Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-11-30
Teaching "Niggers.o

The Southern Loyalist, published at
Memphis, Tennessee, contains an article on
the subject of the Northern Teachers in
Memphis engaged in teaching colored chill
dren, which we copy below, and commend
its moral and Christian spirit to the consid-
Grafton Of our readers. One of the "pio-
neers" in this work, Miss Mary B. Johnston,
is the daughter Of Rev. J. B. Johnston Of
this place, and is highly accomplished
aud Christian lady:
"They must 5e very common, low flung
kind of women who come down from the
North to devote themselves to teaching
niggersl" is the sentiment if not expressed
opinion Of very large proportion of the
Southern white people. They cant imagine
the self-abuegation that could lead any one
to such field Of labor. They could admire
heroic selfsacriice for an intelligent, q
proud, white race, but not for people
ignorant and poor and black, and often hav-
ing the weaknesses and vices that arc en-
gendered by oppression which makes even
a wise man mad. A very brief acquain.
tance with the lady teachers thus misjudged
would disabuse many Southern prejudices ;
q
our country would lead to better apprecia-
ton Of the labors of the noble young wo-
men who have sacrificed social comfort,
home pleasures. the ties Of Kindred the re-
lations of friendship and in many cases
their physical health, to engage with small
prospect of remuneration 10 a hard and
despised field Of labor. A number of these
volunteer aborers for humanity are the
daughters or other relatives Of clergymen
oil the highest respeetabiity. Some of
them have had hero. brothers who nobly
died in defense of free institutions and our
national government. Others Of them have
male relatives who occupy distinguished
civil and military positions. There is not
one of them who was not required to bring
with her testimonials Of unimpeachable
moral character and mental abiity-such
testimonials being endorsed by clergymen
of their places Of residence, and approved
by the purely benevolent organizations
under whose auspices these female apostles
of Christ and Progress came South.
These young woman are modest, intelli-
gent, unassuming, rather plain ia their
dress, rather retiring in their manners
They understand the art of teaching. They
can inspire their pupils with a, sort of en-
thusiasm in pursuit of knowledge, and
their schools are in some respects superior
to the white schools under the care of the
city. Is it not singular that these worthy
young ladies', with such high characters
and unso6sh purposes, such lives of labo.
rious usefulness, and whose intimacy would
do honor to any sphere ofMemphis woman
hood, are almost unknuwn?-have never
been called on by single lady teacher in
the Memphis public or private schools. and
are supposed by very many worthy Mem
phis ladies to be coarse, illiterate and vicl-
Gus women, whose aim is to marry black
men. When, by and by, the teachers in
the freedmen's schools are better known,
many q cheek will blush red with shame at
by-gone unworthy suspicious and unchari-
table surrnises. We don t argue the capa-
hility of the negro for improvement,-we
don't discuss the possibility OF his some
time rivaling the white in general inteli.
gence but we claim that the teachers of
the freedmen's schools will compare favor
ably with any of their traducers in the
purity of their purposes, an the usetulaess
Of their lives.
There are now fourteen teachers aud a
superintendent employed in the education
Of the freedmen in this city. Several other
persons employed as matroB, etc.. are rated
as teachers. Twelve of the teachers are
ladies and two gentlemen. They were sent
out by several Northern benevolent organ
izations that have recently been consollda'
ted. The superintendent is O. e. Waters,
ESQ.,, a very worthy, prudent and efficient
gentleman, who is taking measures to place
the schools on q substantial basis by secur-
ing for them permanent school buildings.
All the teachers and superintendent board
in one house. .;cal,ed the "Home," the matron
of which is Mrs :LucyIE Sta =, the worthy,
clear headed and kind-hearted widow OF q
clergyman. This boarding in one house
affords social comfort, facilitates the inter,
change of views on educational matters,
and is vastly more pleasant than would be
boarding in separate families as the teach.
ers in our Memphis public schools do. The
6rst teachers who came down and faced the
storm of prejudice had to undergo great
deal of funpleasantness, celdness and obloquy.
The prominent pioneers were Miss Eliza
Mitch I, Miss Mary B. Johnston, Miss Josie
| Henshaw, Miss Fannie Kiddoo, Miss Aggle
Henry. Miss Mary Kingsbury, Miss Belle
Rose, Miss Jennie Buck, and Mrs. Hattie
Northrop.
Miss Kiddoo had to go North, as he1
health failed after two years of devoteC
labor. Several others have on account o.
failing health been obliged to leave, bu
most of them are still aboring on as faith
fully as ever. The teachers now here are
DR.. VIM. Bailey, Mrs DR.. W. Bailey, Mis-
Mary B. johnson, Miss Josie Henshaw
Miss Jennie l., Buck, Miss Belle Rose, Mis-
Susan Bailey, Miss Sarah Bailey, Miss p
Bootz, Miss s. A. Sprague, Miss Nelli
Kimball, Miss Mary e. Tyler, Miss Hannal
T. Leper, Mrs Il. o. Tade, Rev. I. N
Stewart, Miss - Waugh, Miss - Ora
ham, Rev. Joseph Cheetham, Miss Lo'
Henly.
As soon as the needful buildings are pu
in order there will be eighteen schools pu
in operation. There are now fourtee
schools opened, and they have an averag
attendance of about eight hundred pupils
This education Of eight hundred Memphi
children entirely at the expense OF NORTH
ern benevolence, is one proof that there
no lack of kindly feeling for the South
: even among the most radical people OF tn
Northern States. We have no space to n,
tice further at this time the many interes
ing schools for the education Of the childre
J Of freedmen
"PEopLE may say what they will abov
country air being SO good for em, sa
: Mrs. Darlington, ''and hew they can fat y
: on it, for my part, think it is owing tot