Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-11-23
MOEGAN HND-

occasloned to some of our citizens, by
the invasion Of the State by John Nor
gan, in 1863. / have seen no cause for
changing the views expressed on this
subject in mysregular message delivered
at the commencement of your last ses-
sion. and therefore repeat the recommen-
dation therein made
school FUND.
Tie first section of Article Eight Of
our State Constitution provides as fol-
lows: knowledge and learning, oener-
ally GiffuSed throughout q community,
teing essential to the preservation of
Tree government. it shall bc the duty of
the General Assembly to encourage by
I'll suitable means. moral. intellectual,
scientific. aud agricultural Improvement;
AMI to provide 10y law for general and
ulifor:n system of common schools,
wherein tuition shall he without charge,
n1elaally open to all" The language
OF this provision is very broad. and
would seem, in letter and in spirit. to
embrace all the children in the State with
ont regard to color. Surely it can not be
denied that as we have a colorcd pofula
tioa in our midst. it is our interest indie
FcI lent of those considerations of natu-
raj justice and humanity which plead SO
strongly. to educate and elevate that
population. An ignorant and degraded
element is a burden and injury to socie-
~, whatever may be its color. 1t there
fore becomes a matter of sound political
economy, as well rs absolute justice, that
whatever colored population we may
have should be educated. and enabled to
become intelligent, industrious and use
ful members Oft the community. 1t is al
especially important ut this time,
when the President OF the United States
AMI the people of the North are requir-
ing the people of the South to make
provision for educating their colored
population. and protecting them in the
enjoyment of civil rights, that the North
ern States should set the example, and
practice what they preach, by extending
u their smaller colored population the
nights and benefit which they demand for
them from others
The laws of Indiana exclude colored
children from the common schools, and
make no provision whatever for their
education / would therefore recon-
mend that the laws be so amended rs to
require an enumeration to be made Of
the coforei children oftlie State, and such
aportion of the School Fund rs may be
III proportion 10 their number, bc set
apart and applied to their education 10y
the establishment of separate schools,
umler such suitable provisions and regu
latiols rs may be deemed proper. l
would not recommend that white and
colored children he placed together in
The same schools, believeing, as do, in
TIC present state of public opinion, that
to do so, would create dissatisfaction
and conflict. and impair the usefulness
OF the schools. | am informed that n
system can be devised, by which sepa-
rate schools for the education of colored
children can be successfully maintained
IN varioIS parts of the State, and
believe that Justice, humanity, and sound
policy require that it should he done.
By the school law of 1865. negroes
and mulattoes are not taxed for the sup
port of common schools, but if colored
schools should be established this law
should be so amended rs to subject then.
to like taxation with white persons for
educational purposes.
TESTIMONY OF CoLoRED PERSONS.
In my Message to the Legislature at
the last session. l held the following Ian
guage in regard to the admission of the
testimony of colored persons in cases in
which white persons are parties:
The statue which excludes negroes
from testifying in courts ofjustice, in ca
ses i'll which white persons are parties, is,
in my opinion, Il stigma upon the humani
II and intelligence of the State. The
idea that the white race must be protect
el against the colored, by imposing on
them this disability, is absurd. and has
been made the cover and protection for
much crime and injustice As the law
stands, murder may be pcrpetrated with
impunity 10y white persons in the pres
eace only of colored witnesses; and it is
we'll known that negroes are often en-
ployed by white persons rs the inStru-
mentS of crime and fraud, because of
their inability to testify in courts of JUS
tice. The interests ofboth races demand
that this disability be removed; and if
the fact of color affects credibility. that
can be referred to the court and jury as in
other cases, and would undoubtedly
receive due consideration. Indiana and
Illinois are the only free States whose
statute books are dishonored by the
retention of a law so repugnant to the
spirit ofthe age and the dictates of com
mon sense"
can add nothing to the force of what
have befo.e said, but desire again earn
cstlyto recommend the repeal of this
obnoxious statute. 1t is due, however
10 the State of Illinois, to say that her
statute book is no longer disgraeed by
this law, and that Indiana has the bad
eminence of being the only State in the
North that retains it.
INDIANA TROOPS.
The part which Indiana has taken in
the war for the suppression of the rebel
lion, is a matter upon which the citizens
of the State may justly pride themselves.
In the number of troops furnished
and in the amount of voluntary contribu-
tons rendered, Indiana, in proportion to
= her population and wealth, stands equal
. TO any OF her sister States. 1t is also a
e.