The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-07
Review Ofthe school JOurm al
resumed-The Dynasty rOOst
ON a lower limb.


resumed-The Dynasty rOOst
ON N lower limb.
To The Editors Of the Herald and Nal:
Following the maxim that we should
spare the dead, this Review was suspend
ed during the month from 9th of May
to the 9th of June, out of respect to the
Public School Law, which was then at the
point of death from an attack of what is
commonly called the civil rights bill.
Had the attack proved fatal, the other
member of the family, to-wit: the School
Journal, like Eng, of the Siamese Twins,
would have speedily followed to that
bourne where no straggler ever returns,
and consequently this Review would have
been left to fight as zone that beateth the
air" We always thought there was
wisdom in one of, what logicians call, the
popular fallacies in logic, that is, nal de
mOrtuis nisi bonuna, 1. E., say nothing OF
the dead except it be good. As it is i'm
possible to say any literary good OF the
School Journal, either dead or alive, we
refraiued from saying anything at all
during the tendency of its probable
demise. And we must assure our readers
that we have but little to say during its
eonvaIescence, lest it relapse, and the
last state of it be worse than the first.
But the friends of the Journal have the
consolation to know that, amid the gloom
and sorrow that now becloud its destiny,
should it suddenly be gathered to its
fathers, it will have constantly at hand a
doctor lone of the Editors) to prescribe
for its disease; a minister to offer the con-
solutions of hope through the valley OF
the shadow of DEATH and a lawyer to
write its last will and testament, and
look after the estate; while the Superin-
tendents will perform the last sad offices
of a decent interment. Surely no
creature was ever better prepared tor
dying, and none more likely to encounter
that sad casualty; but literary Journal
should be Offered and appointed to hUe,
for it has already been appointed for all
once to die and after that the Judgement;
but this frail creature has had the order
inverted in that it never Ioas prepared to
lice, but to die only, "a literary life and
in having its judgment before death in
stead of after" tor the Meme tekel
upharsin of the literary world has al
ready been pronounced upon it, whether
it live long or die soon. But it is hoped
that nothing we have heretofore said or
may hereafter soy, will be so construed
as to imply enmity or malice towards
any member of the editorial staff, and
especially towards our efficient State
Superintendent, who has made us an
energetic and faithful officer in the ex-
ecution of the school law. Indeed, we
might 90 farther and say, that he is one
| of the cleverest of men socially as well.
But with all this placed to his credit,
the fact is he is lawyer and politician,
and not school man, of which there are
many signs in the track he has left us
in the discharge of his official duties.
For instance, who but a lawyer would
| have ever framed such school register
as his is? Notwithstanding there is a
page of Explanations. in it, there is not
mathematician in the United States that
can adjust it to school month of twenty
days. The difficulty is as great and Of
the same kind as that encountered by
| Gregory XIII, in the revision of the
calendar for the adjustment of leap gears.
Again, the blank forms for teachers con-
tracts are as prolix as an old fashioned
deed of conveyance, and as hard to
decipher as the oracles of Delphi. They
contain the name of the teacher and its
representative some eight 10 twelve times
in simple contract for wages, say at
forty dollars per month. There may be
tar in all this but, there is precious
little Grammar OF Rhetoric. Nevertheless
he has done remarkably veil under the
circumstances But it was rather anus
ing to see our political Superintendent at
first take hold of the school machinery of
the State, and witness the ingenuity he
even then displayed. For having dis
covered that the county Superintendent
elected we're generally Principals and
Presidents of schools and colleges, he
made it convenient to call them together
as preliminary step, not SO much to
impart as to feeetse instruction in the art
of school management, as mach as to
say, now gentlemen, if you will all help
me, will execute the school law of Ten
nessee." This forcibly reminds me of a
little instance in my bsyhood, Some u
or Is of us assembled on the Sabbath, in
those days devoid, at least in that iocai
a noted creek in Maury County, to fish,
hunt, play marbles. etc. Our forces
naturally resolved themselves iato two
divisions from their residences East and
West of the stream. The day was spent,
and at the moment of separation a diff.
fieulty arose between the two largest boys
who represented the two factions. As we
parted, going East and West, the matter
ripened into rougher words, threat, and
finally a challenge TO meet our hero in
single combat. The challenge was readi-
ly accepted and start made to meet the
challenger, when the thought struck our
hero that he might not be able to en-
counter successfully his antagonist, aud
turning to the rest Of us as his comrades
in arms he said, "Boys, If you'H all
help me I'll 1chip him" NS. Fleming
readily accepted the challenge of $4,000
per annum, but when il came to the
School Law, he called for the as |
sistance of school men. After all, he has
V1ade decided Improvement He has
at last concluded that teachers and not
book agents are the men 10 conduct