Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-02-01
Soaossd hen II thu District Of Co
lumbia.


orally, may have had something 70 do
with the recent vote In the House Of
Representatives, In favor OF universal
and unqualified suffrage among them.
We now find the idea confirmed by
speech of Mr.. Van Horn of New York
His ststement as to the intelligence and
thrift Of the District colored people Is
highly Interesting. Nor is their patriot
ism rs shown by their conduct during
the war against the rebellion, Of less in.
terest, and We therefore quote from the
speech referred TO as follows;
MIR. Van Horn: learn that q
large portion OF all the taxes paid into
the national Treasury In this District is
paid by colored property holders and
business men some who pay taxes
on sums as high as $4,000; whose en-
terprise and business thrift 90 very far
towards giving this District its present
advanced condition of prosperity, and
whose high moral character, as class,
does not suffer by comparison with
any other, when We take into account
the favor with which it has been treat
ed by those who have been superior to
them in point of privilege.
One of the cOlored people OF this Dis
trict pays taxes on 100000 worth Of
property accumulated by himself and
when we abolished slavery in the District
one Of them, laboring man, held q
mortgage against the estate of Senator
Douglas for $4,000, and a mortgage
against the adjoining house also, the
property OF Senator Rice, for $4,000.
This large property interest has q
right to be heard in the administration
of affairs in this District, 10 protect it
self against injustice. and secure for it.
self proper direction and share of the
public charaties and public expendi-
lures Ii is a remarkable fact, which l
hope does not now exist, that up to
quite recent period this unfortunate
class of people were prohibited from
forming and sustaining schools by their
own efforts, and at their own expense,
for the education Of their children.
What record do these COlOred people
In the District present to the country
According to the census of 1860 the col
fifteen thousand. 1t has been some
what increased of late, as one of the con-
sequences of the war, but the statistics
which here submit present state
and condition of things produced by
the enterprise, intelligence, and thrift
of the population above referred to, and
before the war
The value of real and personal prop
erty now owned by them is over one
million two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars.
The value of church property held by
them Is about one hundred twenty five
thousand dollars, consisting of twenty
three churches, which are supported at
a cost of over twenty thousand dollars
per annum. The number OF church
communicates is four thousand three
hundred, while the average attendance
upon religious services is nine thousand,
some Of these being attendants upon
oervices at. Catholic and Episcopal
churches controlled by whites. The
number of sabbath schools for colored
persons is twenty three, attended by
between three and four thousand pu-
pills.
or other schools for colored children
there are thirty-three, and the number
of pupils attending them during the
month of November, 1865, was four
Thousand and thirty. Six of these
schools are entirely supported by the
colored people, others are supported by
the generosity of the northern benevo-
lent societies, though the necessary
books, stationery, &C., are furnished
chiefly by the colored people them
selves.
Four thousand of the colored popula-
tion of the District can read and write.
They subscribe for about forty-fve hun
dred copies OF newspapers, q large pro-
portion of these being dailies.
OF societies for literary, benevolent,
and other purposes, they have over
thirty, and through the agency of these
they, to verp great extent, provide for
and support the needy, and infrm of
their race in the District, the city gov
eminent having but very small per
cent. of colored paupers to support.
This is a record of class of citizens
In this community, ninety per cent. of
which were slaves or the immediate de-
scendants of slaves, many having pur-
chased their own freedom and that of
their families.
And what record, sir, have they made
during the war, and since they were al
lowed to reinforce our armies, and share
in the trials and honors of the great
conflict7"
The colored population OF this Dis
trict, as a class. have shown as much
devotion to our country during the re-
cent struggle through which it has
passed as their white neighbours. They
have exhibited, TO say the least, as high
order of loyalty, and as much of It, as
the white population. They were al
ways true, always friends to the Gov
erument. in sunshine or In storm. in
victory or defeat. White many with a
whittier skin were plotting treason and
TO overthrow the Govern
ment which had made them all they
were, and given them their daily bread,
no treason or conspiracy was ever found
In their ranks. or stained thesI hands
with the iuuOcent blood Of the loyal