Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-08-22

In the MIN annual report oil the N. \. br'incn
Of the Freedmen's Union Commission, we find
the following reference to orr state. a'at
Delaware, though one Of the Oldest slave States,
and In the matter OF negro education one Of the
most destitute, hass until lately, had no share In
die benefits accruing from the Frecdmen's move
ment. In january last, However, an Assocl-
alton was formed In Wilmington, which has put
itself Ia co-0Pentiye relations with this Brunch,
and has commenced the work Of education in ear
mira and Wlllhmsport Railroad, Is Its President,
and among Its Managers are Bishop Alfred Lee
VIM. s. Hilles, s, NJ, Harrington. DR.. Bullock,
and other well known and Influential Delnwareans
It Is entitled Tho Delaware Association for the
Improvement and Education OF the Colored Peo-
ple. 1t has IN the field some eight or ten teach
ers, four OF whom have been sent by this Com
mission. The following letter, from Mr.. kimber,
TO the Chairman Of this Committee, sets forth the
facts of the case In regard to Delaware so fully
and SO clearly that We print 1t at lengths
Delaware Association for the Moral improvement
iyH and Education Of he Coto,ed People.
WILMINGTON, DEL, April 10, 1867.
'"DEAR Sin ALLOW me TO bear my testimony
to the active usefulness and efficiency OF your
Commission, and to acknowledge, on behalf of
the Delaware Association, the obligations We are
under to you for the important assistance you
have promptly extended to us In our efforts TO
establish schools for the colored people Of this
State.
"we are Indebted to your libcrallty for the
means required to support four Of the ten schools
thus far organlzed by our Association, In Della
ware. One OF these has now been In operation 10
Wilmington for more than two years. and has re-
Gently been turned over to Mrs. Walker o lady
teacher, furnished by your Commission II num-
bers an average OF about slxty-five pupils. All
other at Wilmington Is just inauguIatlng under
number entered at first wns smaller than you had
anticipated, yet II Will soon fill up permanently
TO the full average standard.
Gan excellent school, Of about seventy pupils,
has been In full operation for about two months,
at Dover, under Joseph Rogers, graduate Of the
Colored Institute of Philadelphia; and although
some opposition was manifested ut the commence
ment yet 1t has all died away, under the judclous
management Of the teacher and the friends Of the
school.
"For This important establishment at the seat
of government Of the State, We are also under
great obligations to the New York Commission.
Another point, scarcely less important than
Dover, Is Milford, Del. And here VIC have large
school, preparing to open within few days so
soon as Charles Evans, the graduate Of the Phlla-
dephla Colored Institute, whose support you
have assumed, shall be prepared to enter on his
duties there.
80 you see that the most important points in
our State are occupied by the four schools, mair-
tanned through your aid.
/" 1t Is due to the colored people of Delaware to
state that each pupil pays ten cents week, In adj
vance, to the teacher, which amount Is handed to
the trustees at each point, and forms fund,
which defrays the board of the teacher, and the
smaller expenses of the school.
Thus an amount of good is done by the con-
tribntion Of the teachers salary, through your
Commission, far greater than could be effected by
your deiraying the whole expenses oil any one or
more schools, while at the same time the colored
people are taught self-relancc, and the necessity
OF exertion and active effort for themselves, les
son scarcely less valuable than the elementary
knowledge Impaired to them in the schools.
" Each session of our schools is opened by the
reading of portion of the Holy Scriptures, and
the Lords Prayer, and some simple hymns are
often sung on parting.
mo sectarian influence is allowed in our Asso-
citation, and we consider this feature very i'm
poriant one TO our usefulness and success.
ave have six other schools In operation in our
State: at Seaford, Chrstiana, Smyrna, Odessa,
New Castle, and Newport; the latter two only
partially under our charge.
Ten or fifteen more schools are needed imme-
diately in Delaware, but we have not the means
to support them, without further assistance from
abroad. II seems as though the opposition in
our State to all movements In favor oil the colorcd
people was even greater than in South Carolina
or Alabama. There the planters have thoroughly
aroused to the necessity Of action, In order to
save themselves; while in Delaware the old pre-
judice against the negro exists, in all its force,
without the counteractng motives of selt-nterest
to outweigh it.
"We are greatly in hopes that, with your as
sistance, the efforts We arc thus making will lead
at no distant day, To the extension Of the free
public school system OF Delaware to lis colored
population, now entirely debarrcd from Its advan-
tages,
"All experience seems 10 show that the educa-
lion OF the people should be as free as the air we
breathe; and to this end all good citizens, of
whatever religious or political persuasion them
selves, can safely labor to contribute.
Surely the principle of doing the greatest
good TO the greatest number, is neutral ground,
which none can hesitate to occupy, in this i'm
OF millions of our race.
Very truly yours,
TiIos. KIMBER, JR.,
President Del. Association, &C."
The progress of the work since Mr.. Kimbcr
wrote, may be briefly stated as follows -
In May four schools were established, viz -
ut Laurel, Georgetown, New Castle and Milton.
In June, schools were opened at Newark and
Delaware City, making together up to this time
fourteen Q4) schools now Ia successful operation.
Counting the two schools of the African School
Society, and those at Camden and Newport, there
will be in September eighteen (ls) schools look
Ing to the Association for fostering care and pro-
lection.
The average number Of pupils enrolled in each
$50. 1t is believed that there will be in these
schools during the Autumn and Winter months,
Qncluding night sessions,) from 1000 to 1900
pupils.
The cost OF each school, per annum, inclusive
OF all expenses, is estimated at nearly 500. of
which the colorcd people are expected to pay
considerably over one-third, i. e., the board of
the Teacher.
The eagerness of the colored children, (and
OF many Of the adults of both sexes TO learn, is
remarkable, If we consider the fact that they
have been heretofore deprived of the opportunity,
and had, by reason Of their circumstances, ac-
quircd habits of Incidence and indifference.
The Freedmcn's Bureau, through the kindness
and agency of Maj. Genl. +. NJ. Gregory, has
furnished lumber for School Houses in ten places,
and five of them are already approaching COM
pletion, whilst the remainder are likely to be
rendy for Use by September.
Thus II will be seen that the great and good
work OF educating the colored people is progress
ing satisfactorily. and will If properly sustained
by our benevolent citizens result in the elevation
of the colored people, and in the advancement Of
all other citizens.
The interests of all Glasses are so closely idcn-
titled that real good to one is good to all. "In
the gain or loss of one race, all the rest have
equal claim" In Delaware, rs in the extreme
South, the prejudice against this movement is
rapidly vanishing as its practical success is de-
veloped. Even those who predicted q failure OF
the experiment, are not only yielding their crro-
neous views, but, in many instances, are rejoiced
at the consequent growing industry and intelli-