New-York tribune., 1870-10-01
FREEDMANS UNION COHMISSlON
EDUCATING THE BLACKS.

The Continuing Committee of the New
York Branch Of the American Freedmans Union Com
mission have rendered very encouraging report OF op
eratons for educating the coOred people, especially In
the states Of Maryland. Virginia. and North Carolina
during the year ending July 1se had been snoughs hs
Commission might relnquIsh ts work among the ireed,
men, but there found - be such need OF consh %
ored people that the Committee felt bound TO Keep UP
the effort TO place them upon permanent basis Inere
has been question To tho readiness anu even great
eagernesa Of the cO0rcd people u educate themselves III
the on-school branches; but the circumstances
have obviously discOuragng, upon many accounts
In Virginia for example, the state has been aogetDe
rcmiss making provision for colored schools ana o
Of hundred counties there were untl recently ~ III
which the freedmen have never hnd schOoi IN maly
land, it Is thought more can be accomplished Py o1s
the schools than by maintaining them a. the cOofei
may thus be led O insist ON receiving part o the sGnoo
fund to which they contribute and which has hitherto
been used for white schools exclusively. The Commits
sion appeals for the last tme II Is believed
for aid for the colOred schools and in connection WIN
this appeal interesting account OF tne present coil
ton OF the schools ~ given
past year. for longer shorter periods 50 teachers OF
cOlored and Of these last IL were natives
OF the South The teachers are generally grIuates OF
the Normal schools in New England and elsewhere IL
has been attempted to establish schools
for teachers in the Southern states also ana tnoss ~
and NewberD, NJ c., mentioned as making goOd pro-
ress These Normal Schools are by far the more import
ant and also much expensive; ana Is especi-
ally account OF them that assistance is stl asked
the Committee. The largest number OF pupils III atend
ance at any time in the schools under the care O
the Committee. was 2577 with an average OF
,9O9-about ~ pupils TO each teacher The pupils snow
an intense desire learn, and the inspection 0f the
schools showed that very cOmmendable progress had
been made both in branches Of study and IN general cu
tlvaton. under which latter head s included neatness
of attire, cleanliness and Improvement or HanherS'
The younger pupils observed 10 learn mucl
more rapidly than the adults many of whom nave also
sought the benefit OF the instruction afordei. me
teachers employ kindness with frnness In discipline,
and corporal punishment is almost UNKNOWN Ihs poor
and humble people freely give out OF their small ear
ings support the teachers. SO much OF their own time
as spared from the necessity or earning daily
bread many of them devote To the spellingbook ald
arithmetic; but they almost passOnately eager 10
their children instructed and the maintenance Oh
discipline OF pupils coming To study under such stimulus
il, of course the least OF the difficulties 10 DO en-
cOuntefed by the teacher.
Tie Treasurer Ellen Collins, reports the amount re-
ceyed during the year from various sources Tor the sup
port of the schools, s24J7. OF this s5O5 was received
from the Freedmen's Bureau; the remainder was rOm
bequests aud contributions from societies ana private
individuals The payment OF teachers and the purchase
of books and apparatus has absorbed this entire amount
except OF s9g9 which III hand AT the date OF
report July The Committee consists OF the fol
lowing persons: Mrs j. 8. Lowell, secretary Miss Ellen
Collins Treasurer; Francis Geo. shaw, Chairman; j.
Miller Mckm, Geo. Cabot Ward y. H. FrOthinghan,
Edward L. Dawson, Charles Collins.