Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-01
THE FUTURE OF TIE FREE SCHOOL
SYSTEM


The Gallatin Examiner publishes an
editorial on the subject of free schools,
which contains such excellent sugges-
tions that we make extracts, and com
mend them to any of our readers who,
in the heat of excitement, have made
the Civil Rights Bill the pretext for
closing up the public schools. So far
as we are concerned, we desire to stand
upon the record as the advocates of free
schools, first, last and all the time. If
an unpopular and unconstitutional
law is passed, the effect of which is to
destroy the schools, we do not propose
to surrender, but to carry our fight into
the courts, If need be, and maintain the
right there. After discussing the power
of county courts, under the State law,
to rescind their acts in assessing taxes
for the support of schools, which the
Examiner denies, it says:
But aside from considerations of law,
we trust that in the midst of the eX-
element growing out Of the attempt
ed passage of the Civil Rights mon
strosity, we will not allow our passion
to get control of our better judgment,
and take a step that will have 10 be
repented of hereafter. We have, after
much opposition, laid the foundations
of our school system. OF course, in
its infancy, it is not perfect, but it can
be improved and strengthened as our
experience may teach us. Founded in
the midst of poverty, it could not be
expected to be without its faults; and
its opponents have seized upon every
defect with which to decry the system
and destroy 1t.
1t then speaks of the acts of Con-
gress being seized upon by their enc
mics to bring the system into discred-
it, and argues that it is the best and
cheapest system and adds;
Remand us back to the old system
and we will have gone back fifty years
in civilization. Tennessee will surely
hold on to its disgTaceful position as
second or third in the list of ignorance :;
instead of emigration, bringing capital
and skilled muscles and brains, that
have already commenced pouring into
our borders, will pause and turn away.
! We have mountains to be levelled and
tunnelled mills and manufactures to
be built bUundless acres of unsettled
| land to people in "a word, we have
the richest state on the continent in
national wealth to develop, but, our
word Tor it, if we are misled by the
! narrow and contracted policy of those
/ who would withhold knowledge from
| the masses and sink us still deeper in
the slough of stupid Ignorance ;-if
! they persist in sticking still tighter on
the escutcheon Of the State the brand
we have worn so long, and so disgrace
| fully, and almost without shame,-we
will have inflicted upon our people a
wrong that IL in this age of progress,
| almost n crime. Let our Justices who
/ may Tee dispused to step backwards,
reflect well before they take the step.
In regard to the future action of Con-
gress, we have our own views. We are
of the opinion that the Civil Rights
Bill will grow weaker and weaker
daily, until it will be easy to kill it.
We are hopeful of such an increase in
Democratic strength, if not in ma
jority in the Congress, that fanaticism
may be clogged and foiled. All of the
leading Republican journals in the
Nerth, and all in the South, have ar
rayed themselves against it, and this
is great point gained. In word, We
think that the probabilities against its
passage are very great. What folly
there is in US to destroy our own work
in the frenzy of passion We are &C
tually halloowing before we are
hurt, like a cur at the kitchen dool
when the cook throws at him to scar,
him away. We scream out rather too
quickly. Let us have more manhood
and endurance, more dignity of pur
pose, and the matter may yet work GU
"all right"
We like that kind of talk. The Erdnai
ner does not agree with us politically, no
we with it, but we recognize, in the Ian
guage above quoted, spirit of friend
ship for free schools, which is more t.
US than party lines or party names
and as such we present it for the favor
able consideration of our readers.