New-York tribune., 1871-06-28
EDUCATING THE NEGRO.

las many of the statements in the following letter of
j. T. O. evidently incorrect IL has been sent 10 Gen.
o. o. Howard, Commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau,
with the request that the facts should be obtained and
his reply is annexed.-ED. TRIB.l
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR Your paper recently recommended the
Conservatives OF the South to take more interest In the
education OF the negroes being apparently OF the opi
ion that education would change the nature OF the
negroes and improve their relative position TO the
whites As aid toward testing the soundness OF this
opinion permit me TO state some facts within my per-
sona knowledge. have paid close and special attention
to the subject have political or sectional preJudces
and challenge investigation into the correctness of the
facts herein asserted The lower portions OF the Peninsula
bounded by the York and James Rivers In Virginia nave
been under the control OF the ba
OF the negroes who therein abound has been most sed
ousy cared for Ad Snds 8, G dolarS
many teachers from the North have saeriheed @ tner
health and several Of them have sacrificed their lves,
in discharge of their duties and the pupils under their
care within that period Of whose progress IN knqwedge
such glowing accounts were from time 10 time puDshod
have been counted by thousands.
It may be safely taken as fact that the negro does
not admit of being sufficiently educated 10 take an IN
terest in books IT win surprise one, therefore to be
told that the never buys nor reads BOOK But
may sare some to be informed that 1t is the same In
regard TO papers, have inquired OF the Posmas-
tiers in this and the two adjoining counties In which are
numerous negro doctors, preachers magistrates, and
other officials cannot learn of single newspaper
being taken bv a coored person. Yet in these
cation OF negroes In the same counties L have male
equally diigent inquiry, and cannot learn OF single
apprentice to any mechanical trade In times OF Slavery
every plantation had its negro mechancssuch as car
penters wheel wrights, baeksmlths, shoemakers, &c:
respective occupations through the South but there are
under 80 years Of age The coored youth who mas
been TO school does not learn trade. lie nves py
casual jobs. The present generation VIII see inc
extinction Of skilled laborers among the eoIored
equally of female houseservants Mstresses be-
fore the advent OF the Yankee schoolmarIn used TO
take great deal of pains in educating the more apt OF
the female servants in household duties, and examples
found. But the female who has attended school never
shines house servant In fact, they become utterly
whether Ignorance pertness, laziness, worse
vice becomes the most prominent trait among them
With this generation the race OF trained coored female
house-servants becomes extinct With these practical
results everywhere is 1t surprising that
as they are should not be enthusiastic when called upon
still further tax themselves for the purpose OF chang
ing what might become very good servant INTO very
bad masterl }. T. &.
YorktOon, Va, May %, 1871.
To the Editor Of The tribune.
SIR: From perfectly Trustworthy witness, who re-
sides at Yorktown learn that the Postmaster, Mr.
Mitchell, a negro, takes several newspapers. All the
coored ministers there take newspapers reading club,
composed Of cOored men, was organized there about
year ago. Mr. Douglass of this city informs me that he
furnishes club Of at Yorktown with The Ne Ma
ona Era every week. that he has hundreds Of coored
ministers are known to take three papers each. DR..
Norton takes half dozen papers Messrs. Jackson and
Washington magistrates in that locality take several
papers My nfomer states that during his stay at Nor
folk his home he has always found the colored people
fully posted in regard to all important public matters
occurring at Washington This information was obtained
reading the papers and hearing the papers read
In Howard University find 1t difficult to prevent the
poor students from spending too much money in news
papers and books They prone to take more papers
than they able TO for In our library many Young
may be found at any tme eagerly perllsing BOOKS
histories Stories encyclopedias. &C., for information
My observations lead me to say that as favoraDlea
statement made be made Of every prominent locality In
the South With reference to apprentices TO trades here
is some truth IN the statement 1I j. 81 l. & III put one
men is equally true when applied 10 whle people AS
cOlOred people II easily accounted Tor lhaVe heard
OF dozens OF cases IN the Noti m Tch b % ~ ne
white trades-unOns. In the South the remembrances
Slavery have prevented the people from apprentcng
their children. Many of apprenticeship have been
attended with great cruelty, thoroughly pT1udclng the
people against the system and causing the courts to M
terfere to release the children. And yet still
found as apprentices. My normer states tlat ne eau
give the OF over half dozen boys at Norf0k VINO
are learning trades lie says Iat some OF I4e Desf
mechanics in the adjacent locality have been trained
since the war; We have attached TO almost all our en-
bryU universities colleges and mission schools IN tne
South making arrangements for departments IOr
training boys IN agricultural ana mechanical arts, ana
fitting girls for intelligent discharge OF domestic
duties Firmly believing that the prejudice to coored
pear that the schools OF which speak will ere long
be operating efficiently have no fear that the pubic
Much good, however may be accomplished Dy inducing
the public to foster such schools. -
With regard to female house-servants the accompany
ing letter from Gen. s. c. Armstrong, Principal OF Hamp
ton Agricultural Institute Is sufficient answer ven
ure the remark, however that while IL may be difficult
for 10 whether Ignorance, pertness aLneSs OF
Se II Is not den to say that the treatment
received by them and the small pttanees paid them are
sufficient causes to produce any or al these wees Is
NOT worth while for me TO notice the assumption that
negroes do admit OF being sufficiently educated 10
take an interest in books. That question, in my judg
ment was settled long ago in the minds Of all candid
persons nor is it necessary for me to say that It would
be hardly safe to conclusions with regard to the
entire colored from the limited observations Of j.
c., in a single county, or In two In virginia r,no
Brigadier- General, U. s. A., Commissioner, etc.
Washington, June 20, 1911.
Gen. o. o. HowARD-SIR; Yours OF the 9Th
is received Pressure OF work and sickness have pre-
vented an earlier response 1t Is true that about York
town the people are ignorant and low there have been
schools but the population has shifted great dea IL is
q settlement OF squatters who are always demoraized
That district overcrowded having too many aborers
and too little work 1t is unhealthy, and therefore af
fords no sound criterion Of general Judgment great
deal of money has been spent in educating the children
Of Yorktown and vicinity; the adults who
take no newspapers have not tbeen to school
and cannot read. 1 don't know Of an intelli-
gent colored adult in this vicinity able to read well who
does not either take newspaper at least once
month. colored clergyman, the Rev. VIM Thornton OF
Hampton told yesterday that he spent SIS year for
papers, that he could not keep his papers in his
house. his neghbOrs were always borrowing them. Ihe
Northern newspapers not adapted 10 these
people; the local newspapers they consider un-
friendly, II not hostile Only the children have
been taught TO read. ana these az they are old
enough work steadily, put into the fields TO work
the year round and their learning evapOrates under
burning Virginia The children do not learn trades
and there danger OF loss OF in the coored
population OF the South This is most alarming fact
threatening general decrease OF wealth and indicating
very clearly what ought 10 be the influence and char
actsr OF educational institutions In the South. Right
across downward path stands Hampton Institute
striving to build up spirit aud introduce the highest
met mods labor j. T. C. IL right here although think
much and does not the ne pOssbltles