Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-07


powers 10 bring evidence before them, and that
no parties were put under oath. 1t was
therefore, idle to expect, the committee to
have control of much beyond the verbal
statement Of those connected with the insti-
tuition.
Read the report and see how much OF the
opinion of the committee must have depend
ed on the verbal statement of the Superin-
end ent and the Board aud consequently.
how much it must partake Of nature OF
Especial pleading" for the Superintendent
and Board. 1t is the most extraordinary
document ever saw. The committee have
made very free use of my statements, and OF
course they will expect me to make equally
free use of their report. Both cannot be
correct If mine are as erroneous as they
represent them, 1 must be a fool or d very
man. II the committee have allowed them
selves to be deceived, it is not my fault.
Publishing the report, has cost the city some
$500 or $500. If the city will appropriate q
similar sum to pay for publishing the actual
records that are now In black and white, l
will show who is in the right.
Let every member of the Legislative De-
partment of the city at once show that he is
the friend of the people by promptly passing
a law that the proceedings of the Board of
Education shall be published monthly, that
all matters brought before them shall be
in writing and kept of record as also their
action thereon, whether affirmative or mega
tive, that they shall have regular time and
place of meeting, with open doors, and a
regular place for keeping their records, free
to public inspection as other public re-
cords are.
Let them ask by what absurd law, an old
Board of Education one week before they go
out of Office can select new Superintendent
and teachers, and saddle them upon new
Board that is to be elected in one week and
thereby, prevent a new Board from doing
any thing TO advance the cause OF education,
and if such law exists (Which 1 deny) have
it repealed. Let them at once make an ap-
appropriation for publishing the minutes of tie
Board from the opening of the Free Schools.
This would give the people twenty times as
much in sight into the management of the
schools. as the dish-water reports of the
Superintendent. The people could then see
what has been done Except the much that is
not of record) and ask why?
Let the city Legislature ask why in New
York the Superintendent and Principals
should be rdquired to act under the response
bility of an oath to keep an accurate account
of their doings and even of the uisits of the
Board, and not here; why all the power, of
an institution that has already cost the peo-
pie directly and indirectly about half a
million of dollars, should be solely under the
control of Board of Education, when
'.There shall be two Commissioners, two In
spectors, and eight Trustees, of Common
Schools in each ward in the city of New
York"
The committee seem not to have been
aware how important it was to investigate
their own investigation, or how greatly they
might lead themselves and others into error
by a verbal assent to d general PROPOSE
ton without weighing the value OF each in
dividual fact of that proposition. Scotch
clergyman asked member of his church if
it was possible for her to obey all the laws
of God. She answered, "no L break them
all daily, in thought, word and deed"
"Very we'll; on what occasion to-day have
you taken the name of God in vain?" "Me,
sir, me, never so much as minced an oath
in my life"
After admitting that she had broken them
III III "a ,;oJa
any of them in detail.
Taking theireport of the committee as a
whole, it so completely uses me up that
there is not even "a grease spot" left of me.
But when examined In detail it uses up the
committee, worse than if they were ''Kil-
kenny cats" The committee have been anx-
ious to give the subject thorough inVesti-
CATION, and to pass by no charge or sug-
gestion that might be made by any person,
&c." "The first charge in the list is more
important than all the balance, as shame
full deficiency in imparting an elementary
knowledge of reading, grammar, geography
and arithmetic, would defeat the very object
for which the schools were created and rem
der them an expensive nuisance. The COM
mittee accordingly spent above week in
visiting the different schools, and gave them
the most thorough examination they could
in that length of time. The pupils were ex-
amined by the teachers, by visitors and by
different members of the committee" 'The
committee were we'll pleased with the RESULT
&c. A stranger unacquainted with the rela-
ofcir p,Sta Of
the examination thorough and the schools of
unrivaled excellence. But that old Scotch
clergyman would say, "old birds are not
caught with chaff." Whatl examine 1000
pupils in less than 80 hours, giving less
than one minute to each pupil
But give the Committee a still fairer show
say 1000 pupils in tiCo weeks of five days each,
and five hours per day, and no loss of time for
introduction, change of class, going from one
school to another, &c. This would give three
minutes to each pupil, in which to be thor
oughly examined by teachers, by visitors,
and by different members of the Committee"
in from two to ten different branches each
The days of miracles are not past. Steam
and electricity are out done. But the Com
mittee do not tell us that those who had been
studying Latin fUe years ought to have stood
a better examination at the end of one year,
or that a whole class, from 10 to Is years of
age, could not tell the latitude and longitude
of Tennessee, or how far apart meridians are
at the poles, although they had been study.
ing geography three or four years, and their
teacher not lady on a low salary, but gen.
tleman on a high salary, and with good
globe, &C., in the room.
After thus looking at the small amount of
fine pivep tn the examination of each pupil