The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-02-21
From the Washington City Patriot!
A View Radical scheme.

l
A New Radical scheme.
The Freedmen's Bureau was establish
ed to coddle negroes and white refugees.
No degree of distress or vngabondage
ever could bring the latter to such ref
uge in numbers at all considerable. Tho
concern is now brought up under now
shape, still exclusively for the South,
and so contrived as to force 1oyal''
schoolmaster, with his cant on his lips;
his birch on his right, and a.sword on
his left, to come between every Soatherl
parent and his child. For this purpose, it
is necessary to violate the Constitution, to
create swarms of expensive officials. to
impose grieyous taxation, to solemnly
enact falsehood asa preamble, and to {
conlrive legislative trick to save the
Northern States from the operation of
the measure.
Tile bill ito establish system of ma
tional education" provides that Aapy
State may, at its election, in lieu Of the
tax provided for by this act, provide sor
all the children. within its borders, be-
tween the age of six and eighteen years,
suitable Instruction." ETC. If any State
shall, before 1st July, 1872, "by re-
solve of its Legislature, approvedby the
Governor. engage to make such proyisi
ion, and shall notify the President OF
the United States thereof, all future
proceedings for appointing the officers
provided for herein, or for the assess
ment or collection of the aforesaid tax
within such State, shall be suspended
for twelve months from said date II;
at the expiration of the said twelve
months, it shall be proved to the sati6s
faction Of the President Of the Uniteq
States that there is established in said
State system of common schools
which provides reasonably for all the
children therein, who dwell where the
population is sufficiently dense to enable
schools to be maintained, suitable in.
struction in the aforesaid branches, no
further steps shall be taken for the ap,
pointment OF officers or the assessment
of the tax therein; otherwise he shall
proceed to cause said tax to be assess
ed, and said schools to be established
within such State forthwith thereafter"
(Section l9 8
The Presidents judgmentof The prac.
tical sufficiency of q school system in
remote communities, taken as person.
al opinion, would be ridiculous even; II
far better schoolmaster were President.
Of course it cannot be practicable for
him to judge such question himself;
and in merely adopting the advice Of
others, how could he fail to accept as
ssreasonably" satisfactory any system i'd
Operation in the North or West, or like.
lly to be projected? They would de-
serve and receive his recognition, and;
therefore, it is senseless subterfdge I'd
draw this bill in the shape Of statute
of general application, when it cannot
apply except to States in which provis-
lion, to the satisfaction of President
Grants counselors on the SUBJECT shall
be made for the education of all c0lored
Ichildren, together with whites. It Is,
Therefore. to be treated as . new recoh'
struction measure, necessarily local.
! And what is this new system of re:
construction 1t provides, under the
Commissioner of Education and the
Secretary of the Interior, Estate SUI
perintendent of National Schools" to
be appointed by the President and SEM
fate; for each Congressman, s.division
inspector to be appointed BY the Sec.
retary of the Interior; for "division,' :
and for each division, snbdiyided into
school districts in his discretion by the
state superintendent, as many 'slocal su
fperntendents'' as there are school dis
Ftricts, to be appointed by The Secretary
lof the Interior Besides all these, come
teachers, etc.
/ For general system m the spirit ol
the preamble of this bin, fifty would be
"a high average of attendance. Foraev-
cry fifty children, therefore, in the Seuth
there is to be a schoolmaster and {
school-house, and for every two or sthrct
schooImasters local superintendent
! besides as many division inspectors,
as there are, Congressional districts, and
general superintendent fofievery State
In these hands the system of education
q the discipline, the books. by express
provision, are all to be placed, and r
remain there until it may please ths
President to lift them off
But not that alone. This outrageous
usurpatlon is not even to pay its ows
expenses. Under the grossly unconsti
tutional form of o "direct tax" the yer,
salaries and spoils Of their oppressorl
|, are to be paid by the victims. Th'
Southern child's estate is to be impov
erished to pay the expense of corrupt
ing his own heart That the education
& is political and sentimental would be ta
ken for granted by any fair. mind ac
quainted with the cant and idolatry O.
81 the "loyalty" which is the spring Of thil
imposture; but the fact is on the fact
Of the bill, in the provision for lodging
all the patronage, except the Presidents
| in the head of the Interior Department
q and not of that of the Educational De
partment. Would that be mistaken fol
a postal law of which the execution WI
committed to the State Department p
4 The cases are parallel. We need no
/ further consider thus bill, though VI
have adverted to but few of the OBJ
jections that start from its face.
Geolse NJ. Morgan.
A correspondent of the Louisville