condition.
County Superintendents can do more
What but agitation in regard to the
to discover and - point out the defects
oppressions of the "mother country"
in our present school- system, or the
operation-of it, than any other set of j awakened her oppressed children to
men, I 'have not a' doubt; and their a sense of duty, and prepared them
for the great conflicts resulted
suggestions for •-remedving the evils
in American 1 ndependence And
complained of will receive greater
consideration than they would coming I what but agitation can arouse our
from-an y other source. Mr. Calkins, countrymen to a just sense of the
} moral' and politiCal evils existing in
-of Tioga, it seems has already directed.
our government, fostered and ... pro.
his attention to the subject, and he
tected by our laws WO must be
does riot fail to discover the inefli
aroused to the'etils existing,-among us,
ciency of the director system one
of the evils of which he complains, I ere we can .feel the importance of ex
erting our influence to eradicate them:
vii:' the want of proper town super
vision, the Directors riot being suf.- Hence, as a lever of - reform. and pro-"-
ficientlY distributed' through the (Es we go in favor of agituing the
tricts, &c., is inherent in the system public mind io relation to every actual
itself, and: can only he remedied by eyil, and every defective system ex
isting in our cOuntry, until public
abolishing it, and adopting a better
one. It is not always possible for I opinion becomes corrected and con
every district' to have a director re- ttroled by principles of- righteousness.
siding within its limits; and there is, We harbor no fears in the application
moreover, a certain strange feeling, of the principle to the direst moral
which sometimes exhibits itself among Political evils, which are fostered by
the people, even in school districts—a i our national laws, and are satisfied
sort of vague idea that they have I that agitati,bn may open her batteries
Some rights of their own, and are fully I upon the mirst "peculiar institutions"
cortipetent to manage their own affairs and not endanger the "Union." In
—especially in so small a matter as an enlightened government, - any prin
the edtication of their' clrildren.as ciple or system which will not bear
outsiders, who have little interest and the ligitt; shouldhe removed and tie-
less responsibility, are to do it for stroyed. • Lan} aware that a class of
them. Add to this the
. fact that Di- I political partisan:, profess many im
rectors (there being so many of theta) aginary feat sin the general applica
are often chosen - with vet y little refer- j tion of .agitation. being particularlyin
price to their qualifications for the I love with or troubled about tire fate of
office, and that-,their duties (if they the great "Diana." But if - is con
perfiirm them as they should) are - ne_ soling to know that even these are in
cessarily arduous, often requiring can- fhvor of relbrming and - elevating the
siderable travel, to say nothing of the i common school system. We give
expenses, and for which they are paid them all doe credit for their good
$00,09, andwe have a little insight into works in Potter county, and bid them
the superlative excellencies of_ the a hearty God speed in their - eiforts in
system. this department of reform. Verily,
I fear Mr. Calkins's remedy for the we. have hopes of humanity, yet!
evils of which 'he complains would be I Our school system needs to be re.
worse than the disease. He would formed—radically changed—in many
have the Comity Superintendents co- respects, before it can subserve its
operating with the Town Superin- objects. To•effect this enterprise, we
lendent, appoint a Director " near must • agitate the subject—keep it be;
each school-house, to take that local .fore the people—point out its Present
supervision," eh? Why not let the ter-- defects—suggest proper remedies,and
ritory 'around each school-house have' labor on till our purposes are accom ,
an organization, and elect its own plislied. The scholar, the statesman,
Director, and other officers, if ire, the philanthropist, may laboi in this
cessary, "to take thitt local super- field side -by side; and even should
vision," and' transact 'other business the clergy. enter in the work and
properly coming within the sphere "preach politics," they might not be
of their operation ? charged with " deiecrating the Sab:
Or would that be too near an ap- bath" or the pulpit, or trampling upon
proxiffiation to Democratic principles any in-dent-ores by Which some dema
to be compatible with safety ? It is gogues would cramp theirconselenem
possiblelhe people might abuie their or stifle their convictions of duty to
privileges -if so much power were God and humanity, as Awhen touching
placed in their bands, but I should like the subjects of temperance and free
for one to sec the experiment tried. dom. Asweall agree that thelrnion'
Perhaps it may be proper to explain
is not in danger from agitating the
that I have used the term "district "
subject of_a refoim in our sane)
uniformly . to designate, not a , town tem, we_can all unite our efforts and
ship,—but that interesting portion of
countrylabor together for its renovation ad
whose nucleus and focal point
perfection.
is the district schoolhouse, from which
emanate, and radiate in every direc,
tion, beams of intelligence, constituting
the chief glory of our country, and
in their multifarious ramications pen
etrating every nook and corner of
the land
I may be somewhat under th e
influence of early New England prej•
udices in these matters, and it. occurs
to me whether even the State of Penn
sylvania might not be benefited by the
reception of a little light from her
Northern neighbors in perfeCting her
system of common schools. 1 hope
it may not always be - said that she is
a quarter or half a century behind
then in a - matter of such vital import.
ance. PUNCH.
P. S. . I like your suggestion to
Farmer; to write for the Journatf
won't some of our more experienced
and successful farmer; take the hint,
and " let their light shine," tell u 4 hbw
you manage to raise your biggest
crops;' and a host of other things We'd
like to know; you might in this ray -
not only add to the interest of the .
paper; but confer a rich benefit on the
county. I should he glad if someone
through the . Journal would give • the
best method to secure a good crop of
wheat in Potter county. I P.
. For the Iduinal.
Hrtir7 THOUGHTS ON BEFORE... (o. 1
AGITATION
Alarm has been expressedin Franco
lest the Czar should excite revolution s
in Hungary and Italy, to punish
Austria for the English Alliance.
Beak, the dentist, has - been pardone