The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1867-12-06
States Teachers CnnEentlOni

On the second day of the deliberations of
this body, lately held at Mas hyilie, Rev. Her
man Bokum, Of this place, delivered the fol-
lowing address on the subject of the " Har-
mbht between the Intellectual and Industrial
Interests of a State, with special reference to
Tennessee 4"
Mr.. Bokum enumerated the boundless min
eral, manufacturing and agricultural capaci-
ties of Tennessee, which he believed should
place her in the front rank of the States of
the Union, and added
Now what are the facts 2 For many years
the State of Tennessee, in common with the
Southern States generally, has been under
the influence Of a system which has prevent
ed the harmonious development of its re-
sources. The rdising of cotton by the en-
plOyment of slaves enriched the few, while il
left the great mass o! the people without a
proper stimulus for action. The rivers, in.
stead of being made the means of propelling
numerous manufactures, with few exceptions
flowed down the mountains in idle beauty.
Its minerals were worked by a few FORCES
which were hardly sufficient to give a faint
indication of its great mineral wealth the
working of the iron in some parts of East
and Middle Tennessee, and that of the cop
per at Ducktown; might have been thought
an exception, because they were worked on a
somewhat extensive scale but it an excep-
ton, they served 10 make the general neglect
of this mineral wealth more prominent. As
for agriculture, the raising Of cotton received
prominent attention but that, like all the
other branches Of agriculture, wa5 carried
on in a manner which, in the end, could not
produce general ruin. The necessity of TAX
ing care of the land by returning to it what
from year to year was taken from it, by prop
er manuring, was greatly lost out of sight.
With few exceptions, whenever portions of
the country had been exhausted, they were
forsaken IN order to enter upon the same pro-
cess in other places. This state Of things
could not be advantageous to the trade of
the country.
The planter generally purchased his goods
In the North, in the North be educated bis
children, and in the North also, or In Europe,
he spent Il great portion Of bis time. Ii ia
very evident that such a system, whils 1t was
un%fayornble to the harmonious DEVELOPMENT
Of the resources of The State, while il LEFT its
mineral wealth and its water power almost
untouched, and while IL developed It's arri-
cultural resources partially and uneauaIly.
could but little advance its intellectual inter.
ests. 1t directly opposed them in the case Of
the large eolored population. To teach them
to read would have endangefed the existence
OF the system by which they were held in
bonds. But this pernicio1s influence reach
ed far beyond this slave population. It KEPT,
down all general intellectual effort BY <
strange, invisible spell. Many portions of
the State had no schools, and did not want
to have them. In other portions men who
were NOV thought 10 b good for anytbino
else, were thought ~ be good enough to act
as teachers! Ii pafalySed the energies of a
large portion Of the white population, and
from various reasons connected with the avs.
TEN referfed 20, discouraged Immigration,
which served 70 eHrich the Northern S,ates,
Such, IN brief, 10 the picture which the mast
presents to us. | have dwelt on il the more
briefly because It is not a pleasant task n
dwell on II at all. I now tdrn 70 the present
BY the abolition Of s~laVery, the sny bssI
Seen opened for tie harmonious d~eyelonb,ert
o. the resources OF the State The erelu,ivs
70 the production Of cotton, can no
longer paralyze toe development of The other
resources Of The State. We shall have mn
miues WORKED, mhnufactories buift, and a
thoTough culture of our soil, and 10 eouse-
quenoe Of Il We shall have . large increase
ota ~ Intelligent agricultural population, iur.
plshing a home market for those engaged In
other p%urluits, and We shall bdve many new
channels By which our trade will be sfeena.
Cd. a eeeinhiug or this q even sow Der.
ceptiole. The eommsrcs Of the eonutry has
received . nav impulse BY tie small bal. nu-
rillI Of trade origlusHae With tbs