Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-10
EDUCATIONAL.
Meeting OF the National Convention Of
Educators at Ocean GroYe-Speeeh
by United States
Commissioner Eaton - The Power of
LearniBg-The Object of the
Association.

OCEAN GROVE, VI August Al the Educs-
iionsl Conv ention to-day number of addresses
were made. Gen. Eaton, Uaited States Com
missioner Of Education, IN the course of his
address said: "The dangers OF war and the
profits of peace ave bsen teaching the nations
of E1rops the value of education as prac-
tical power in human life. Pfussie, and
then other German Slales, f,st m ade this dis
c0yery. The German BoTereigps educ
their people for psIsonai aggrsndiz ement,
no dou5', bat Gsrmar reformsrs with higher
motives insisted that their people should be
educated for better protection OF Themselves
and of society, the Church and State. Carry
out this principle as thoroughly as it has
been done 10 North Germany, and neglect
il, "a Austria las dons, and 5 Sidowa was the
Isgitimats result Of the conflict when the
army containing two aud ons-balf per cent
of illiLerates beat the army having seven
teen per cent of ignorance. Taught wisdom
by her misfortunss, Austris, for several
years, labored earnestly for popular educa-
iiou, without, however, giving freedom to re-
ligiou5 belief, and lately has yielded to the
reactiouary impulse. France, with its early
schools aud i.s ardent cceptance OF new
ideas, might have had an entirely different
and more glorious destiny if the N ass acre at
ST. b irtholomsw and the revocationof the edict
OF n Antes had not exterminatsd, expelled or
suppTttS u spirit. 1 ne CULTURE
Of the people was neglected, the events of the
great revolution and first empire we're addi-
tional Posiponemenls or perversions OF
national culture, 30 that in spite
OF Cousin snd Guizot The hour Of
doom came when the educated German
met at Sedan the French army wi III its thirty
sir no. .en-. or IIIIteraies. The republic
has learned the lessons of France now, and
l0r dozen yeaTs has not only paid off the
W df hal her
for schools of every grade, infants are syf-
tematicslir cared for, attendance on school
hsS been made compulsory, education il
| freed from all control save that of the State,
better education for girls bsgup, instructors
! for schools Of all grades have been sedulously
trained, civil and moral duties are firmly in-
] culcaied, freedom and on-cience have been
given superior education, and been fostered
| oy that apostle OF secular instruction, NJ.
Jules Ferry, declaring publicly and en-
| phaticaily that democracy possessing only
| primary schools is poor society and poor
democracy. Thus a new ideal is becoming
| apparent in Frsncs, and through the school
| she Is trying 10 orgeniza, regulate and make
| eficieut the freedom she has gained" Com
missioner Eaton in a similar vein dlscoursed
| of other nations in Europe, aod continued !:
"The English colonies, some before and others
since the action of England, established pub
lie schools, universities and libraries. Among
these provinces Quebec is a noted example
| OF backwardness aud popular apathy, while
! the province of OItario equals any part Of
| the world in lis educational provisions, and
its normal school ia the beat equipped in
America" The speaker then observed tn at
| even the most adv snced natious have
| vast necessities yet TO meet, and great
opportunities for the improvement of
that quality. Education determines the
amount OF improvement, especially il aided
| By free thought, conscience and action in
that task. Public education is TOO great for
the Church TO undertake, and that it ia best
| for her to furnish high motives for human
ss,tion rctbe- sAaa attRn,p ~ TO do the work of
! other organizstions, while yet its efficiency
as a spiritual guide is often impaired by It's
| neglect OF that precep'. The final effort of
great moral movements, like those of Luther
and Wesley, is TO be measured by their edu-
eating power.
! At the opening of the session 10 day the
Rev. J. c. HartzslI, assistant secretary OF the
| Church Extension Society of the Methods,
Episcopal Church, presided in the absence of
Gov. Pattison, Of Pennsylvania, who tele-
grsphed that the session Of the Pennsylvania a
Legislature detained him at Harrisburg. E
II. Stoke, DID, president Of O,ean Grove
Association, welcomed the Assembly.
DR.. Hartzell defined the purpose of the
Assembly. He said there Yves an educ ational
crisis 10 the nation. We must have more
education ard it must be of the right quail.
iiy. This Assembly, he taid, meant to nave
a platform in America from which the united
educational forces of all sections and creeds
might direct public sentiment in educational
work from Christian standpoint. O.her
organizations studied meth eds of government
| or questions Of exact science. This Assem-
bly, proposed 10 formulate sentiments that
would check the tendency to take Christ out
OF be schools.
]. 81. Wickersham and Judge Tourgee
were the other sp.akers.