The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-09-30
Edncation in the South.

Education is the only thing that can bring
the masses of the Southern people under the lnhu-
euce of the general sentiment OF the conntry-
We have been speaking of the emancipation of
the poor whites of the South The poor whites
will not be emancipated until they are lifted out
of their bottomless ignorance A very intelligent
oentleu6an from Alabama with whom T. had a
Conversation about this subject, toldim that on
every plantation of fifty to sixty slaves ne could
pick out from fifteen to eighteen negroes that
were in point of intelligence far above the average
of the moor whites As long as that ignorance
and the stupid preiudices fostered by it remain
unbroken. that whole class of people will hang
like clog at the feet Of every progressive move
ment. Then there are the blacks themselves
Who is there here to teach them No Southern
white man or woman will do it for, as | have
been told hundred times, no man that respects
himself would degrade himself so far as to make
II business to teach in niger schools. li1
Here is a fair field of activity for the mission
arv sn;rit of the North. Nothing that charitable
beneyolence can do for the South is more lmpor-
tant than this. There is at the present moment
nrobably not a single school in operation In the
interior of this State and there will De put few
next winter, unless teachers are sent and PAID by
| the North. l admit the labor VIII not be OF
| the plqasantest for the individuals engaged. In
many localities they will have to combat stubborn
nreindices. for some of the hard-shell Baptist
poor whites are of the opinion that . larnln' IS
| an evil thing. AT other places where negro
schools are to be started the teachers must expect
| to meet frowning faces and insulting sneers on
| the part of the superior race but as long as
the military are here there will be no danger.
When you speak to Southerners about the ne
cessitv of educating the negroes and poor whites,
some of them will 90 so far as to tell you that it
| Il matter worthy of consideration. When you
ask them what they are going to do about it,
thew will reply that they do not know they
| reckon they cannot do any thing at present.
When Won suggest that the people ought to tax
themselves for that purpose, they will reply in
nine cases out of ten, that the people cannot af-
| ford now to spend money for such things that
the people are poor and must De economical
that besides, the people do not trouble themselves
1 much about the matter poor whites do not care
10 be educated and if niggers want to be educa-
ted thew must pay for it themselves. This said,
| tbe alter is dropped with indifference. 1t will
| reouire the experience of many years to make
MANY Southern men belonging to the I" en-
liohtened' class understand that an efficient sys
i tenn of popular education is the very fountain
frenn which free-labof society draws its strength
and health. They are apt to recoil even from the
4 difficulties with which the diffusion of useful
/ knowledge among the poor whites is surrounded;
| much less are they likely to trouble themselves
about the education of the blacks. gH4 .s'Ht
tits proper, nay tits necessary that the teachers
sent here 10 instruct the negroes should be in
spired with sincere sympathy for the race
! But it is also very important that they should
n have cool heads. Their Judgment should not be
too weak for their enthusiasm. They should be
able to see things as they are, and not act upon
the presumption that the negroes, because they
are entitled to our sympathy, must therefore be
faoltIess. When explaining to them their rights,
they should not forget to mention the duties
which the enjoyment of those rights devolves
upon them They will serve the colored people
best by giving them sober advice They must
keep in mind that the negroes will have to live
together with the white people Of these States,
and that in the end it will be far better to har-
monize their interests and feelings than to EN-
bitter their relations by yezcting addresses Bos
!. ton Advertiser. -sm y