Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-02-26
Chancellor Kent on Public
Schools.

ton generally in the eye of the
municipal law, but of very great
interest to the welfare Of the
state. Without some prepara-
ton made IN youth for the sequel
of life, children of all conditions
would probably become idle, and
vicious when they grow up, Ell
ther from the want of good in
structions and habits, and the
means of. subsistence, or from a
want of rational and useful oc-
cupation. A parent who sends
his children into the world un-
educated, and without skill in
any art or science, does a great
injury to mankind, as we'll as to
his own family, for he defrauds
the community of a useful citi-
zen and bequeaths to it a nui-
sance. This parental duty is
strongly and persuasingly incul-
Gated by the writers on natural
law. Solon was so deeply inn
pressed with the force of this OBJ
legation, that he even excused
the children Of Athens from
maintaining their parents, if they.
had neglected to train them up
to some art or profession. Sew
eral Of the states of antiquity
were too solicitous to form their
youth for the various duties of
civil life to entrust their educa-
ton solely to their parents"
Following this, ,ChancellorKent
gives a brief summary of the
laws governing public or COM
mon schools Of the various gov
ernments Of modern Europe. He
then, at some length, refers to
laws goveningpublic instruction
in the several States, which COM
pose the government Of the Uni
ted States. After which, on page
214, he says: "Such provis-
ions for the universal diffusion
of common and useful in
struction may be contemplated
with pride and cheering antici-
pations. But the splendid pro-
visions that have been made in
some Of the States, and especial
ly in Connecticut and New York,
for the support of common schools
ought not to relax the efforts of
parents and guardians, and the
community at large, to encourage
and sustain a more thorough and
elevated system of education.
They ought not to remain con-
tented with the means the state
affords, of instruction without
taxation and without expense.
The true province of a school
fund is not to supercede, but
to encourage and stimulate. the
proper efforts of parents and town
authorities in sustaining and per-
fecting the system of common
fschool education. individuals
ought to cooperate with the pub
lie authorities, and a wise and
patriotic legislature cannot cease
to patronize and endow acade-
mics and colleges and render
the elements of science and the
higher branches Of education ac-
cessi5le in every state"
In presenting these quotations
to the readers Of the OBSERVER,
my only apology, if indeed an
apology is necessary, is that / find
in our country a strong tide of
opposition to public schools.
Surely, upon a question of SO
much Importance, appertaining
to. the educational interests OF
the land, the words of so distin-
guished, so eminent asjurist as
Chancellor Kent, ought to weigh
something upon the minds of the
masses. TO my mind there is
nothing more strange than to find
here i'll the past meridian blaze
of the nineteenth century, this
boasted age of refinement and
intelligence, So much opposi-
ton to- public schools. And
this opposition, in too many in
stances, comes from sources from
which better things might be ex-
pected. .Tauntingly andjeering-
" it is said that public schools
are good for nothing, save only
to break up first class schools,
and to drive first class teachers
from the profession, just as tho
public schools could not be first
class as well as any. A great
many think an educationis worth
nothing. They are mad that
they should be taxed in such a
cause, and express great surprise
that neat, comfortable school
houses should be erected, that
school teachers may sit back in
their laziness and receive $25 or
$50 month to be lazy. There
are different phases of opposition,
and nany and different are the
arguments brought to bear. The
advocates, the friends, Of public
instruction everywhere, should
wage an offensive warfare,s should
meet these different phases, meet