New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-06-02
A TIMELY MONUMENT.

A statue of the late Horace Mann is to be
erected in or near the Massachusetts State
House. The announcement, at time like this,
is eminently suggestive. The Rebellion, with
Emancipation as its consequence, has opened
such field as Public Educators have rarely
been called to enter. People say that the
Blacks are lazy, superstitious, dishonest with
out plan Of life, or prudence, or aspiration. thrift
less illogical and sensual. Generalities like
these with just truth enough in them to make
them mischievous, would be intolerable lift were
possible to act upon them; but the instinct OF
selfpreservation, which often compensates for
lack of public virtue, will probably save us from
stolid and systematic injustice. We have been
to q most costly school during the past five
years. and have had modicum of wisdom
fogged into u.s. We have found out that ig-
norauce is expensive, and that reading and
writing are as necessary to the public safety as
vaccination or ventilation. The American
theory is that an ignorant man is not merely linz
tied in his usefulness, but that he is dangerous,
that he keeps out Of crime, if at oil, merely by
accident, that he cannot be trusted to vote, and
that if the majority were like him, illiteratc We
must crawl from Democracy to despotism, and
seek repose under the rule Of some heavy handed
autocrat. That is tho theory. of the truth OF
which we say nothing here. Now, all we have
ever asked of this country has been fidelity to its
fundamental theories; because it is morally cer-
tain that a country which has its constitution
and its conduct at cross-purpOses must come
sooner or later to rotous confusion, and must
buy peace at the expense Of liberty.
The groaning has already begun. A low.
spirited gentleman in Accomac, Virginia, writes
plaintively TO his friend in Boston: 81 wish you
could but witness the terrible result Of this I'M
mediate emancipation see the Squalor and
wrctchedness, some with scarce garment left;
wan with hunger and hardship-and Oh the
mortality among them has been fearful those,
too, who but little more than year ago were
well fed, well used and well cared for. And
this is freedom! God help the poor negro" or
course the low-spirited gentleman adds: " be-
ieve in emancipation, but not immediate; all
such great changes should be gradual" a" Free
them, Lord :" prayed aNew-England Divinity
Doctor; "but do il gradually" as If the Lord
needed advice upon the subject. Whether he
did or not He certainly has not followed il, and
Gradual Emancipation j. ali idea as thoroughly
exploded as Slavery itself. 1t matters not
whether the cautious and aspen-limbed want il
or not-they cannot have H. and that is the end
OF the whole matter! They might as well stick
their fingers in their eyes and bubber for the
moon. God help the poor negro We suppose
He Will in His own way. In the meanwhile
suppose man should help him too Providen-
tial assistance must come through human
agency at last. A. for sitting down in sack
cloth and ashes, as for bowling like dogs or der
wishes, os for succumbing to despair, ~ for
trusting to luck, We believe that the land has
too much maniness to be guilty Of such cry
baby folly. There are difficulties and dangers,
and every nation with spark OF vitality left
must expect to encounter these. Nothing worth
having comes 10 us in our sleep.
If the Black is n mere beast (Which We do not
HtlcNtD WE uillNl uulihIlLc uiIils SuN
in hot haste that il cannot be DONE If not, SO
much the verse for us! But we summon rs
witness Mr.. Edward Stanley, who, in his extra
ordinary letter to Mr.. Sumner, says: 1t is a.
fact well known to residents in Newbern that
for many years before the Rebellion, there
were schools for negroes in that town. In
hundreds Of families negroes were taught to
read" We suspect the Newbem negroes were
not. very profound scholars, but Mr.. Stanley
fixes the fact that they can be instructed to do
what 10 horse. COW OF dog can be taught 10 do.
Now those who can learn Ia read can learn to
write, to cypher, TO master at least all the ele-
mentary branches ofleaning. Who believes that
with these simple accomplishments generally
diflused we should hear anything more of
" hunger" and Hardship" and "squalor,
and " wretchednessi" We beg leave to protest
against any Misunderstanding Of our remarks.
We do not expect the adult Blacks TO become
miracles of crnditiOn. Most OF them will, we are
sorry to say, die as ignorant as they have lived.
We turn TO the children-we intercede for the
next generation! The excellent man to whom
We alluded in the beginning Of thin article
passed the best part of his life in securing for
every child in Massachusetts the opportunity of
good instruction. He has left a great and pure
fame. He who leads in the work of rescuing
the Black from the bondage and the dangers of
ignorance, will deserve u far finer monument
han, in the present condition of art, he will be