Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-04
A System Of Education for Tennesse,

A System OF Education for Tennessee.
To the Union and American.
In his lecture last week at Lebanon.
which was listened TO with marked appro-
baton by the leading citizens and pT0fes-
sors Inthe University, DR.. Lindsey brought
forward views concerning our institutions
Of learning well calculated TO harmonic
all the friends Of education in Tennessee.
he maintained that in providing q system
Of schools for any country, the peculiar cir
cumStances Of that country must be care
fully studied. What IS excellent in one
State may be unnecessary or uuwise in an
other. What is very logical AZ one period.
may be very Illogical at another. Ten
years ago the friends Of popular education
IN Germany, and in all our Northwestern
States, maintained that 10 State could ever
have an efficient system Of public schools
unless ample provision was made for uni
versity purposes. But the Doctor said that
is a mistake-hat Tennessee should not
touch TIE great university field at all
Why? Because ample provision was being
made for this vast and costly department
Independent OF the State. Congress had
endowed the great Industrial University Of
the State, at Knoxville. The Cumberland
Presbyterian Church had its famous uni
ve-sity at Lebanon. The EpiscoDalians in
New York, Indiana and other Northern
States, as well as Throughout the South.
were building up the University at Sc
vance. The Presbyterians Of several
synOds had united upon a first-class Uni
Yersity at GAINESVILLE. The Blp,ists Of at
least fOuI large States had chosen Jackson
as their university city. The Methodists
Of the North had founded an institution At
knoxville, intending to give university
privileges to their people in all the South.
The great Vanderbilt University was being
endowed by contributions from at least
fifteen States. All the above Institutions
would continue to BE- supported for ages to
come by an immense country outside Of
our State, as well as by all the churches ia
Tennessee. Truly there was neither occasion
nor held for State aid 20 universities. That
aid should 20 where il " IS Wanted-to the
common school. The churches were even
making ample provision for the higher ed
ucation Of the cJlOTed people. As TO the
department Immediately below the univer-
sity, technically styled secondary, embrac-
ing the preparatory, high-sChO0l. or acade-
Iuy, DR.. ). argued that the STATE should
also abstain from it. Private and munich
field. he C0utended with emphasis. that
Tor The present. if not forever, the State
should cOnfne itself 10 the care of
the primary or neighborh0Od school.
This Is the peoples school. Without
State aid It has never existed. In It
the door to all knowledge is opened. At
ter that is opened the aspiring mind will
always find or make WAYS 70 rise higher.
To rood 70 IN,
three wonderful arts. The persons who
possesses these is educated. The person
who does not IS ignorant. These two per
sons are as wide apart as the poles. The
person who can Uaik and swim has the
liberties Of river aud shore. The person
who cannot is helpless as an inert mass.
These two persons are IS wide apart as the
poles. We place far too little stress upon
the three feet sustaining all education. We
put by far too much estimate upon what
is auxiliary and cOncomitant. Without
the former the latter can never be reached.
With the former the latter always viii be
reached if needed.
Normal schools are 70 be provided flr BIZ
the State because their peculiar and definite
function is to train teachers for the primary
schools. They thus become a most i'm
Po.utt-e oyllS.I0ttCAt vi a ptci-t e--b'i : Us
TEN. Always where common schools
flourish normal schools also are highly aC-
velOped. As Tennessee, unlike other
States, has to expend nothing upon uni
Yersities, and can concentrate all her aiten-
ton upon the lower grades, normal schools
have special claims for a liberal support |
The more so just now rs handsome offers
of grounds and buildings are only awaiting
the passage Of law creating such a school. |
and as the Peabody Trustees offer the in |
terest upon hundred thousand dollars an
nually for its support. AUDITOR.