The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1867-02-15
TO THE PEOPLE OF EAST
TENNESSEE.


Church, to address the publlc-espt
cially the Methodist public-of Eas
Tennessee, on the subject of Educa
tion.
The Importance Of o higher educa
tion cannot w.ll be over-estimated
We do not undervalue common school
and primary education. Those ar
useful, indispensable. But they can
not equal, in usefulness and efficiency
the influence Of higher department.
of learning; nor can they we'll exis
without the Academy, the CollegC
and the University The men o
power in this country and in this age
are they whose minds have beer
trained, developed and furnished by q
thorough education. If there are in.
stances OF great minds, who lack
these qualifications, and who, yet, BY
their superior genius or vigor, or by
train Of fortunate events, have Ia
ken positions Of eminence--giving di.
rection to public affairs, impulee to
commerce, or impresSing, in other
ways, their individuality upon the
age, they furnish the exception, COM
mon to all general rules.
Mind-power controls the world, in
all its departments Of industry, en-
terprisc, Inventions, learning, discov-
cries, laws, manners, politics and re-
ligion. Ii, then, East Tennessee, su-
perior TO most other States Of this
Union in her general climate, unri-
vailed scenery, prolific soil, abundant
watcr-power and iDexhaustble mines
Of coal, iron, zinc, copper, lead, and
other minerals, takes tho rank and
holds the position to which she is
thus entitled, her sons and daughters
must be educated. Education hero
must be general, and it must be thor
ough. That this is especially neces-
sary here may be inferred from few
facts. Large numbers OF your youth
90 abroad for acCedemic and collegi-
ate training. In this we arc behind
others. We have no system Of Com
mon Schools, and We have compara-
lively few Colleges. The public jour.
nails allege that there are eighty thou
sand adult white persons in TenneS-
see who can neither read nor write.
To meet this necessity, Colleges must
be established and sustained among
us and in our State. Only in Colleges
and Universities are found the tacul-
ties for acquiring higher education.
Unless we furnish them here, we
must send our youth abroad TO find
them, where many OF them, after
graduating, remain 70 enrich other
States by their talents and to impov-
erish us by their loss. We must edu-
cate teachers for our Common Schools
at home, or send our young mon and
young women abroad to be thus edu-
Gated, or else We must be dependent
upon other States Tor teachers, or do
without them. Thus, in every view
we may take of this subject, our duty
and interest are in the same line
Two things may be expected from
the general adoption and use Of Com.
mon Schools in our State, viz: First,
it will induce immigration--one of
our most urgent wants. In the mat
Ter Of inducing immigration, we can
not compete with States North and /!
West OF us, who have Common
Schools, while We have none. A Ia
borer, who has u family Of children
TO raise, will not come to Tennessee
while we have no Common schools.
He will go rather to Illinois, Kansas,
Montana, Oregon or Wash.
Ington Territory, where he can edu-
cate his children. II, in respect Of
Common Schools, our State is made
equal to any other, our superior natu.
ral advantages will turn a tide Of pop.
llatioH upoa these hills and valleys
which, in ten years, will make this
country prosperous and wealthy be-
yond the dreams of the most hopeful.
The other result Of establishing
Common Schools throughout the
State would be that mind power, now
comparatively undeveloped and con
ined to tho few, would be diffused
among the masses, and the develop
nent of the resources Of the State
would be much moro rapid. For a
,ystem Of Common Schools we must
Ook TO the State action. Let us do.
nand It. But the College Is also a
necessity. We need
his, where teachers, born upon the
,oil, may be prepared for the great
work Of difusiRg education among
The people Of the State. OF course,
he moral advantages Of Colleges un-
Ter religious influences need not be
argued
Impressed with these views, the
Holston Conference OF the Methodist
Episcopal Church have, through their
on Education, purchased
he Athens Female College property,
It Athens, McMinn county, where
hey propose to establish first class