The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1868-07-29

likely TO be governed bv prejudice and mas.
sion, than by reason You come in contact
with the women and children, who aro
more prejudiced and more difficult to con-
,roi' suppose the case that it were p ssi,
bie TO iorce the whites to send to mix. 4
schools; and let a white boy n.l ~ rolure,l
boy have a little ".pas. at arius a.. would
continually occur, aud at once You have a .
row between the mothers, which will fire.
9uont!y involve the fnrhers. In this way
every neighborhood all over the State:
would be kept in q continual state Of tur-
MOL and strife. In this way passion and
prejudice Of race will be continually uur:
tured, and peace and quiet will uut be al.
lowed to prevail in any po, tion of the
country. Both races, the colored. as we'll
as the white, would have good reason to
complain of our inconsiderate action in
bringing about such q state Of affairs.
But the very shrewd members Of the
committee conterdel n few DAYS ago. while
debating the fourth section OF this article;
that the question was not n compelling the
white and colored children to attend the
same schools. That was not the idea at all,,
OF this remarkably competent committee,
as the gentleman from Darlington expresses
IT. suppose they will TO day insist that
The question is not on compuIson, but on
mixed schoola They thought yesterday we
could not see forward, over FIVE sections, to
The tenth, and to day they will think we
cannot see backward the same distance
Wonderfully shrewd men these are, will
admit.
Gentlemen, this is too serious question,
to the peAce and welfare of the country, for
me not to speak out plainly the dangers be-
fore us. The gentleman from Darlington
w hittemore) has paid the committee on
Education very high compliment for abil-
/ 4 u al,
has introduced the report most fraught
with danger TO the peace and harmony Of
the State, and to the friendly relations be-
tween the two races. They attempt to
force upon South Carolina measures even in
advance of Massachusetts, though thew
know that We are, in every respect, at least
one hundred years behind that mu ch favored
State. They do not reflect that civilization
is plant Of slow growth that we can on
ly arrive at it gradually, and after long
years OF toll. They strive TO talk learned.
| ~ ot Prussia, aud only show their want of
knowledge of facts, by attempting to bring
in case so dissimilat They forgot that,
even in the Zine of the Caesars, before the
time oil Christ, Germany was q compare
lively enlightened country, and has been in
the van of civilization ever since. And YET
the Prussians and Saxons, the most advanc.
ed among the Germans. have only arrived
at compulsory edHcntion within the last
twenty years The gentleman from Dar-
hngtcn even goes back suppose Lee
would call IT gong forward) to the old La.
c@demonian rule, and would take the chi!-
dren from their parents, and educate thu hi
at the hands Of the STATE. ! tell you, gen
tlemen, these extreme measures are fraught
with danger to the peace and welfare of
our country, aud should be defeated at all
hazards
Now, how are We to avoid these dangers?
This does not seem to me so difficult. Let
US simply strike out this seGtion and leave.
| the whole matter to the Legislature. IL
that body determines that the echools sha all
be mixed, and it is found after a yeaF or
two that the plan does not work we'll, it
can easily be changed {; but il We retain
this section, no matter how injurious 1t may
be found 10 matter how dangerous ta the
Welfare of the country, and to ,he cause of
education, it cannot be removed. II does
| seem to me that we should leave question
go nhttied, so delicate, and yet Of such par
| amount Importance, where it may be
changed. II IL s found that the first expert
meats do not work weli. / believe we
have everything to gain and nothing TO lose
hy such course. We would certainly
gain among the whites, and I belihve we
| would lose nothing among the solored pe,G
|
send their children to. That l. a universal
desire and certainly a most praisew orthy
one. But do not believe they would pre-
fer or even desire to have white children
| attending the same schonls with their own.
II they can have well organized schools un
der Competent and kind teache ers, sustained
by the public, l believe they will be per-
fectly satisfied.
Now, would it not be far better to have
schools entirely impartial in their orga MIA
ton, but separate. nnd all classes attending
tben,, and acquiring an education. and ev-
erything working hsrtnoniously together
than ior US to INTRODUCES a niea1ure here
that would very likely prove iniurioIs 10
the cause of education, bat which we could
not change, because il is in the C6nstItu- =
ton. II seem to me there should be no
doubt on this point among intelligent, rea-
sonabie men. Certainly, If we look at the
condition Of the country. we will see the
necessity Of adopting such measures as will I
secure the education Of the white people.
as well rs of the colored. 1t IL estimated
that from twenty to thirty per cent Of the
grown up white men Of South Carolina NJ o
unable to read or write. | suppose at least
ninety per cent Of the growp up colored
men are in that condition; and indeed, il
ten per cent, of them have already learned
! To read and write, IL speaks wonderfully
well for them. We have then sixty per
cent Of the grown up men. the voters Of
the State, unable to read or write. What a
contrast does this present, in comparison
with Northern State. whe almost every
man is educated In Massachusetts,, OIL v
one grown man in two hundr ed and fifty is
not able to read and write, and here we
have at least sixty ia the hundred Tho can
not Now, il the general theory be true,
4 nd nj histnrV Al ia al
an educated people can preserve free gov
ernment. our prospects are not very bright,
if we do not adopt the best aud surest
means Of educating the masses as soon as
possible. l mention these facts TO show the
paramount importance of doing nothing
that will injure the cause of education.-
The future welfare Of our State, and of our