New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-07

Which sneaks volumes against peculiar institutions Of
that Territory the fact that 1t contains go iiterate
Women 10 every 100 men, greatest disproportOn ex
istng in any State or Territory OF our Union. -,oo
But Mr. Speaker have yet 10 speak OF still more
signal instance OF bad policy which might perhaps De
characterized bad faith on the part OF the GeneIhl
Goycrnment About 81 years ago we acquired from
Mexico territory possessing one OF the most heahy
climates the world beautiful and picturesque. Inc
people spoke foreign language, were poor ana very
ignorant yet for poverty-streken ponatlon; abound
ing excellent traits OF character More than TWO gene
rat0ns OF school children have now grown up since the
have been under the 81 Ie Sin moor and
ignorant They are to-day IN lar more deporaDe con
dltion than when wrested from Mexico. .
But beside the recognized citizens OF NewMexic0 there
are in that Territory some 1000 seIncyllzed people.
Pueblo Indians Tao reseE IN y asTcuHra and
manufacturing industry, are nearly equM III cVlZat,oh
to e s rsdsc S o VILLAGES of Which 10 m
mnn and instructed In the various arts OF clVLa
m mem Of S education Viii it be believed
that under the Government Of this enlightened Republic
these people been retrOgradg instead OF adyanc
ing gong back barbarism instead OF improyingI nor
is this the only tribe which has appealed to us again anu
for educational facilities in tones which should Oucn tue
most obdnrate heart but which have fallen almost en-
rey without effect upon the ears OF our legislative anu
'A'0"'''g TiiE TRTafMESr or THE wrSNED,GoEs,
As an illustration let me send the following letter 10
| the Clerks desk that II may be read.
The Clerk read as follows; -. n. NJ. m toe.
Our Grea, Father Washington all greeting From the Chiefs braves
and bead men Of your dnnl e1ea tas , n. We can
speak We will write 70 you and Father we hope you S
on arLy River we pad school o GS' ps and
many .. b,pn Fssr many years have passed Say school
p have such schools among u.s. aud our children
the Industrious prosperous and happy; and we are sorry
longer 1t desire to have again established among US
school aswe see operation among your @ % @ g mi. Tr u.
Aud fier as we would children taught the Christian religion
GSqIs e We I Fo Mou &n G father to show you
. vi s st aHo iss a ard whatever @ois npc.
Father prayer will not ears and heart to u
Ia testimony wish We the chiefs braves and hendmen Of be
signed BY hse5 chief ard he,i ,g Of the te Wionebhsoe@
Sir tribe Of Indians had at the time that letter was
written been fOrclby taken from good homes in Min.
nesota where they had schools among Them ana moved
to Nebraska and kept in almost starving condition
ana though the Government held large sums OF their
money in with which good schools might have been
sustained, yet such is the supreme Indifference or me
Great Father toward the education of his red children
that it required five years to get halliday school esab-
IS THE OR EDUCATIONAL POLICY DEsT'
The history of the Indian tribes within our limits
through all the long years since Government was
organized Is full OF disegarded appeals to he humanity
Commissioner OF Indian Affairs that sOOOOO0OO has been
expended In the last 40 years IN carrying on indian wars
ferent policy II is the mercs folly 10 say that the Indian
tbc attenpt i'm earnest Occasionally a feeble attempt
Of the kind Las been made, but too often worthless
t c,Scr tbc Interests Of III" indian nor of the GOV.
eminent Who is responsible for the fact that We after
a national existence OF nearly years. to-day crop
inc in The fogs Of experiment in our treatment Of The liz
dians and ouy approaching the policy successfully pur
sued by the French and Spanish settlers III America more
TnE sOUuI-lrs 23iO,569 ADULTS ILIrERArg.
But the results Of national neglect Of the interests OF
education in the District OF Columbia aud the territories
depiorabe, how much more serious are lis eonSe-
quence tine Southern States. where there never has
been any efficient system OF public schools in operation
since the first settlement Of the couutry The want Of
such system has resulted In CIV, war whose cost IA
blood ana treasure i beyond c"mpI'hehSluni ilE"
pupuIfO destitute ~ intelligence large portion Oi
Tie Union not only without free schools Du WIN 'tohs
sentiment 81 hostility 10 theIr tninuIclI3n ~ Ino
most effective measure Of rccou-ructon which could br
adopted wonil be efficient system Of education H. Is
estimated thai there are not less th'n sU1VV oi 'e
yuutl f population 81 the South without IN" means OF
obtaining rdmeuts OF education. IN 1880 tncre
were in the south 2i'pHo9 aults over ~ "i ny
who could neither read write, while o. North, with
two-thirds Of the population OF the country had hHt
on l2 vet this vast army Of teratcs has direct voice
IN the affairs Of the Government aud 10 thr control oil inc
WHY DO WE SHRINK PROM THE soUTHi
Mr. Speaker ,lt Is not pleasant To make these state
pents 40 j. not pleasant 10 know that such iacS air ~
existence IL IS not pleasant To know that Whc othrr
making rapid advances iu the Woik"i P"l"
same work are doing nothing whatever. Yer C"nrr.~-
has been lavish ia appropriations pnhiic domain ioi eIu
various time, in tie different States aud Territories al.
ready amounts To i85iGsO2 acres rms rHo' ,iuy W
80 important object lies scattered IA mr-qdrr poN
over the most fertile ard beautiful portions 81 Cor
GREEN earth and uad n been properly conserved would
nave produced 10 is estimated grand national school
fund OF SJ0OO 10000 The interest OF S womb nave brh
latOn % the United States
TIE NATIONS GESERosIrY FEI1TEEED AWAY.
Some ~ the states nave msInauagcd ami miSefl'y
FILTERED away share of this valuable estate, WUe
others have shamefully perverted IFS use thus proving
rcreHn To The most Important trust committed 10
pcople. our fathers desire IL insure domestic tran
qulity and had free schools existed 10 III" SCUM as h
the North from the first establishing Of TINS Union orr
trauouillty as nation would never have been nicI-
rupied by a dcsOatug civil war, winch tue Special Com
missioner Of the IN his recent report estimates
10 have cost the country sum 100 vast Tor
the finite mind 10 comprehend l. 1t not singular 60,
Incidence say the least that of the the original -
States when formed this Union but one has cuu,}
failed make some constitutional provision 1"r "I"t
ton, and that that one has led III two unsuccessful
attempts 10 dsntegratc the nation aud subVtl the Tree
principles upon which it Is foundcdi
The increase OF our postal revenue alone would ~ Il
few years amply repay the Investment q" the appioPA
tons proposed In this bill for the encouarrmcnt OF me
educatIon OF the people We have annually the same
complaints from that Department OF The expenditures
exceeding the revenue by millions OF dollars. A.
remedy the press and pnDic mch lar hul VINO d' E
tating the abolition OF the ranking privilege ana aD'
ish say T. but that reform alone Will not maze the i">
Office Department. selsustlnihg; II - ttc i"' ' Ia.
half of adult population Is too llterac 10 MAKE We
free matter sent scarcely affects The revenue of the De
partment compared To this Look a the postal service
IN the II states where popular education has AWAY
discouraged There III counties IA those STATE, Nr
contain only two post-uices each sc with only one ~
without any postoce. according to the last official re,
port. although they traverscd by mail routes ana
large population ConSllrr tIdI 10 one
and need hardly add aftempted to scccie-thcrc are
four without posIoce Sir there are 81 cou-
ties In the state OF Georgia with but one pOslOhce. III
one county in Pennsyva UancasteD there are a
greater number OF postoces than In III counties which
might be selected the IL states lately IN the Rebellion
sturdy farmers of Lancaster County not Only nave
mail facilities but them and have large amount OF
means invested in United States bonds. Educate the
people and they will acquire wealth and all the conf
forts OF life; they will have poStotces aud make them
self sustaining: and when the Government needs money
they will ia its bonds and sending millions
OF gold abroad to pay interest to people who, like the
German States, enough to secure the wealth
which always comes through the education OF the
ILLITERACY REVIEWED AND RESTATED.
II must be- remembered that OF the 2O0O,OOO white
school children in the South In 1860 at least Oncha must
have been deprived Of education in consequence OF the
five years war, which would add 100000 to the
II