Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-09

mainly indebted for another very efficient
auxiliary to our intellectual renown. re-
fer to the Methodist Book concern.
This great establishment brings here
corps Of distinguished divines and
scholars, equalin nu1nbsrto an ordinary col
iege faculty, and furnishes us With most ex-
cellent facilities for book making. The Or
gan of populous and powerful church, its
publications all bearing the imprint OfNash-
vile are circulated in every neighborhood in
every Southern State. The simple state
ment Of this fact is sufficient to impress
every member of this Board, with the vast
influence exsrted in any decade upon our
fame as a literary centre. Did time permit
would here dwell upon facts showing the
analogous influence exerted by our great
political and other journals. This line Of
thought once suggested viii be readily ex-
tended by each rejecting mind.
Last, but not least, as contributing to the
educational capital of Nashville, is our sys-
TEN Of public schools, mainly founded by
the beloved and venerated Alfred Hume,
and the direct outgrowth of the University.
These schools have in short time placed
our city, by common consent, if not first,
at all events second to no other city in the
South, so far as popular education is con-
cerned, and of themselves constitute a
| foundation upon which magnificent super
struction should be reared. With all the
wealth Of intellectual capital above sketch
| ed, blind indeed must we be if we fail to
erect here a grand and complete temple to
| learning, science and art.
Having imperfectly outlined the nature
and value of the intellectual Inheritance we
possess, let Us next with equal meagreness
sketch the work which our hands now find
20 co, unless w -ri1liz,@y . provo ra-ro-
ant IN fulfilling our duty to those who have
| gore before, and, what is more disgraceful,
| TO the dear ones who shall tread these streets
when we are sleeping at Mt. Olivet. As
we viii show more in detail before closing,
the night is far spent, the day Is at hand;
unless our citizens awake speedily and fully
| the sceptre will depart from Judah. Other
cities and towns are thoroughly alive and &C
| tive. Instead of Nashville being Jerusa-
| lem, Athens or Mecca, it viii become one,
and low one, In long list of educational
| points. L.
Though rich in good viii and reputation,
| gained for us BY the skillful and persevering
| efforts of able men working under great dis
| advantages through fully three generations,
we are intrinsieally poor in our educational
| outfit and facilities. All that has hitherto
| been accomplished in the way of material
| outfit is merely a foundation, deep and firm
| indeed, yet nothing more, and really in vain,
| unless we at once put up the walls, the
| spires and capitals. To this idea the atten-
| ton of the Board of Trade is especially
called, because 1t is constantly our habit TO
| compare ourselves with Institutions in our
| own or in adjoining States, and thus mag
inc ourselves rich. Whereas If we look
north, east or west, and mark the contrast,
| our own poverty becomes at once painfully
! evident. Contemporary with decade Of
civil war and chaotic government In OuT
| region, prostrating all Institutions, absolute
/ ly DESTROYING many, we find throughout the
| entire North a marvellous activity and lib
/ erality in the cause of education, especially
in behalf of Colleges and Universities. We
do not miss the mark much either side, by
stating that the benefactions from wealthy
| and pious men to educational establishments
of every description, in the North from lS6l
to 1871, exceeded in amount all hitherto
contributed from the settlement Of Ameri
| ca. The aggregate is over ten million o
dollars. And It must not be forgotten thai
each State in the North has public schoo
system at an expense to the larger States o
from one to three millions annually. Al
much space as is allotted to this entire repor
could be proftably occupied with giving de
tails confirming the above remarkable state
ment. e
We have but two substantial items Of ed
ucational wealth, and it is only by wis
combination of the elements of strength
furnished by each of these, and also b.
seeking others from every possible direction
that we can reach the desired goal of max
ing Nashville as renowned as Geneva o
Zurich-small cities in little European re
public-or New Haven, a small city in lit
tie American State.
| To BE CONTINUED.