Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-10-26
A" MINED SCHOOLS


many people is the idea conveyed
by the caption of this article! 1t is
only among the thinking men that
the proposition to educate all races
and classes together is entertained
for q moment in the South. But
when some reason is demanded why
our system of public education
should be made a powerful instru
mentality for a perpetuation Of caste,
we are not vouchsafed an intelli-
gible answer, but upon our ears
CRATE the harsh tones OF false pride
and blind prejudice.
To us it is self-evident that all
public institutions of learning i'll
every State in this Union must very
soon be opened to all persons what
soever OF the scholastic age. 1t
would be interesting to review the
progress of impartial education in
various parts of the Union, for such
a review would be complete de-
monstration of the correctness OF
our position that no permanent
system of caste schoals can be es-
tablished in this or any otEer State.
Gut we do not propose at this
time to enter into any elaborate
exposition of this subject. We
simply wish to make few sugges-
tons and references for the benefit
of the enquiring and untrammelled
mind. Those who are determined
to grope in ignorance and to grovel
in prejudice are naturally expected
to turn up their noses and to make
wry faces at the slightest hint to-
ward any great reform.
In the grand old Commonwealth
of Massachusetts we find that the
minds of the people were first in
tensely excited upon the question
under consideration in the year
1919, when the Supreme Court,
unmoved by the arguments Of
Charles Sumner, decided in favor
of excluding negroes from all schools
except those desisnat, d exclusively
for them. In 1854 the Legislature
set this matter at rest by abolishing
the separate schools altogether.
The mixed school system thus
inaugurated has given universal
satisfaction.
In Michigan, on the contrary, the
question: was settled by the Supreme
Court instead of by the Legislature
In that State the schools have been
mixed but little more than a year
In Kansas, where the colored
population is rapidly increasing, the
schools are being mixed everywhere
without opposition. But in two or
three of the Northwestern States no
adequate provision has everyet been
made to educate the colored people
although the Superintendent and
Teachers Associations are now urg-
ing immediate remedial legislation
which will speedily be secured.
1t will be observed that through
out the greater part of the North
mixed schools have been establish
ed, and that, too, by the choice of
the white people themselves, as the
colored element is there politically
insignificant. In regard to the South
which contains so large a proper
ton of colored votes, we are not to
expect that any political party will
long persist in insisting on separate
schools for the races. And mas
much as thousands of colored youth
in every Southern State must for
ever be debarred from the benefits
Of the public school fund from any
system of caste schools, the issue
forces itself upon us in the shape
which does not admit OF any pre-
varication.
We think we do not mistake the
temper and aims Of the Republican
party of Texas when we assume
that it is the unalterable purpose Of
its leading spirits to make all the
public schools in our State free to
every color, either through legisla-
ture or judicial instrumentality.-
dustin Rsfoymer.
%Two of the most successful
! o,,l Iocf ,~o,l ol,{ore, IN No,r, NorE