Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-10-09
ADvEETTsEYEST-
Free Schools of Nashville .

their IiifTtieS. the Board have resolved 10
| take them away In defiance OF the people
Two days before the city election, called on
The Secretary Of the Board, who politely bat
| hastily showed me that several changes had
been made for the better. The changes are
mostly in accordance With my suggestions
! last summer. He promised 10 show Inc the
| records whenever I wished. But four days
after the erection. and what Il change! He
+, denied me the right 90 sec the records, and
| Informed me that the Board had passed res
| Oi1tiOn fiat CITIZENS SHOULD NOT BE PERMIT
| TED TO EXAMINE THE RECORDS, unless they OBJ
| tanned permission from the City Council to
do SOL. Has il come to this, that petty
! Board Of Education have dared to seize pub
| lie records and forbid freenen the right TO
! examine them, Neither the Governor of the
| State The President of the United States
| dar. attempt such an outrage on the rights of
| citizens. Nay. if England or France were
| to attempt Ich an outage, 1t would over
| t IrOw the government in one month. | hope
| The day is far distant when citizen will de-
| grade himself by petitiOning the City Coun-
| ell to graciously grant him permission 10 ex-
anime public records; and hope the time is
| far distant when the City Council will degrade
| itself by granting such a permission TO do what
| is the inalcHable right of the freeman, and
| thereby acknowledge the right of officials
| to seize. carry of aud secrete public records;
| for, reader where do you think l found these
| records? In the public buildings erected by
| the city FOR the sale keeping of its records
and the accommodation of its citizens I?
Nay. bat in a private Office on College street,
And by whose authority public records
thus carried away from the Recorders Office,
where they have been kept? If one set of
officers can do this. then all may, and city,
county AID State records may be scattered
and secteted at The will of officials, and every
court become iUquisition. Suppose any
department If the general government
should seize. carry of and secIete The ma
tioEal records, OF what crime would they be
be deesdea guilty, and what course would be
taken TO cause them to be restored?
/ hope he day Is not far distant when the
city executive will have the nerve TO demand
the return OF those records to the proper
place, and 10 the free inspection of citizens.
and ii necessary to enforce obedience to
a judicial demand, call to his aid the
executive OF the State and enforce the
demand at the point of the bayonet. for
it would be- better that Nashville, with
myself aud all its inhabitants, should
he sunk. than that American officials should
put their records beyond the reach of The
people, and thereby convert official depart
menjs into ingnsitions. thrust the Executive
and The City COanciI have too much respect
for themselves and the people than to permit
tiOd.
But if the Beard have done their duty with
judgment aud justice. why should they be
more unwilling than other departments to
have their actions examined? This seems to
be a virtual confession that their acts will
not bear Investigation. The hurried insight
got two days before the election, revealed
to me several things which prove the truth
OF what | said last summer. The cost of d.
6 I he
down about SEVEN HUNDRED PER CENT,
land there are ether things that ought TO be
cheapened al the same rate,) which condemns
their former course, and contradicIs the state
ment Of the Committee, that the Board have
guarded ." the interests of parents with ex-
IRENE care" But why were these records
Withdrawn from the Recorders Office? Was
it because the Recorder, with that gentleman
Is courtesy which should always characterize
an American Official, permitted me to exercise |
my right TO examine the Records? l hope |
We shall Continue TO have Recorder who |
will thus fea.lessly and impartially discharge |
his duty. IL is such officials the people wish |
and need. Is not this spite at the Recorder |
for doing his duty rcprOach to the Board,
and 4 confession that their work will not bear /
examination!
But why vas | refused access to the re-
cords! Was not the refusal coWardly con-
of meeting before The people the facts they
baye created Has not this same confession
been made by every subtiluge that has been
made TO hush me 10 silence in this investiga-
ton?
This has been manifested by an attempt at
Iidicule, by the charge of ignorance. by re-
porting that my facts not were facts, (the
Board have since proved their truth by cut
ting down the cost of some items above seven
hundred per cent? BY seeking the appoint
neut of a committee that allowed themselves
less than one minute per pupil to examine
pupils, and reported on the correctness OF ac-
accounts without opening the packages
Of vouchers, by using their influence
% prevent the vouchers being opened
n my presence, when | strongly urged
he necessity for it that l might point out
he extravaganza and inconsistency, and by
personal threats made with the knowledge of
he Board-nay, in the very presence OF the
Board, before the committee, by the Superin-
endeDt, shaking Ills fist, grating his teeth,
yrinning like q fox caught in steel trap, |
threatening that he would 'settle this matter
With me in the streets" nay, virtually sane
ioniHs it by his unemployment, after had
proved him Knowingly guilty of repeated
'ioiations of Il positive law, and deliberate
Ittempt to deceive, to circumvent the Board
n regard TO the facts. These threats con- ,
1 \
ormed certain parties that if they laid the
weight OF 9 fiager on me they could not stay Y
u town two days. The people know too well /,
hat am serving their cause at my own eX-i 7
'ense. and they are little disposed to punish !
ne for Causing the Board TO cut down ex- T
lenses several hundred per sent. When [
iaTibaIdi had revOiutioniZed Cicily, the king
f Naples began TO tremble, and was very
7iliing TO grant the people Constitution.
nut il was too late. They, too, wanted and
ave obtained, revolution. Will the people
{ Nashville be content with having expenses !
at down on a few Items? No. They will
81 why were not these savings made with
ut the forced necessity of a newspaper ex-
osure, aud they will never be content ill
he schools are supplied with books. without
aging four hundred per cent more than ii
osts in other cities. Nor viii they be content
III they are allowed to elect their own school
hicers, and these TO consist OF distinct
oaTds, so that education aud money matters
ialI not be in the hands of the same men.
is unsafe TO put the sword aud the purse | s
ito the same hands. U
.Whom The gods would destroy they first
lake mad" Could the Board have devised P
more mad piece of folly than to attempt to
eep citizens from knowing what is done with a
leir money! Can they suppose the citizens
Tennessee are so recreant to every sense
T seIErespect as to submit 10 such an out
lge on their rights, such an act of despotism :
I'D tyranny? Could they not see that citi- /
sns would ask, Are you afraid to have
our acts examined? Do you suppose we are
Ding to ask the City Council for right
hich they can neither give nor take away?
id you suppose US such biockheads as not to
now. or such craven vassals as not to de-
and and maintain and defend our rightss
Ut the Secretary asserted to me and TO
Ihers- that the reason ihe Board had taken
lis privilege from me was that had abused \
Ie privilege. | pronounce such charge :,
ross SANDER, and call on the Secretary to do :.
mself aud myself the Justice 10 correct It .