Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-04
MAYNARD Am MIXED Schools.

We have already called attention to
the antagonistic statements made by
the Chronicle and Press aud Herald as
to what Hon. Horace Maynard said in
his Civil Rights speech, at Thorn
Grove, near Knoxville, the other day.
And now the Chronicle publishes this
supplementary report, evidently pre-
pared by Maynard himself:
He said he was in favor, and hadso
declared on other occasions, of leaving
out of the bill everything about COM
mon schools. He would give the col
ored children equal school advantages.
but that did not imply that they should
be educated together in the same build
ings, the same rooms and the same
classes. In Washington they had two
fine schools, the Franklin school for
the white children and the Sumner
school for the colored children. Above
all things, do nothing that is to bring
peril to the school system. 1t is to ed
ucation that men and women owe their
success In life. Start a dozen young
men in life of equal capacity, and with
an education, with another twelve un-
educated, and the twelve educated
ones will rule the others. In the
name of all that is good, let all
have an equal chance. Many persons
were opposed to educating the child of
the poor man in any way. Envy and
jealousy played an important part in
this matter. The greatest calamity
that could befall our people
would be the loss of their
free schools. He was IN favor OF
a general diffusion of knowledge, and
giving the poor mans son an equal
start in life with the son of his more
fortunate neighbor. The child that Is
born In the world has right to be fit
ted for citizenship by receiving an edu-
cation. Men who are hostile to COM
mon schools will seize upon this meas
ure to prejudice the schools. Hence
he would leave the school clause out of
it, 50 would every Republican repre-
sentative from Tennessee.
On the other hand, the Press and
Herald is equally positive that its ver-
sion is correct: :
The gist Of what he said on that &C.
casion, was this: HE thanked God
that he had the manliness to come up
and meet the issue squarely and defend
the action of the Republican, party; that
be was in favor of the Civil Rights
Bill, but for the reason that there was
so much prejudice against public
schools and so many difficulties to De
overcome, he thought It best to say fTOth-
tIqdboEt the miped school clause, 0,sd let
that regulate itself" This is, We are
assured, almost the exact words used
by Mr.. Maynard, and certainly the un.
vanished meaning of his remarks on
that part of the Civil Rights subject
1t is quite evident that both May
nard and the ChronicIe are lodging one
of the main points at issue
viz, that the question should be left to
regulate itself" The most unsus
pecting cannot but understand what q
world of meaning lies in that expires
sive phrase. How will the question
regulate itself? As the Press and
Herald says: by Congressional enact
meRt. We have already heard a great
deal said about compulsory education
and if this bill should pass, compulsory
education would be the very next planl
added to the Republican platform
Why: Because the public school sys
TEN in many of the States would be de
stroyed, and Congress, in its wisdom
would declare it necessary to the gen
eral good that special law to that eff
feet be enacted, to go into effect II
those States where there was no publ,
school system. What would be the re
suit? All our children, without dis
tinction of race or color, would b'
driven together into the CONNER
school, there to be taught, by persons
appointed for that purpose by those IL
authority at Washington. This is NJ
mere idle fancy, it is the sure conse
quence of the passage of the Civ
Rights bill"
That Maynard would vote for such ;
law may :be readily imagined: o.
the 9TH of February, 1872, the day be
fore the common school bill passed
Congress. Mr.. Hereford, of West Vir
ginia. moved TO amend, as follows:
Provided, That no moneys belong
ing to any State or Territory, unde
this act. shall be withheld from an
State or Territory for the reason tina
the laws thereof provide for separat
schools for white children, or refuse t
organize a system of mixed schools"
This amendment was agreed to-
yeas lis, nays 81. Among those VIII
votedIin the negative, and, therefore
against giving Tennessee her share G
the common school fund, because sh
would not organize system of nike
schools, was Horace Maynard. Wit
such a record against him, it would al
pear to make very little matter indee
whether Maynard favors leaving out {
the Civil Rights bill everything abou
common schools" as he would be absC
lutely certain to vote for some otht
bill containing the amalgamation fea
ture.