Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-12-11
scHooLs u TENNEssEE.

do-CnAOAAhR ~ tAAA' 49, -. -
teachers institute Of thsSIslil t5:::-
gressional district, un.l-r tsls, presi'
dency Of Col. Leon fssJn=dste, stnse
superintendent. egss -0fficia -; rSer.
of the proceedssas vii W : IN
another cOln.stn. ssep,s.e to
=tssats. as;s z.rtic4e .ritsse ilGs'iry
whar Is the condition 9fs.he con-
gressional district as regards educa-
ton, and what MY - Gone to inn
prove il, assuming So, granted that
we are all agreed al '..siring the
greatest possible amount ~ instrue-
ton for every civil district in the
state.
We viii here observe that these
meetings do not furnish ns.srly as
much material for the investigation
of these questions as they might 40
if they were more generally at
tended. Thus while the purpose of
the institute is to gain intelligence
from the whole congressional dis
+-iE=+-rT==Es= ----r.= s.ss:asa4ies were senra-
scented, those OF Davidson and Mont
gomery, and that the former sent
very able and efficient delegates
indeed, but exclusively from the
city of Nashville, while MontgOm-
cry sent a few teachers from the
the country districts, who, however,
with the exception of Sup't. Car
ney, took no active part in the
transactions. Practically, therefore,
the business of the meeting was car
ried on by persons engaged in the
work of education in the two cities
of Nashville and GAINESVILLE, and it
Is only from the address of the state
superintendent that we learn that
education is making very satisfac-
tory progress in the towns and cities
of the district but lags behind in
many of the country districts, from
two causes: the difficulty of arous-
ing our country population to the
importance of education, and the
scarcity of well-qualified teachers in
the state.
So far as the two cities mentioned
are concerned, there is every evil
dence that i'm them the interests of
are we'll cared for. In
both there is a very efficient system
Of public schools conducted by zeal
Gus and intelligent teachers, and
to the whole school popu-
lation the privileges of instruction,
and in each city there is universe
ty for the purpose of higher educa-
ton for those who are able to avail
themselves of it; and one of the
most promising features of the meet
ing of last week was the evidence of
4 cordial good understanding be-
tween these two great departments
Of educational effort. Valuable
assays were delivered by professors
rom both the establishments; by
Chancellor Waddel, and PrOfs.
Caldwell and Hemphill of the S.-W. !
P. University, GAINESVILLE; by Prof. |
LuptOn OF Vanderbilt University,
Nashville; by Sup't S. Y. Caldwell |
md Prof. Woolwine of the public |
schools at Nashville; and by Sup't |
and Profs. Moseley and /
iOld of the GAINESVILLE public |
choOls. Nor were the private /
chOols unrepresented Prof. Good /
nan of the commercial college of 4
Nashville; Prof. Quarles of Clarks-
Yille and Mrs. Blaisdell of the /
Female Academy; Miss 1
J. r. Mayo of Trezevant and DIR. ID.
;. Wright of the GAINESVILLE school /
board, were all announced for essays,
which were delivered with appro-
'atiOn to large and appreciative
except those of Prof.
luarIes and DIR. Wright, which
we're withdrawn for reasons as
igned. Nor must we omit the
'pening address of the Hon. Rufus
Rhodes, who showed an enlight-
ned appreciation of the value Iof
General education where political
privileges are extended TO all.
We have said that these essays
rom educators in every grade of
he profession were most valuable
: evincing a spirit of hearty CO.
peration i'm all from the highest to
he lowest, which was the more
because when the pub
ic school system was first estab-
ished here, there were symptoms
( some jealousy and even of an
feeling between one
apartment and another. What
yer feeling of this kind there may
ave existed is now evidently dissi-
ated, and the public schools are
Doked upon as auxiliaries rather
han antagonists of the university.
But these essays proved more
nan this; they proved that we
ave in the two cities OF Nusnviiiii,
nd GAINESVILLE body of teachers
OF only thoroughly verSed in the
lbjects which they undertake to
Zach, but with minds wide awake
} allimprOved methods of teaching.
lmost every essay which was read
as occupied with the discussion of
either of facilitating the
of knowledge or Of
discipline and order in
rye bodies of scholars with a min I
mum of punishment. In other
ords, the teachers show that they ,
ave been occupied not only with
he study of books but also with ,
lat of children; the youthful !
lind with all its faculties, intel 1
ctual and moral, has been the {
rincipal book which these ladies q
ID gentlemen have been studying
it'll the purpose of gaining the '
adiest access to its Utmost recesses. q
rom this point of view the science 4
education is quite of recent orr
n, and it is with a high sense of y
that we find tine teach (