The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-04-21
Education of the Colored Race.

1t is likely that no Southern man of irltelli-
gence is opposed to the education OF the color
ed race, since they have been endowed with the
rights and duties of citizenship. These duties
are very responsible for the nature of the laws
in force and the character of the men who hold
Office in republican government, depend al
most entirely upon the manner in which its
citizens discharge their duties to the State, es-
pecially that of voting. This being undeniable,
it becomes q matter of prime Importance that
all citizens should be, to some extent, educated.
Unless they have intelligence and understand
the nature of their duties as citizens it is sim
their rights or discharge of their duties.
The negro race have been suddenly called up
on to act the part of citizens, without any pre-
vious experience, or even any definite idea of
what they ought to do. 1t would have been
the wisest thing that the Southern people could
have done, to have at once entered upon the
work of educating them. But, though the ne
groes have been anxious to secure education,
for their children at least, and though every
body admits that education is imperatively
needed for the colored people, very few South
ern men have done anything to encourage meas
ures for this end. The colored people have, in
not few instances, requested the services of
Southern teachers but have rarely been able
to get them. The consequence is that they ap-
piled to the Freedmen's Bureau, and got what
they wanted:
We are led to make these remarks because
we have been applied to recently, to secure
Southern teachers for two negro schools, which
will probably have nearly hundred scholars.
After applying to several persons, one gentle
man was found willing to teach school of this
kind. The other school is still vacant, and un-
less a teacher is found soon, those who have
charge of it will apply to the Bureau, although
they much prefer to get citizen of this county.
There seem to be two objections to taking q
colored school-the uncertainty of getting pay
and the fear of what the neighbors will think
of it. The first objection is unfounded, as the
State ensures five cents per day for each scholar
unable to pay the second is unworthy of any.
man of independence who feels conscious of
honorable intentions, and is unjust to his neigh
bors, nine-tenths of whom will applaud both
his motives and his action.
We hope our readers will mediate upon this
subject. If they desire to cement the ties ofin-
terest and good will between themselves and the
colored race, they can do so in no better man.
ner than by showing an interest in and encour-
aging colored schools. The negroes are deter
mined to educate their children, and the white
people of each locality are the proper persons
to teach the colored children OF that locality.
The expenses of this work will be paid by them,
as the pay for free schools comes out of the
county taxes. They have it in their power to
see that this money is used for promoting good
will between all races here but if they PREFER
it will be paid to those who will exert the pow
erful influence of an instructor to make the
colored people distrust their white neighbors
Which shall it be 7-Yorkville Enquirer.