Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-07-02


THR seventh semi-snnual report on
schools for freedmen, ending with Jan. ],
1869, presented by ]. W. hlvord, General
In bis official capacity, h
before US We are struck with the i'm
rneneitv Of the work which has been ac-
complIshed among the ex-slavcs, in the
matter Of education, since the overthrow
of the rebellion. II n wonderful 70 note
the ayidity with which the blacks,
doomed by the laws 10 ignorance, have
availed themselves OF the advantages OF
education proffered by benign govern
rnept and benevolent aud compassionate
effort. According 10 the statistics pre-
scnted, about one In every twenty OF tho
benighted negroes Ia a pupil at one OF the
schools instituted by national or private
enterprise for their education. As the
work of instruction has proceeded, many
OF the colored population, impressed with
the advantages resulting from schools, and
prosperous enough for the purpose, have
combined N institute educational facilities
OF their own, entirely independent Of
eleemosyDary assistance. But not only in
these but In al other cases Of colored in
structiop, intolerance has been full of
venomous opposition. In various parts of
the ground occupled, school houses and
churches have been reduced TO ashes by
the Temorseless hand of the incendiary; /;
teachers have been driven of by com.
pulsory warnings, or by inflammatory
threats Illuminated by local meetings, or
by actual violence impending at the hands
OF infuriated mobs ''' i'. q
Amid all these disturbances, the cause
of education has made steady and notable
progresss; notwithstanding the various
draw backs of out door and home influence
The attendance for the year 1868 was con.
siderably In advance of the attendance
for the year 1867, and the number Of
schools for the former twelvemonth
| proved, contrary 10 expectation, to be
largely in excess Of what had been looked
| for.
There is a hungering and thirsting for
knowledge among the eX.slaves which is
not To be found anywhere among the
body of the Southern whites. They seize
the advantages presented as persons might
be expected TO clutch food from which
imperative circumstances had excluded
them TO the very verge of starvation. Ia
almost every neighborhood the freed
men, impecunious as they ave generally
arc inquiring how schools for theiI
children can be carried on successfully
Fortunately, in discontinuing the Freed
mems Bureau - such discontinuancC
taking place on the 1st Of January last
the question of education was left un
touched. Appropriations will still bC
made for the purpose Of maintaining
schools among the victim race. Money
could not be spent with more utilitariaI
effect
The economical condition of the eman
cipsted slaves 10 appropriated by the fac
| hat ,yt,
twenty-fOur branches, distributed through
out thirteen States and the District of Go
lumbia, aggregate deposits for the yea
1868, To the extent, in round numbers o
about $1,000,000, en- which, during thu
same period, interest was paid to depos
itors,~ amounting TO $2i39T 80 WheI
such fund can be collected within sucl
\ ciTcumscribed number of localities, thu
general economy, industry and productive
ness of the ex-slaves can be easily i'm
agined. Take the whole race, and proba
bly, $2000O000 would be an undel
rather than an over estimate of the
surplus earnings of the negroes
of the onceIslave holding States for tht
year 1865. Considering how utterly des
titute this olass of laborers was, and how
| ignorant, inexperienced and helpless, wheT
turned adrifC from their masters, by the
eventualities of war, some four years ago
this showing is greatly to its advantage
A people capable of such accumulation
amid such complications, defraudment anC
repression, certainly must possess some o
tho most desirable qualities of human
nature, such rs patience, self.deniSi, per
severance, fixed determination, and pre-
paration against probable contingencies.
Certainly there 10 nothing in this eager
ness for education, even among those past
| adult ages; nothing in this capacity iol
| accumulation, which Indicates incapaoity
for freedom or for participation in tn,
right of the elective franchise. We thinl
we may say truly that history does no
make mention of so much moral, intellectu
al and material progress achieved in 81
short time, by people starting from con
dition of snch utter poverty, ignorance su
perstition and dependency, surrounded BY
10 muchhate, persecution and fraud
Chicago RepW6icdn, J,tne 24th.