The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-14

Negroes Ina TrigOnOmetry and the Classic
From the Tribune.
If the large class of Americans, imported ant
native, who have been educated to expires
their hatred of equal rights and their preiudict
against race by mouthing with hot rage, Of
airy contempt the word "Niggerl" could bc
compelled to visit in detachments the PhHadel
phia Institute for Colored Youth, on Shipper
street, they would speedily get cured of the false
ideas upon which slavery in the United States
sought logical and lawful foundation, and
which now inspire the opponents of impartial
suffrage to resist the extension of the ballot to
the black man. We visited this school last
week, and for two days witnessed its annual
commencement exercises We saw there abun-
dance evidence:-
]. That under the management and instruc.
ton of col0red teachers, male and female there
is in Philadelphia school for the education of
girls and boys in the Latin and Greek Classics,
the Mathematics, History, Geography aud
Composition, which is fully equal to the best of
the endowed academies of Massachusetts, and
New Hampshire. This is saying great deal,
but we will stand by it.
II. We saw that under the development of
this culture, favored by the strong social posi-
ton which the colOred population in Philadel-
phia have attained III that freest of our great
cities, there were l0l DOyS ana girls OF African
descent as intelligent, as set.respectful, as well
hammered, as well dressed, and as promising as
the same number of school children In any of
he best schools of New England. To be more
specihc-.we saw large school of colored
pupils, who, IN no respect, save color and fea-
lures, differed at all from the best educated and
most carefully trained white boys end girls of
he same age in the best academies of the
Northern States. In all respects they were fully
their equals.
I'LL We saw colored children of both sexes
between the ages of twelve and nineteen
rigidly examined in Xenophon's "Anabass" and
the Greek Testament, in Virgils "Eneid,n
Cicero's orstons and Horace's songs, in plane
and spherical trigononetry, Legendre's geome-
try, algebra, mental arithmetic, English ANALYSIS
history and geography, and saw that they under
stood and knew what they recited; that they
were radically and thoroughly Instructed; that
their answers TO questions were not exercises of
memory; that they had not been drilled parrot
like for public show; and that they had sue
cessfullv received from colored instructors the
educatlons which our best schools give white
children preparatory to entering college.
w. We heard compositions read and declama-
tions delivered upon such themes as "The
Element of Worship" "The Education OF
Women" "The Age of Pericles,n "The Ameri.
can Congress" 81 ne Province of Poetry, - 'In-
dividual Effort, "The New Rome, "''The Two
Cnsars.' These pertormances--original marked
with thought, OF high grade OF excellence in
the use of language aud structure of sentences
and tull of generous feeling and morality-had
they been listened to by the most preiudlced
upholders OF caste, would surely have shamed
them out of all further talk about the inferoity
OF the African race, and brought them to
candid confession that there is nothing in the
organization of the colored American which
should withhold from him complete political
ranchsement-nothing in his character or
capacities which can longer uphold the mean
and cowardly lie that the Government of the
United States was intended to be white
mans government"
Richard Humphreys, member OF the Society
of Friends IN Philadelphia, preparing for his
death IN the year 1882, devised $40 600 in trust
Ito instruct descendants of the African race in
school learning, in the various branches of the
mechanic arts and trade, and in agriculture, in
order to prepare and qualify them to act as
teachers in those branches of useful business"
That little sum Of money was the seed from
which has grown up the Shippen Street Colored
High School, 1t would well repay visit by any
generous and public-spiIited man in this city.
The example of Dene6cence and patriotism set
by the Quaker Humphreys, If followed in New
York by some citizen intrusted with great
wealth, would produce results of the highest
social and political value.