The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-14

. y and beaelceQCe ever 80 largely eNtliui-
ted BY the Anglo-saxon in behalf OF col
leges aud universities. Wealthy individu-
ais and pnblic-spirited cities and towns,
influenced BY religion, philanthropy, OF
honorable civic pride, will beyond doubt
f amply sustain any institutions thus fairly
SET afost.
The gfeat educational work Of the State,
since all experience teaches that the State
alone is competent to il, aud siuce it has
never been Accomplished except BY the
! State, is the making provision for the eiu-
] cation Of the multitude the putting into
practice the ides that intelligence AID citi-
, izenshsp are inseparsble; the seeing 10 it
that no one should grow up to maturits
without having acquired the two arts viii
open the doors 70 all knowledge, the art Of
reading letters aud the art Of making letters
Great as Is this work there is no insur-
mountabls obstacle in the way Of It's perfect
success. Tennessee can just as readily
provide thorough ana efficient system Of
public instruction Tor all her inhabitants as
can her sister States Of Massachusetts and
Michigan; or the European kingdoms OF
Saxony and Prussia, or the mountain bound
republic Of Switzerland In the latter e
State system Of instruction went into opera
ton SO recently as 1888, the result Of which
is that in population of 2,390, 10 hardly o
boy or girl can be found who cannot read
and write. The same statement is made Of
Prussia with its population OF l6,2s5,Ol6,
and Of sax0ny with 1857 ,s33 Inhabitants.
Indeed Northern and Western Germany, the
land OF grestuniYersities and deep lesrn ng,
Is also by all odds the land Of cOmmOn
schools and universal Intelligence What
| wonderful contrast 70 cur own g0Odly State,
where in a population OF rather more than
| 1000 white people, there are al this day
more han 80 900 adults who can neither read
! nor write. Surely our rulers have been sadly
remiss, and oar own people sadly asleep.
| Let US now awake and although we may
not expect in one or in ten years to reacn
the educational position Of the above nsmed
communities, in which time and money
have done 50 much, yet certainly like emil
nence, will, in due time, be attained when
once the State has in earnest entered upon
the same career.
The way aud the means by which this
great work is TO be carried onward to per
| fectiCn are easily found and e0mprehen-
ded. There is no difficulty or mystery
shout the matter Our people must Just
value the accomplishment Of this end suf-
feiently to be willing 10 pay for it. just as
| they would infinitely prefer high taxation
/ TO the shame ard degradation Of dishonored
| credit; 50 must they prefer high taxation
/ to the shame and inferiOrity Of popular ignO-
rance just as they are willing to pay vast
/ sums for the support Of the various brsnehes
/ Of the State Government, and sums yet
more vast to sustain the National Govern
ment, SO must they be willing to pay vast
sums for the distinguished privilege Of uui-
| yersal education. As the large amounts
needed for governmental purposes are raised
from yea 10 year by direct or indirect taxa
ton so should il be with the support Of pub
lie schools. The only school fund really
worthy Of the name is that annually con-
tributed by willing people-taxes cheer
fully voted and cheerfully paid, because the
eminent benefit resulting from the expendi
ture Of the money is apparent to all.
In Tennessee we have scholastic popu
latiOn Of something more than 300 900 chill
dren, TO give each Of whom the benefits of a
thorough system Of public instruction would
require the expenditure Of about million
per annum.
This may seem a very large amount to be
raised from the people Of Tennessee annu-
ally for this purpose. But if we compare
the expenditures Of our people for railroads
and other purposes, or the amounts raised
in other states for educational purposes, it |
will not appear out of proportion or beyond |
our ability. The State Governments OF Ten
nessee, with the support Of courts, county |
governments, etc, etc, costs annually 10 |
the neighborho0d Of $500, 600. The amount |
required to pay the interest upon the State |
debt annually is close upon 81 200 900, and |
this is mainly for internal Improvements. |
Massachusetts, with population Of l,25l, |
O0e, raised by taxes in 1862, for the support |
Of public schools, 81 500, sol: besides large |
sums for school buildings, etc.
New York, in 1862, with a population Of |
$3.50, 7S5. expended for school purposes |
81, 46s, al.
Pennsylvania, in 1852, with a population /
Of 2,9OO,ll5, expended on public schools /
S2,559,4l5.
Ohio, with population Of ?, Ss' ,5O2, raised
in 1868, by State tax for school purposes,
Sl,l55,2 2l, and by local taxation for school |
purposes Sl,o2l,Ol2, making IN all s2,ll6,-
Michigan, with population of 749,Il3,
expended, in 1861, for teaching and Tor 1
school buildings, S604,170.
illinois, with a population Of l,7ll ISL, |
expended for school purposes S2,OO7 ,5I2 in
1862
Thus We could go on and make our emu
meratioa tediOusly complete. Enough has
been cited 10 show that in our sister States
education is the principal cause for public
expenditure, a TACT which has excited the
admiration snd applause Of the greatest Eu-
ropean philosophers and is the most con-
vinciug proof Of the truly democratic char
acter of these States.
Heavy as would be the annual tax neces-
sary 20 place Tennessee upon a level with !
the shove named States We need not doubt
its being cheerfully submitted 70 by the
people, since no money contributed from
their purses 10 public objects 50 quickly |
and so visibly produces a welcome return.
Indeed IN most other cases the multitude
DO not perceive 10 what end their taxes are
applied or the benefit they each and ali de
rive from the expenditure. The benefits Of
the administration OF justice are needed but
exceptionally, the momentOus value Of pub /
lie credit requires reelection TO be rightly
appreciated; and thus it happens that ana
rcrsat education is the only object Of public
expenditure which from its peculiar ehsr-
acter commends itself TO the attention, the
interest and the good wishes of every chile,
woman, and man IN the community When |
once its advantages are felt, never will they
be fStegone, and the last taxes of which
free people viii complain, viii be those i'm
posed for the education Of their children
These are precisely the taxes Of which the
p-or are m0stanxious 10 reap the benefit and /
which the wealthy are most willing 10 contri-
butte for the common good. In closing this
brief address, we do earnestly ask our fellow
citizens 10 give this subject the full attention
its Importance demands, 10 sustain by |
hearty cooperation, all those public men !
who are active in promoting the cause of
education; 10 aid all legislation in this be-
half, by giving it patient trial, and not 10
be satisfied with public men, and with leg
islatou, until Tennessee takes her rank
among the foremost States for intelligence; |
unlil the gifts 50 proluseiy lavshed upon |
her territory are w0rthily enjoyed by a gift | {
ed, intelligent, energetic, prosperous and | Z
happy people.
J. B. LINDSEY,
r. p. WELLs, CoWmittcc.