The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-05-10


struetion were compelled 10 allow them to grow
up without II. 1t would be unjust TO hold the
people M to-day responsible for the origin OF that
sentiment, but 80 iNr as there exists III the pub
lie mind, any hostility towards public education,
they should DO taught that II Is a grave wrong, |
II not crime thoy commit against the rising
generation. Then again the South has suffered |
The most terrible Of misfortune. Her beautiful
country became the battle-ground OF u sauguina- |
~ conflict, which resulted in irpoyerishnent
proAraton and ruin, and since the war tho uu-
scttlud condition OF the people, has prevented |
that advance, eduGGtlonally that shUaid be de- |
siroI by every lover OF his country ana friend %
this section,
The race question in The South is the ono that |
presents the greatest difficulty. But whatever |
may have been the differences of opinion in tho |
minds of the American people, as to the wisdom
OF comforting the rights OF citizenship upon the
colored man, they can now have no place in the
consideration OF the policy pursued by the Gov
crnment. lie is now in the possession of those
rights and they are as imnutNble as the organic
law OF the land. The question now Isl how shall
he be thoroughly adapted to the new situation?
There is certain logical and necessary intcrde-
pendence between the industrialism, the moral
ity, the Intelligence and the political status of
every people, This produces assimilation,
which whom made complete gives to all CLASSES
equality OF right and privilege While Interstate
commerce and tho over growing industrial in
tcrcsts OF the country are doing 10 much 10 dis
sipate sectionalism and race prejudice, and to
give to our people the blessings which flow from
harmony and good will, too much Importance
cannot be attached to popular education i'll this
great work They must be led to see that there
Is, now, not only no reason for them to be enc
mites, but every reason for them to be friends.
Those great commercial and industrial interests
as well MS our political situation, making us one
people in interest and one in destiny, demand
that We shall be one in sympathy, one in pur-
pose and one in effort They demand, moreover
that the great. body OF people shall possess a
deep, broad, comprehensive, structural intelli-
geuce.
This is made necessary no less by the spirit of
the age than by the circumstances which sur
round us a mighty dawn OF ideas Is peculiar
| to this age. 1t is emphatleally one OF progress,
This has become the great and of philosophical
research. 1t is very interesting to study the his
tory of philosophy From the age of Plato to
that Of Bacon, all the schools looked with con
tempt upon the thought that anything practical
| ly useful or progressive should result from theiI
Investigations. Seneca ridieuled the idea and
said: ave shall next be told that the next shoe,
maker was philosopher" The Stoics regarded
virtue MS the supreme good, and this consisted
in lofty contemplation of the beautiful, the just
and the good which are but different relations
OF the one great fundamental Reality. With the
Epicureans on the other hand, each ones enjoy
ment is the great end of human life, SO they
gave themselves up to sensual pleasures and To-
centuries they kept up those hostile do9mas, al
barren ~ a rock in mud ocean.
In the fifth century of the Christian era, Tho
Church had overcalne Peganism, and Paganism
in turn had infected the Church. Macaulal
says: 1.-THE Church was now triumphant anC
corrupt. The rites of the Pantheon had passed
into her worship and the SubtletleS OF the Acau
envy into her creed.
These things continued until the reformation
in religion came and with it came the rciorma
ton in philosophy also. Sir Francis Bacon aI
peared as the apostle of Utility and Progress
with him no philosophy was worth anything
tlat was not a practical benefit to mankind.
is a singular fact in the life OF this great man
that his greatest works were the specuations o
rf..f.a inn PtNVNn
confession before the House of Lords, as tn
highest judicial officer of the Kingdom, and dis
grNced, he died the worlds beneiActor. In hi
public life, ne brought reproaeh upon his nalnt
, and by his philosophy he blessed his race. Los
to the army of great statesmen. for that he black
, | ened his character with bribery, he became tn
prince of philosophers. What the ancients looI
) ed upon as baseness and drudgery, such as IL
! vcntiOns for the Improvement OF the arts OF IL
{ dustry, became the true end OF the Baconia
! Philosophy. What 1t propoScd-tO use the lai
g,lage OF its immortal founder-was Fruit.
at was the multiplication of human enjoyment
= and the mitigating OF human suilerings." Thi
= new philosophy infused life and activity into tn
Y world of thought, and, since the days of BAcol
+ America has been pe0pled and there has bee
+ formed and developed great free goYernmci
on this side the waters and il, as well as his ow
!, country, has given birth to genius, which hG
!, produced the .'fruit' that was the essence of h
Il philosophy. BY the skill OF Fulton, might
S steamers now pillow the sea and the iron hor.
bridled and subdued the thundcrbolts of heave
n and Morse sent them bounding r0ud the worl'
4 The North with its system of free labor an
free schools, calling out and utilizing all It's
/ tai energy has become rich and powerful III
IS great West is springing into life by the mag
a touch of industry The South is fast adjustii
Ii itself to the new order OF things. Allexperient
II demonstrates the superiority of the free syste
2. over the slave system OF labor as regards the
!. effects upon the country at large. Before Il
d war the large slave-ownng population rclis
n upon the labor OF their slaves for q support f
1t themselves and their families, while the slay
l. having no "hope OF reward to soften his toll
a only performed such labor as he was compellt
il to do so that there was but little energy i'll til
rs system But now, under system OF Tree lab6
G. the white man is compelled to earn living
A. his own exertions; and the colored man has Il
ID assurance lhat II he is industrious and frug,
is his labors will bring their corresponding recol
n, pense. This has called into play all the ener
g and activity of both races, thus giving to ii
IN section a spirit of progress which 1t has new
hitherto experienced. Farming has alrea,
N ceased to be its only industry 1t is fast becol
It. ing manufacturing country and the capital
Nc the North is finding profitable Investment i'll
A. rich mineral land and immense bodies of til
H. Der. Railroads are opening large areas OF ecu
rs try which have heretofore been mountaiu-lot
I'd ed, and these places once solitude are bel
re- made to blossom like the rose. But the impul
r. which the South is now receiving aud the pr,
q perity she now enjoys are but the first rays
he the morning sun as they paint with golden 4
IL rics the distant hilltOps. The noontlde Is III
al no distant future.
is The spirit of progress is manifest in every p,
To- OF the Union, and this great activity calls for
ng intellectual development OF the people. Et
he cation may be regarded as one of the econon
to forces OF every country, and as our industr
he increase by the use Of machinery and the int
re duetion of more systematic and scientific me
to DDS, the demand for skilled and educated AZ
,r- sans, mechanics and farmers also increases
its is strange that our Government with its ev
h. growing interests, and its ever increasing
ID. sources-a Government founded upon the gra
rst doctrine OF Popular Sovereignty, the ayowed I
Dr. ject of which is to secure the highest mater
of and social blessings to its citzens-should de-
m it necessary to establish and maintain only t
le institutions of learning, Military and Ma
he Academy, the purposes OF both being to tr,
yn men iii the destructive art of war, developing
Sic them the highest marshal spirit; while at
is same time no attention Is paid to the prepa
~, ton Of men for the higher, noblcr and bet
is pursuits of life, the arts of peace 1t is true,
ty. is necessary to provide for the public defense
nd having skilled officers for the army and ma
as and to keep them ready against the day Of e.
,ai hict. While war stands as stigma upon {
De- civilization, 1t Is, nevertheless, the only final
H. exclusive arbiter for the settlement OF inter
lin tonal questions. But certainly this subject CT
tlt- not claim greater attention at the hands Of
DIS Government, than those pursuits which ms
ed the nation great and the people prosperous q
happy. There is something in military life Il
M calls forth the highest admiration Of mankil
OF and IL would tie meanness to attempt to plucl
in single Laurel from the soldier whose life is
ant voted to the defense of home and country.
M hearts are stirred within us, when we walk
is into our beautiful Capitol City, and behold
his magnificent monuments erected in honor of
MI heroes of the battles that have marked our
IN tional history. But the grandest of the worl
re- heroes arc those who achieve their victories
oc- on the stainless fields of moral and intellect
I've combat, Such men stamp their liIe-work W
he their own originality, Their very natures fl
M ont in their thoughts and impress upon them
les Immortality of the intellect Ii matters not /
M the stream OF his ancestral blood has its fo
er- tainhcad deep hi ind The veil Of obscurity,
is real patrlciah Ill American society, is the
The OF Thought ana action. In this tact is the or,
lis, est encouragement to struggling ambition.
of theory Of the Government IL that Of equality
IT, all men before the law.
rec ut is q land that freemen till
ust That sober, sainted freedom chose,
re- The land where girt by friends or foes,
ent man may speak the thing he will"
a. And now young ladies and gentlemen,