Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-10-21
Sam. Houston on Education.


Sam. Houston on Education.
We clip the following from Hon. Sam. Iloustont
Speech at Nacodoches, Texas delivered during The
gubernatorial canvass in that State last summer
1t is to the point and like all of that old vaeran;
speeches; full of hard-knot sense We copy only
I that portion relative to Common Schools:
"Upon the subject of Education may be al.
lowed to present few ideas. l believe it TO be
the duty Of the Legislature to provide for the edu-
cation of the masses. Not your classical education,
but the a b c, alb ab b-a la k-e-r ker education,
and so on up TO the mathematics. In all the ele-
ments of a common school education necessary to
the ordinary affairs of life in knowledge of our
language and the history of the country your youth
should be educated. When a community has inn
bbed these at the tount of learning, it cannot be
called ignorant Libraries will be found all over
the State knowledge will then be within the
teprise and philanthrophy will institutions of
an advanced character. Those who wish to educate
their sons in the sciences will have ample opportu-
nifty to do So and they generally have the means to
spare to do it with. AT any rate they should not
do it at the expense Of the masses. Great men are
not made in these institutions Not that they are
not useful in their way but they do not present the
its energies. The men Of the nation come from the
old field school-house or your private academies
Such, you should FOSTER because all may avail them
selves of them But great National or State con-
Germ becomes the receptacle of the sons of politi
clans and the wealthy. As at West Point Acade-
my, they are drilled and taught-eyes right-eyes
left but if they hay got the brains, it is mpos
sbe to make great men out of them. Unless Prov
idence stamps the man of genius, depend upon it,
education will not give it to him. Education may
be useful to him, but you can't give him brains.
am for general education-.for such a distribution
of the common school fund as will aid the people
in keeping up good schools. There need be no fear
that the higher department of knowledge will not
be cared for. Young as our State is, it already
boasts several institutions which yearly gTadua-
ting young men who will compare in point of in
tellect and capacity for usefulness with those from
Universities supported by State patronage We
have not yet reached point when can afford TO
pay tax to support an institution where favored
few may be educated True, my child might per-
haps he admitted. They might say when | am
dead and gone-''it is the old mans son-let him
imp 'fH rt'f 'H oNF li'" t-
But do not want any privileges for my children
which are denied to the children of the poorest and
best known of my fellow-citizens am for open
ing wide the door of knowledge to let all in. |
would build up the old field school-house system,
from whence has gone the proudest names that have
adorned American history. | would encourage
your home collegesy and if in the future there
should be such a surplus of money that no public
interest would suffer from the outlay, it will be
time then to talk about great State institution
The experiment may be tried, if we have the mon
ey to spare-but proper restraints to the power of
those who control tshould be provided. Measures
should be provided against the concern being mo-
nopozed by the sons of politicians in the vicinity
of the place where it is located. The scholarships
should he apportoned among the counties upon
fair basis The peoples money will sustain it, and
il should be fairly distributed. ltshould be for the
education of the children of the many, and not OF
the few. But start it when you may, you will still
find that your common schools will furnish men
upon whom the people will rely in emergencies
Perhaps you will see gentleman son going down,
with his parchment diploma in his hand, to obscu-
scurity, while the poor ragged urchn, who worked
eight months in the year and went to school four
will become the Washington, who will lead his
countrymen TO victory in the hour of danger-the
jackson who will stand firm against any encroach-
ment upon their constitutional liberties; or the
Maury who will utilitze science, and stamp IT,
pages with achievements as glorious as those of
Newton Make education universal, but do not at
tempt an extrayagant system. Texas is not pre-
pared for a system Of wealthy paupersm like that
of West Point Academy. 1t is seldom that genius
can obtain an entrance there unless il is backed by
wealth and influence. You need not look there for
it; but among the shary, keen-eyed boys of the
country, who are knocked about by adversely, you
viii 6nd it. Look at Maury. ! found him boy
without patronage or funds. got him commits
sion in the navy. He has gone onward, and done
justice to my friendship. No man In this age has
contributed more 10 practical sciencc-none has re-
ceiycd more honor for his scientific achievements,
not only by our own, but foreign countries. you
may rear these institdtions-you may tax the peo-
pie TO support them for the benefit of a iew--but
the masses Of the people viii send out the men like
Franklin and Maury. feattT
Make primitive education AS free rs possible
Then build up your home colleges, like those we
have now. Let them he accessible 10 the young
men of the country Many who now attend them,
work or teach school six months in the year in or
der to be able to pay the tuition and hoard Of the
other six. That's the way 10 get education-wOrk
| for H. man knows the value of IL then. These
colleges will not he full OF pamperod smpletons but
men Of mind will go from them. 1t is useless TO
attempt to make a man of mind. You cannot make
MUD You can improve it. You cannot convert
a puddle duck into on eagle. You can make an
educated fool--but you cannot educate fool into
a man Of geuius Those who wish TO make such
experiments should make them at their owE cx-
lpense, not that Of the people,
ReSs- The propnetors of the Great Eastern real
lied over $4,000 from admission fees during the
time the ship was open 70 visitors.