Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-30
THE BISHOP OF TENNESSEE
ABROAD,
a Caustic Letter ON Bishop Quinfard's
Objection 90 the American Common
School Sysfem-SPurgeOn Comes tO
It's nafenaR

A Caustic Letter ON Bishop QuInfRrd's
Objection 90 the American Common
School Sysfem-sPurgeon Comes 10 |
ITS Defense
Special Correspondence of the Chicago Evening |
Journal.
LONDON, April Ill felt persuaded, |
when first wrote you about the strange !
conduct of the Bishop of Tennessee, in
attacking in this country the common
school system of the United States, that he
had committed a great blunder, so far as
his own personal reputation was concerned.
1t is great mistake that some Americans
make, in hoping to win the regard fpeople
in a foreign country, and especially of the
English people, by deteriorating the char
acter of their own country or its institu-
tons. On the contrary, such a course is
regarded here as sort Of moral treason,
little less detestable than political treason.
Benedict Arnold was tolerated in this
country after his fall, simply because it
was contrary to English instincts to refuse
a domicile to any political criminal, but
he was thoroughly detested and universally
shunned while he lived, and he was buried
as an offensive nuisance that tainted the
moral atmosphere. Englishmen think in
fnitely more of'the American who boasts
aud even brags of the immortal greatness
and eternal grandeur of his country. They
may laugh, it is true, at his eccentricities,
and his bombastic uttersnces, but they
honor him after all in their hearts, because
they recognize the true patriotic spirit with
him.
That the Bishop of Tennessee has COM
mitted a fatal blunderi is abundantly proved
already by the criticisms on his offensive
speeches. It is curious thing TO see the
editorial fraternity of England, aided by
the host of casual article-writers, defending
the American common school system
against the attacks made upon it by no less
parsonage than an American Bishop Yet
such is the sight now presented to the read
ers of the daily and weekly British press.
One writer tells the Bishop that he is mis-
taken in his alleged facts, and considerably
apologies for him on the ground that he is
"a representative of part of the United
States which, until recently, at least, has
been opposed to any popular education
whatever, and therefore it may be that he
has not sufficiently studied the workings of
the system which he denounces." Nothing
could be severer than this. Other writers
give very correct accounts of the American
system, with which that of England is con-
trasted most unfavorably. Englishmen are
not fools, but see and recognize and admit
the evils of their institutions with the ut
most frankness. The American system, by
its results, appeals to the common sense OF
the world, and that appeal is listened to
here. Beside, the hideous evils of the Eng
lish system are so patent to the community
that no one thinks of denying or excGsing
them here That is left for an American
Bishop to do, and he has done his work 50
clumsily, and so utterly in contradiction TO
recognized facts, that English people are
not only laughing at him, butare disgusted
with him,
Foremost among the Bishops critics and
opponents has been the famous Mr.. Spur
geon, who never hesitates TO call things by
their right names, and to strike in the
cause Of truth with the strokes of a sledge-
hammer. The Bishop lands the English
schools because, unlike the American, they
teach religion. Mr.. Sturgeon says that, as
a matter of fact, this is not true. In his
own quaint, but rather unclerical, language,
he says that ''the lads of the village might
generally carry in a hollow tooth all the
religion they receive in the schools" He
significantly adds that such religion as they
are taught is taught ".in manner suitable
for an American negro previous to the late
war, and it has not a fraction of the simple
gospel of Jesus in il from end to end" His
indignant peroration is in these words
"The present religious teaching of our
weekday schools is as nearly as possible
sham, and a most mischievous sham too"
From all this you will see how remorse.
lessly the Bishop of Tennessee has been
dissected