Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-21
COMMUNICATIONS.
MILITARY INSTITUTE IN TENNESSEE.

Editors Union and American;
P.,caiy;no in the Union and American Of the 24th
mir tho notice Of a meeting, held IN the city, Tor
tho nnrnose of celebrating upon the propnety ana
-.r,.cal,;iitv of establishing Military Institute IN
tennessee 1t NAV not be undressing TO lhoSe Oh
your readers who have sons or relatives 10
10 learn from those acquainted with the oetalis'
some OF the practical workings OIL the y s'e"i.
Although our country possesses many valuable
colleges ii must be admitted, that, (ether because II
i nres,Ipposed that only grown up young men,
whose habits are already formed, VIII become stu
dents. or because no plan has been devised by Wci
the morals and health can be preserved orinproVeu)
all attention seems directed 10 the attention oi ule
intellectual faculties LII
But. uudoubtedlv education. to be compete, slouu
80 os much attention TO the morals and to the neah
intellectual culture What satisfaction Is II
+obave our sons return from college, with honors, II
tbay bave contracted immoral habits or permanently
;nirred ;leir Eeal,R Their whole usefulness, as well
as hapIinass. may thus be destroyed Tor He.
r., obyiate tie above disadvantage as far as the
physical training Is concerned, Agrcultura. pursuits
manual labor have been attempted tut, nth
erto without much success. In Europe, gymnaSuc
EXERCISES have been found very beneficial and, al
tbonoI, some object to them as furnishing nothing
nracIcapy useful still the advantage oil exercises
calculated to develop every muscle IN the oody, py
runnino long distances leapng with the po!e, throw
mo the lance climbing ropes and ladders, perform
inc on the parale and horizontal bars besides the
various ieats on the wooden horse, VIII be iouhd
valuable and 10 any system OF physical training.
Rut. srnposiro the corporal powers in a far way
for imnroyrmept what parent does not send his son
or sons 10 schools with fear and trembling regard
p ~ he morals Where is the safeguard against
habits of drinking, gambling, rowdyiSm, swearing
and other ungenilemanly department, besides the
minor evils OF want of order regularity IN duties
To MOI
with passing word the too great prononess to use
tobacco in excess. Where, we now ask, IS the rem
edy for these appalling evils;
irhe gailitayB SljyieR even as hitherto conducted'
has heen found emineutly successful IN correcting,
or nreyentinr, many of the above difficulties. But
we sincerely believe that the system, under the pest
ARRANGEMENTS that experience, aided by the neces-
sary funds could devise, would, alter TIME, 'e ne
DIV all the evils we dread for our sons.
Tba roilitarv drill from the school OF the soldier,
tn that of the battalion is admirably calculated 10
furnish graceful useful and, to many students, an
attractive exercise without interfering WIN their
studies Even those students, whose natura! ioi'a-
ness for books makes them at first unwilling 10
partake IN the exercise, often Afterwards leh1loh
the additional vgor and Zest with which they are
enabled to return to their studies. And parents have
expressed their unqualified satisfaction at the change
made sometimes by a simple years drilling in their
sons heai'h, carriage and manly bearing.
II - however IN the moral safeguards which the
military system throws, or might be made to throw,
around youth that the chief ADVANTAGE is thought to
consist Few disobediant sons ever make GOOD
members Ofsoclety; and the most subordinate vonng
man is usually the greatest advocate fnr eousl
rights
The obedience to regularly constituted autbor;,,
which is taught and acquired in the field is carried
into and felt in, the classroom and in the yariops
domestic arrangements. The reporting system
which admonishes the student weekly, when his
deinquencies are read out, of any failure in good
order regularity in studies or punctuahty in atten-
dance, acts as powerful stimulant to exertion and
REFORM or it dismisses hopeless cases, those who
have exceeded during lengthenedperiod, the pre-
scribed limit Of demerit marks.
Even in an Intellectual point of view the mill
tary system is found to afford great advantages,
by distributing the students time in the best man
ner, and by bringing theurto their studies with in
vigorated constitutions.
In the first great experiment made to test the
military system, the great object was TO make good
officers; and in this the United States Military
Academy has proved highly successful There
the mathematical course is remarkably full but
French is the only language taught; and we be.
heve, essentially the same course is pursued at the