R.L. Dabney 1876 : Letters to To W. H. Ruffner, Esq., Superintendent of VA State Schools:

I am perfectly aware that my person is, to the people of Virginia,

too unimportant for them to feel interested in a squabble over its consistency or credit. I presume that their feeling for your private person also is not very different. For an important principle they may care.

Your attacks on me breathe a great glorying in the strength of your party. Their tone seems to cry: "Oh, vain man; seest thou not that thou resistest the inevitable? With us are all Kaisers, and all demagogues , and all their minions , and all tax-gatherers, and all tax-consumers. Who art thou against so many?" Well, perhaps, nobody. But it is precisely in this that every prudent, reflecting Virginian sees the conclusive argument against your plan. Our true statesmen always taught us that government should not be allowed to go into any project aside from its direct, legitimate ends, especially if that project would subsidize many persons and create for them a motive of personal advantage to uphold it. Because whenever that project might be wrested to mischief, these interested motives might prevent a wholesome repeal.

The Northern States of the Union had previously to the war all adopted the system of universal State schools and the Southern States had not. In 1850 the former had thirteen and a half millions of people, and twenty three thousand six hundred and sixty-four criminal convictions [0.175%]. The South (without State schools) had nine and a half millions, and two thousand nine hundred and twenty-one criminal convictions[0.031%] that is to say, after allowing for the difference of population, the "educated" masses were something more than six times [5.65] as criminal as the "uneducated". The same year the North was supporting 114,700 paupers, and the South 20,500. The "unintelligent" South was something more than four times[3.95] as well qualified to provide for its own subsistence as the "intelligent" North!

But Massachusetts is the native home of the public school in America. In Boston and its adjacent county the persons in jails, houses of correction or refuge, and in alms-houses bore among the whites the ratio of one to every thirty-four[2.94%]. (Among the wretched, free blacks it was one to every sixteen[6.25%]) In Richmond, the capital of "benighted" Virginia, the same unhappy classes bore the ratio of one to every one hundred and twelve[0.89%]. Such are the lessons of fact.

To give that large learning and thorough discipline necessary for setting the mind to deal independently with the corrupt labyrinth of modern current opinion is beyond the State's power. What she does give usually prepares the victims for the literary seducers.

In the objections thus far set forth there are premises which, however true and impregnable, are now so unfashionable that with many they will meet no response but an angry outcry. The application of them would demolish so many vain idols, now much cherished, that the writer cannot hope for a hearing even, from many minds. Time must be the only teacher for these overweening philanthropists. When they are taught by him that this system of State education has utterly failed to produce the benefits they designed, and has fixed on us the mischiefs above described, they will learn that these are the words of truth and soberness.

Sometimes it is asked, "How are the degraded classes to be elevated if they are thus to be denied all association with those better than themselves?" We reply that while we fully recognize the Christian duty of seeking the degraded and of drawing them up to purer associations, we beg leave to demure against employing our innocent and inexperienced children as the missionaries. The braving of this moral contagion is the proper work of mature men and women of virtue; and these are to elevate their beneficiaries by holding to them the relation of benevolent superiors, not of comrades and equals in school-room and play-ground. It is claimed that it is the teacher's part to prevent those "evil communications which corrupt good manners. "We reply that it is impossible; he would need more than the hundred hands of Briareus and the hundred eyes of Argus , with more moral fidelity than falls to the share of any save apostles and martyrs. Is the pittance paid to a common-school teacher likely to purchase all these splendid endowments? It is said that if a fastidious parent does not like the social atmosphere of the common school he may pay for a more select private one. But he is taxed compulsorily to support this school which parental duty forbids him to use; so that the system in this case amounts to an iniquitous penalty upon him for his faithfulness to his conscience.

What clearer instance of persecution could arise?

For an old, stable monarchy is always infinitely more decent and moderate than a democratic faction in America rioting on the spoils of party success. The teachings of the monarchy, if self-interested, are at least conservative and consistent; and they include a respectable knowledge of the Christian religion.

It is hard enough to have a triumphant faction rule us in a mode which outrages our sense of equity and patriotism shall they also abuse their power to poison the minds of our own children against the principles which we honor, and to infect them with the errors which we detest? Is it not enough that our industries must all be burdened and our interests blighted by the selfish expedients of demagogues grasping after power and plunder? Must the very souls of our children be made merchandise and trafficked with in the same hateful cause? What freemen can endure it? These practices have already disclosed their destructive fruits in preparing a whole generation, by a pupilage of lies, for a war of plunder and subjugation against the South. For years before the war the sectional and aggressive party had control of the State education in New England and the Northwest. They used their opportunity diligently; and the result was that when the chance to strike came, they had a whole generation trained to their purpose in hatred of the South and in constitutional heresies. Such was the testimony of Daniel Webster.

The result of this system of State schools is that the successful party extinguishes its rival, and thus secures for itself an unchecked career of usurpation. For it aims to extinguish all the diversity and independence which the young would derive from parental inculcation, and to imprint upon the whole body of coming citizens its own monotonous type of political heresies and passions. This is virtually done in America.

R.L. Dabney 1876 : Letters to To W. H. Ruffner, Esq., Superintendent of State Schools: