Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-21
THE SCHOOLS IN TENNESSEE.

THE SCHOOLS IN TENNESSEE.
In our last issue we gave our read
ers some information in reference to
the public school question in the
South, and especially as it bore upon
heeducation of the colored race, whose
manumission was the result of the late
war. So far as this purpose depended
upon the Republican party, which was
universally predominant from the out
break of the war till within quite a re-
cent date, its history, as proved by our
last weeks statement, may be given in
a sentence they raised taxes to edu-
cate the negro, and then stole the
money.
We purpose now to examine, more
in detail than in the other States, the
history of public education in Ten
nessee since the war, in the course Of
which investigation it will appear that,
so long as the Radicals ruled the State,
they followed out the same programme
with this exception, that, while their
brother Radicals In Arkansas, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana raised money for
educational purposes and then stole it.
the Tennessee Radicals stole large
fund which had been raised for the
purpose before the war by other men.
Let us say that we have no taste for
investigation of this sort, it has no at
fractions for US. it is utterly repugnant
TO all our natural tastes and preferen-
ces, and though, in the present pOliti-
cal contest, the peculators and cor
ruptors of the party in power impera-
lively demand exposure at the hands
of its antagonists, we think il will be
found that there has been less of thi>
In the CHRONICLE than in most other
papers engaged in the controversy, less
perhaps than u rigid construction OF
our duty would have imposed upon US
On this head we have no excuse for
silence. The Radical party charge
that we, the Southern Democrats, are
bitterly opposed to anything which
tends to elevate the colored race in the
scale of humanity, while they only are
promoters of the education aud ad
vancement of the freedmen This as
sertion is so palpably false, and it,
PRONUNCIATION so mischievous that We
have no excuse for declining the chal-
lenge which it implies, We have al
ready answered it as regards the other
Southern States. We now undertake
more 10 detail to demonstrate the fla
grant truth that in this State, even
more signally than in the others, the
Radicals have shown themselves the
active enemies of public schools in
Tennessee by making the funds raised
for the purpose in better times, the
chief storehouse of their iufamOu-
populations, while the little that has
been possible in that direction has
been done by the political antagonist,
of that party, after the resources which
ought to have sustained them had
been crippled, squandered and plum
dered by the Radicals while in power.
Unlike Georgia and North Carolina,
Tennessee had made considerable ad-
vances in public education before the
war, public schools equal to any in the
United States had been established In
her principal cities, and a large sum
of money had been set apart for this
purpose in addition to whatever State
and county taxes might be necessary
About 100000, arising partly from
our pro rata of a surplus in the United
States treasury, and partly from the
sale of some public lands, was the
provision set apart by the State Gov
eminent as sacred to the cause OF
public education for ever. 1t is the
history of this fund which we now
propose to follow out.
The Bank of Tennessee was the
original depository Of this fund, and
uOWO u Jut COMMENCEMENT VI AuC
war it furnished main part of the
capital of that institution, which at
that period was paying into the State
Treasury 10000 per annum for the
use of it, all of which was devoted to
the purpose of sustaining the expenses
of the public schools. During the war
the State Bank suspended business,
and its assets, including of course the
school fund, were carried further
South for safety. According to the
statement of II. j.. Claiborne, for a
number ofyears principal book-keeper
fine Bank of Tennessee, these funds
in 1863 were deposited in the various
hanks of Augusta, Georgia, except a
key of specie containing $4,000, tor
which. as he alleges, the vaults OF the
hanks could not make room. 1t was
5enosited in the counting room OF a
nriyate firm, and was under the dlrec-
ton of Mr.. Fisher, the cashier OF the
hank of Tennessee. Fisher seems to
have opeped it and transferred the
spaeie bag by bag to his own sleeping
room. Just before the close OF the