Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-04-25
CORRESPONDENCE.
Delaware Association for tho Moral Inn
1Orea People. 49,

Iorea People.
To TIE Editors Of the TRIBUNE
WILMINGTON, April 24th, 1867.
You have been kind enough during the
past few months to give us an occasional no
tice in your valuable paper and have also sta
ted the facts of our case quite correctly
though briefly. Desiring therefore to give the
public and our friends more full statement
of our present condition, our work and our
prospects, desire you to insert the following
in your next issue. Our present condition is
quite satisfactory ii we take into account the
fact that this Association was organized in
mid-winter when business was dull, at time
when money is not usually as plenty nor
perhaps men usually as liberal as when every
thing is moving actively, and, of course, pc
cunlary means more current. We have how
ever raised by subscription several thousand
dollars, enough to enable us to plant schools
In twelve important places of the State, viz:
In Wilmington, New Castle, Newark, Dover
Christiana, Odessa, Smyrna, Milford, Sea
ford, Georgetown, Camden and Laurel. This
OF course involves large outlay especially
as Books must be furnished as an outfit for
each school, the colored people being gener-
ally unable to do so for themselves of
them being poor. They, however, agree to
pay the board of the teacher, while we pay
the regular salary of each. Each school will
average cost of about $3.50 for ten months
of the year, the colored people themselves
paying nearly one-half of this amount, chief
ly as u weekly tax of ten cents for each
scholar taught, and partly, a small amount
as quarterage for the use of the books fur
nished, and to keep up supply of the same.
In this wa they are taught to help them
selves, and we assist then by providing, fur
nishing and paying well trained teachers.
Besides this the Freedmen's Bureau furnish
es through us, all the lumber, &C., required
to erect comfortable school-house In each
place where one is evidently needed. In this
case also the colored people help themselves
by engaging to put up the buildings chiefly
by their own efforts. Considering, there
fore, the condition of these people and the
circumstances in which they have been pla-
ced during their many years of servitudc and
depression, it is to say the least, remarkable
and creditable in them that they have so
much courage and energy, and are ready to
attempt so much to improve their condition
and advance the interests of their race So
far as our experience goes we can say that
they give literally of the little means which
they possess and seem ready to make almost
any reasonable sacrifice in order to secure to
themselves and their children good educa-
ton. And here let me say to all whom 1t
may concern, that the common prejudice
which vents itself in accusations to the effect
that we desire to elevate the coored people to
an equality with the whites in every respcc Ct,
is founded partly in Ignorance and partly in
Misrepresentation of our object. Our pur-
pose is simply to improve the moral and
mental condition Of these people, - to
elevate them, in their o,tm sphere to the ex-
tent of their capacity, and to leave them
there, enabled thus to look after their own
highest and best interests, believing that So
ciety, in its general character, knows how to
take care of itself, and that ii will then, and |
thereafter, treat these people as they deserve,
and so much the better for the fact of their |
moral and mental improvement.
We already know that they are capable of |
very considerable degree ofcultivaiion and |
refinement. They have lately proven to us |
that they can read, WRITE and cipher, ele-
gantly and well; can express themselves in |
good grammatical language, and read our Ian |
guage with as much clearness. force and dig. |
nifty as many of ourselves. As write there |
lie before me letters from several of our
teachers. (who are quite young) which for |
handwriting, style and expression are very |
fair specimen of what education can do for |
them as well as for ourselves. One says,
about week after commencing her school,
" the number of my scholars has increased to
twenty-five, and few of the new ones are
very bright little girls Another says, "my
scholars, thirty-onc in number, are very reg
ular and punctual in their attendance. She
adds that several are already able to spell
in three sylablcs, and several are able to
read in the Third Reader" This is the gen
eral strain of the letters, to which is occa-
sionally added the fact that the parents of
those children are doing all in their power to
make them obedient and attentive, and that
they are making efforts to sustain the schools
to the best of their ability and knowledge"
Surely, then, facts like these ought TO show
to our own people that there is great useful
ness in our work-that our efforts are well
directed, that our means and those contribut-
ed by our friends-who are simply, with us
the friends of humanity-are not spent in
vain; but are already and rapidly producing
good results,-results which will now and
hereafter tell with great force to the advan
tage of the colored people of Delaware by
making them more Intelligent, more upright
and therefore more thrifty and useful; and
by consequence turn to the advantage Of the
whites who necessarily use their labor in all
the important pursuits of life. AGENT,