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

and the Peabody Trustees. In a
few words a great and pressing edu-
cational topic is sketched. 1t demands i'm
mediate and efficient action, and it is earn
estly hoped that the plans brought forward
by Judge Watson, of the Peabody Board,
and DR.. Sears, their distinguished agent,
will receive full attention.
A report upon the educational interests
of Nashville, particularly prepared at the
instance of the Board of Trade, would be
strangely incomplete were no mention
made ofthe Female Academy and its virtual
successor, Wards Seminary. No better
example of bearing upon the wealth and
reputation of a community need be cited
than the history of the former under the
remarkable administration Of c. d. Elliott,
given in the foot note.'
Any business man can readily compute
the effect of such constant stream upon
the material prosperity of the city. Not
undertaking to judge as to the legal points
involved i'll the controversy which destroyed
this venerable institution, the preceptress
of the noblest army of wives, mothers and
daughters that ever adorned and blessed
any community with all womanly and
Christian grace, l cannot refrain from
giving expression to the deep and universal
feeling Of regret prevailing among all classes
at the issue.
In 1865 the only institution in Nashville
drawing distant students was the University
Medical College, when the Rev. DR.. W. Z,
Ward at his individual risk, and by his OWL
resources opened first-class Ladies Semi
nary. This school now employs seventeen
teachers, and has in all two hundred and
ninety-One pupils, ninety-three being board
ers. Dr. Ward by the successful manage
ment of this immense establishment, has
become a public benefaCtor, and every IA
cility in the way of exemption from taxa
ton, and other manifestations of public
interest should be cordially extended him.
Of great church institutions, there are in
the city two and the vicinity one, all under
the control of the Roman Catholic Church.
These should be fOstered, as indicated
above, in the case of Wards Seminary. Il
any of them are of such grades as to admit
of becoming members or partial members OF
the public school system, our legislation
should be to that end.
Fisk University and Central Tennessee
| College are Institutions intended for a spe-
cial field. The former has seventeen teach
ers and four hundred and fifty pupils within
its walls; the latter six teachers, with two
hundred and twenty-six pupils. OurpubliC
schools have eight hundred and ten cOlOreC
children enrolled. In the Southern States
there are five millions American citizens OF
African descent; in Tennessee alone, two
hundred thousand; in Nashville, nearly tel
! thousand. That their educational want:
must be fully met is the unanimous voice
Of all Christians and philanthrOpiSts. We
| should, by all means, as a city, give advance
| scholars of both sexes of COlOrcd peOpl,
1 living within the city limits opportunities
| free of charge, of continuing their studio:
| in one or both these colleges rs recommend
| ed above for white boys in the University
| A most important work to be accomplish
| ed by the city in unifying all the educatiOna
/ establishments within her bounds, is b,
| creating and sustaining as integral outfit o
| her public schools, libraries, museums o
natural history, art galleries and cOllec
/ tiOns of apparatus, all of which shall b
| made serviceable to private and Chartereu
/ schools under such regulations as viii MAJ
the city secure from loss. As an educate
/ of Young ladies DR.. Ward comes into CON
petition with the Vassar Female College a
| POughkeepsie. New York, which from on
successful brewer received the splendid dc
| nation of full half million dollars. At tn
same time he comes in competition wit
many other endowed schools, all seekin
patronage from this region. 1t
clear that no individual effort an
capital can equal such great schools i
outfit and appliances. But suppose that tn
city took steps towards, doing soon wha
ultimately it viii do,) the purchase of app;
ratus for its own schools, then these appl
ances are here, even though costing man
thousands. And if DR.. Ward and Othe1
can use them as proposed, his seminary