Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-20
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
To the Union and American.

10 the Union and American.
No one can be uninterested in the
progress of the common school
system Just going into operation
In Tennessee. That our free schools
IN this State, as well as every
where else in the South, have hereto
fore been comparative failures, is well
known and universally admitted. Does
the present system, SO far as it has
been tried, give evidence of being any
more successful? 1t has been In oper-
alton now for two or three months.
How much better is it showing itself to
be than those systems which spreceded
1t, and which were abandoned as fail
ures? To give it an opportunity to
succeed the labor and enterprise of the
State have been heavily taxed. The
people, overburdened as they are In
their poverty by taxation for other pur-
poses, have submitted without COM
plant, and are preparing to pay the
tax; but inquiry is arising as to what
corresponding good are we, as a people,
likely to receive from our free
schools as now organized and
conducted? Looking at existing
facts in their practical operation,
what benefits do they promise the cause
of education? What are they doing
for the increase of knowledge and men,
tai culture throughout the State? No
questions in this regard can be more
pertinent and important than these. |
have no information of operations over
the State at large, but the following
facts l believe to be true: In the civil
district in which I live four public
schools went into operation early in
August, three white and one negro
school. One of these schools COM
menced with seventy pupils. Weeks
ago it ran down to eight, when the
teacher very properly dismissed these
and went to the pillow. Another COM
menced with so pupils, and ten days ago
| learned he had eleven. The remain
ingIwhite'school went long ago :'where
the woodbine twineth." The negro
school goes on, but with only about a
dozen pupils. And so far as my obser-
walton extends what is true of the dis
trict mentioned is substantially true of
the whole county.
1t is unnecessary to say, that if the
facts l have stated be an average illus
tration of its operations all over the
State then our present system of free
schools, like all that went before it, is
an utter failure. l have heard but one
cause assigned, and that is, that the at
tendance is voluntary. The only RENE
dy proposed is to make it by law invol-
liz 4lo ~
and perhaps in some other countries
But will that do in our free Govern
ment? Can the principles and
practices of a despotism be APP
piled in the government of free
people, and that people remain
free? Can that government be other
then despotic that forces good upon
people? Does not the history of all the
past abundantly show that the people,
with whom the Government interferes
the least, is not only the freest and
most prosperous but the most intelh-
gent? The two most important
secular interests of any people
are the possession and distribution of
wealth and the requirement of knowl-
edge. Why should government inter
fere to force one upon them and
not the other? 1t is always supposed
| that the natural desire to obtain wealth
is sufficient of itself to influence men
| to make the necessary exertions in that
direction, without any direct interfer-
ence of governmental authority to assist
them in their efforts. Is not the nat
rlral desire to acquire knowledge equally
as strong? All that men need in the
pursuit of their material interests is to
be left free, and to be secure from OPP
preston and embarrassing interference
of government. Why should not the
same be true in their pursuit of knowl-
edge? And if it should not be, is it
possible to force knowledge upon an
unwilling people? If people want
knowledge they will have it; if they
do not want it they will not have it.
1t can neither be given to them if they
do not want. it nor can it be
forced upon them. Before any people
can be educated they must have the
DESIRE for knowledge, which, if let alone,
will find the means of its qualification
In word is not the interference of the
government with the education of peo-
pie as impertinent as it would be to IN
terfere in the pursuits of their ma
terial interests?-as impairment as it
would be to interfere with their prac-
tice of morality andreligion? Who is
it in this age and country that cannot
be educated if he so desires? The way
of knowledge is open to the humblest,
poorest and obscurest, and the only in
superable difficulty that bars any from
it, is the want of will or disposition to
travel along that way. This will or
disposition is precisely what no force
can give, and without it there can be
no real education or requirement OF
knowledge. Does it not follow then
that this interference of government
in matters of education in the form Of
free schools with their officials, and gov
eminent employees, may be all radically
i wrong, and the attempted exercise o.
, illegitimate functions of government
| I : Ell -,