New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-23

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that which has occupied the thoughts OF
The famous Reconstruction Committee at
Washington. Let us congratulate our
selves That these vexed questionsare about
to be settled. We shall now know pre-
ciselv when child ceases to be white and
when it begins to be oolOred we shall
know exactly what in6nitesimal fraction of
African blood disqualifies child from
receiving instruction in the public schools
precisely what fraction should debar its
unfortunate possessor from social consid-
Grafton. Let the investigation be thorough
and the decision final. Let the committee
supply itself with the most powerful micro
scopes and the most searching chemical
agents. Let the best Psychologists be sum
moned. Let all the capillary, cartilagin-
Gus, osseous, and muscular tests applicable
to the investigation be employed. If nee
essary let piece Of the rete naucoSlun from
each of these twenty seven children be
subjected to microscopic and chemical
examination, so as to fix the absence, pres
enee, or proportion of the pigment nigrosum.
We were almost on the point of saying
that even the sacrifice of these twenty
seven innocents. to the cause of science and
humanity might almost be tolerated should
so dreadful step be indispensable to settle
these important questions. Especially let
experts be summoned who formerly ac-
quired knowledge and experience upon
this matter OF shades of color around the
slave auction blocks Of New Orleans. Let
the mothers and where they can be
identified, the fathers Of these twenty
seven children be put on oath, and made to
furnish all the information in their posses
sion to the committee. 1t is true this inves-
tigation comes rather late in the day. We
fear that the members of the Beard Of Edu-
cation will hardly be permitted to retain
their seats long enough to give this subject
the attention it deserves. Hence the great
er necessity for promptaction.
We have but one more suggestion to
make to the committee, and that for their
own benefit. In former years the chivalry
contended that the offspring Of white and
colored parents possessed neither mental
nor physical stamina, that such children
were Inferior to the blacks in mental force,
and that the mulattoes instea d ofmultiplying
were constantly diminishing in number-a
fit argument for those who raised and fire.
quently sold their own children into slavery.
The history Of the partially colored men
of Louisiana since the war has abundantly
disproved the former assertion. As to
their dying out, everybody knows that in
the course of time their children become
absorbed into the great body Of white
population.
There are not only many almost white
children in New Orleans who do not know
their own fathers, but also about the same
number of white fathers who do not care
to have the community know their chill
dren. We caution the members of The
committee to be exceedingly careful in
their investigations in this direction. Some
of the twenty-seven irate fathers might in
fiict summary punishment upon them for
embarrassing deVelopments.IOn the whole,
we like the plan adopted by Nine Bigot in
reference to the other child. If there is
any doubt as to color, let the parent get
certificate of foreign birth. That plan also
worked well in New Orleans on another
occasion. We refer to foreign protection
papers during the war.