The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-24
The CoIorcd schools of the District of
! al

The Colorca Schools Of the District of
ttt a.lf Coiumbia. y5 ~
During the last year there have been about
sixty colored schools in the city of Washing
ton, eight in Georgetown, and seven or eight
in the suburbs within the limits of the Dis
trict. These have embraced upwards of 4C00
pupils, and have employed 80 teachers. The
teachers have come mainly from the New
England and Northern States, and have been
supported by various educational and mis-
sionary organizations formed at the North
for that purpose The American Freedmen's
Union Commission, OF which Chief Justice
Chase is President, has sustained forty-one
of these teachers, with a superintendent.
The Portland Freedmen's Aid Association, OF
which Rev. j. 7. Hewes is Secretary, is, we
believe, Auxiliary to this Commission, and has
supplied portion of the funds. .l...
The State of Maine has furnished for these
schools some of their most capable and
successful teachers, among whom may be
mentioned Miss Julia A. Lord, of North
Yarmouth, whose Grammar school has been
regarded as in all respects a model, and whose
superior qualifications have recently secured
for her an honorable position in the new
Howard University; Rev. j. S. Dore and
Mrs. Dore, of South Dover; Misses Kate G..
Crane and Dora A. Hardy, of Farmineton;
and Miss Julia A. Chase, of South Liver
more. g7s.- .'7.F,.sa.6
The schools, during the last term, have
been eminently successful 1.-The results at the
closing examination fullsjustifying the high
est expectations entertained regarding rne
capacity of the negro. Many Of the closing
exhibitions would have done credit to any
white school of similar grade in our Oldest
New England cities. 1t is the general testi-
mony OF the teachers that the pupils as a
whole manifest 1 eagerness and enthusiasm
for their studies seldom or never witnessed
among whites who have always enjoyed
school privileges. Numerous instances of
very remarkable progress were reported.
Considerable numbers of adults avail them
selves of the advantages Of the schools, both
day and evening, the latter being maintained
during the winter; and nothing can exceed
the laborious perseverance with which many
devote themselves 10 the difficult task of ac-
quiring the ability to read the Bible for them
selves-an requirement which they seem TO
regard as the very acme of earthly bliss. =
There exists, in the cities of Washington
and Georgetown, a Board of TRUSTEES OF Col
iored Schools, appointed originally by Con-
gress, and their successors by the Secretary of
the Interior. Unfortunately, the funds to be
used by this Board were by law to be provid
ed through the instrumentality Of the muni-
cipal authorities, and those at Washington
have found means thus far to defeat in
large measure the intention of Congress, so
that the Trustees have had but a small
amount of money at their disposal. This has
been expended mainly for school sites and in
the erection of schoolhouses. Within year
three large schoolhouses, with Accommodations
for 400 pupils each, one Of them of brick, have
been erected, and another, also of brick, OF
the same dimensions, is to be completed next
month. Besiles completing and furnishing
these houses, the Trustees expect to be able
to employ thirty teachers for the coming year.
They ask the continued aid of the friends of
education at the North, to make up the def
cheney for another year, when they hope such
provision will be made by Congress as to rem
der further aid in this way unnecessary. 1t
is believed that not more than two-thirds of
the colored children in the District have been
able as yet to obtain admission into the
schools; and probably an equal proportion of
the white children are unprovided for.
In view of the fact that the whole country
is interested in, and, through Congress, re-
sponsible for the welfare Of the National Cap
ital,-and in view Of the most important con-
sideration, that the capital above .all otser
places, ought to illustrate to the country and
to the world the republican idea of universal
and impartial education,-it is to be hoped
that the appeal Of the Trustees will be gener-
ously responded to.
1t is further to be hoped that Congress will,
at its next session, take this matter in hand,
and provide for the district an impartial
school system and adequate funds for its sup
mort