Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-08
Education IA tho South,

Nashville Banner
MINNEAPOLIS, August 5.-Colonel
Leon Trousdale, state superintendent of
! public instruction of Tennessee, made a
splendid speech before the National Ed
uoatiOusl association, OF which the fol-
lowing is synopsis: He said that in
an address delivered by Hon. Emery
Washburn, of Massachusetts,, at the
dedication of the Worcester normal
school building, September IL, 1874, Oc-
CURED this language, which must arrest
the earnest attention and invoke the se.
rious consideration of every enlightened
educator OF our great republic: "But a
problem far more momentous and sol
emn has yet to be solved in respect to
citizens bonn upon our own soil, in
which, l apprehend, schoOls are to bearan
! important part, if indeed, the problem is
ever to be solved. On looking at the sta
| tistics of several of the States in which
ere heard p0rtentOus, mutterings of intes-
| tine discOrd, threatening even war of "a
Gee, We find population Of whom from
| twenty-nine to thirty-nine in every hum
dred above the age Of ten years cannot
write, and which, il true of Massachu-
sets, would give US from four to five
hundred thousand of illiterate, un-
taught men, who had never learned the
first lesson CT sself.gOvernment.n To
what could we look To cure this frightful
tendency to anarchy aud disorder but
schools, in which the young and yet IN
perverted intellects and passions of q
new generation shall be trained and
educated to a common sense OF humani-
ty, self-respect and the discipline of self
government, and both races ther eby
elevated t. a higher plane Of intelli-
genCe and civilization. From twenty
nine to thirty-nine hundredths OF per-
sons above ten years, in one portion of
the republic, had not learned the first
principles of self-gOvernment. He could
affirm that we were doing all that we
could in this direction. He believed ali
over the south, and he could certainly
say in his own State Of Tennessee, the |
sentiment for common schools is daily |
gaining ground and advancing |
toward the cOnsummatiOn which |
he rejoiced to see they had |
reached in the northwest as well !
as in the east. II we had millions OF
money We could effect nothing in the |
absence of the cooperation OF the peO-
pie. Good schools would soon make
their own invincible party and parti-
SANS. Fortunately there was no subject,
tneTe WAS nOs part Oh Lne DusIHeSS OF
State in which ali the people were more
directly and personally interested, when
they come to understand it, than in the
education Of their children. Some adj
hered for while to the whole preiu.
dice, that the State had nothing to do
with the education of their children, not
that as soon as these chill
1E@n arrived at majority they began
tSperfOrm the high duties OF citizens,
and that in fact they were at the COM
nand Of the State to do certain acts, or
to leave undone other things which
most intimately concern their future ]
veal or woe. But this foolish notion
was soon dissipated in the light of
he great achievements of the I
schools for each and every one who
ZONES within the circle OF their infiu- t
.nce, the preparation they afford for the
,rest BUSINESS of life and for the duties (
u citizenship. Out Of the small pit t
ances ~ our command, we were doing T
very thing that could be done We O
lad occurred such an organization as r
hsllergss the approval OF tie wise and V
and dsiiy We behold opposi- t
ion wasting away and prejudice disap- Z
earring. lie was most happy to an &