Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-11-13
SIT LUZ.

The Greek rhetorician, Lopginus,
quotes from the Mosaic account of the
creation what he calls the sublimest
passage ever uttered God said. let
there be light; and there was light"
Magnificent, indeed, was the material
creation, when sud lenly blazing forth
in mid space, the newborn sun dis
PEELED the darkness of the ancient
night Butinfinitely more magnificent
is it, when the human soul rays forth
its subtler and swifter beams-when
the light of the senses irradiates all
outward things, revealing their beauty
and symmetry, when the light of reason
penetrates to their invisible properties
and displays all those hidden relations
that make up all the sciences; when
the light of conscience illum nes the
moral world, separating truth from
error, and virtue from vice. Shake
speare says that there is mo darkness
like ignorance, and Plato, ages since,
inculcated the maxim, Better to be
unborn than untaught," for ''igno-
rance, he adds, is the root of mis-
fortune 1t operates as paralysis
upon all enterprise, thrift and advance
ment, and-is the cause, in great
measure, of that narrow mindedness,
jealousy and local and sectional hate
which are ever SO productive of evil.
Why should not nations look as much
to their intellectual as their physical
treasures? 4 country that abounds
in intellect is greater than a wealthy
country. Look over the nations that
have made their mark in history. They
are not found in the plains of Asia,
but where they have worked for ad-
vancements for the education of the
masses. What made Holland, Eng
land and France SO great? 1t was not
their geographical position, but it was
their effort to produce men. They
educated everybody, worked their ma
terial, and from it selected the best
for leaders. We find the want of uni =
versal education in the comparison Of
England and Prussia. The former
has had all the means she could wish
to carry on her schools, yet the masses
have no: received the benefit of it, and
as consequence are in most degrad-
ed condition. In some places it has
produced great men. There is here a
radical defect in the method of educa-
ton. Prussia has not expended so
much money as England. 1t has rea lily
been poor country, and yet her peo-
pie everywhere are enlightened. 1t is
the public schools that make education
universal - their advantages reach
everybody. Education is the end of
the public schools. The private schools
may do much good, but you can't rely
on them to educate the masses. Many
parents desire that their children
should be kept from the society Of
children, and especially from that of
the lower class. Here they commit
great error. BY working together there
Is that interest crerted and preserved
which there would no. be if they were
alone. They make acquaintances and
establish friendships which they keep
forever. They go forth into active life
together, as brothers the different
elements are thus harmonized and
greatly contribute to the prosperity of
the whole. The private schools are
unsuited to the demands of the people.
they throw away half the power-they
throw away half the money Ifall the
means which are consumed by the prl
yate schools were given to the support
of the public schools, the best school
buildings could be provided and the
best teachers secured And right here
let me say the great desideratum of
our own very flourishing and effective
city schools is the possession of suit
able building. And why can't we have
a building-One that would meet the
requirements of our fast growing and
public spirited city-one that each and
every one Of US would feel proud Of
one that would catch and please the
eye of the stranger when passing by.
May it speedily arise. May its proud
dome meet the sun in his coming
may the last rays of parting day Finger
aud play upon its summit.
w V V