43

zens, and by the grace of God faithful servants of the Sa-
viour.

With full conviction of the magnitude of the evil to be
combatted, I would depend upon educating public opinion up
to the right standard rather than use the law of force. The
latter might endure for a short time, the former will prove
a solid foundation never to be shaken,

ACADEMIES AND HIGH SCHOOLS.

The old academic system of Maryland, originated under the
Colonial Government, and, for many years, was most efficient
in extending to youth, all the advantages of Higher Educa-
tion in Science and Language. Many of our most talented
citizens, received their preparatory training for college, or
their complete scholastic instruction in these Institutions.
The history of these academies is interesting, and will at an
appropriate time be published, in connexion with an outline
of all the legislation of the Colonial and State authorities,
for the advancement of sound learning.

Since the establishment of denominational and other board-
ing Schools, it has become popular to send children away
from home for instruction, not only out of the County, but
out of the State. Thus our time honored academies were
weakened, until, with few exceptions their honor is with the
past.

Sectional jealousy was another cause of decay, leading to
division and subdivision of the academic fund, and apportion-
ing to several local Schools the State donation, the whole o
which scarcely sufficed to sustain one first class institution of
learning. This has been a general and fatal policy in Mary-
land. As a natural consequence, the academies were dwarfed
into Primary Schools, and the fund used to add a small
amount to the teacher's salary, without increasing the rate
bills or resorting to local taxation. Thus academies wrote
their epitaph, " died for lack of sustenance, " in each County
where this policy was adopted. The academies now flourish
only where this division of the fund was resisted. The op-
posite policy of concentration has been most completely vin-
dicated in the history of the Charlotte Hall school, for the
support of which two Counties united their funds. That
School still flourishes, has a competent Faculty, and attracts
students from various sections of the State, and beyond our
own borders. I trust that its career of usefulness will never
be impaired, that it will remain as one of the " land marks
the fathers set up " and be adopted, by some liberal ar-
rangement with the trustees, as the High School for the two
Counties so as to secure such free instruction for meritorious
youth, as may be needed.

The School Law proposes to gather together again the acade-
mic fund in those Counties in which it has been divided, and