"SIR:

"I have the honor of addressing to you the petition of the trustees of the Economical School who are so fortunate as to reckon you one of their members.

"A year ago you were so good as to promise me your assistance for this year-I presume, therefore, to observe to you that the building we have constructed will oblige us to loan the sum of about $1,200 and if we could obtain the assistance of the State3 our establishment would be in a flourishing situation and we should not be obliged to importunate the Legislature.

"Deign to accept, Sir, the homage of my respect and high consideration."

We find this plea of M. Neuville answered in Chapter 52 of the Laws of 1813: "An act supplementary to an act entitled An act for the establishment of common schools," which extended the provision of the latter act to the City and County of New York. It "authorized, empowered and required the Mayor, Recorder and Aldermen of the City of New York, to raise and collect a tax on the inhabitants of the said city equal to the amount which shall be apportioned by the State." It provided, further, that this money should be distributed and paid to the Trustees of the Free School Society, the Orphan Asylum Society, the Society of the Economical School, the African Free School, and such incorporated religious societies, which now support or hereafter shall establish charity schools within the said city, as may apply for same, "provided, however, in every case that the session is at least of nine months duration."

Clinton later became president of the society. This fact appears indirectly from a letter written by Clinton as directed in a resolution passed unanimously "by a meeting of the Trustees of the Economical School of New York on the 19th of May, 1814." The resolution recites the fact that A. Hyde de Neuville, the organizer, a Trustee and Secretary of the Society, who is about to resign, has unremittingly and with a liberal appropriation of his time, talent and money devoted himself to the school-by which means it (the school) has arrived at such flourishing state, that it now dispenses the blessings of education to several hundred children—it was resolved that the President signify the high sense of appreciation of the Board of Trustees. This he did in a letter dated from New York on the same day.

The last reference found is contained in a Report of a Committee of the Trustees of the Free School Society on the Distribution of the Common School Fund, dated at New York, January 28, 1825. The report says: "Of these 10,383 children, 6,976 were educated in the schools of the Free School Society, the African Free School Society, the Female Association, the Mechanics Society, the Hamilton Free School, the Orphan Asylum and the Economical School, and the remaining 3,407 attended the various sectarian or church schools." The report contains a plan for the distribution of the fund, and no provision is made for the Economical School Society which had already become a part of the Public School Society and hence no separate provision was necessary. The report proposed that the Female Association and the African School Society should likewise become an integral part of the Free School Society. For the Economical School Society this union with the latter was a perfectly natural result, with Clinton as its president and with aims identical with those of the Free School Society.

The Orphan Asylum Society. Another of the minor societies in which Clinton's influence was felt is the Orphan Asylum Society. The principal facts in connection with this society may be briefly given. The society was incorporated April 7, 1807, and Clinton was instrumental in securing the incorporation. This society was included in the distribution of the school funds provided by chapter 52 of the laws of 1813. In the first controversy with the religious societies, when the distribution of the fund was left to the Common Council (1825), the Orphan Asylum Society was continued as a beneficiary. In the second controversy the Roman Catholic Benevolent Society, in behalf of its Orphan Asylum, claimed to be entitled to part of the fund on the same ground as was the Orphan Asylum. It was then (1831) decided that this claim was "in full accordance with the cardinal principles of the ordinance of 1825 recognizing the peculiar claims of the orphan asylum as a justifiable and the only justifiable exception to the general principle that the Public School moneys were applicable only to secular instruction."81

Randall's History of the Common School System of the State of New

Clinton's influence on this society may be best indicated by the following two letters. The first is quoted in full:

"DEAR SIR:

"NEW YORK, April 16, 1808.

"I have just had the honor of receiving you polite letter inclosing extracts from the acts of the Legislature.

"We are sensible, however, that any feeble testimony of gratitude we can render, will be a slight compensation to the applause of your heart, and we pray and trust that both will be infinitely exceeded by the blessing which heaven has peculiarly promised for the charitable.

"With respect and esteem, I have the honor to be

"Your most humble servant,

"To HON. DE WITT CLINTON."32

"SARAH HOFFMAN."

The other letter is from the secretary of the society, and opens somewhat as the preceding closes. She says in part: "These general reflections are roused by your (Clinton's) well timed exertions in the presentation of their late petition to the Legislature." She goes on to say:

"Therefore, I am directed to express these sentiments to you, Sir, and through you, to all those gentlemen who concurred with you in obtaining the liberal grant of 500 dollars per annum for this institution. And with sincere wishes for your prosperity and private happiness,

"I have the honor, Sir, to subscribe myself in their name, your most obedient, humble servant,

"New York, April 17, 1811.'

"MARY STANSBERY, Secretary."

1733

The Infant School Society. Clinton was interested in all fields of education, in elementary, secondary and advanced. He was interested, too, in what would now be called the kindergarten stage. However, Clinton's inspiration came from England-the home of the infant school movement. In Clinton's Letter Books, we find the following letter: 3*

"MY WORTHY FRIEND,

"ALBANY, 21, Jan., 1825.

"I thank you for your kind letter containing an outline of the Infantile Schools of London. These establishments possess merit

32L. to C., v. 4, p. 27.

33L. to C., v. 4, p. 78.

and if the execution is only equal to the plan they must achieve a wonderful revolution. I have written a friend in New York urging their introduction into that city.

In his message to the Legislature the following year we find this statement: "In early infancy education must be usefully administered. In some parts of Great Britain infant schools. have been successfully established, comprising children from two to six years of age whose tempers, hearts and minds are ameliorated, and whose indigent parents are enabled by this means to devote themselves to labor without interruption or uneàsiness. Institutions of this kind are adapted only to a dense population and must be left to the guardianship of private benevolence."

Another letter dated Albany, January 9, 1827, shows Clinton's evident pleasure at the success of the efforts to establish an infant school society. It reads:

"MADAM:

"Your letter of the fifth afforded me great pleasure. I now feel assured that the establishment of Infant Schools, a plan which has long been a favorite of mine, will at length succeed in such hands as is proposed. There can be no doubt of the realization of all the anticipated blessings.

"I beg leave to offer you and your associates, the expression of my high sense of the benevolence, public spirit and good sense which mark the undertaking and so assure you that my best services will be at your command.”35

Another valuable letter dated from Albany, 7th Oct., 1827, follows:

"MADAM:

"I had the honor of receiving your interesting communication relative to the Infant Society of the City of New York. I rejoice that this excellent establishment is under such able direction. I will certainly visit it as soon as I reach the City. Its prosperity lies near my heart and will always command my best exertions. "I enclose checque for 15 dollars to constitute me a member for life."36

The first meeting of what was to be the Infant School Society was held May 23, 1827. The fourth meeting was held on June 28, 1827, "at which a constitution was adopted, officers and manager were chosen and a letter was read from his Excellency

L. B., v. 8, p. 141.

De Witt Clinton, Governor of the State, who consented to become the patron of the Society, which in fact was organized at his suggestion."37

In the message to the Legislature the following year (1828) Clinton wrote:

"The institution of infant schools is the pedestal to the pyramid. It embraces those children who are generally too young for common schools; it relieves parents from engrossed attention to their offspring, softens the brow of care and lightens the hand of labor. More efficacious in reaching the heart than the head, in improving the temper than the intellect, it has been eminently useful in laying the foundation of good feelings, good principles and good habits. "38

In May, 1827, the Infant School Society secured permission to use the basement rooms of School No. 8, and several months later received similar permission for No. 10. Women were employed as teachers. The Public School Society soon took control of the work in conjunction with the ladies of the Infant School Society. After the full adoption of the Infant School System in 1830, there was no reason for the separate existence of the Infant School Society.

Summary. Clinton was instrumental-and largely so-in securing acts of incorporation for the Manumission Society (the African Free School), Economical School Society and the Orphan Asylum Society. Knowing as we do that Clinton played an important part in securing the legislation providing for the Common School Fund, we may be sure that these three societies were included in the distribution of the fund along with the Public School Society through Clinton's instrumentality; in the case of the Economical School Society, this is clear. He was largely responsible, too, in securing in 1811, the grant of five hundred dollars annually for the Orphan Asylum Society. The distribution of the Common School Fund made the further appeal of these societies to the Legislature unnecessary.

Clinton had been interested in infants' schools several years before the organization of the Infant School Society. He sug

37 Bourne, p. 659.

38The following year the Female Association conducted infant schools instead