Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-02


thought that the man who could get along
in the average country school without
whipping, was I remarkable person. He
would like TO know Che plan Of those who
would ran school Ia the hills aud noun
tains on the high flown, hish-mOral basis
and not whip.
Rev. DIR. Briggs. Of Evanston, Illinois,
was then Introduced, ahd discussed the
subject, Common school education; uni
yersal IN opportunity; thorough i'm Wli-
menls; compulsory within definite limits
and English i'm all things
The text, said the speaker. was broad
one. He was the more free 10 take up this
subject because he was here where there
was excellent sell % experiment on. lie
regarded il as advantageous that the soil
was virgin and Sd stood many chances 10
avoid abuse.
Whatever ought TO he done may be done.
If Won here in Tennessee think, if you
know You ought 10 have a broad and useful
system Of public instruction, you may and
will have il. And You can start tairer
than many Of your neighbOrs, be-
cause You can profit by their eN-
peuence, and avoid their mistakes.
When You build anything about king
hood Il partakes Of the central ideal; Sd Of
building about priesthood, or building
about manhood. The last is the ideal
about which we build all our Institutions
and systems. The common school system,
built upOn this ideal, seeks TO bring the
juvenile man out Of the rough into the
smooth and finished. To do this i can
have NO class privileges about it, must be
absolutely free. The interest the State has
ina education IS the use the State has fo-
educated citizens. This is the practical
problem: what shall be done % perpstuate
/ the State, preserve the government? II
takes the child and educates him in his gen
/ eral duties as a citizen, because 1t wants
| the most % ade Of him IS an integer Of its
great public.
In learning i child geography 1t Is
small matter whether or not he finds out
| where Utah is, were 1t not that by and Dy 10
| help govern those MOrmOns by his vote.
The state must put Intelligence where II
| coufers power, or the state exposes itself 10
danger. He would not alone educats tine
| head. but the heart and sentiments as well,
and to this end would combine with every
| system the common, underlying christian
DFHNlHfnIDea tIiI4eNllIL ElAlAA-s a-'. eA'.----
I of all moral teaching was dangerous. IL
was not needed TO formulate or teach sec
tarianism. He had no sympathy with the
fanaticiSm that would force the mere name
Of God into the constitution. 1t would be
a proclamation. What we want IS Tod S
name and shirt written all over our iusti-
tutions. The State does not, IN conierring
/ free school privileges, supersede the parent
al authority and functions. II only does
what the parent may not know how 10 do
or neglect.
PRIMARY EDUCATION
wants 20 be more thorough. We 90 too
fast. Our tendency is % ten year leaps
when we should 90 forward in five steps.
Children are too unsistematicSlly educated.
Il was a pitt so many brilliant Ounces had
got into history, because boys cannot un-
dsrstand them. The boy is apt TO think
Patrick Henry was nothing but loaterish
hunter. and ifhe can only loaf and hunt
and fish, he may be capable Of great things
| in the future.
HEALTHY CONCEIT.
The speaker liked John Balls conceit.
He believed in himself. He
had Millions digging in his mines
while We here did our own work by
machinery. He had seen as he came on
Ire American farmer in his field with his
| Great horse, cultivating the straight rows
Of corn, cutting the golden grain, and felt
| like throwing up his hat and huzzaing Tor
! the staIwart manhood that stood behind cur
/ institutions in America.
CONFUSION.
The. American reseuts naturally any in
reference especially his own children.
| But We must remember the State has an
/ interest Of its own and rights Of its own.
| n there are any who viii not send their
| children 10 school then the State must send
them, for il cannot afford TO perpetuaie g
| norance-twin sister Of vice. The safe
| has no rirhl % breed a vicious class or per-
| nit IL 10 be bred within its jurisdiction.
| The State has no right To put the Gcyern-
| meut I'm peril, and It does this when it al
| lows EVEN minority % grow in ignorance.
| If tine uarept will not teach his child hon
| esty the Stale takes it from him and puts 10
/ in a ref1matOry and educational lnsil-
/ tuition.
/ ENGLISH II ALI. THINGS.
/ The sneaker was clear that in Stale
schools no foreign language should be
/ t,noI,f. German should be regarded as an
| ,e,o1nuIislnneut, not a Stale necessity. lie
| Ifl,sJ he Germans. AMI their institutions.
/ PM IL was they who needed to learn 70
/ tLipl- in our language and not us who
i sbo1,Id use The States money % learn theirs
/ MANY things meretritciOus rs well as use
/ IessIy ornamental were too popular IN
/ Northern public schools; such IS Calestile-
/ mics. They We're, 50 to speak, nun into the
/ ground.
| the pubIic schools. In one instance, three
/ boys sfudying Latin with view 20 enter
| coile,,s occupied an hour each day, To the
/ NEGLECT Of 10 other boys and girls, and al
the expense Of the pub ic.
| TEACHES.
less government aud more teaching was
/ his theory. Government Of one sort and
/ another, by the whip, by ear-bOxings by
| low ard soft words, had absorbed parents
! and teachers 10 the neglect Of teaching
/ He would address the reason If it were
} there. BY his conscience if he had one, BY
/ love. if he could reach him in that way !;
but he would govern at all events. But DO
let us have more teaching, and better and
more thorough TEACHING. As 60 the matter
/ Of u,eDarafiGn, no normal school can make
| GOOD teachers Of all those ambitious b. fol-
| low q asa profess .on, lat alone those Whous
| IL is a steppiug-st0ne 90 another employ
uenf or profession IL is wrong, because
| h is UNEQUAL and unjust TO tax the people
/ for the promOticn of university education.
/ ONLY one y0urg man in twelve hundred in
I this country found bis w.sy ii.sO these high
/ s.hools. It was unfair 10 tax ], 100 men
Tor the benefit Of one. All public educa-