New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-22
THE FREEDMEN AND THE PUBLIC
SOH0OIR

-.-... SCHOOLS.
We stated a few days ago that between
four and FIVE thousand colored children are
in regular attendance at the eighteen pub
lie schools devoted to their instruction in
New Orleans. These schools owed their
origin mainly to the Freedmen's Bureau,
and the conditions under which they were
turned over to the city authorities seem to
have been faithfully complied with by the
latter, so far as the appropriations have
permitted. .-l ..
Perhaps five hundred children of freed
men attend private schools in the city, and
some fifteen hundred children belong
ing to what were formerly known as "free
people of color" are also receiving excel
lent instruction in private schools. In
Guiding schools of every kind, not half :
perhaps not one third of the colored chill
dren of New Orleans are provided for in
the way Of education of even the most
elementary kind. Taking the whole State
the proportion is even much smaller. In
fact, we regret to say that in the whole
State of Louisiana, with about eighty-fve
thousand registered colored voters,
there are to-day probably less than ten
thousand colored children in regular
attendance at school. And this notwith-
standing the great and noble efforts of the
Freedmen's Bureau, of charitable associa-
tons at the North, and of the freedmen
themselves. We do not mention this as a
discouraging circumstance we wish only
to indicate the magnitude of the work to
be done. The simple fact that there are
about ten thousand colored children in
Louisiana receiving instruction at school is
of itself most wonderful and encouraging
event.
Who is responsible for this condi-
ton of things The Freedmen's Bureau
has done much to multiply the
number of eelored schools, and to increase
their efficiency. Charitable associations in
the North have contributed literally, and
the freedmen themselves have been en-
couraged to do all in their power to sus-
tain the schools. The few thousand dollars
placed at the disposition of the Bureau
have been so expended as to give practical
aid and efficiency to the efforts of both.
In some places it has contributed few
dollars to build schoolhouses. in other
localities to pay the teachers. The only
freedmen's school entirely supported by
the Bureau is at Shreveport.
With a very few additional exceptions
there are no schools in the upper parishes
of the State, and what is worse, under the
present condition Of things, there can be
none. The schools at Opelousas and Wash
ington, in st, Landry parish, were broken
up some months ago. Teachers recently
sent to both Of these places report that they
dare not reopen theschOols, The ebivalric
rebels will net permit it. Yet we notice
the formation of company at 0pelousas,
with recent candidate for Congress at its
head, for the purpose of attracting North
ern emigrants to that beautiful and wonder
fully fertile parish, the very garden spot of
Louisiana, but upon which the curse of
Heaven will rest until these poisonous
weeds Of slavery and rebellion are plueked
up by. the roots and thrown away. Ask
the liberty scnool ana order loving people
Of the North to settle where rebels will not
permit schools to be opened As well ask
them TO sacrifice their children upon a
bloody altar to MOlOchl In Sabine parish
the Bureau agent dares not go from his
house to his once without guard Of sol
diers. Franklin Sinclair, the only teacher
Of coIored children in ouachita parish, was
feully murdered few days ago. Must we
then admit that reconstruction IN Louisi-
ana is so complete failure that even the
military power Of the Fifth District is
inadequate to keep open few colosed
schools How long, o Lord, how longp'