The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-06-18
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LETTER FROM Brv. VIM Z MANS
NEN 1000. Jnnc Sth, ~


NEW York. June Sth, 1869.
Mn. IL. NJ. GQoDNay, nv Ljcaf sly,
II have vour editorial Of 2lst d May and
whiloI thank you FIR the kindness With
which You speak Of myself feel sure
that van do not fully understand my po-
stion on the matter at issue. My great
object is to secure system Of education
in our own State by which all the poor
white children may at least have access
to good schools even if they have no
money. 1t is objected to this that no
systonl can be adopted without also
bringing the colorcd race TO All elevation
Of social equality.
Please allow INC to state tic matter
plainly to your readers: First, The
Constitution of Georgia absolutely de-
clarcs that tic fands collected for school
purpose shall be 80 distributed as that
colorcd children shall receive the bcnc
fit, but it docs not say that the colorcd
aad white race shall attend the same
schools.
Secondly, The government Of United
States is now absolutely sustaining negro
schools lin part) all over the South even
In your own town.
Third, There arc thousands Of men
and women at the North who are now
giving their money and time to educate
negroes in tho South. In Atlanta soy
cnty-fvc thousand dollars is being ex-
pended in college for the blacks. In Eu-
fauIa, Ala, a college already exists and
/ in every town of much importance there
/ is we'll organized school for colorcd
children which can be attended by
every black boy Or girl who can pay
25cts per month and even without this
fee if unable to pay It. The late mis-
sion meeting in Boston shows the fact
that five hundred and lightweight ne
groes ha &c been instructed for teachers
in Richmond and Augusta and thod-
sands have been schoolcd> in the South
ern States.
Now, my dear friend, you see that
the negroes will Jc educated if the whites
arc not and my object in writing Tor the
public eye on this subject is to urge the
country to make provision by which the
poorer and more ignorant OF the white
race may keep progress with the advan-
tages thus given the blacks. | will not
stop to argue now the question Of policy
as to giving the blacks education. But
will insist that our Legislators are
delinquent to our greatest interest in not
providing system by which the cduca-
tional tax can be discrcctly used in fur
nishng the poorer class plain eduea-
ton. ! will not close without repeating
my own private sentiment, that it IS by
far best for the country that the negroes
should be instructed, for the plain and
obvious reason that intelligent labor and
cultivated citizenship is requisite to the
prosperity Of tire country.
Allow me again to respectfully ask
you and your readers to consider the
serious fact that while the earth is being
moved and Heaven invoked by North
crn and Eastern men and women to cdu-
cate the colorcd people Of the South,
there is very little being done to elevate
the poorer class Of white children and
while | would not throw a single Oh.
stable in the way of the blacks my more
immediate interest is found in the moral
and social advancement Of the race to
which. / myself belong. For this ! pray
For this labor and in this work | am
willing to be spent.
/ Very Respectfully, your Friend,
.WM. l.. MANSFIELD.