Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-05-21
Reply OF Wendell Phillips, Esq, 10 Hon
Horace Mann.
NonrnAnprov, April 30, 1853.

To THE EDIToR OF ruE LmrRAroR:
DEAR SiR-
i hnvc noticed thus in detail MIR. Mann's
eight specifications, heruuse | wished 10 prove
my ability to meet him on any ground hc
chose, and to show your readers how utterly
| irrelevant they were to the question at issue
between us. But now wish your readers
TO observe, TINT might have granted all Mr.
Mnnn clHinis in regard to the Blind lnstitu-
ton, the Normal Schools, the Common
School journal, the Statute of lSi5, and the
lioston City Solicitor; aud all together would
not have touched ny charge against him. The
only charge | ever tuade against him was for
misconduct as Secretary Of the Massachusetts,
Board Of Education. la my original articles
IN 1917 and 1918, stated this very carefully
IL had not already inken up so many of
your columns, ] should nsk You TO republish
those articles, 10 show how guurdedly they
are written. have made but two references
TO the matter since, in the first aud in the
second Letter ofthis correspondence. In the
first ] said
1t IS ony within few yours that hn has
Opened his mouth on the subject of slavery.
For years, as Secretary Of hs Board Of Educd-
hon he preserved protomnd silence, while
his intimate friends were sure llc wns an anti
slavery man ut heart. At that time had
occasion TO crilirise those statements, in his
Reports, of half the truth and concealment OF
-renl facts, lllai threatened harm TO the cOored
! mnn.'
In my second Letter sad
"A few of us Ind been besieging, for some
ten years, Legislative Committees and CITY
Committees, TO get such schools abolished.
In our almost hopeless efforts, we had borne
the insults of pnlitirians and the icers of the
press; bu; still at great cost aud effort, we
persevercd. All this willie, Mr.. Mann was
the head Of Me School sySism Of .Mtssachusetis,
md il wns suspected that, IN private, lie en-
lirely agreed with us in our views. Such an
officer we bad right TO expect would lead
our van. Such, | knew wns tho state of
public opinion in tho rural districts, that II
few pages in his annual Reports would he q
mighty help to us. Instead of this, hc never
gave us one word oirecognlion, countcnnnce
or mid. Al last, when he did speak Oh the
subject nt all, his language was calculated to
do 20 much harm, that felt called on to
protest against il.
This is no personal matter between Mr..
Mann aud myself. IL is n grave clurge OF
serious misconduct IN public office
| These are nll the charges have made in
regard 10 the colored school Question. Ii
will he observed they all refer entirely TO
Mr. Manu- ns Sceretay and to his Reports.
| One line Of the above he never gave
us one word OF recognition, couniennnce or
nld,-Mr. Mann has quoted some eight or
ten times, and based many charges on il.
Had he quoted it in its connection, he, that
ls, he Secretary never gave us one word OF
recognition, &c.-it would have neutraIized
every argument he has tried TO extract from
it. While Mr.. Mann has been harping so
constantly on Interpretations, | have let this
gross perversion OF my meaning pass with
out remark, rather than seem captious and
iault-iinding.
will here take occasion 10 sny tho same
of his parallel passages about Jesuiism Il
any one viii read my ,ohOle paragraph on
that point, the correctness OF my criticism
will be apparent
repeat then the charge originally made
the only one have ever made, that IIornc,
Mann, as Secretary Of Me Board Of Education
never gave our attempt 10 abolish the colure.
schools one word ofrecognition, countenanc,
or mid. In oil this correspondence, Mr.. Mann
has not offered fact, an argument or a vii
ness, 10 disprove this specific charge. n
N"NHNs l'hlo "Ebf w 'hO bilili iNotltutlOU, Ill
was fully wakened to the importance of thi.
question and the wrong done TO the coloret
children, his subsequent silence, for the las
fifteen years, while their claims have beeI
undergoing discussion and their rights have
been stricken down for want of public adyo-
Gates, becomes more remarkable, aud is more
to he blamed.
made the above charge originally, he,
cause thought my duty to the slave de.
manded il. have alluded to il in these
Letters to rebut Mr.. Mann's claim, that be-
fore entering Congress, he had been so bold.
ly and frankly anli-slavery ms TO leave me nc
excuse for critcsing his Congressional
speeches, even il their language seemed
equivocal. have been very careful TO sub
sIanliate the charge for this reason. We
anti-savery lecturers are obliged every day
to make statements, the full evidence O.
which we have not time TO offer. When one
of these charges is denied, il becomes lis ic
lay before the public the nmplest evidence