New-York tribune., 1867-06-14
THE Peabody Trust

If ANYTHING may be taken for granted, We
should think the right OF the Northern people
might bc to send their principles where they
arr compelled 10 send their power. Thus far,
n, regards the South. they have done this.
II was done in the Constitutional Amendment
which dcclced Northern liberty rs the result
of Northern conquest II was done IN the Clyil
Right, hill. which imposed Northern ideas of
Justice on those who had 10 be ruled. lt was
done in the Military bill which put Northern
equity behind the law of force. Gen. Long
street has allowed our full title 20 do this and
advises hi, fcllow-citzcDs to submit gracefully,
and gratefully if they can, to all the neccSsi-
lies of thcir condition. He admits that North
cln IDEAS must follow the Northern sword.
The CONQUERED must accept the full civilization
of the conQueTol.
But il ideas may follow the sword, why
should they not follow the purse' They who,
I'M 10 this time, have undertaken the task oi
educating the Southern people. have acted on
the prnciplc that they should. They have not
asked their bcncficaricS what sort of schools
they would prefer, but have given thcm the
best they themselves had. They sent Northern
books and apparatus Northern men aud
women, more lilh llllt' iufN l''iNA'' ''''''
their teachers should be Northern all over, and
all through, good friends of the black man,
stout Abolitionists They have made effort to
plant themselves. 10 obtain possession of land
and buildings, 80 that their schools might be-
come institutions beyond the control of local
authorities who were hostile to their enter
prises. They could not do this to any great
extent, because their funds were barely sui1-
cient for current expenses; but according To
Their ability cncy made their schools centers
of social and moral aS well as Of intellectual
influence.
The trustees of Nh. Pcabody's Fund pro-
cced, apparently, on different principle. They
"dcsirc that the whole system and its admins
"hatiOn be in the hands of the (Southcrn) people,
They wish to act exclusively through school
" organizations in existence among the people
They edo not desire to own school-houscS, to
"cmploy teachers. nor to superintend schools
That is to say, they limit themselves TO the
duis of advancing money 10 aid the Southern
pcople in organizing isstitutiAS and cOnmuni-
eating their own iden- 1hy provide Il mo-
dcum of means, bH decline. TO furnish the
modicum of mind that should - with them.
But the modcum of mind is the thing most
of all demanded, If not most Of all desired.
Those people know nothing about popular
education, and cannot have the least notion
Of the way to proceed in It's inauguration
Free schools are phenomena qune strange
to them. Schools of any sort. truly de
serving the name. have been exceedingly
rare. The subject of school houses, Ill ITS
breadth, their arrangement, constructions posi-
ton, dimensions, lighting, heating, and ven
tilating provisions, lLss engaged the Northern
mind for many years. We have made all the
newest discoveries in school architecture ours
are the improved methods of teaching, ouis
are the establishments where teachers are
trained All this is blank mystery to the
Southcrners and it is mystery which, thls
far, they do not seem anxious to penetrate
They have no passion yet, for our ways; ana
little beside an ugly passion for our people. III
will he n long time before the local authorities
at the South will spend their money IN build
ing school houses of the improved pattern, or
in employing graduates of our normal acade-
mics. They will begin according To- thcir
ignorance. and continue according To the't III
( - -t..a.. q. 49, .ai 90. .. n.. D.