1 . I ?
As
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VOL. 1.
cingtou mtir llabkht JTlag.
PCBL1SHKD WEEKLY BY
JAMES B. SHELTON.
JAMES A. KONG, Editor.
Terms : $2 a year, In advance 5
$2.50 after six months, and 3.00 after twelve
mo,Uhs,from date (subscription.
Rates of Advertising.
'One dollar per square (fourteen lines) for the first
Week and twenty-five cents for every week there
after Deductions made in favor ot standing ad
.ertisementslows :
;0e,quare, $W0 $8 00
ISflo., .?s
Half column, 18.00 25.00 35.00
Occasional renewals wjjhout additional charge
granted to those who advertise regularly through
the year. . e e
Three dollars for announcing candidates for of-
fiCourt orders charged 25 per cent higher than th
above rates. Orders for divorce of husband and
-wife, $10 each.
Persons sending advertisements are requested to
state the number of insertions required, or they will
he inserted until"" forbid ; and if it is wished they
Should occupy the least space possible, write upon
the back !! close." Otherwise they will be pat up
in the usual style and charged accordingly.
No discount on these rates.
EThe Flag has now a weekly circulation of
over one thousand, affording merchants and busi
ness men generally an excellent medium through
which to make public tVieir business.
FDR THE FLAG.
Common Schools.
have been enabled at last to make ar
rangements for the publication of a Maga
zine, to be sent four time,s a year, free of
all charge except postage, to each District
Committee of the Common Schools in the
State. The Magazine will be printed at
Raleigh, neatly got up, and contain thirty
two pages of reading matter besides the ud
.verlizements ; thirty-five hundred copies
will be circulated free of charge, and it will
be devoted wholly to the interests of gener
al education, beingespecially intended as a
medium for conveying to committees, teach-
ers, superintendents and examining com
mittees, important information concerning j
the history, progress and condition of Com- j
mon Schools in N. Carolina and in other j
States, and statistics, facts, and suggestions
bearing on the success of the cause of popu
lar education here at home. Such a me
dium of communication between the head
of our system of Common Schools and all
its parts, is much needed ; and for a long
time it has been my desire to create by my
own resources, and those of my position
the means of supporting a Journal of this
kind without attempting to get subscribers
and without taxing the School fund. I first
attempted to procure advertisements from
our many Colleges and Academies, thinking
enough of these were interested in adver
tising to bear the expenses of this work ;
an(J knowing also that a Journal containing
the terms, location and condition of each
would present an interesting and imposing
view of our educational resources, while the
classical and Common Schools, would thus
be benefiting each other.
Many of these seemed favorably inclined,
while leading educators were much pleased
with the plan ; but answers came in slowly,
and while some wanted more information,
others wished to hold back till the project
was tested by actual experiment. r
After a great deal of correspondence and
effort I have finally made arrangements to
publish a quarterly Magazine, larger and
finer than I ever hoped for; and a number
will be sent free to each District Committee,
ihrough the County Chairman, to each
member of the Board of County Superin
tendents in every County, and to each mem
ber of the Committees to examine teach
ers. The first No. will be issued as soon aa 1
can prepare the contents ; and in the mean
time, if sparedr, I hope tu be able at iast to
change this from a quarterly to a monthly
periodical. In making this gratifying an
nouncement I hope I will be excused for of
fering a very brief explanation of part ol my
course as Superintendent of Common
fceliools. My annual Report reaches, -com-jparatteiy,
vety aall No, of those inter-.
vested in its details ; and this is to me a
source of much regret, for while the public
ought to be informed of my movements, I
feel that I am deeply interested in having
such knowledge diffused as widely as pos
sible. In all konesty and simplicity I aver
tiiatl would be greatly delighted if my
hole official course were fully known to
all men, for while conscious of inability, I
am perfectly sure that I have been honest,
conscientious and unsparing in effort to in
crease the efficiency of our Common Schools
and to benefit the public.
It WOnld K-iveKoon ooa
before the public : to travel, in good seasons
aid mingle with old acquaintances and
Pleasant and influential people, to speak as
wnt, and thus to appear to more advan
ce than I have recently done. .
But while vanity, health and self interest
well as the expectation of the. public de-
: - - ' 1 . - ' ' '- - y - - '- , : .
manded such a course, it was obvious to. me
that rrruch more general amj lasting in
fluences could be exerted by means which"
would not be immediately seen and appre
ciated by my friends, and requiring more
anxious attention. I felt bound to pursue
this more irksome course and I can freely
assert that while I have probably devoted
less time to society or amusement than any
man in the State, I have not perhaps been
sufficiently careful of health or private in
terests. This much I feel bound to say in
general terms, and I say it not in vanity,
but of out respect to that public whose ser
vant I am, and which ought to be informed
of my official course. ;
I would also freely and most respectfully
challenge a thorough investigation into the
truth of this assertion ; but, of course, I can
not, in this card, go into these details. I
may, however, as one of many such labors,
cite the case of the Magazine announced
above; and add that in this, and in other pub
lications of useful matter bearing directly
on the interests of our Common Schools,
and calculated to exert perjnanent and per
vading influences, I have had expended more
than the amount of my salary for the year,
thus in this one item giving back more than
1 have received. I do hope I will be ex
cused for making this allusion ; it is certain
ly not done in a spirit of egotistic boasting,
but only as a fact for assistance in the for
mation of just opinions concerning the man
ner in which the office of Superintendent
has been made influential for good. It
would be tedious to go into other facts, or
even into all the details of this; any one can
see that the fact alone is a very important
one, and implies a good matiy others worthy
of consideration.
Suffice it to say, in this connection, that
our Common School system has undergone
a radical change for the better in the last
few years that agencies of a pervading and
fasting character are now at work and that
to all human appearance a system of things
has been begun which will be bringing more
and more before us and before our children
the facts, interests and statistics of our
Schools, will be infusing more life and more
intelligence into their management, and will
be exciting at home and abroad more re
spect for our progress and our character.
One single incident speaks volumes.
When I first begun to devote myself to the
Literature of the State, I found but little
encouragement amongst those who supply
the intellectual demands of the Country.
The literary and book publishing world
seemed fully impressed with the idea that
no good thing could come from North Car
olina ; nor wras there any attempt to hide
the fact that they regarded investments and
adventures on the intelligence and taste of
our people as the least promising that
could be made in any part of this great
Nation.
Of course I met with no incivility" to me
as a man- but as a citizen of the State,
my experience was one of the most mortify
ing character. I was placed in a situation
to discover the true and by no means filt
ering opinions entertained abroad of our
intellectual and moral resources : and a
sensitive mind, coming thus in contact with
this harshjudgement was naturally impelled
to an opposite extreme, and induced to an
swer unjust impressions with a too partial
defence and eulogy. This accounts to some
extent for dtscriptious of our State thought
by some to be too highly colored.
A few years only have elapsed since
works on our State were considered a
very poor stock by the Literary Brokers
and since every thing was to be presumed
against us and on us wras the burden of
proving that there was any ooa liberal,
or intellectual resources here worthy of at
tention. Now behold the change !
The Statistics from the office of Super
intendent of Common Schools, have been
scattered abroad and at home, with a c-are-ful
view to their future results ; and abroad
they are bearing fruits of great importance.
Now too much, perhaps, is presumed in
our favor; and from all the leading and en
terprising publishers, come letters and en
quiries indicating a pleasant surprise at the
discovery of our hitherto hidden veins of
moral treasures, and a disposition to make
the most liberal investments in them.
Such things are of the most decided ben
efit to us ; they give us a better opinion of
ourselves, thus encouraging and stimulating
us to greater efforts, and they furnish ma
terial aid in the concessions made and ex
penditures incurred in behalf of our trade,
furnishing us with-greater facilities in get
ting books, making sacrifices to supply us
with "text books more complimentary to us,
and increasing and stimulating the Literary
tastes of the community. I am allowed to
alter the texts of histories and geographies
to make them speak more correctly of our
State, to have a series of Readers especi
ally adapted to our wants and ituation,
9.CWWA FRIDAY, APRIL
and finally to have published thirty-five
hundred eppies of a handsome magazine", to
be exclusively filled and controlled by me,
and to contain no advertisements but such
as thefriends of our moral and intellectual
progress are interested in seeing !
, Jo My onwellTersed in the facts of
the past the past of only a few years ago,
this is a ' progress as gratifying as it is
wonderful. Then, none" so poor as to do
us revejrence;,now, on the Literary ' Change,
our name is one of the most rejected. -
I hope that labours producinuch results
are not in vain, ' ' -
In addition to the above, Iave made ar
rangements to have issued an edition of
standard copy-plates, which will haver on
the cofer a synopsis of our School Laws,
forms, land useful suggestions.
I hajve been fully impressed with the fact
that copy-plates are much needed in our
Commbn Schools ; manyof our best teach
ers are; young persojis, who have not yet
learned to write well, an art acquired only
by long and careful, practice.
And; it occurred to me that while having
these copy-plates introduced, a double ad
vantage might be securred ; the covers, usu
ally filled with advertisements, might be
made a means of disseminating useful infor
mation. This is especially important now,
as the last Legislature having on hand a
vastly increased amount of business, did not
make provision for the publication of the
new School Law in pamphlet form"; and
my experience, and that of all School offi
cers is, that it is impossible to take too
much jpains to dissiminate a knowledge of
the Law. These copy-plates will be cheap,
--the icheapest in use, and I hope, will be
universally used.
I haye also completed arrangements for
the publication of a teacher's Manual, to be
used bjy our Common School teachers. It
is to contain the essential parts of our
Schoo Law and forms, a few suggestions
rules for governing school, and blank
tables, with captions, by which, with the
least trouble, and by only making dots,
teachers will be enabied to keep a full ac
count of the attendance in School, for the
inspection of the Committee, and from
whichto make their reports to the county
chairrrian. It will have blank lines for a
diary jirid for exercise in writing; and will
be furnished to teachers at the cost of print
ing. The whole plan of this was submit
ted to the Governor and Literary Board,
and rrjet their cordial approbation. The
work was also offered without price to the
Board but it had not authority to print,
while me Governor, in so concluding, de
termined to recommend to the next assem
bly to jyest Authority in the Board to print
and distribute this to teachers as a blank.
In themean lime it will be furnished at the
bare cpst of printing.
Thfi card having already exceeded the
limits riginally intended for it, I must omit
se'verai matters which I wished to lay be
fore tWe public ; and while most gratefully
acknowledging the good wishes and parti
ality o
my many friends, respectfully ask
them tp look into my last annual Report for
farther!
particulars.
Copjes will be sent to all of the Editors
in the iState ; and these, no doubt, will
cheerfully assist in informing the public
mind bjy republishing such parts as will in
terest tjieir readers.
And as, in the distribution of such things,
many persons who would read them with
profit to themselves and others are necessa
rily ovr-looked by being unknown to the
distril u e ", this opportunity is emVracea of
requesting those who wish to see the last
annual I Report of the Superintendent of
Common Schools, to send their names and
address to his Excelency Gov. Bragg or to
myself.;
The office which I have the honor to fill
is one beset by many trials and temptations;
a concientious incumbent can find room for
the employment of air his time and energies,
and one, disposed only to look to his own
interesl may fill a complimentary space in
public estimation, and yet do little good.
It is an: office in which every citizen takes
an interest: the Common Schools reach
every inhabitant of the State in their influ
ences while every one sees and feels every
defect In their management, and in the laws
by which they are regulated. Every one,
therefore, is ever ready to find work for the
Superintendent, to look to him for a redress
of every species of irregularity and to en
quire why he does not come to the relief of
his particular community, to "make better
commiftees, better laws, better teachers,
better neighbors, or better habits. To do
all expected in this respect the Superinten
dent would have to be omnipotent and
ubiqitous.
Such! things are expected of no other
officer no other officer is required to be
ever proving to everybody, that he is earn
ing hifUalary. The duties of all other ex-
, , .j. .... .... ...
t
i
ecutive.oHlcersreacht in their direct infiu
enceg, wry. few, and hence our Governors,
Secretaries &c, &c, are presumed to be
doing their duty while . no one ever asks
what they are about. This is natural Vbut
it environs the office of Superintendent with
suspicions, cares, anxieties and troubles
.x. wm weign neaviiy on any sensitive j
mma. t or myself I am free to say that I
have often been tempted to resignthat I
have felt an anxiety and encountered diffi
culties and discouragements the full force of
which no mortal knows but myself, and to
endure which I have been prompted only
by a stern sense of duty. I am not anx
ious for office, and have no ambition ; 1 de
sire only first and chiefly to do what is my
duty, and secoondly, if I can have it, to re
ceive credit for it. Beyond this I have no
uesire in connection with the place I fill or
with any other ; and having as, I believe,
done the former, and satisfied my own con
science, I am not solicitous about the latter
desidratum.
I would, however, add, that I hope that I
will have no more time to travel and that
I have so far arranged my plan of operations
that I will not necessarily be so confined,
while I can be the more useful when I do
travel. I have ever believed that the Su
perintendent by travel and by other means
should be well acquainted with the moral,
social, geographical and educational condi
tion of every locality in this State of widely
diversified interests ; and for years I have
spared neither pains nor expense to obtain
such knowledge, while from aetual observa
tion I am familiar with almost every section.
But I can never oe made to believe that any
great amount of good can be accomplished
by merely going from county to county and
making a speech on education : very few
would attend, those most interested would
not be reached at all, no systematic plan of
operations coula be thus matured and start
ed, and few ideas or facts impressed on the
general mind. In the most refined, densely
populated and intellectually active commu
nities, the most popular speaker could not
get together large masses of a rural people,
to listen patiently to addresses on educa
tion ; even in cities efforts of this kind
prove a failure. I have tried this however,
and experience as well as reason confirm
my view.
I am now preparing to try to get up a se
ries of meetings of more interesting and,
therefore, likely to be of more useful char
acter. I wish to try what can be done in get
ting up Conventions of teachers and others
interested in general education in different
sections; and to do this successfully, re
quires a careful management of which those
only are aware who have had experience
of these things. We are not ripe, but we
are ripening for such. action and if it does
not succeed here, it will be because these
are. not the means best suited to our situa
tion, and not because we are not improving
at all.
We are improving : the slastitics of our
position, as I know, are exciting astonish
ment abroad, and are not so well appreciat
ed here because we have hoped and looked
for too much at once.
And permit me, in concluding this com
munication already too long, to offer, most
respectfully, a single suggestion to all inter
ested in our Common Schools. There are
methods in which we may make the earth
yield her fruits. We may force on their
growth in winter, and rapidly by hot-house
culture, but we will get a sickly plant and
indifferent fruit. We may take the other
extreme and drop the seed in the earth and
leave it to take its chances with grass and
weeds, and among rocks and trees ; and in
this case also, we will get a poor return.
We mav also pursue a middle course : we
may do our duty, and still leave nature, by
her sunshine, her dews and rains to perform
in her own time, her important part. We
may kill out the weeds and briers, prepare
and stir the ground, and drive away the
crows ; and while we do all this, we may
still look to God for the increase, and wait
with patience, for the early and latter rain.
This is the wise and successful course. So
it is folly to undertake to revolutionize all
the habits and ideas of a people in a few
years, and to make, at one effort, a perfect
svstem of public Schools ; it is equally
foolish, because this is impracticable, to give
.. n flV.rt nnd leare the svstem to itself,
We, like the careful husbandman, must do
our part with diligence and patience,
with untiring zeal and energy and then we
must wait on Providence, and give our
schools time to grow and mature, according
to their nature. They are -not a fungus
plant. They do not spring up in a night.
They art growing, and if we are wise
and true to ourselves, will continue to grow
like the oaks of our forest : they may be
years in developing, but they wifl be con
tinually striking their root deeper in the
251856,
. . - ' -
earth,, their branches extending and their I-
forms; becoming -more robust until they be
come models of strength, beauty and 'utility.
As already . intimated ; our stastitics are
exciting a good deal of attention abroad,
and doubtless the Statq,will soon be enliv
ened with agents of those who minister to
intelectual tastes.
I cannot resrret to sen
o
such things, in fact, I like to witness them
but it is well to caution the publicrfo be
careful what they buy, and of whom. In
School books they ought to look, for
the recomendation of the Superintendent
and other officers, and to see that the agents
enraged in selling have testimonials from
me. '
A few days ago when in a Northern City
I learned that a merchant laid in several
dozen copies of a Reader which contains
an elaborate assault on the Institutions of
the South and it is published by men
who regard Southern slave-owners as mon
sters. The purchaser, no doubt was ino
cent f he only knew that this Reader had
been, used in his community, and was not
aware of its contents. I cite.this not to
condemn any one, but as a caution, and as
a reason for respecting the recommenda
tions made. There will be out agents
whom I can commend to the confidence of
the public they come, to bring more di
rectly; before the people the works I have
recommended and revised, and to make ar
rangements to bring them within the reach
of all.
In the objects of these efforts all are in
terested : changes in the use of books will
be thus avoided, expense saved, and good
works, just to us and the South, be intro
duced books carefully examined by me,
and in some instances corrected and added
to, and published by Houses of high and
liberal character, and some of whom, in
stead of pandering to sectional bigotry,
have dealings over that wide area over
which the English language is spoken.
I have no pecuniary interest of any kind
in these matters but I have obtained con
cessions and expenditures on our State and
its best'interest from parties, whose liberal
enrerprise should be properly appreciated.
Teachers and friends of general educa
tion are invited to write Communications
for the Common School Journal and all
such favors (especially if brief and to the
point,) will be thankfuily received.
C. II . WILEY,
Superintendent Common Schools.
P. S. Subscriptions to the Journal will
be received as a matter of accomoda
tion, at 50 cents per anum invariably in ad
vance ; and in no instance will fewer than
two copies be sent to any one post office.
Subscriptions, unless received in large num
bers, will be only an additional trouble and
expense ; and the only leading object of
this Journal, is to reach the District Com
mittees with advice, statistics and words of
encouragement and admonition. These
Committees are found on every three miles
square of territory in the State ; and they
are one of the most essential, vital and del
icate parts of all our School Machinery,
while there is a universal desire to see
them take more interest in their duties.
How to reach and stimulate these is the
greatest problem of our system ; and cer
tainly one may travel and write for our
best papers for many years and yet not
come in contact, personally or mentally
with any large proportion of them.
Hence the importance of a regular peri
odical .with forms, extracts of the Law,
suggestions, facts, advice, exhortations, fec,
&c, sent free to all ; and the value of such
an enterprise well managed cannot be over
ostimated.
Subscribers can address Editors Stand
ard, Raleigh, at whose office the Journal
will printed.
Newspaper Folding: Machine.
We have recently added to the machine
ry in our office a folding machine, manufac
tured by S. II. Week, of Columbus, Ohio.
It is a great saving of time, labor and ex
pense. It enables us to dispense with the
services and annoyance of a number of
boys, that were hitherto required to fold our
paper. The folding is done more neatly,
accurately, and with greater uniformity
than it can be done by hand. The ma-
! chine is compact, simple, and substantially
i made. The entire frame work is of iron,
the rollers of wood. It can be regulated so
as to fold them at the rate of 2,700 per
hour. Every newspaper having a large
circulation would find one of these machines
very economical. Louisville Journal.
It is related of one of the Chippewa Indi
ans, now in Boston, that being asked why
the Indians do not dress like whites, he
replied : We started your fashions ; men
now wear blankets, as we do, and your wo
men paint their faces and wear feathers."
NO. 39.
FROM TH CJLROLISA. WJLTCHMA.H.
REPUBLISHED . BY REQUEST.
Letter form II. TT. Culon, Csq.
IaxcoLTON, July 12th, 1855.
Messrs. Editors. Unsolicited by me,
you have for several weeks past, given to
ray name a conspicuous position in your
paper, as candidate for Congress in this
district. Whilst I appreciate your kind and
flattering intentions . and tender you my
thanks therefor; yet as I am apprehensive,
that my true position 'may be misconceived
and my sHence condemned by those whose
good esteem I desire ever to retalnr I beg
to request, that my name may be withdrawn
from public notice ; or if still retained by
you, that it may be accompanied by an ex
planation of the position I really occupy.
Although not a politician by trade, it has
ever been my practice to give to every pub
lic question, a calm, thorough and impartial
consideiation. After giving, to the issues
at present agitated through pur country an
earnest examination, I find myself fully and
warmly committed to the newly formed
"American Party and am unwilling,
therefore,, that my name may be considered,
by any one, as used antagonistically to the
success of Col. Stowe, the American Can
didate. For him I -shall., cast' my vote and 5
exert what little influence I possess. "L
To show my sincerity in adopting the A
merican principles: I will take only what
I consider a single branch of the Southern
view of the subject omitting all others for
want of leisure just now, believing that this
view alone, should be sufficient with the
entire South to produce an unanimity of
feeling and sentiment.
From an abstract of the census, page 150,
it appears, that in the year 1790, the popu
lation of the Northern States was, 1,968,
455. And of the Southern States, 1,961,372.
The North and the South . being nearly
equal. In the year 1850 the Northern
States had increased to 13,342,194
And the Southern only to, 9,499,71 a
3,942,475
It appears then, that in the short space of
sixty years, the Northern States have far
outstripped the Southern in the increase of
population'; and this fact appearsi the more
striking, when the same census Report es-
tablishes, that the natives of the South have
increased more largely than -the natives of
the North. Whence comes this increase
then of the North over the South! The
question is answered on page 133 of said
reports, as follows : "Total number of im
migrants into the United States, since 1790,
living in 1850 with decendants of immi
grants, 4,304,416; Here then is proof
positive as to the source of this increase ;
and now for its consequences, as to the
Southern States.
In the first Congress, the North had 35 mem.
And the South had "30 mem.
There being then only a difference of 5 mem.
In the representation in Congress under
the census of 1850 see report page 160,
The North has 144 mems.
And the South only 90 mems.
So it appears that since 1790, the South
has lost 49 members in the House of Rep
resentatives alone, saying nothing of the
Senate. This loss is then clearly attributa
ble to the imigrants and theirdescendants,
living in 1850, and enumerated in the cen
cus returns for that year ; and it should be
remembered that to increase the delegation
of any State, it is not necassary that any of
the inhabitants thereof should be natural
ized or entitled to vote. But that on the
contrary, all were enumerated, whether
men, women or children ; and that accord
ing to such enumeration alone, are the
members apportioned between the Several
States,
Now should the stream of immigration be
permitted to flow, as prior to 1850, who so
dull as not to perceive, that before the pres
ent generation shall have passed away,
the South will and must necessarily lose
another 50 members in Congress, giving the
North a majority of at least 100 over us in'
the popular branch ! humbling the South in
to the pitiful atitude of a suppliant for Nor
thern favors of Northern mercy. There is
no law more constant than that of "cause
and effect, and if immigration the cause,
be permitted to continue the effect, South
ern degration is sure to follow..
As the American party j proposes to re
move the cause top the torrent of immi
gration, I for one, will say, God speed the
good work, and . give to it every aid I car
command.
But again, whom do the 49 members in
Congress represent? Not- Americans cer
tainly, or some Americans must have two
representatives, which can not be. They
clearly represent those ratios of foreigners
for whom they were apportioned. And
when we consider the heterogeneous mass
of this foreign element of society, vre should
not be surprised to find in their representa-
v