The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-03-23
Letter OF Judge Underwood.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT Court,
ALEXANDRIA, Va, March Q, 1867.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT Court,
ALEXANDRIA, VA, March ., 1867.
Hon. Charles Sumner:
DEAR SIR: Shall the Southern States still
be controlled by the men and the policy that
have already brought ruin, disgrace, power.
ty, and starvation upon them, or shall they
adopt the policy Of the enlightened States
Of the North, and of the nineteenth century !?
Shall laws, monopoly. and class legislation,
with the necessarily attending ignorance and
degradation Of the masses, still prevail, or
shall we take a new departure from the old
course, and secure universal education and
free schools, with their inevitable accom-.
! pHninent of enterprise, equality, wealth,
temperance, morality, religion, public, pri.
vatc and domestic happiness? Daring my
! Northern exile from home in 1856 for oppo.
! Sltion to the extension of slavery into the
free Territory of Kansas, | spent months in
studying the free school system ofthe North.
cru States, and found in 1t the sprin. and
cause Of Northern wealth, strength, power,
and unexampled material, mental aud NOR.
al progress. it is perfectly dcnonstrable
! that every dollar iudiciously expended in
those States for education has been return
ed tenlold in material wealth, to say nothing
! of the more important culture aud refine.
, ment which have given dignity Of character
and elevation of purpose. and those prince.
/ y heneiac'ions and philauthropic charities
Of their Lawrcnces and Peabodys, the won
! dcrs of the world, and which never fail to
spread their gentle and clevating influences,
/ their Christian and civilizing characteristics,
through every avenue and department Of
| social aud domestic life. If the State of
Virginia, in her present apparently hopeless
! condition, should adopt the maxim Of the
! North, that the property Of the State shall
! educate the children OF the State, and impose
tax OF three per cent, On all her real
estate, her only present means, for he pur.
/ pose OF building lighthouses, procuring
| libraries, aud creating fund for the pay.
ment Of teachers, it would not only aid in
/ Kidding the State Oft most terrible remain.
! ing curse OF land monopoly, but within three
years the Sl2, 600, 900 thus produced would
:
aristocracy and raise our real estate from
! its present assessed value of SiGo. 0OO, 900,
! to at least $500, 600, 900, with all the other
manifold and inestimabc benefits of the
hnmanizing and enrolling power Of educa,
ton. 1t was the glory Of the good King
| Alfred Of Old England that he made justice
cheap and brought it to every poor mans
door. How much greater glory shall those
statesmen achieve, who, in imitation Of the
wise founders Of New England institutions,
| shall make education cheap, and bring it
within tie reach q all the children of the
| poor South 1t Is now the province Of the
! Fortieth Congress to determine whether the
| old Dourbons, with their cruel code of class
privileges, their bowie knives and revolvers
| shall be restored to power, or whether the
! sweet amenities and mild charities of the
new despen alton established by the fathers
and sages of New England shall be spread
| over the desoated territories of the late Va.
! belious States. in the name Of our com.
mon Christianity beseech you, III the re-
organization of these new governments,
leave nothing to the hazards Of chance or
accident Kindly but firmly adopt those
wcl.matIred measures and principles which
! shall assure to those in the future all the
| blessings which you enjoy in your own hap.
| Ply and peaceful homes-the blessings of
free and.equal laws, of universal education,
Of freedom Of the press and freedom Of reli-
gion and, above all, prevent the terocous
and bloody men who have destroyed so many
lives and 30 much accumulated wealth from
wreaking their threatened revenge upon
their fellow citizens who, for their conf
'lence in yonr Justice and humanity, am MI Nv
! adherence to you and the flag of our conn.
try, have ALREADY suffered more dreadful
| prosecutions than this century has anywhere
seen inflicted upon any people in any civil
| lied country on this green earth. Save us
from becoming fashioned like rebel Dem.
ocratic kentucky but conform us to recon.
struced republican Tennessee, and we will
then feel that those Of us who still live can
thank voU and our Heavenly Father, and
that those Of us who have fallen in the struc.
gle by the violence nt cur common enemies
have not died in vain. Your obcdent sar.
| want JOHN {. UNDERWOOD.
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