Year: 1876

and the Necessity of Education


in Physical Science in


Order to Utilise


them.


Ladies and gentlemen, when I lei
England some five weeks ago, did S


with very many determined resolution
as to the manner In which | woul
spend my holidays in the United States


Having just completed a season of Ion


and laborious work of various kinds,


was more than willing to look upo
this journey of mine as one In par


dictated by the desire to renew famil
ties which had been interrupted, thougl


unbr0ken, for space of the ordinar


life of the generation of men. [ found


however, it would not be best for m


to leave this country without address


ing an audience of Americans, though


it certainly did not enter into my plan


to have the honor of making an ap


pearance before the citizens of Nash


vile. The signal kindness and courtesy


however, with which | have been re
ceived here would have prevailed upor
me; indeed it would have been unbe
coming of me not to have met your
wishes in any way that would have
been practicable; and, therefore, seeing
that it is your strong desire that
should address you, have undertaken
to do so this evening.


[ think l made that engagement with
the proviso that had no set speech OF
address to make, and that all [ would
undertake to do would be to commu-
nicate to you such observations and
such reflections as had suggested them
selves to me during my unfortunatel "
brief residence here. | find myself in
what l believe is the principal city Il
speak under correction) of State, the
area of which is not far inferior to that
of England, and which possesses with
In itself variety of surfaces which is
only paralleled by that which we find
in England; diversity of geological
formations only to be found in the
same surface of my native country;
which has been blessed by nature with
singular fertility-iiterally land fow-
ing with milk and honey, producing
upon the greatest scale those cereals
which are the main support of man,
with cattle and sheep and the like; and
which, in addition, possesses an une-
qualed mineral wealth, fields of coal
which, as | understand, equal in area
those of the mother country; mex
haustible resources in iron and copper
and various building stones and min
erals; and which, in short, carries
within itself all those variations Of
climate-perhaps little
warmer than we Englishmen are accus-
toned to-which are needed to create
a great and wealthy population. In
my visits to the institutions of your
city, [ have become acquainted with
your admirable schools, have seen
there expressions of Intelligence upon
the faces of the children and the young
men and women. who are being edu-
Gated; | have seen enough of your pop
in other words, to convince
me that, in addition to those material
resources, those possibilities of wealth
and well-being, there is that human
element of intelligence and labor
which is needed to stir such resources
to sufficient development Whether.
under these circumstances, the wealth
placed at your disposal is to be turned
to its best account must undoubtedly
depend upon the education which you
are giving your young people. My
brief inspections has enabled me TO say
that, judging by the standards, the ed
ucation is such as to produce (I will
not say produce intelligence, for one
cannot do that but to cultivate intel
ligence which may be possessed. |
have been glad to see that an indis-
pensable element of that education is
a training in the elements of the physi-
cal sciences. | don't know how far
your education is carried, but [ can
to say this much-that a
and efficient development of
your resources must depend, other
things being equal, On the diligence,
the general activity of your population,
it beng understood that that develop
ment must depend upon the thorough
ness and completeness of the elements
of physical science which is given to
the masses of your population. Wheth-
er it is important to the development
Of your agriculture, whether it is i'm
portant to the development of your
resources, whether it is i'm
portant to the development of your
mines, the Importance of improving
your means of transportation, or under
whatever other aspect you choose to
the means by which these re-
sources can be brought to their full
account, little reflection will convince
you that the development of these re-
sources turns entirely upon the intell-
gent application of physical science,
whether it be the practice of mechan-
les, chemistry or biology.


My opportunity of examining is far
too slight to render it otherwise than
for me say whether the
you have taken are sufficient
for their purpose or not. | hope you will
permit me to insist upon the fact that
It is only by the increase and develop
ment of the kind of education have
that these resources can be
turned to thorough and effectual ac-
count. And there is no difficulty, let
me say, in the requirement of the phys
cal science in the ordinary schools. l
lOu CpCdA III Iudb mdIICE do
5heorist; | speak as having had an in
innate acquaintance for the last twenty
years with the educational system of
The mother country. There the system
BY which the elements of physical
science are taught in all primary
schools that have been in active opera
ion has scarcely acquired perfect de-
now. In some branches
We have 5000, 1000 and IL, 600 or more
7oung people under examination annu-
lily. We have organized methods of
Instruction. Our elementary teachers
nave been so instructed in the means
If teaching, until at length | think it
nay be said that we have organized
by which elementary scien-
ifc teaching has been secured through
,he length and breath of the land.


1t is for you to say whether the same
hing shall be done, whether your pop
llation will be placed in the position
o enable them to take advantage OF
,hese vast material resources which
ire within your reach. No doubt
such advantages as these are not
% be despised; no doubt the increase
n wealth and in material well being is
great and important object to the
legislator and the citizen who wishes
we'll for his nationality, but there is
mother aspect under which the wide
jpread training in the elements of the
physical sciences is to be considered,
md in urging upon you the importance
If developing that mode of teaching
your schools. / should like to illus
rate as far as / may, this side OF the