Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-13
Public EducatIon-Negro Equality.


There is no subject which the so-called
Convention has had under consideration
in which the real purposes of the Radicals
have been shown as that of public educa-
ton. From time to time we have pub
lished the various failures of the Conserva-
tives of that body to engraft some clause
upon the fundamental law of the State es-
tablishing a distinction between the races
in the public schools, but thus far every
resolution merely denying any intention to
establish entire equality IN Tie public schools
and University has been promptly and deci-
sively voted down.
But these men have gone farther than
this. They propose - empowerthe Legisla-
ture to pass law to compel all the children
of the State, aOllite and black together, of SUI
fcient mental and physical ability, to at
tend the public schools for a term of six
teen months, between the ages of five and
eighteen years, unless educated by other
means. So utterly abhorrent is this propo,
sition, and tyrannical is this forced negro
equality upon our poorer classes, that tC
impress upon them the awful reality of this
outrage, we give the report of the commit
tee on Education, written, We suppose, and
submitted by that miserable Massachusetts
adventurer, Ashley, who hopes to have con
troll of the public education of the State,
and signed by ten Others, blacks and whites,
six Of whom are Northern impOrtationS
and two of whom are negroes. The
important portions of this report are as fol
lows, and we direct special attention tc
section eighteen
SECTION 2. The General Assembly, at It's first
session under the Constitution, shall provide fol
general and uniform system Of public schools
wherein tuition shall be free of charge to all tho
children OF the State between the ages of five and
twenty-one years; in case OF failure or the part
OF the General Assembly to make the provision
Aforesaid, the system reported to it by the State
superintendent OF Public Instruction shall be-
come the free public school system of the State
ProUided, The system of said Superintendent
shall IN no respect be Inconsistent with the pro-
visions OF this Constitution, and shall be subject
to such alteration and amendment, conforma bIe
to this Constitution, as the General Assembly NAV
from time to time enact.
SEC. 5. The General Assembly shall make such
provisions, by taxation otherwise, as will Sc
cure thorough and efficient system of public
schools throughout the State
SEC. +. The University of North Carolina, with
its lands, endowments and franchises is the pro
perty OF the State and shall be held 10 be an in
separable connection with the free public school
system of the State.
SEC. z. The General Assembly shall provide that
the benefits of the University as far as practica-
BILE, be extended to the youth of the State free of
expense for tuition; Also that all the property
which has heretofore accrued, or shall hereafter
accrue from escheats to the State shall be appro-
priated to the use and benefit of the University.
Section Il provides that the Board of
Education, which is to be composed of the
State Executive officers, slan appoint the
Trustees of the University.
SEC. Is. The government of the University shall
be vested in the Board of Trustees but the Of
fetal action of said Trustees must conform to the
amendment or repeal, by the Board of Educa-
tion.
SEC. is. All the privileges, rights franchises