Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-06

Lo6AL Affairs.
The TrAcnEns or THE CoLonrp SCHOOLS

THE TEACHERS OF THE CoLoRED Schools.
After our report closed yesterday afternoon,
General o. o. Howard addressed the meeting.
He thought II would have been better for him 10
have como 10 the teachers meeting TO listen
rather than 10 address them, as he had nothing
speeial 10 present 10 them. He was glad TO meet
80 hne body Of teachers, who were possessed Of
work was to look amer the regulation Of labor
among the freedmen TO prevent them, a. far az
possible, from starving. The next work, and
perhaps the most important, was their education.
be educated. il was necessary TO their elevation
and development. Men, he said, might talk
nonsense alt day but II the eolored people de-
voted themselves 70 their schools daily, they
would themselves solve the problem, and show
TO the world . capacity to receive . proper edu-
cation. Men who were prejudioed on this ques-
tou had come TO him frequently and asked !:
why press the education OF the freedmen nowi
Other things are Of more Importance now.
Would II not be better to provide them nrst with
WORK, and after they have learned that and how to
take care Of themselves, then make the attempt
Genersi II. said he had often observed that boys
who had commenced to learn at the ages Of three,
four, or Eve years, generally grew up TO be use.
fui men, who served faithfully In the church and
~ the various pursuits Of ne. ne believed that
70 the thousands Of little colored children Of the
present time; they were fully a. apt TO learn and
educate themselves As white children. Some
turs very difsrsnt rom that q the white man |;
that they could DO educated only TO . certain
extent, being unable TO comprehend anything
Daring the past eighteen months. the General
continued, the eolored children had made fully
A. much progress In their studies a. children OF
corresponding grades In the white schools. He
visited, short time since, In the South, In com
pany with the principal Of high school in the
soufh, d colored school In his Vicinity, and the
gentleman who accompanied him admitted that
IL never saw greater Improvement in any other
school In the same time. He favored going on In
the good work, earnestly, pertinaeiously and re-
guiarly, and thus falsify the false theory that
oolored men are not susceptible Of education.
Education, he said, was their foundation II was
the key to their enjo yment Of freedom, and he
Thanked the teachers for their -endeayors In be-
half Of the oolored people Of this District. The
odium they might, at present, have heaped upon
them, for the labor they had now engaged Ia for
the welfare Of the colored race, wouid, In after
year,, rebound TO their credit and glory. They
. uould then be honored for the love they now be.
q, slowed upon the freedmen.
Tho teachers present, he commended, were ~
great as the greatest in the country. They were
. engaged In great work, and II those soldiers
who died In defence Of their country were hon
ored, 90 would those be hopored BY their pos
terity who stand shoulder to shoulder In thu
cause Of educating the freedmen. In order to
give . fair chance, fair hope TO these freedmen
Il was imperatiyely necessary that they be edu'
Gated. He felt that all who had perseyered In
this work for q eonsiderable length OF time were
moral and religious, and had faith In God.
Chaplain A. N. Stewart, OF the Presby teriaI
Church, also addressed the meeting.
After some discussion In regard to textbooks
the Association adjourned.