Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-15
4 STATE NoRsAL SCHOOL

4
The present State school law has met
the expectations of its friends in every
particular and should be modified, if at
all, only in those details which expert
ence has indicated as necessary to rem
edy friction in practically applying the
system. The unfortunate agitation of
the mixed school clauseof the infamous
Civil Rights bill, for a time greatly
interfered with the schools and dimin-
ished their success, but the forthcom-
ing report of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction Will show that the
children of the State are not only fair
ly provided with school facilities, but
that very respectable per cent of
them have availed themselves of the
advantages offered.
1t is true that opposition to the sys-
tenn has not been entirely overcome,
and doubtless those are not wanting
who would rejoice to see it abolished
orpractically emasculated by the next
Legislature; but we are satisfied that the
great majority of that honorable body
Of representative men will realize that
no higher duty rests upon them than
to do everything which our fnan-
cial condition win admit. of, TO sustain
the schools and to make them all that
the dearest interests of our grand old
State demand that they should be. !.
No greater calamity could befal us
than that the vantage ground which
has been SO laboriously gained should
be abandoned, the well-adjusted ma
ehinery now in active operation be de-
stroyed, or left to rust for want of pro-
polling power. while the thousands of
bright minds and hearts now being
cultivated and enlightened, but which
without it would remain forever neg
lected, should be turned out to ripen
into citizenship in ignorance and vice.
In vain would We long for an influx of
intelligent and thrifty immigrants, to
develop our natural resources; on the
contrary, we would lose thousands of
cur most enterprizing and thrifty citi-
zens, who would not be slow to avail
themselves Of the educational advan.
tages offered in the Northwest.
Nor would We alone suffer. The en-
tire nation is directly interested. For
as our position on this question had,
perhaps, more to do than any one thing
else with defeating the plans of the
Congressional fanatics who meditated
enacting the social monstrosity bill at
the last session, 50 our action will be
eagerly sliced upon to Justify their al
ready foreshadOwed policy of establish
ing a grand centralized national sys-
TEN, through which a bureau or COM
mission shall control the educational
interests of the whole country.
But, as we have said before, there is
no need to fear that our legislators
will reflect the overwhelming verdict of
the people of the State in favor of pub
lie schools, and that any action they
may take viii be directed to perfecting
and developing the system embodied
in the law adopted two years since and
found to be SO eminently adapted to
our wants.
Paramount to all other questions
that may arise in this connection, we
regard the establishment of a good
State Normal School for the education
of teachers. Invain Will you collect
taxes, build houses, and organize
schools unless competent native teach
ers are prepared to take charge of the
schools. If the people were willing to
do 50, they cannot employ foreign
teachers, for everywhere the demand
for those well qualified, is greater than
the supply. But even were this not
the case, the local prejudices
of communities are such that
they viii employ really in
competent applicants from their own
section rather than 90 abroad for those
that are superior. Then if we would
not render public instruction a deIu-
sion and farce, if We would not bring
our public schools into merited con-
tempt and finally abolish them, let us
commence vigorously the important
W rll Of producing our own teachers
b. establishing somewhere in the mid
die division Of the State a frst-class
normal school, to be followed, at as
carly date as possible, by one in each
Of the other divisions.
With a view to arousing public at
tention to this important matter, and
at the same time to offer a nucleus for
perfecting a bill for the consideration
Of the next General Assembly, we have |
looked up the bill offered by the Sena-
tor from this county at the last session,
which was passed upon three readings
N the upper house and one in the
lower, and but for the want Of time, |
would certainly have become law. We |
publish It this morning in another col
unn, and ask careful consideration
Of Its pros isions by the educators of |
the State.
We are assured that the honora bic
Trustees Of the Peabody Fund VIII still
make good their promise to contribute,
say $4,000, annually to its support,
upon the condition provided in this
Senate bill
ESURY LAWS.