American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-11-13
Education in the Southern States,

tlOn upon eQucatl0n IN the south. IL IS
not possible to overstate the importance
of this subject in the present condition
Of the country, for if it were essential
that the freedmen should be enfranchised,
which is indisputable, it is not less ne.
cessary that they should be educated
Moreover, as their enfranchisement came
from the free States so must their educas
tion come. To abandon them to the class
which lately held them ensaved, which
is the policy of the Democratic party, is
not only to leave them without any safe
guards of civil rights, but it is to con>
demn them to hopeless ignorance.
The article of which We speak truly
states the situation of the country in this
respect at the beginning of the rebellion.
OF the 100000 Southern whites in
1860 only 100000 owned slaves, aud
only 10000 of the owners had more
than 10 slaves each. Other small slaves
holders and few hundred thousand mer.
chants and professional men of some
wealth were the adherents of the great
Shareholders who controlled the 7,000,-
600 poor whites and 100000 blacks.
Thus 100000 men, owning the land
and capital and monopolizng the educa,
ton in their section, ruled 100000
laborers without property or education,
and, by the abject subservience of the
Democratic party of the Northern States,
governed the Union ''..-'"
The two chief methods by which TIE
despotism at the South was maintained
were the discouragemont of education
both among the poor whites and the
blacks, and the fostering of prejudice
and hatred between these two Glasses
The free schools of the South educated
one in every thirteen of the population
the free States one in every four and
tour fifths. The slave States also especi-
ally encouraged the high priced acade-
mics, which only the children of the oil
garch attended. From the last census
it appears that Alabama gave about $780,
600 to colleges and academies which
were untaxed, and no endow ment to the
public schools. Virginia did not tax her
higher colleges and academies, which
was a good thing, but she gave only
S4,446 to her public schools. The four.
teen slave States excluding Delaware
and including Missouri, which in 1860
was fast ceasing to be slave State, and
contributed 81 ,522 of the whole amount,
gave only S136,25l in endowments to
free schools. This tells the story. The
alphabet is an aboltionist. If you would
keep people cnslaved refuse to teach
them to read. When the British Re-
foim Bill passed, Mr.. Robert Lowe, who
had strenuously opposed it, said, bitterly:
" And now, Mr. Speaker, let US entreat
our masters to learn their letters" show
ing that he, at least, knew that the peo-
pie had not been taught them before.
The despotic spirit which instinctively
disliked free schools also sought to ex>
clude books and newspapers except for
the arlstocracy. 1t actually proposed a
Southern literature" for the literature
of all modern Christendom was incendiary
to slavery. 1t abhorrel free speech. 1t
knew that knowledge is power, and it
trembled The article of which we are
speaking traces the means by which
mutual hostility was infamed between
the poor whites and the blacks. But
nothing could save the slave region from
Christianity, real Democracy, and the
nineteenth century aud the war " has
resulted ia the emancipation of IL, ,000,-
900 of deceived democracy from the rule
of the aristocracy" But the danger Of
the Southern section is in the still per-
nicious influence of the former aristoc>
racy. 1t ruled through ignorance, from
which spriug hatred and prejudice; and
If we can strike at that ignorance we
wound the sap root of all the national
sorrow and suffering. This is now our
great duty. 1t must De, under the cir
cumstances, simultaneous and co-opera-
tive with political action.
Our author gives most striking and
interesting facts upon the present condi.
tion for the movement for tie education
of the freedmen. The chiefsuperintend
ing agency is the Frcedmen's Bureau.
On the lst of January, 1867, there were
1896 schools, 1877 teachers, and 95. 167
colored and 40 white scholars actually
in school, besides these studying else
where. Many of my pupils" writes a
teacher in Southern Virginia, "teach
white children at home who are too pre-
judiced to come to our school" The
eolored people are wholly alive to the
Importance Of the work. In Georgia
they have organized liz private schools.
In ] $50, within an area of twenty miles
arovnd Chattanooga, there was no school
of any kind whatever. Now Chattanooga
has six colored schools besides others,
aud there are numerous others in the
neighbcrhood. Near Corinth, in Missis.
sippi aud old gentleman says: "My
little con;rabauds have been picking up
bullets on the battle field, and have sent
them to buy spelling books" The re-
ports of the capacity, as well as the ardor
of the new scholars are most encour>
aging.
Now what is the duty of an honest
man who wishes peace, and good order,
and good feeling in this cauntry? Is it
to be forever idiotically roaring about the
inferiority and bsrbarism of niggers,"
and niger equality" aud "nlgger SUI
prenacy," or to reflect that there is a
very large ignorant population in the
country, who cannot be expelled nor ex
terminated, and who must therefore be
aduoafnd that tbau NAV no n,ora va Ina hla