Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-12

Us o! radiant creatures carved from spot
I less snow and tiuged with the Irettiest
rose tints. Ia fact, fhc head of an angel
placed on the bosom OF the swan, NOV.
ing in fsultiess grace along some fiOwery
Dordered lake, would perhaps convey an
idea Of the beauty Of these gentle young
creatures as they appeared to the adj
miring eyes OF the young gentlemen and
dCtng parents.
THE CREATIONS
After the welcome song, Mr.. Charles
J. Heiskel delivered the salutatOry ad-
dress, which was one Of true merit and
very appropriate FOR the occasion, Hap
peuing to forget one sentence, the young
man was missed and hOOtcd at by come
OF the audience. This rude conduct
cannot be excused upon any ground.
Ii was simply di-gTace'ul, and should be
a warning TO those who issue tickets Of
admission. Owing 10 the ill-treatment
Mr. Heiskell had to take his seat, much
to the regret Of those who had become
Interested in the Grafton. After Mr..
IeiskeIi retired, Les DANES dc Seville
vas eXCellently rendered On the piano
by Misses. White and Alexander. After
this piece the programme was carried
| out as it had been intended, and was as
follows: Essay, "Public Schools" by
NLlSi1 ID Jul ~ a. 1AAE4 LiflIo L4AlEAEf
| by Miss Lilly Anderson; "COmpensa.
tiOn,n by Miss Matte White; "Blind
! SDinners,n by Miss Sue May; "Dsme
Natures Secrets" by Miss Kate STEM
nett; "FollOw Thou Thy Star" by Miss
Ellen EdmOndsOD; "What Will the
World Say" by Miss Fannie Phillips,
| who received the second honor of the
! female high-schOOl; Essay, by Geo. De-
Loach Landrumi Sermons il StOnes,n
! by Miss Carrie Duncan, who received
! the second honor of the female high
SCHOOL; oman his own Master"
by Rivers Blythe Meriwether a;
valedictory, by Miss Jeannett |
Long, who received the first
honor in the female high school. |
| The additional musical features Of the |
programme were as follows: 30, Come |
| to the Sea-" by Misses May SchwaIzen- |
berg, SpeeT9, Stinnett, c. Duncan,
O'Neil and Gallagher; "Ddft my
| Bark" duet, by Misses Halstead and |
| Caps; Selections from TrOvatore," by |
! Misses Speers and Miller; "S0ng," by |
Missss SchwaTzenberg, Miller, Quack- |
enbOsh, Hslstead, Speers, Capps, Stin" |
| nett and Duncan; La Chase IHJerTiO, |
! by Misses Steinkuhl and SchWarzen- |
berg; Hunters Song" by Misses Mil
Ter, Quaokenbosh, Speers and Caps; |
''ClOsmg Song" by the class; "GalOp," |
by Miss Ellen Haistead and Professor
Winckler. The entire musical pro-
gramme was carried out in an artistic |
| manner, the young ladies doing them
selves full credit and their respective |
parts full justice. To Professor Winckler |
are due the thanks Oftheieschers and au-
dience for the earnest manner in which |
he arranged and supervised the music, |
as well as for his scientific skill in the |
execution OF the various aCcOmpeni-
ments. Owing to the confusion, the
miserable confusion, and the crowd
ed condition of the stage, il
was almost impossible to hear
what was read or said.
DEFENSE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
The following is the essay read by
Miss Bertha t. SchWarzenberg, which
speaks for itself:
In all ages and ia oil climes it has
been mans object to attain knowledge,
and as this desire was stimulated or de-
pressed SO mankind prospered or de-
clined. Therefore it is not strange that
those at the heads OF government of all
countries have made it their life study
how best 10 educate their people, as one
Of the most important interests OF socie.
ty. Yet there is no question which has
evoked so many controversies, especial
ly as regards the means by which this
object can be attained. Many persons, !
and especially in 8 republican govern
ment, think it no affair of the state to
attend 60 the education of its people,
thereby leaving It altogether to those
who viii voluntarily contribute for the
education of their telloW-citiZens. But
we always find in that community
where ignorance mostly prevails, there
the least disposition is shown to foster
education, and consequently where it is
most needed education is most neglect
ed. Hence the necessity of the govern
ment often interfering in favor of school
ing the masses. | can well understand,
therefore, in what position in the intel.
lectual scale to place the enemies of the
public schools in Memphis, and especi-
ally those who think that three RS are
the only requisites for the training Of the
mind. l challenge these individuals to
show to what better uses public revenues
can Oe appropriated than to public in
sTuctiOn. Those WHO are taught at
present will return its cost dOubIy, being
more enlightened, and since educated
labor is more valuable, receiving higher
wages and improving all properties, it
can afford to pay higher tax than that
which is ignorant. Especially is this
beyond ali controversy where perfect
liberty is the foundation stone of educa-
cation, and none can offer the plea of
poverty as a bar for instruction, Cen
orally speaking there are two classes Of
schOOls-religiOus and secular-in the
United States. When speaking of secu-
lar free schools we call them common !
or public schools" and when speaking
Of the common or public schools we
mean "free schools" for the benefit of
all, regardless of religion or nationality,
supported by the taxes of the people. |
Since the mind probably mora than the
body needs freedom, yes, perfect free
dom from all restraint for its full devel.
Opment-nO one can gainsay the asser-
ton that the common schools of the
United States have produced as great,
if not greater, minds than any other !
educational system OF any other coun-
try. The rich and the poor can here
enter the list with perfect freedom, and
with the assurance that excellence |
will receive its due reward. In these
common schools pupils Of all nation
alltie5 are admitted, coming in contact
with each other, they find out their
faults and good qualities, and soon see
that no nation possesses all good or all
evil, and that the divine Creator made
all equal, and thus they soon advocate
the common brotherhood OF all nations,
and the universal peace OF mankind.
Egusl liberty of conscience is the COM
mon right OF ali, and not only equal toI-
GRAFTON, but also equal fostering Of every |
religious opinion as well as the love OF
mankind, and to do everything to pro-
mote mans happiness should be the
great aims Of all governments. Our
fathers, seeing that all men We're not of
the same religious opinions, and that
the liberty Of thought was the right of
every human being, and desiring for all
to enjoy the benefits of government
equally, wisely prohibited the teaching
OF any religious ideas in our public
schools, thereby making them common
property Of all religions, and yet not the
property Of any single one, bequeathing
them as a heritage TO the sons and
daughters of the republic, the proudest
monument Of their wisdom, more en-.
during than marble or brass. AS no re-
ligiOn is here taught, the children of ev-
cry religious shade or opinion meet upon
a common ground; soon learn to respect
and love each other, thereby promoting
the very fundamental principles of our
gOvernment-freedOm Of religion and
tolerance Of opinion. And now let me !
say that we, the graduates of the public
schools, think it an honor to have re-