The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-12-30

| spkink VI mini - ne unds tnom, Writo1
TO hepspsr concerning the school qusssiou
In Washington - follovs;
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IkATh gued rpople2 Weshiug(A arc -
new9pelenslng h1ssk eriticfs8 In my
ss.f csSs, ~ harse4 thsy Nv
49, 49, Of sn1,sle eolsd - .sn
10 mot true.
The facts will show that the whole afYair
! was simply and In all IL parts . sehsas oi
city demagogues 70 control municipal funds,
patronage and political power. HAPI /,
To cover i all, the hue and cry Of persecu.
ton Of the black man has bssn raised, sud
/ Widely circulated.
when tbs school systsm Of wash,ngsos,
which 10 now An excellent one, was being
placed on an sficiest footlpg ,Aiter the war,
Nj. Bowen, now Mayor, but then an active
ward politician looking fof advancement,
schools Tor whites and Stacks. Mainly
through his efforts AaA those Of his friends,
blu was passed ersating . board Of colorcd
schools, aud for o dlvlsiou Of the schssl
funds In proportion to the numbers Of Whit
| and oolorsd schooi children. Under this bin
M, Bowen became one Of The trustees Of
colorsd schools. Tho system worked we'll,
bon divisions Of schools were soon In -four
iIhing condition, and the coiored people Of
\ ths DistFiet wors aot only satisAsd but de-
Lighted a. the iexcsllsut facilities Afforded
than for educating thslr children.
| The law divided the fund.-. fairly, and uu-
der u neither class could be sent 70 the
sehools Of the other, without dlverting the
funds Tins divided from the purposes 70
which alone they could DO legally applied.
The white trustees could not send Vhlts
scholar 10 the public schools, 1t the ex-
pense Of the colored fund, With any more
light or propriety than the coiogsd trustees
could have done the reverse. r5.oIaeg
At this time Mayor Bowen, for he had
been elected Mayor, was perfectly satisfied
with tho plan OF separate school; for tn his
message for Last year he nays, IL aI .-'
and colorsd chiidrsn 10 the same schools; Sss
ny sapsrisscs aod observation satisfy ne
that u = At present i.prsstioahle. Tho col
Sssd PsSsS: re opposed y T. .sS 20 .
that they would prefer their shildrsu TO 70.
main In fgnorAnee rather than send them 10
:: sshSe Shs,s children q cole, ere psrn,.tsd
deprived Of an education, whioh, more thaa
enythins else, ssems IN the end to soften and
Destroy Ne ussatursi pr.judiss asain.t color
Of slavery. AZ present, thsrsfors, would
rssomnsnd separate schools for each class"
Soon afssr this Mayor Bowen's term Of
ssrvios ~ trustee Of colorsd schools expired.
he could not Induce Secretary Brewing 10
reappoint him. With that his control OF the
funds, amounting TO about tS0, 900 . year,
ceased. He could no longer exert money
inAuencs spou the colosed teachers, and, al
~ all, tho step was . severn blow TO his 20.
about excluding colored children from the
public schools Of Washington. II Is instead
. question Of not appoinflng Mayor Bowen
70 control them and their funds. rl.
Mr.. syphax, Q very Intelligent and infuen-
tial colorcd man, who was at the same time
. strong friend Of Mr.. Bowen, was put In
thu place Of the latter, the view OF Secretary
Browning belng that the colored board
should be controlled by educated colored
men, who understood the wants Of their
race. r.a roo
From this moment Mayor Bowen set him.
self 81 work 10 break up tho two boards and
merge them into ono. To do this bill TO-
pealing the law creating Distinct boards
was drawn up and presented 10 tho Senate
and Mayor Bowen represented
to member Of the committee that tho bill
met the views Of the colored people Of the
District, and 1t was passed. q II ca. 4
The announcement Of the bill and liz
passage were both complete surprise TO the
large majority Of the colored citizens, and
particularly 70 those who WIRE directly inter
estod In the work Of education. A delegs-
tloa Of the most prominent Of these called
on members Of the committee which reported |
the bill and stated their surprise. Ths com.
mittsemen were equally surprised, and stated |
that they had bean given 10 understand, By |
Mayor Bowen, that II was tho desire OF their |
colorod friends that tho bill should pass.
Those opposing u were assured that should |
be defeated In the House. In accordance |
with this promise Il was stopped there at the |
timej but through tho same Influences which |
had secured Its passage In tho Senate IL was |
Afterward Unexpectedly sprung upon the |
House and passed. The same delegation of |
colored people Immediately called upon Sem |
ltors and inquired why faith had not been |
Kept with them. The Senators answered |
hat the thing was Q trick, and that the |
proper step would be 10 ask President Johu-
son 70 veto tho bill. Acanvass Of the Repuh
lican Senators was then made 10 see II they |
would support veto, and 1t was agreed that
II Mr.. johnson would return the bill that the
Senate would sustain the veto.
At tho request Of the recognised represent
atives Of the colored citizens Of the District,
who called upon the President In accord
anco with Instructions from o mass meeting
OF the colored people, he vetoed the bill, and
the law providing for the two boards con-
tinuod In force. Under Il each class OF
schools were nourishing. But Il was too
much for Mayor Bowen TO lose the control
Of the colorcd school funds, and so he did
the end Of Secretary Browning's term was
70 secure the appointment Of Q man named
King, who had been previously asked TO re-
sign BY the eolored people, to Q position on
the colored board. This was for q purpose,
and that purpose was TO break down the |
colored schools, and merge them In the |
white. Tho questions Of the interests or the |
wishes Of the colorsd citizens were not taken |
Into confederation. It was cold, calculat- |
Ing and deliberate effort to increase the |
political power Of clique Of mere adven-
turen.
In July OF the present year, abandoning |
the position Of his former message, which |
was written when he was In place a. trus- |
lee, he wrote a. follows
~ therefore recommend that means be taken |
10 represent the matter before Congress at its |
nsnt session, with view OF obtainiug such |
Management, with diserstionsry power a. to |
ne ninsling OF the classes heretofore sspa-
Other means To attain the end were sought
n tho possibility Of stirring up the country
apon the old question Of prejudice against
color. A child nearly white was selected,
Auu DOWou tOOl1 iukt4lltQ In
| white school. The first objection that Il
vas violation Of law was conceded, and
he objection on the part OF hundreds OF
Ehites and blacks who fully understood the
,ase, that 1t was simply an attempt TO sac
lice the present prosperity Of the schools 70
'olitical ambition, was distorted and repre-
ented as simply the old prejudice against
,olor-rebel spite, and the out-croppings Of
he malignlty Of the citizen whites Of the
District. 1t was really the demagogue's hue
md cry, and was both cheap and effective
levice.
1t has about run Its course here, having
'ome TO be fully understood nut In the
ountry the question 10 ssIll misunderstood
md so mlsreprssented. The great majority
4 the eoiored people here, while holding
hat In the end there will DO and ought to DO
mt ono system OF schools for all, also main
ain that as question Of eIpedlency and Of
ttainlng the greatest present good for their
ace, 1t IL best that the schools should be
istinct.
The country, In discussing the question Of
he social mingling Of the races In the Dis
rict Of Columbia, seems TO forget that the
ondition Of affairs here IL very different
rom that which exists In the North. While
q any community there the colored citizens
re few, here they form one third the popu-