Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-02
EDUOATEoAAL CoNvENT1Ox.


A convention of prominent Baptists was
held in the First Baptist Church yesterday
morning, for the purpose of promoting the
general interests of education, and to ascer-
tain what could be done towards moving
the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
to Tennessee. The following gentlemen
were present: Revs. R. j. Kimbrough,
| Charl's Manley, w. III. Walker, /. L.
Eaton, Prof. E. II. Murfee and Mr.. E. L.
Gordon, of Murfreesboro; Thomas II.
tastes and Turner Vaughan, of Laguardo;
S. e. Evans, Cullioka; Thomas G.. Mosely,
Bellbuckle; Joseph Shackleford and Joseph
II. Maley, Alabama; John Sanders, Smyrna,
Tenn; Rev. w. A. Montgomery, ID. D.,
Leadvale, Tenn; Rev. w. 7. Sumner, D. D.,
Marion, Ala; Mr.. James Thomas, ST.,
Revs. w. w. Kone, T. G.. Jones, d. D.,
j. W. Phillips, W. G. Inman, Messrs. w.
II. Pohlman, G. K. Winston and A. B.
Shankland, Nashville; w. P. Marks, Edge
field; S. D. Whitsitt and FL. r. Buchanan,
Mil Greek; Rev. S. M. Phillips, Hartsville,
Tenn; Rev. j. P. Boyce, d. D., Greenville,
| S. c.; Hon. 81. Y. Riddle, Lebanon, Tenn;
j. B. Mays, jackson; Pres. Noah Z. Davis,
LII. D. President Bethel College, Ky.; Jas.
Howe, Memphis; j. B. Goodwin, Fellow
ship, Tenn; j. r. Branham, Brownsville,
Tenn; G. W. Johnson, Jackson; Rev. G.
w. Griffin, Gallatin; Rev. VIM. Shelton,
D. D., Mount Glare; A. B. Gates, Christian
Herald, Nashville; Rev. NJ. Green, Spring
field; NJ. B. Pitcher, DIR. W. E. Ward and
s. Y. Caldwell, Nashville.
Rev. Charles Manley was called to the
chair, and Mr.. t. I. Eaton was appointed
Secretary.
The proceedings were opened with prayer
by Rev. DR.. Sumner Of Marion, Alabama.
Rev. Charles Manley was elected lresi-
dent, Revs. Messrs. Jones, Summer and
Montgomery, were elected Vice Presidents,
and Rev. 7. T. Eaton was appointed per-
manent Secretary of the Convention.
A letter from DR.. T. e. Kean of Hop
kinsyille, was read, expressing his regret
that he was unable, through illness to at
tend the Convention. In the course of his
letter he remarked: 81 trust this Conven-
ton will promote the interest of true educa-
ton. As yet it seems to me it is not appre-
ciated as it should be. If mind is freighted
with few facts, that is deemed enough.
The powers of the intellect are not
developed, or this is not sought
as it should be as one of the
ends of education. My idea of educa-
cation is the development of the whole man
and that harmoniously. If either the ply
steal, mental or moral be neglected, the
education is incomplete, and if one is ele-
waited at the expense or the depression of
the other, it is a caricature. Earnestly hope
that the cause of liberal and thorough edu-
cation will be promoted by the discussions
and friendly interchange Of views in the
convention"
CONCENTRATING INSTITUTIONS.
DR.. J. P. Royce was called upon to ad-
dress the convention. He said he would
make few remarks relative to concentra-
ton in general education. He thought one
of the most unwise things that the Baptists
had been guilty of in connection with edu.
cational interests, was the spreading of
their efforts in all directions over the coun-
try. There were certain things that they
wanted. The general education of
the people was necessary. Then
there must be a general education of a
higher class-that is, of those who were TO
be the teachers of the people, and along
with those there would also be number
of persons who from the professional life
into which they were going to enter or from
taste or from desire for higher cultivation
would want to attain to the same degree of
education that would be given to those who
were to be teachers. Above that, they
wanted to go so far as to reach a higher
point, and, if possible, to educate men who
should be teachers of Baptist teachers, who
should establish grand universities upon
this continent similar to those which exist
in Europe, where text books would be pre-
pared, and who should give instruction up
on specific subjects, scientific, law, medi-
cine and other points, carrying those sub
jects up to the very highest points of in
struction and information of this age,
and of ages gone by. Now, how
was this to be attained? He would tell
how it was not to be done. 1t was not to
be attained by establishing two or three So
called colleges in each State, nor by putting
a university in each State, nor by having
charters given in all directions, and institu-
tons supported and endowed by portions
of the Baptists in the several States. Such
institutions would be but weakly, sicklY
things, and would never accomplish the
ends towards which they were working If
he had his way with the Baptists of the
South, he would have One-0F he would have
twO-according to the space which was to
be cOvered-great universities, and he
would have them far above any college of
the land; and then he would have colleges
located there from which the young men
should 60 to these universities after getting
through with their college education. He
would have colleges located at convenient
points throughout the South. He would get
two or three States TO unite upon college.
He would not have one in each State. He
would get, for instance, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and East Tennes-
see at least to unite upon one. He would
let Georgia, Florida and Alabama unite up
on another. Mississippi, Louisiana and
West Tennessee could have another. He
would not have a college in Texas except
as a nucleus until there was preparation
for still further move to build up a college
on a good basis. The result would be that
there would be enough students coming
from these States to support the colleges
well, and there would be enough students
coming from all these States to support one
university, and not more than that. There
was but one single university in the South
that was in any degree whatever worthy the
name of university, and even that one was
hardly deserving of the name. That was
the University Of Virginia. It drew its
students from all portions of the South and
manly hum LlC NOlllly SCJ IL udO lOJ LlOlC
students than it could accommodate
What then was wanted? What had they
already? There was one college in Wash
ington, one in Richmond, one in North
Carolina, one in Greenville, South Carroll
ma, one in Georgia, and they were about to
have another, one in Marion, Ala; there
was a university at Messy Greek, Tenn,
college in Mississippi, there were two col
leges in Kentucky, and two or three col
leges in Texas, one of which, or perhaps
two were universities.
A Voice-TwO are universities.
Another voice-They are all universities.
DR.. Boyce-Very well. We asked them
kindly to think it over for themselves. In
all these institutions had they got college
"a real college in the whole ba' CHI? Had
they got anything in all of them that ought
to occupy more than grade of first-rate
high SCHOOL, The people ought to understand
that after graduating at one of these col
leges a student ought to be at the point of
entering college, and then there ought to be
beyond that, somewhere, a university. If
the institutions in the South called colleges
were regarded as high schools it would be
all very well. There should be one in each
State, and perhaps more to fit students for
ooIlara R1t I,irb SoLOOIs do not Dnad tn