The national Republican., 1869-02-22


selves, and shall demand that they be allowed
TO say whether or not n measure seriously
affecting their interests shall become a law
or not. [Applause.l I.....
The ideas OF the colorcd race have In years
past been moulded and shaped by the domi-
nant class-there Is no denying that fact; but
the past few years has given the colored men
an opportunity TO form opinions Of their own,
and he believed that the time has come when
we should not accept as law and gospel the
action Of our white friends. II Ia well enough
| to say and advise that we should confde In
| our friends, but at the same time he thought
In the moulding OF their children and the
manner In which they should be taught the
colored people were competent to Judge for
themselves. It has been said that II the pro-
| posed change Is made the schools will be
better taught. He liked good teachers, but
he believed that there was instruction TO be
impaired underlying the reading Of books.
The characters OF the children were 10 be
| formed, and II was important that the per-
sons who were to teach the children OF col
ored people, form their habits and mould their
characters, should be selected by colorcd
men, who could understand and appreciate
the wants Of the people In this respect.
The question In regard to these schools, as
understood by the white trustees and the
friends Of this bill, is whether or not colored
men shall be allowed to handle the money
appropriated annually for the support Of
coiorcd schools. This had been said to him
by prominent white man Of this city that
the white people paid the taxes, and II was
but right that the white trustees should han
| die the money. II may be said that the col
ored men now on the board OF trustees are
not proper persons. II that be so, get other
good colored men. Mr.. Crane In his ad-
dress had passed an cncomium on Mr.. Hall,
the white member of the board OF colorcd
school trustees. lie had heard nothing Of
the two colorcd men.
Mr.. Crane. I was not personally ac-
quainted with them.
The speaker resumed by saying this was
not question Of personal likes and disllkcs.
II was q question Of principles, and not men.
/ SO long as the colored school-house stands,
let there be a separate board OF trustees; but
| when the time comes abolish the coorcd
school-house with the trustee board. Our
friends In Congress have no right TO find
fault with the colored people IL they them
selves have made mistake. Nor can they
feelaggricved fthclr legislation, about which
VIC were not consulted, docs not meet with
our appreciation.
The speaker ceased his remarks at this
| juncturc, to use the remainder OF his time,
he said, afler the other disputants had
spoken.
Mr.. A. Z. Newton was the next speaker on
the affirmative side Of the question. He said
that he had not come TO the meeting with
the expectation OF being one Of the dis
putants, and was hardly prepared to go into
the discussion Of this question. He was able
to state facts which had come under his own
observation. He had been denounced by
some people as having used influence with
other gentlemen to have the bill, now sent
back TO Congress, passed. lie denied II most
cmphat!cally, and thought he had been
| fuIa ah "A FI hah
been made by some OF those who had charged
that he engineered the bill through Congress
| that he had no interest In the city, owned no
| real estate In the District, and similar
| charges. Unfortunately 1t was too true that
he had no real estate, for the reason that any
money which he might have had over aud
above his immediate wants had gone to the
aid Of poor colorcd persons who needed books
and other comforts to assist them In learning
to read, and he thought that II he still con-
tlnued as he previously had lived he would
never be able to purchase any real estate In
| this city or elsewhere.
The speaker then gave history Of the
manner In which colored schools were first
organized in this city; when he and few
fellow-clerks In the War Department had
| commenced the work. Finally, by dint OF
appeals to friends at the North, large con-
tributlons OF money, books, school furniture,
| &C., were sent; all of which were used TO
establish colorcd free schools In this District.
| At the solicitation of the patrons of the
schools at the North, he consented to take the
superintendence ofall the colored schools, and
acted In that capacity until the first board
Of colored school trustees were established.
During his term as superintendent, about
$3.50, 900 In books and money were expended
| to establish the colored schools on q firm
| basis. When the board Of colored school
trustees was established he was called on to
continue In the position he occupied. In
short time he saw that things were badly
managed, and that something must be done
to remedy the evil but they got worse in
stead.
The first colored trustee appointed to the
board came In. The first thing he did was
to demand that all the white teachers be dis
missed, and colored teachers be substituted.
The teachers then engaged had been selected
from among the best teachers Of the North,
and contracts made with them TO stay here
for one year, and OF course to hastily dismiss
them from their positions was wrong, In fact
II was outrageous, but still the notice had
to be given as the board had decided to allow
the colored trustee to have his own way In
the premises.
The speaker continued by saying: Colorcd
men Of Washington, II you knew what /
know, you would have demanded change
long agoi Sensation and cries Of "Tell us
| i
, Finally an arrangement was made by hay
ing one half of the teachers white and the
remainder colored, and this colorcd trustee
insisted upon having the nomination Of all
, the colored teachers-this was allowed, and
, he (thc spcaker) was requested to examine
the candidates proposed. The result showed
that the persons nominated were not compc-
, tent. lie had always believed that the teach
crs of the colorcd schools should be the best
, that could be found, and In selecting teach
ers at the North he had always insisted that
, the very best and most competent Of teach
, ers should be sent TO take charge of the col
ored schools.
, The colorcd people had the right to have
the best teachers, for the parents of colored
children were generally poor and their little
, ones had but few years to attend school
before they would he required to 20 out into
: the world to earn livelihood, and In his
, experience he had become satisfied that a
child learns more In two years under the
tuition of good teacher than he does In
five years Of tuition of an inferior Instructor.
He therefore felt ut the close Of the examina-
tlon Of the teachers nominated by the colored
trustee, that II was his duty to report upon the
ncompctency of the candidates. But Ii made
no difference. The trustee alluded to carried
his point, and the candidates, despite their
incompctcncy, were appointed teachers and
entered upon their duties. II soon became
evident that these persons were not fitted for
the position, and prompted alone by his duty
to the colored people Of the District he felt
that he must report the fact of the total In
competency of the teachers to the board of
trustees, which he did. His report was full,
and as the colored trustee, himself said the
points made therein were unanswerable.
The report was accepted and the teachers
dismissed, but dissatisfaction at this course
existed, and so great was the pressure brought
to bear upon the board that soon they decided
to take back one Of the teachers and she was
taken back, then another and another, until
finally all those who had been dismissed were
taken back. Among them were some Of the
most unfit persons he had ever seen put
into Il schoOl-house, the money expended
for their salaries was worse than thrown
away. TWAS being squandered, the children
were being taught bad habits, and, finally,
he was compelled to tell the trustees, that II
1t was necessary to pay these teachers their
salaries, they had better stay at home and
receive II, and lock the school houses up.
II soon became requisite, owing to the
| urgent school ncccssities to organize n BclOOl