The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-14
EducatIOn in the Eorth and South.

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From the New Orleans Picsyane.
Gen. Butler, in his recent speech a
Lowell, Massachusetts,, declared that o
his own personal knowledge, out of ,
list Of 10000 in the Confederate army
who were paroled IS prisoners, ther,
was only one in eight who was able I,
sign his name This is stated as a fact
to rebut the argument against negro
suffrage, founded on the Ignorance o.
that class Of persons. 1t is a repetition
OF many similar statements, which have
been made at the North, to deceive that
people, in regard to the state of educa.
ton in the South. If such an assertion
should accomplish its object, and obtain
general credence there, it would <.
pose as dense q degree of ignorance
among that people, as Gen. Butler
would have them believe exists in the
South. A reference to the United
States census reports, which are within
the reach Of every inquiring citizen.
would serve to demonstrate the utter
impossibility that such a statement
could be true. There are other facts.
within our knowledge, which render
that point still more Conclusive
The only large body of paroled pris-
oners, of whose capacity to write their
names Gen. Butler could have had per-
sonal knowledge, were those who were
captured by him, or at least were pa
rolled by him, in the occupation Of this
city and in the military operations in
this State OF these We venture the
assertion that there was not one in a
hundred--nay, not one in two hundred,
who could not sign his name.
The persons paroled by Gen. Butler
were members of the local regiments
enrolled in this city for its defense
alone, and were not attached to the
regular army of the Confederstes.
When the city was occupied by the
Federals, these regiments were disbsnd-
ed, and the men who composed them
resumed their positions as citizens.
After Gen Butler had been here some
days he concluded to have these dis
banded ex-soldiers paroled The bu-
siness Of paroling being long and tedi-
ous. the officer having charge of it, re-
garding a parole, as the word implies,
as binding without as with a signature,
and having therolls of all the corps. dis !
pensed with the actual signing and
writing the names Of the parties him
sell, required them to attach a mark to
the same. The same process was
adopted at Port Hudson.
All our readers knew that such or
CARNATIONS as the Confederate Guards,
composed Of old and middle-aged citi-
zens, Of high social standing, could
have had few, if any, members who
could not write their names. The Con-
federate regulars, who we're captured at
the forts below the city, surrendered 70
Com. Porter, and were never required
to sign written paroles. In regular
military operations, the only body of
troops which were captured by the
United States troops, of General But
lers command, consisted Of the pOr-
tions of the Crescent and 18th R.gi-
ment, which were captured at Labadie- /
vile, in this State, by Weitzsls com
mand, and which were never ps-
rolled. If they had been, We doubt if
there would have been single one of
these regiments, who could not have
signed his name These were the ex-
tent of General Buffers captures whilst |
IN this Department. Where he ever
found eight thousand white adults in
this and the adjoining States, who could |
not write their names, will greatly puz-
ale our census-takers. According to |
the last census there were 2l, ,32l |
white adults in the State Of Louisiana
who could not read or write. In the |
State of Mississippi, the number was
LAOS. These proportions to the total /
population were very little larger than |
that of Massachusetts, where out of a |
population Of 994,3l4, there are 1889 |
who could not read or write The to- |
tai population Of Louisiana and Missis-
sippi are l,l35,030, Of which the total |
number of white adults who could not |
read or write was 1926. Out Of this /
number it would be very extravagant |
to estimate that there we're eight thous I
sand, who were in the military service,
and that they should all be included IN |
this small body Of troops, which opera
ted in these States against General /
Butler Of the military called out by
the Confederates ia these States more
than the half had been sent to distant
points in the South, where General |
Butler had no opportunity Of making
captures and granting paroles.
There is a great deal of very gross
exaggeration in these constantly re
peaied statements respecting the ignor-
ance OF the people in the Southern
States We are willing TO admit that
the educational facilities in the South
have not been equal 70 those Of the
Nortk, not from any lack Of apprecia-
ton by the people and the authorities
Of the necessity and benefit Of popular
or from any want Of liber-
ality in the appropriations by the Leg
70 carry out the great desires
Of The people.
The State Of Louisiana has sppropri-
ated within q certain period, q larger
amount Of its resources for educational
purposes, proportoned to its population
and means, than any other State Of the
Union.
The great obstacle 70 the general
education Of the masses Of the South
has been q geographical one, to-Eit the
sparseness Of the population. This diff
fculty, and the whole cause Of the
great success Of The New England
States, in this department, is iilustrst-
ed Dy simple reference 70 the census
returns. which show hat in the State
Of Massachusetts, the density Of the
population is l27 30 70 the square mile,
whilst that Of Louisiana is II S., and
that Of Mississippi is II Sc.
AParadlse Tor Rebel Planters.