STATE OF LEARNING. 285 



THE STATE OF LEARNING IN OHIO. 



One of our difficulties, which we must meet, is, and for 

 thirty years to come, will be, the certainty of large numbers 

 of immigrants, settling among us from all parts of Europe. 

 These, when they arrive among us, are, and always will be, 

 entirely ignorant of our institutions. These are to be instruct- 

 ed, and moulded into the mass of our people. Their children 

 are to be educated. Thus far, whenever these foreigners have 

 settled down in any town, they have made very good, peacea- 

 ble and quiet citizens. Their children have, many of them, 

 soon learned to read and speak our language. In Cincinnati 

 where most pains have been taken to teach them, they have 

 made very commendable progress in learning, for the time they 

 have been at school, it is cheaper, for those who own proper- 

 ty, to educate all the children of the state, than to punish 

 them for the crimes, which they will commit, if left to grow 

 up in ignorance and vice. In this view of the subject, if we 

 rise no higher, in our motives, every man of property, will 

 cheerfully bestow some of his time, as well as his money, on 

 this subject, so desirable and praise worthy. With a continual 

 eye to this object, our legislature might soon have an income 

 arising from stocks in our canals and roads, sufficient to edu- 

 cate every child in the state. Let us hope that our means 

 may keep pace with our wants. 



There ought to be a Board of Education, who should have 

 the superintendence of all our colleges, academies and com- 

 mon schools. This board should be selected without reference 

 to any party in religion or politics; to be appointed by the 

 governor, and not liable to be removed from office. The su- 

 perintendence of such a board, would be extremely useful to 

 our colleges, in a variety of ways. Their visits to the several 

 literary institutions, would produce an excellent effect on the 

 teachers and scholars, and diffuse among the great mass of the 

 people, a healthful, moral action. 



As things now are, in this state, too many of our litera- 

 ry institutions, seem to bo so many elements of sectarian 



