Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-11-06
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

From the New Orleans Presbyterian.
A meeting of our citizens assembled |
last Wednesday evening togive express
sion to their sentiments at the late out
rage of the Radical School Board, in
placing negro teachers over our white
schools. The following letter from
DIR. Palmer was read:
NEW ORLEANS. Sept. %. 1875.
Messrs. p. N. Baker, E. Philips, C.
Buck. and Il. IL. Marr:
GENTLEMEN-I am sorry that l do
not see nv way clear to comply with
your request to address the meeting
tonight. which is called to denounce
the recent School Board outrage. 1t
is true the subject is not properly
political. 1t may and should be dis
cussed simply as one of social order
and propriety. But, as the obnoxious
policy intended to be rebuked has been
inaugurated for purely political ends
by the partisan faction. it would be
difficult to speak upon it withoutskirt-
ing at least the edge of politics, from
which desire particularly to refrain.
| cannot think this will be any serious
loss TO you: as there are so many gen.
tlemen competent to deal with the issue
who are free from the embarrassments
under which | lie.
There is one broad view of the case,
however, under which it should be
ruled, viz That no school system can
flourish which is not rooted in the pub
lie confidence. After the parent, the
teacher stands nearest to the fountain
of youthful life. 1t is trust of the
most delicate and sacred kind, and
should be committed to none whose
character does not challenge the warm
est approval 1t is not enough that
the teacher should possess knowledge
and the faculty of imparting it. These
technical qualifications are no doubt
indispensable; but, lying entirely back
of these, is personal character. l do
not mean by this mere outward moral
ity or freedom from vice, but the pos
session of all those high attributes
which distinguish the gentleman. He
should not only be protected by his
| instinct from whatever is mean and
base, but there should flow from him
an unconscious and pervading influence
which, like the atmosphere, should be
absorbed by the pupil, and through
which he shall be silently but effect
utlly elevated and toned.
In regard to private schools, the
parent attends to this when he makes
his selection But in system of pub
lie schools, the only guarantee for the
teachers is found in the integrity aud
wisdom of the appointing power. I'm
der our present administration it is
notorious that every guarantee need
ed by the public is Withdrawn. Native
born teachers, known and tried, have
been displaced in favor of strangers
and Adventures, for the most part, who
have little or no stake in the COM
munity. Our old citizens of estab-
| lished reputation have been retired
from the board and their places sup
piled by hungry and factious partisans,
who can subsist only by agitation and
misrule. 1t is, moreover, openly avow-
ed that the new movements have been
made as test of the power which they
WELD, and of the degree of patience
which suffering people may be made
to exhibit. The whole system there
fore ceases to be public benefit, and
has become an instrument of oppres-
sion and wrong, against which it is
proper to roll up public and indig-
nant protest.
The intermixture of the races is too
large "a subject to be discussed in a
note like this. You will please accept
single hint The human family,
having a single origin, has certainly
been broken into few grand divisions,
which are separated by very obvious
characteristics. This distinction runs
back of all historic records. Most
probably it was accomplished when
the unity Of human speech was des-
troyed-as Il part of the same divine
policy to prevent those huge cOmbina-
tons OF wickedness which brought
upon the world the Judgment of the
Deluge Within these great zones the
different varieties may intermingle
without injury. But all history proves
that their limits cannot be crossed
without consequences the most disas-
trous. The attempt to amalgamate
these separate races is therefore pub
lie crime, and exactly the crime. which
God SO signally rebuked at the Tower
of Babel. Fortunately, this instinct
Of race, both with the black man and
with the white, is too strong for all
the agltations and the schemes designed
to fuse them together.
Let all necessary facilities of educa-
ton be afforded to the colored people
among US, in their own schools and
under their own teachers, and let ev-
cry opportunity be allowed for their
advancement in knowledge, in morals,
and in religion. But the first great
lesson is that they can become historic
race only by the same method with
every other race which has achieved a
history at all, viz: by process of de-
velopment from within themselves.
Ifthey are incapable OF this, no amount
of external patronage can exalt them
to historic rank, and no man is a true
friend to that people who obscures
from their view this primary truth.
The ivy may creep upon the wall, but
it is only i parasite. The oak of the
forest grows from its own root and buff
fets the storm. Respectfully yours,
y M D.I>IUD