Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-01-21
Progress in Virginia.

Al ChArlestOwn West Virginia. the scene
of John Brown execution, a school for eolored
children has been started. after infinite trouble,
by the Commissioner OF Freeln.cu's Affairs
The laws Of ~ State i.Tovide for separate
educ@>ton Of oolored people, but such IS the
animus Of this model town that the directors
have been oyerawei. After an offer to furnish
the bricks, and fourteen visits TO the place,
sufficient courage WAS infused IN the ScnOO,
officers % enable them % accept the ald anu
begin the work. aud now township "h'Th
sent 467 ont Of its 500 voters directly OF inG'-
rectly into the rebel service can ENJOY the slght
Of a neat brick school-house for It's desplSed
children. Verify, John Browns soul Is
marching on" Another fact Is made public,
which is in strict keeping with the spirit OF
this enlightened neighborhood. Young ladies
of culture. from the State Of Maine, have been
sent 20 this school 10 teach, but they have
never been able 70 obtain board in a white
family. Even the bOtel-keeper refused to
board them, although a Union man and mem
Der of the school board, for fear il would injure
his business. How long oh, how long will
the night Of barbarism sit upon those who are
now more miserable than their former slaves
philadelphia Press.
We don't know the source Of the infinite
trouble of which the Philadelphia Press COM
plains on behalf Of the Commissioner, or what
occurred to overawe the brave spirits ofthe
directors. None Of the disfranchiscd 467 had
any voice in the matter or interfered directly
or indirectly; so it must have been the loyal
So who made the opposition and refused the
kind offer Of few hundred brick to build the
school-house It certainly stands " now, and
we are not aware that the sight is a very great
eyesore to any Of the 467 rebels-the remain
der Of the 500 must speak for themselves.
We doubt whether they place very high
value on the blessing Of education-not many
of them having drank very deeply of the PERI
an Spring themselves.
Let John Browns soul march, and VIC hope
it will soon be joined by that of the writer Of
the above article, If such an enthusiastically mi
mute abstraction as he evidently possesses can
be called a soul. Our "rebel town" is COM
pGmented by his favorable notice. We did
not and will not open our arms and our houses
to any yankees from Maine or any other State
who come down to affiliate with the negroes
aud 90 arm in arm with them, visit at their
houses and eat at their tables The ladies "
referred to seemed to have found board with
out much difficulty among the friends whom
they pbilauthropically desired to benefit, as
was right and proper. 1t would have been
very inconsistent in them to have bestowed
their patronage on any others.
We have no room and no sympathy for any
who grieve over the old murderer John Brown.
We saw him swing aud only mourn because
many another Of his kind failed to meet their
deserts at the same time. Otherwise we would
have been spared great deal of the trouble
and fighting we have gone through since he
iiourished.
We are much obliged to the Press for its
dismal wall over our desperate condition, but
must confess ourselves so utterly hardened and
set in our ways as to prefer the continuance of
the "night Of barbarism and our present
misery, TO the enlightenment Of our northern
neiEhbors.