Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-05-19
WHOLE NO. 5O2.


Mr.. Topp inquired if any conclusion hud beea
arrived at about the cost Of establishing such q
school.
DR.. Smith-The requisite foundation fund would
! be $4,000
Mr.. Topp was not opposed to this project but
he said be had to answer u great many questions
about its practicability, and would like to know
what prospect Of success the Committee had before
+ them
Edward B. Clark of New York differed from Mr..
Douglass in regard to the Of the opposition
manifested by the colored people to the proposed
school. The Manual Labor School never could
develop any degree Of perfection in mechanical or
agricultural education among its pupils. AT Ober-
lin, Oneida, and elsewhere this fact had long snco
become apparent. And if they established il,
what white man would teach cOlored childred
trade How could such an institution Le selfsus.
taining2 What would the $50 O00-not the first
cent Of which had been colected-amount to p
lie would suggest that social communities Vf col.
oy.d people be established, so that the mechanic
arts could be nuitured within their limits,
Mr.. Meyers said if this Council should see ct 10
fix upon some spot for the location of the proposed
school, the colored people need not 60 TO the Nhito
mans door for mechanical artistcal or literary la
Dor; for within themselves they possessed all tho
elements necessary to successfully carry or q com,
munty Of every department Of labor science and
art.
Mr.. Douglass was glad to hear anything in the
shape OF objection to the proposed college; that was
what he wanted TO get at. The true idea of this
school had not been fully steted it was not TO la
II strictly educational school, such at Oneida.
Oberlin, or elsewhere. The idea is not SO much
10 educate The heads as the hands; to facilitate the
mechanical advancement Of the coored people
The question is Have at this time in this ccun.
try the necessary facilities for the mechanical edu-
cation of the children of dusky hue? Ii there
arc doors open, or il there be any better means
than the establishment of a NEE. anical school, let
us know II. lie had seen it stated, in n paper in
this City that once endorsed by the coored
people Of ths country that in this City there were
AMPLE facilities fer training coored mechanics. II
this be true, why here such sch Oo is not needed,
But in his own locality no such facility in ex-
istcnce. lie knew that even in his own Office he
bad great difficulty in introducing colorcd boy to
work ut the side Of white men. If this school
should prove exclusive it would US he pnderatood
it, be the fault Of the whites and not Of the colored
people. The question Is this really practicable
p!an?" depends upon the amount Of lgW which
the colorei people bring to the work. or the money,
he did not for moment doubt that sum ample
enough for all purposes could he raised; IS 600,
he believed, would be enough to start this school,
With this they might not be able to teach every
branch of mechanic art in the start at first they
might have basket-makors, coopers, and such sim,
pie crafts; they only wanted beginning, Oberlip
did fail because they blended the cassics with
physical labor but because they allowed the
student to study without labor if he pleased which
produced aristOcracy, that looked down upon the
poor boy who toilod at the workbench as we'll az
st udied the classics. lie continued: Our object
is to make labor honorable and if we ent,r upon
the work with determination to succeed, succeed
we shall. The process of making bedstead or a
bureau in such n school is the in the work
shops Of the city and the boy might learn mucb
and he thought more where both his mind and
muscle were educated, than where only his muscles
were brought into play
Mr.. Muffin had supposed that 100000 or sl0o,,
OOO would he required to establish such SC hool
but if, as Mr.. Douglass had said, $1,000 would
start such an Institution, he would advise the
several State councils to establish one in each
State. at an outlay Of $1,000 or 10000 for each.
lie thought such a plan would be better than to
start colossal college at vast expense with the
almost certain prospect of failure
Dir Toppof Albany was of opinion that taking
this State through, end the States Of Ohio and
Massachusetts whole, the culored children
could not get an opportunity to learn mechanical
trades, and if they could learn, they could get no
opportunity to labor, on account Of toe antpathy
Of the white journeymen. In his own shop toe
white jOurneymau tailors who worked for him
struck against his employing colored men. Mr.,
Topp believed that there is grave necessity foE
the establishment of such q school. The fact is,
the most opposition is met with from the ocalled
friends of the coored people who say, why. YOU who
are So strongly opposed to caste schools, and caste
are about to start such school your.
selves. To meet this, we inform them that tho
caste distinction, if any, is on the pant Of the
distinctions shall exist among Us,
Mr.. Geo. 7. Downing was not able to see clearly
tho practicabity of this plan. There is. and
the truth must be spoken, too much apathy op our
part We might il We pleased and plenty Of op-
pOrtunties of learning trades and working at them
aiterward. lie enumerated many instances in
proof Of his position. The only argument lhs,
could be advanced in favor Of this school was that
it might tend to induce coloi cd people to feel tho
necessity Of educating their children to trades
of
Oppressive. An instance Of this kind is sio~n BY
the schools Of Worcester, where at the wish of the
coored citizens soperatc scht oil was started ard
failed. Such he thought, would be the fate Of the
Manual Labor School.
Mr.. Stephen Smith Of Philadelphia said that
most Of the colored mechanics in Philadelphia had
received their education in the South and hp
knew that the colOred Ieope Of the City Of Phil
adelphia could not obtain opportunity to learn me-
chanic trades. Butwhencyer colorld man under
stood trade, he was sustained in Philadel pha
and Mr.. Smith hoped the Report would be adop-
ted.
Dr.. Pennington thought tlat the colored people
ought to do their part in elucating men with the
whites; the white people established schools for
black and white-why should not the colored poo.
pie start schools and workshops far white and
black?
Mr.. j. f. Brown of Emira instaaced several
colored workshops aud workmen In Elmra whers
white and coIored were employed; in many oases
COluteu mechaulcs were unable 10 get coored boys
to learn their trades. He belieN ed that colored
mechanics could always find employment.
Pending the debate tho Council adjourned td
II! M.
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN ANTI.SLAvERY
SOCIETY.
This Society held its Annual Business Meeting
yesterday, at their rooms, No. A. Beekma man-st.s
when the Rev. S. S. Joeelyn presided.
Lewis Iappan Esq, the Corresponding Sccre-
large number of books and tracts that have been
published by the Society thesestablishment of
The NdtioRaI Era by the Executive Ccmmittee.
which was subsequently, sold to DR.. G. Bailey; the
liberation Of the Amstad Africans; and tie sstab-
shment of the Mend Missions, (under the alsp:-
ces of the American Missionary Assocaton.1
krn,.rht nLc z