Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-21
STATE NORMAL INsTITUTE.
Address by DIR. Rankin--Letter from DR.
Curry---PropOsed Excursion
to Coal Creek.


Address by Dr. Rankin--Letter from DR..
Curry---PropOsed Excursion
to Coal Creek.
GReported officially for the CHRONICLE
The Normal opened yesterday with a
GOOD attendance. The usual lectures were
delivered by the professors, on which copi-
Gus notes were taken by the students. 1t
has been deemed expedient to give the
school holiday, and next Saturday has
been selected as the day. The school
agreed, if suitable arrangements could be
made. to visit Coal Greek to study the geol-
ogy of the mines. The railroad officials
Will be visited and terms made with them
for chartering train, which will take the
entire school over early in the morning
and bring it back in the cool of the even
ing. Everybody is to provide provisions
for himself, and the excursion viii be on
the order of picnic. Further arrange
n,ents viii be mentioned as perfected.
The first lecture yesterday morning was
ON school organization, by Prof Woolwine
His talk was illustrated by incidents from
his own experience at the Howard school in
Nashville. After his lecture was over one of
the public school teachers, who is attending
the Normal, said to us: He spoke every
word the truth. l visited his school in
Nashville, and never saw such beautiful de
pertinent and order in my Life" Yesterday,
in speaking of Prof. Woolwine's school, we
mentioned that a pin could be heard to
drop, but no one will imagine for moment
that it was the quietness of indolence on
the contrary, every pupil in his room of $50
is hard at work
The second lecture was by Prof. Dinwid-
die, on fractions and proportion.
The third lecture was by Prof Nicholson,
on organic agencies in Geology.
The fourth lecture was by Prof. Lockett,
on the mechanics of gases, with number
of beautiful experiments. So
This concluded the regular course, and
the students then repaired to their re-
spective optional studies. A half hour was
devoted to these, after which DIR. G.. C.
Rankin was introduced to the audience and
announced as his subject:
MORALS AND RELIGION IN THE SCHOOL ROOM.
He said: Man is a complex being. He
consists of three-fold nature-physical,
mental and moral He comes into existence
with these wholly undeyeloped well de-
veloped and full-grown manhood must
therefore, be an after-work and the hard
ened result of experience, culture and ac-
quirement. He can advance to high degrees
of culture and refinement, or deteriorate
into coarseness and imbecility, just as he
chooses. The horizon of his loftiest en-
deavor is circumscribed only by infinite pos
sibilities, but he can contrast it at will to
the limits of obtuseness. To educate him
is to develop and train all that is good and
desirable in his three-fo1d nature. A sys-
tenn of education, however compre-
hensive. that develops any one
of these departments of his
nature, to the detriment of the others. is
radically defective in its purposes and meth
DDS and pernicious in its influences and re-
suits. The education we most need is the
one which develops equally every nature
with which man is endowed. 1t subordi-
mates the strength of his muscle and appro-
Priotos it to the best of uses; it defines
the prerogative of his rea,on and imparts
wholesome restraints upon the perception of
his conscience. From our point of view it
seems that there is an effort upon the part
of the school-roOm to concentrate its ener-
gies upon the development of the intellect
alone, while moral and religious training is
left to home influence and the chvrch
OF course, there is no one disposed to
underrate thorough development of the
human reason, because it is mans chief
glory. Through its subtle processes and
and sublime attainments one perceives the
divinity of his origin. 1t elevates man to
the sacred dignity of celestial relationship
and entities him to claims upon the recogni-
ton and favor of the eternal God-head.
But reason is given to man to be utilized in
the welfare and progress of humanity, but
not to be worshipped as deity. His moral
and religious faculty is also capable of sys-
tematic culture and is therefore, of az par
amount importance in it's sphere as
reason. Its primary purpose is to
teach man his personal responsibilities to
God, his duty to society to give moral
quality to his thoughts, words and actions ;
to stamp his conduct with the immutable
character of right or the enormity of wrong
And if dwarfed either by neglect or oppres-
sion, man is at liberty, with his well-known
disposition towards evil, to throw off every
restraint of moral obligation and play the
prodigal with the highest and holiest trusts
committed to his keeping. It can nc
more be left to the exclusive care of the
family and church than can the duties
of mental culture. Of course it is not
the province of the teacher to exercise the
functions of the priest and essay to teach
his pupils the peculiar dogmas of any re-
hgious sect. He who occupies position as
teacher in the public schools is a secular
teacher under the official direction of secu-
lar government. If he is not competent to
discriminate between his sprescribed duties as
teacher and his private convictions, he is
utterly disqualified to meet the obligations
of his Office.
! 1t is the duty of the teacher to recognize
his own personal responsibilities to God, fol
he is, in very important sense, as divinely
called to this exalted post, as the expounde1
of the Gospel is to the duties of the minis
try The teacher should feel bound by the
nature of this responsibility to impress
upon the minds of his pupils the principles
OF piety and justice, a sacred regard fol
truth and honesty and the great importance
of virtuous, temperate habits of life. These
principles form the only correct basis upor
which our Republican constitution is found
ed. The teacher is the appointed guardian
of the eycellencies of intellectual anC
moral worth, and as such he is one of the
most potent factors in the formation o1
! public sentiment and opinion. The teacher
who appreciates the responsibilities of his
office will not lack opportunities for the
discharge of duties III connection witt
wholesome moral and religious instruction
He should see to it that the lessons of the
school are faithfully learned and honestly
recited that keen sense of justice, ac
companied with an intelligent love for hi,
! puOIls mnvec him in beSfoWinu his ra