Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-04-30
T III L B u G L E .
Reply Of Wendell Phillips, Esq, 10 Hon
Horace Mann.
Bosrov, April 7lh, 1853.
w. L. GARRIsoN. ESQ /:

BosToN, April 9Th, 1853.
w. l.. GARRIsoN, Esq:
DEAR SIR,-Nlr Mann dslikrs tho length
of my letters. ] nn sorry they are so long,
both for his sake nnd that of your readers.
ltnight perhaps quote, IN defence, the saying
Of the old Euglish divine, Ignorance can
ask more questions in nn hour than Wisdom
eau answer ~ six months; hut that might
he thought personal. The question, how
ever, is so comprehensive, that ! caunot
promise to he very brief.
At last Mr.. Mann enters upon frank mud
elaborate defence of his conduct in the mat.
ter Of colored schools. am glad OF it. 1t
is n duty which he hns long owed TO the
an,i-slavcry public, and to his own good
nan;e. Ii any reader thinks his defence n
satisfactory one, MIR. Mann should thank ne
for this opportunity of making il; for | as
sure hiu, he has never had, uInOng abolition
lists, tic slightest credit for any thing like
what lie now claims. In my opinion, the
facts on which lac rests his defence only
deepen his guilt | never saw nor heard of
the articles iu the Common School Journal to
which lie refers. But have the most entire
confidence IN his personal veraci,y, aud it
he wishes to be understood to say TINT nine
Years ago lie opposed the separate education
OF colored children, in articles published
with the full responsibility of his name, i
accept il as n fact. In view of it, | should
not again use the precise phrase did, that
he never gave us one word of recognition,
countenance or aid But | should still us
sert exactly the same in substance, namely
TINT he never gave us any substantial or
public assistance.
Bearing, however, this claim of his in
mind, let us examine his other statements.
The first is, what Inc did, twenty years ago,
as Trustee of the Institution for the Blind.
The meetings aud records of those Trustees
are private. What coulL know, what could
the public know, of the opinions expressed
Mt those meetings, or recorded on those
books? All that the nbolitionisis, all ihnt
the public knew, was that the only cOlOred
child, who, about that time, applied for nd-
mission in the Institution, tcls refused As
in other cases, we were obliged to judge the
Trustees lay then public actions, which we
knew, not by their private opinions, which
we could not know.
Ills second specification is n scene that
took place in his parlor, or private rooms, at
Bridgewater. | could not know, aud surely
wns not bound TO know, all the conversations
MIR. Mann was holding in private. II, how
ever, the private parlors OF Normal School
teachers are 10 be opened, eau refer him to
n conference held ia one, about that time,
in which his views as 20 the admission OF
colored children TO those schools were not
at all what lie now represents them to have
been. MIR. Mann does not suspect me oi
this 'base trick attempted OIL him at Bridge
water some eight or ten years ago, mot ye-
Ty far from the time of one Of my attacks
on him. This is very generous in him, see
ing TINT my attacks were made .fpe years and
three months ago, just three or .fue years qffer
abe alleged trick! you rolled the water
was drinking last spring., said the wolf to
the lamb. 'But was not born them said
the lamb. Docs Mr.. Mann remember the
fable?
OF his third specification, the Common
School Journal, have already spoken. FoI
his fourth, lie adduces II private document
privately communicated 10 his friend, the
City Solicitor Of Boston, aud now frs
brought to light! At that very time, MIR
Mann left me 10 bear alone Ihe jeers OF ih'
profession, the coniemptuous criticism o
ahe City Solicitor, aud the criticisms of tht
daily press, for maintaining that very opin
ion which he was very quietly putting int
Ghe Solicitors private desk, aud thus avoid
ing all responsibility?
Since the above was in type, friend, upoI
whose accuracy can place the fullest reliance
writes me
Il have looked through the Common Schoo
Journal from the year 1889 to lS4S inclusive
without finding any ARTICLES and arguments
touching separate schools for colored children
except the resolves of the Salem School Com
mittee, to the purport that they had no powe
TO establish such schools, with the well-knowl
opinion of Richard Fletcher appended and n
remarks tOhatever Of Mr. Mann on the matter
inferred, as doubt not every reader did
from Mr.. Mann's language, that he wished :
be understood that he himself wrote and pub
lished, nine years ago. in his Common Sehot
Journal, ARTICLES and arguments against sepa
rate colored schools. lie merely published.
nv correspondent be correct, the formal resolve
of School Committee and lawyers technics
opinion on a law point; papers which woul
attract little attention, and be OF little nse un
less followed by comment and explanation.
shall not trust myself to say what think
the uss of language so certain to mislead tn
public, and 90 unfair in the circumstances.