The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-10-06
Thursday Morning, Oct. 6, 1864.
Can the Blacks be Educated2

1t is favorite theory with some sientific
men that the blacks can only be educated to
certain point, and beyond that all effort is
useless. They allege that up to thirteen or
fourteen years Of age black children will learn
as readily as white, but after that, make but
little progress. The following extract from a
long article in the Presbyterian, giving an ac-
count of the way in which very remarkable
colored man, whom the writer recently met
acquired his education, is not quite in harmo-
ny with this theory:
While small boy, and before he was put TO
work, George was the playmate OF his masters
children. Hearing them often repeated, he
learned from them the names Of the letters
In their order. Corrected by bis "young mas
tiers" or young mistresses," when he went
wrong, he learned to repeat them accurately
and orderly. Here he stopped for some time.
At length he found, confscated and hid, an
Old spelling book. Over this he pored for
months, whenever he could hide himself from
observation. Knowing well that such book
was contraband to him, and that he would be
punished If found with it in his hands, he was
obliged to use great caution. But his white
playmates had inadvertently given him a
starting point. He knew that the first letter
Of the alphabet was called A, the second, B.
the third, G, the fourth, D, and so on, Hunt
Ing ap what ne as the time supposed was the
alphabet, he soon became so familiar with the
features of the several letters that he could
recognize them at sight. Next came the
mere difficult matter, to one learning without
the slightest assistance, of combining sounds
in the simple monosyllables ba, be, bi, &c.
Bnt this difficulty was mastered in time, and
then, having but little trouble with the longer
words, he soon learned to read.
Eor long time his first was his only book.
How many times it was read through il would
be impossible to say. But he did not rest
Aere. Abstracting from his masters house
such books as were least likely to be missed,
and returning them as soon as possible, he
read much-more, perhaps, than any member
Of his masters family. He felt perfectly safe
80 long as he was not discovered indulging In
this dangerous amusement, for if book was
missed for few days, no one would suspect
George of having taken it. Finally, young
master" studied Latin and Greek Some time
after, the slave, in his explorations, found a
Latin grammar, which had been cast aside,
and would never be missed Why should he
not work this new vein? He did work it, Sc
erety and unaided, of course, but patiently,
diligently auu pcreevesinslyr Qbstaolss ward
gradually overcome, the grammar was finally
mastered. And then came the Greek gram
mar, an old copy Of which was obtained sE
the Latin grammar had been. This was a
new field. The task now before the solitary
and unaided slaVe-student was intricate and
perplexing. 1t required undagging persever-
ance. Bnt as he had been to others, so he was
equal TO this emergency. By dint of long and
hard study, he went through with his Greek
grammar. And then he secured an elemental
Fy book in each language, and tried to learn
to read it. But his progress was slow. He
needed an instructor-s1me one to give him
starti and he obtained one in singular way.
About this time George was hired upon a
neighboring plantation, and being known as
an active, faithful and intelligent "boy," though
1t was not even suspected that he could read,
he was put in charge of distillery. In the
family 0: his new master he found an Irish
tutor, who was teaching both the Latin and
Greek, and who inherited, as was soon discov-
ered the national love for whlskey. George
had the bait, butcould he catch the fish? At
the risk of exposing himself he resolved to
try. He did try, and he succeeded For so
many pints of whiskey he received so many
hours Of secret instruction. Under the strin-
gent laws Of the State the tutor run a heavy
risk, and probably no other temptation would
have been sufficiently powerful, This new
and additional engagement in the family did
not seem to improve the teachers habits, and
after few months he was dismissed. But
meanwhile the black student had pro6ted
greatly from the instruction he had received,
He was now able to 60 on alone, and did SO.
Soon after this, came this rocking convulsion
of our civil war, In tie eourss of which George
finds himself freeman, and private in the
"Flrst Tennessee Light Artillery of A. d."