, 1866-01-16


Aid Commission {Cincinnsti) whIcb. assocla
tfons, in common, purchased the grounds OF
which the buildings stand, for tho sum o.
$4,000, and then dedicated the whole
buildings and grounds-to the establishment
Of the institution, which from this day hence,
forth shall be known under the name "Fsk
Schoolo It is to be q general free SCHOOL
especially In behalf Of freedmen. The capa.
city OF the buildings is for q thousand, pro,
room 10 accommodate iii requisite tcnehers.
The enterprise Is general missionary one,
and 1t Is intended to hare teachers equal to
the best In the country.
In the opening address. tho Rev. E. u.
Cravath, Vi the ". F. a. c., declared the
Institution to he intended for free school,
In the true sense Of the word. Ho Invoked
tue assembly to aid them 4 a es..;. .s inc ftom
In. oods, the fields, streets and alloys, III
children running around at large, aud with
out means Of beng educated. He declared
| 1t TO he the intention Of those IN authority,
! not alone to teach the little ones, but also TO
clothc and feed them II necessary. He said
ihe Institution is to DC ctlp. permanent one. and
Tie nent'nned the great services which Gen.
Fi1't n9s rendered 10 the cause; aud how that
has led them TO name tho school after that
good man. His nnme honots Cur instftu
ton now" and I've will try to honor him
Among the speakers earliest called upon
were Chancellor Lindsey, Superintendent of
the city schools, Senator Besson, the framcr
OF the excellent School Bill now before the
Tennessee Senate, Who eloqucntly and feeling.
" discussed the educational aspect Of the oc-
caston, md Its relation to our national affairs.
The latter speaker, addressing his coloted
anditors, said I'm the past, you, the now
freedmen and ftccdWomcn, have been tho ill.,
dustrial cIaBs Of the South, and your labor has
never been directed By your own intellect,
Always your labor had to be directed by the
intellect OF others, of your masters, who did
not allow you to be possessed Of intellect.
Why not if-as IN all probability you will re-
main the Industrial class Of our population
now You will hare fair chance to educate
yourselves, should your labor have still bet.
ter result. when L will be directed by your
own intellects Why not recognize tile Issue,
and speak 1t fair md square, TINT the past
generations hare committed sin on you and
us md that 1t Is nov our, and not less your
duty to make the marks Of that sin disappear
stitution is to develop your character NOR
ally and virtually. Labor directed By virtue
and Intelligence Of the labosers must be suc-
cessfu1. So this institution will be successful,
as 1t ts directed By Intelligent and vi1tuous
people, So yon Will be more successful than
before, when your labor will be directed BY
colorcd people that they have found 40 WARM
friends. Do what Is In your power to aid and
encourage these friends.n
The Superintendent, Mr.. Ogden, then m
nounced General Fisk, who, as he said, was
so well known to the eo}ortd men especially,
rs to need no introduction.
GEN. F1sk's ADDRESS.
When the General rose. a prolonged ap-
plause ensaed from amidst the assembly. The
General Is the Moses" OF the colorcG Tennes-
seeaus, in fact. You have no Idea how popular
he Is amongst them; how they love him, how
they adore him, how they look at him atmi-
ringly, almost worshippingly. No other nun
with less amfabi1lty. Tlah less knowledge Of
she human mind, with less philanthropy, with
less atmness OF cha1acter, could have succeeded
as well IN the work he Is engaged in, as Gen
eral Fisk. lie is the right man In tho right
lasted for nearly half an hour, and which was
followed with the profound attention Of the
audience In attending to the remarks Of the
Superintendent. "He had supposed he was
known without distinction Of color. Not the
colored people alone know nc. There are
iihang "h1tes around Nashville who would like
10 never hare seen me who would have liked
TO never have come in contact with onytbiup.
That That rese1nbled the Frcedmen,s Bufeau,'7
: tasstng to bis text, he WIS alwars nlad to
[is1 ris;,,o of the establishment Of schooT-cspc-
such 11road n1 Inn The school. as this, had
10 he free school bnt also ~ ~ xaa not on1y
we " 70 TOT hundreds Of years had been deprived
d d the ADVANTAGES Of education by the preju- l
alces of our tellou-me1. He then expressed
ms saiistac11on Of being godfather to this in
'titution..--godlather at the baptism OF this
TEat ana 6eneilcent establishment.
lie asked the audience to travel back with |
RI In &hn I
lis poor mother not being able to provide for |
Inn, bound him out In the country to farm. /
=. he was to receive one hundred dollars |
hen ofage, and had to be cent to school ior |
nree m9nths Of each Of the ensuing four /
~ snts; Ihat Eas a high encouragement /
vas TO be permitted to attend school
o. three months 10 every one Of four years. 1
10" rich be felt then. How much better oti'
4 nan als playmatcs, be thought himself. lie Il
~ us nome very poorly clad, poorer than
~ one ofthe poorest colored people, on m
'la horse behind the far.ner, with God in his
|earf and his mothers blessings. Thus be
solnnienced schooling. He worked harder
nan 1a.., my one has worked in bondage, aud
rent TOR three months each year, tbrcc mtles
= iue morning, and three miles back home
1eaS, y. 70 school: Nights he laid down on his
~ a',i,, ,oe4o,e . hickory fire, in the light OF
= mIn na nc had to study his lessons, as be Was
;r -.L" wy GaaA4!ea. 30 ne went on IN |
~ .saaat saualss, always In the poorest clrcum-
sapees' sa nnt he learned, ana learned, and
,anned' ed' nntn the light Of better days COM
lsnceu % dawn upon him, and until BY
nesgy NET IN aad ga zeal he became quite learned
aan, aaa finally Major General, who was
snt - 10 tennessee by the great Uncle Sam for
19 t,nir pIirpase o. protecting the colored people
uen aTa.t Guol,s s 10 show the world that they
.e e. worthy Of freedom. He tells these de-.
a1, ails to O. show them how much advantage
~ .;t thav 1ass bel ne.ose him, how muoh fairer
on on n man VIII two stass-thcy The rccipl-
nts o. So many beautiful gifts Of the best
trisfngly the contrasts were between q fcw
fa5g hinsS ao: ftS Then a., citizen Of this plaee
lass Of eight colored; boys reading and
riting, and to-day when under the lac Of
le Union, In presence of tbs Governor Of tbs
tate, q Tree school for co1oted children was
etfieated: Thank God that we eec thli day.
ie have today In the district which / auper-
lse, nearly $4,000 children, taught Tree by
are commenced their work two and three