Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1855-12-06


Constitution Of our Fathers is disregarded-the fu
neral knel of the Nation is about to be toed the
national pelse beats high, fearing the solution of
that grand national problem, as to mans capabity
for self government-fearing that the Kings and
Potenates of Europe will verified their long
cherished prediction 1t is whispered in the Capt.
tol aud throughout the city-the Union must be
dissolved. Amidst this Confusion. as the last hope,
the inquiry is made tor the HERo OF 1920. The
eyes of the friends of the Union are all upon him,
whilst its enemies, with bitterness ranking in their
hearts, scarce help turning upon him half
averted eye-in his place the once bareiOoted boy,
but now, tall and erect, in the majesty OF his man
hood arises with the government for the second tire
upon his shoulders The Compromise is proposed,
the diff Guilty is settled and the Union is saved!
If, sir in this extensive State and natural quarry,
lie concealed beneath It's unbbsh that material hieh
only needs the chisel and hammer of the sculptor,
to convert it into living, breathing beings, capable
of directing the science, literature and politics OF
the country; how great the responsibility resting
upon US, who have only to speak and is done.
Again, sir The que st is not yet settled in the
mind Of the world as to the form OF government
best adapted to the development OF man. Upon
the one side land on this is the great majority is
the argument for monarchy, whilst on the other,
we stand alone against the world, eontendng in IA
vor OF our Republic.
By chance or otherwise the monarch of Prussia
and the republic of the United States are the two
great parties contendng for the prize, and regret
to saw sir that so far as common schools educa-
tional facilities concerned, Prussia to day has
/ the victory. She has more and better schools.
She educates more OF her sons and daughters, ac-
cOrdng to her population than any government in
the world How long this State of affairs is to ex
ist is left for those having the law-making power
to say. What do gentlemen on this floor say for
/ Tennessee? Shall it be said the Legislature has
met and adjourned again without doing any thing
for the education of people? Shall the poor
return to his labor after hearing the news, de
spairing of ever being able TO school his children?
Shall he say in murmuring tones, as he speeds the
plough, my grand father fought in the Revolution,
my father fell at New Orleans, and was one of the
first on the walls of Monterey, yet notwithstanding
all that, nv country has refused again to assist me
in preparing my children for the enjoy ment of life,
and those liberties for which their father fought?
Shall he poor widow be shocked again by the in
telgence that there is chance for the elevation
of her noble boy, on whose arm she had hoped to
| lean for support in declining years? / hope, sir,
the response of every heart is no! and that this
Legislature will so act this subject that for all
time to come they will be held IN sacred remem-
brance both by the phianthropic rich, by the poor
man. and the widow and the orphan.
But there is another consideration which becomes
imperative to every Southern State. have been
looking fearfully for argument from the North
more powerful than any vet used 10y them. From
some cause OF other, the Free States, you know,
sir have done more to provide for the education of
their masses Than the Slave States. Do you not
know that the time will come when our people will
be told that this is the natural result of the nstitu
ton of slavery? Yes, sir, shareholders here,
some few of them, to avoid the payment OF a dol
lar for this purpose, contend that permanent, eff
ficient free school system be established
l.. i. ii; 10 I "A 10,
say that the institution of slavery is a curse. But
| do not believe it to be true. The argument,
whether true or false, will have its effect. The eff
feet will be- (f il is not shown to be false By estab
fishing the system,) either to produce disrust IN
the minds of the people as to the institution of
slavery, thereby causing them to receive and cher
ish propositions and arguments directly incompati-
BILE with Southern Interests, to emgrate to those
States proposing to educate their and daugh-
ters-thus leaving us with our numbers diminished,
to contend with the feariuy increased power OF the
North Hence ! conclude that the slavei older is
directly interested in the education of the masses.
! ask again, what has Tennessee done TO pro
mote the cause of education amongst her masses?
IL may truly be said of her: Nonies pdrtHrient
cit,r ridictiuS She has been in labor for more
than fifty years. and finally, after experiencing great
pain, she has given birth to that Common school
system, which provides the enormous sum of eighty
man knows would not teach any mans son to spell
baker system, the effect Of which is to put the
training of the youth of country up to the low
est bidder, thus securing the most incompetent
teacher in the land. system in word, that is
and has been a stencil in the nostrs of all think
ing men ever since its existence.
In view of these startling facts what Tennesseean
does not feel his State pride kinde within him. that
does not feel the blush of shame il steals upon his
chaak whom hp reflects that Tennessee known "a
the Volunteer State, has done nothing to educate
the sons of the Sires of New Orleans or of those
who returned from the walls OF Monterey, bearing
the evidences of their countrys glory
It's, Sir to redeem our State from its present
unenviable position, that have introduced this bill.
| am not Pr esumptuous as to suppose that the
bill will remedy the defects at once but it is evident
that the amount Of money which would arise from
the provisions of that bill would in aiew years
ate such fund as 20 meet the wants Of the present
and rising generation. system which will be the
widows hope the orphans friend, and the poor
mans beneiactOr. system by which the poor
can be educated, and from which the rich can real
ize the same benefits as now from the high
schools and Colleges OF the country.
That such system is much TO be desired, we
have only to consider its sauary effects in rearing
the coming generation free from those prejudices
that now exist in the minds of the poor towards the
rich and in the minds of the rich towards the poor
BY placing the young together in the same school,
before pride has seized the mind OF the one or
envy that of the other, those sehoolmate attach
ments will be formed which rarely broken,
though one should be elevated and the other de-
pressed Who, ask, in view Of such high conside
ratons, is not willing to be taxed?
The tax which that bill proposes to establish
will place within the reach of the man Of means,
such a school as will shield him from the expense
and danger of sending his children IRON home to
educate them. We have many good boarding
schools, but | have yet to find in any Of them The
father or tie mother.
The reputation Of many fair and yrtuous daugh.
ter would have been saved from the whitening touch
of a village or city gossip, it it could have brought
to its aid parental affection, to restrain, or even
cover up those little udiseretons peculiar TO the
young.
Many a noble and gifted boy would be saved TO
his parents and to his country, by being freed TO
considerable extent from those fascinating tempta-
tons and vices so abundant in our towns aud cities
| say, Sir, do not see, in view OF these facts,
how any one can refuse to be taxed who has either
the good of his race at heart, or his interest
10 view. Let not, Sir, object to the bill because
of its novelty; because it proposes TO make some
change in the manner Of raising the revenue, or
because il has not precedent am willing TO follow
in the footsteps OF Others 80 long they can be
found Bat whenever measure is presented, right
in itself, it should be adopted though its adoption
creates observation-disclosures the slavsh adherence
TO precedent cuts off all improvement in every
department Of humeD life.
We must look at the design of the change.
propose TO TAX a horse For what? To educate a
chad But | am told it won't be popular. This
appeal 20 the lowest instincts Of our nature is too
contemplate to demand passing notice Again,
am told that TO impose a tax on the people. even
for educational purposes, will Nil me politically.
Then let me die, for in dying, ! vii be supported
ny the thought that