The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-23
Education in the South.
ENCOURAGING AccOoUNrs FROM rENNEssr


ENCOURAGING ACCOUNTS FROM rENvEssER.
Professor J. Il. Barnum, Of Memphis, writes
10 Colsnel Thompson, Assistant Commissioner
OF the Freedmen's Bureau, under date Of the
90 instant, that, in the course of a recent tour
through West Tennessee, he found ''greatly
improved aud very hopeful state of feeling
upon the subject of free schools, and, in fact,
upon all subjects connected with progress.
Some who, one year ago, refused to have any
tnlng to do with free schools, and even would
not give information in reference to the soho-
iastic population, now are ready to apply for
situation as teacher for their friends. The
peter class of citizens generally are taking
hold to carry out the school law in good faith,
and had 1t not been for the unfortunate deci-
sion OF the Supreme Court, on the 10Th ult.,
Tennessee would have boasted of as fine a
school system, and of one working as well, as
any in this country. This decision (Which
denies the power of civil districts to tax them
selves for school purposes, as the fourteenth
section of the amended law provides), strikes
very severe and damaging blow to the whole
system"
He adds
"We are not able to see practical remedy,
and hence graded schools in small towns,
which schools are the head and life of any
free-school system, will have to give place to
the numerous inefficient and expensive pay
schools few years longer. This will be a
great disappointment to large number of
places where they were just ready to start of
with good graded free-schools.
81 have also, during the month, made some
Investigations in regard to the educational
wants of the colored people in West Tennes-
see, and the provision made for their supply.
''In the city of Memphis there are three
thousand six hundred and ninety -four pupils,
and during the month of January there were,
g. A1,o, 80
one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine
pupils enrolled, which is a larger per cent. of
the oolored pupils of the city in school than
of the whites. This shows that the oolored
people will attend school where they have the
opportunity.
Tennessee river there are, without counting
those in Memphis, little over twenty y-seven
thousand colored youth enumerated. Ac-
cording to the best reports we can obtain,
there were only three hundred of these pupils
In school during the month of January. II
we double the number reported, so as to
allow for all in school, there will then be only
one in forty five OF the scholastic population
y In school. This shows q destituton of the
means and facilities of education that is truly
\ appalling, and which ehould awaken in every
patriotic and benevolent mind feelings OF
mingled alarm and p''.
''The question very naturally arises, why
! does suci. a destitution exist under the provi
sions made by the State for both white and
keolored schools? The answer is, we have not
= teachers. The people who own the pro
tty and control public sentiment have no,
eretofore encouraged free schools, even fol-
white youth, and of course they would be op
posed to colored schools, and this opposition
to cblored schools, and to the rights and privi-
leges granted to the colored people, has pre-
vented white persons who are qualified from
teaching colored schools. Not enough ever
poorly qualified colored teachers can be found
ITO supply the demand. The benevolent so
cieties, who have sent SO many teachers tc
the larger places, where intelligent white
| ladies could find places of safety and compare
tive comfort to board, cannot meet the great
mass of the youth in these counties, because
their teachers cannot find comfortable and
safe places to board. II competent colored
teachers could be found, one hundred could
readily be employed in West Tennessee within
the next few weeks. l know now of at leas
ten places where colored teachers could fnt
employment at fair wages"