Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-06-19
production and SO appropriate. thai
we give il in full.

we give lt In full.
DIR. HUMEs' INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
FELLOW CITIZENS: To-day, this insti-
tuition of learning begins q new period OF
its life.
1t now becomes identified in name, as it
has been in its usefulness and welfare, with
the whole State of Tennessee. 1t is hence
forth, by virtue of recent wise and efficient
State legislation, an integral part, and also
a leading factor, in the public school sys-
tenn of the State. And the better 10 secure
the rights of the State and to promote Its
interests in this connection, it has appoint
ed eminent citizens to the duty OF official
visitation to the University.
1t is proper that the occasion should be
ftly celebrated, not only in the presence,
but with the participation, of the Governor
of the State and its chosen Board or Visit
oFs.
Sagacity concerning the future is charac-
teristic of wise statesmanshlp. In the gen
eral shaping of policies, and In the adop-
ton of important public measures, 1t Is In
fuenced by the teachings I the past and
a knowledge of the necessities and eXpedia
ences of the present, but also by wise
consideration of the probable conditions
and wants of the future.
Seeing now the beneficial results of pos
litical social and moral forces which have
wrought through former generations, IL
adapts and employs them IN modlned
| forms for the comfort and happiness OF the
| generations to come and for the enlarge
ment of their capa biiltles OF usefulness
ard excellence.
| This mental provision, leading 10 practi-
| cal provision for the future, IN respect to
| education, was characteristic of the men
| who founded this Commonwealth.
| The preamble of an act of the Leglsla-
! ture of the Territory South of the River
| Ohio, now the State of Tennessee, passed
/ in 1874, is in these words:
WHEREAS, The Legislature of this
| Territory is disposed to promote the hap
piness of the people at large, and especial
| ~ of the rising generation, by instituting
seminaries of education, where youth may
| be habituated to an amiable, moral and
| virtuous conduct, and accurately in
| structed in the various branches of useful
| science, and in the principles of the
ancient and modern languages"
With that declaration of their mind,
| they proceeded to establish "Blount Col
| lege in the vicinity of Knoxville;" and in
| doing so, they laid the foundation of this
| University.
East Tennessee College was, indeed, char
| tered independently in 1907 by the Legis-
! lature, as on of two institutions in East
| and West Tennessee, which should be
| equal recipients of fund appropriated by
| the United States for their use and benefit.
But the Trustees of Blount College i'm
| mediately and according to their previous
agreement, surrendered its charter, and
! transferred its funds to East Tennessee
| College; and it was provided by law, that
| for the time, the Trustees of Blount Col
| lege should in its own buildings, conduct
| the work of instruction belonging to East
! Tennessee College. There was an actual
| continuity OF existence. The one college
| ceased to be, that the ether might live.
| Yet the first was perpetuated in the second,
not only in the purpose of its creation, but
| in the continuance temporarily of It's IIg-
! ing guardianship.
| 1t is not possible at this time to recite the
history of East Tennessee College from
! 1907. By act of the Legislature it was de-
veloped in 1910 into University, and I'M
der that title it has done good and honor
able service in the work Of high education.
In 1869, the State endowed it with the fund
for q College, received from the United
States by the act of Congress of July z,
1862. That fund has enabled the Trustees
to carry out more fully and effectively the
purpose of the institution.
And now, although the interval of time
between the establishment of Blount Col
lege, and to-day, seems comparatively
| long, 1t may yet be said that the Legisla-
ture of the Territory South of the River
Ohio, in founding that college " builded
better than they knew" Adopting sound
principles of public policy concerning the
education of youth, and imbued with love
OF country and a desire, in their own
WOEOS, 10 the ApplIesS VI tue
people and especially of the rising genera
tiOn," they looked with wise discernment
into the future.
They provided for it by planting a
germ, which under the kindly providence
of God is now developed into tree, be-
meath whose generous arms young men
may come from far and near and sit IN
quietness and learn,
Not that they and heir successors in leg
islation were singular in this respect.
Throughout the whole land, the right and
duty of the State to educate its citizens
States of the Union have legislated in
favor of education. All have Public
Schools, and all have one or more State in
situations of a higher grade, in an incipi-
ent or more matured condition. Such
universal consent among the States clearly
indicates their perception of a common
need. They do not by their action merely
assert the right, but also acknowledge the
duty of the State to do whatever it can in
this behalf; that so, in the words of the |
Hebrew King, its "sons may be as plants |
grown up in their youth" and its ''daugh- |
tiers may be as corner stones, polished alter |
the similitude of a palace"
The State is ordained of God, and the |
citizen owes it obedience. He is entitled |
to the conservation of his life, liberty and |
property, and the State owes him its pro- |
lection of them. But heis under Just limita- |
to the injury of his neighbor and the disor-
der of society. And the State, as means |
of its own protection and that of its cltl- |
zens against wrong doing, should provide |
something more than punishment for the |
offender. 1t needs to provide that its sons
shall have such training and information
in their immature years as are possible; that
they shall then be educated mentally and
morally for the proper performance of the !
duties, and exercise of the rights, of citi-
zenship; and so, shall not incur the penal
ties of the Law, but win the praise of the
State shall not disturb, but promote, the
order and peace of society; shall not be
idlers through Ignorance and lack of dis
cipline, but by their intelligence and virtue
shall advance the industry of the Common
wealth, add to its vitality and strength, ad-
vance its true welfare and honor its name.
1t is true that there are, besides it, impor-
tant and useful agencies employed in the
work of education ; private schools, Chris
tian churches and other organizations.
But these do not relieve the State of its OBJ
legations to its children; nor is there any
conflict between them and it in the per-
formappa of their work Thev have their |