Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-03

70 the afternoon session. rVFe a.
The committee appointed to report the
amount of the school fund, made the fol-
lowing report, which was received: alt
appears from section 947 of the Code Of
tennessee, enacted in 1858, that
the State acknowledged its Indebtedness
to the School Fund as follows. This
Fund consists of $1,500,000 deposited in
the Bank Of Tennessee for which certifi-
cate of deposit is filed with the Treasurer
as Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Section eight of this act passed Jan. Is,
1888 chartering the Bank of Tennessee
enacts shat of the dividend that shall be
declared by the Bank, one hundred thous-
and dollars shall be annually set aside for
common schools, and the faith of the State
is hereby pledged for an annual appropria-
ton OF said amount as the general assess
ment may direct" This amount was faith
fully and annually appropriated up to and
including 1861. Your committee
are unable to inform themselves whether
there is more fund due than the amount
acknowledged by section 947 of the Code;
therefore they can with certainty report the
amount of the principal of the permanent
school fund, which cannot be diminished
by Legislative appropriation, at one million
five hundred thousand dollars. Your COM
mittee are advised that there has been no
interest paid ON this sum since 1861, and
therefore report that there is accrued inter
est of nine hundred thousand dollars, which
sum must by the constitution be appro-
priated to the maintenance and support OF
common schools. w. BoSsoN,
....... r. W. HUMPHREYS,
..-............ S. WATSON,
.-....---.---.. ...-..-. Committee.
The report was then, on motion, referred
to the Memorial Committee.
Prof. w. A. Smith introduced the follow
ing resolution:
Resolved, That the members of this As
ISOLATION be requested, on returning to their
respective homes, to call meeting or meet
for the purpose of arousing the proper in
terest in common schools.
The meeting then adjourned to meet at 3
O'Clock P. NJ.
The following are the names of those
who are present, and are members of the
Association: .
From Davidson County-Ex-Gov. NeillS.
Brown, S. Y. Caldwell, Capt. Samuel DON
elson, S. p. Ament, A. C. Cartwright, Rev.
w. Shelton, Hon. Samuel Watson, Rev. d.
Rutledge, Rev. H. S. Bennett, J. o. Griffith,
Rev. +. A. Mason, Hon. Jas. Whitworth,
Rev. j. Braden, Rev. G. d. Elliott, j. Friz-
zell, Esq, Miss NJ. c. Owen, Miss N. f.
Herbert, Miss II. Perkins, Miss G. S.Neville,
Miss II. A. Herbert, J. Baldwin, Esq, John
Leonard, Esq, DR.. J. II. Oney, II. G.
Oldham, Esq, Mr.. T. j. Keeton and Prof.
Spence.
Montgomery County-gudge R. w.
Humphreys.
Trousdale County-S. P. Cunningham.
Bradley County-W. l.. Cate and Rev.
X. ID. Black.
Giles County-Dr. S. II. Stout and S. w.
Campbell.
Rutherford cOunty-Hon. VIM. Bosom
and Rev. T. t. Eaton.
Washington county-Prof. II. Presnell.
Franklin county-Geo. w. Bowers.
Maury county-Prof. Vim. A. Smith.
Gibson county-Senator J. NJ. Coulter.
Wilson county-Dr. B. w. Mcdonald and
j. f. Scobey.
Afternoon Session.
The Association met at s O'Clock p. m,
r. w. Donald in the chair.
Special order of business being the report
of the Memorial Committee, in behalf of
whom Judge X. W. Humphreys remarked
that the committee deemed it advisable to
present, in this the primary report, only the
outlines of the matter and subjects which
will be embodied in the memorial, and then
read the outlines of the report, which, on
motion, was received, and then placed be-
fore the meeting for its discussion. Sever
al members participated in the discussion
of the resolutions, which merely go to show
what points would be embodied in the me
mortal.
The following was adopted:
Resolved, That the Chair shall appoint a
committee of five, who shall investigate the
subject and report to the next meeting Of
this Association, any feasible plan of Sc
curing to the State of Tennessee the mani
fest advantages of Normal school system.
This was offered in view of the Memorial
Committee not being able to secure the
proposed aid from the Legislature.
Prof. A. l.. Minis made an address upon
the subject Of "The nee 'ssity of the profess
sional teacher" who in the eye of intelli-
gence was no small man, ard the object in
view was to create proper appreciation
of the teacher. he must be con-
versant with every duty necessary for the
instruction of the pupil, and be so well
trained as to develop the faculties of the
young, illumine great truths by the light of
his genius. He referred TO the educational
wants of the people in genuine intellectual
culture, explained the reason of the same,
the development of the mind
with that of matter, saying that until the
mind shall have passed through matter to
the contemplation of the sublime glories of
thought, it was as unstable as the changing,
shifting varying storms Of matter. Our
developments are mostly of an objective
character and what we most needed was
subjective development for though
course had made us rich it had not made
us wise. He then showed the superior
claims and advantages of mental culture
and subjective development. Our advance
is due to the efforts of the professional
teachers. There are two classes of teach
ers: first those who teach their pupils facts
with some error-the second are
those who teach facts and then show their
mutual relations TO each other and other
facts.
The former never make thinking men,
only insipid, stupid beings out of their
pupils. Facts alone are dead things and
fail alone to wake up thought and
inquiry in the mind, but when the
reasons are brought out of these facts
they become burning suns of intelligence
to the pupil We should have three kinds
of schools. l. A school, the primary or
public school. 2. The academy; and 3, the
college He thought it better to repudiate
the public debt than the public schools.
He then explained the process by which
the mind was led to original thought, sin-
curing after causes, reasons and relations.
You must not give the pupil too much aid
in order not to deprive him of his laurels, for
It's only when the eaglet is falling to the
earth that the mother-bird flies to its res
cue and bears it upward 1t is not
for want of money that men fail to
get an education or go to college, but
it is due to an improper method of
education in youth, much of which
piles the mind with facts without Civ
ing the reasons and causes. Youth should
be fused with love of thought, and it
will lead the mind to truth worth preserv-
inc and wisdom worth having, and make it
to gather garlands worthy of being
hung round the brow forever. Original
thought was the progress which enable
man to go through "nature up to natures
God" and was the foundation of all true
intellectual achievement.
He thought the name Of teaching should
be dignihed with the name of profession,