Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-05-28

schools at all. Let this issue be ac-
copied and let the question go TO
the people thus "mixed. schools or
no free schools" Let it be under
stood that the taxpayers will
cheerfully submit to legal and
constitutional poll tax, to support
schools for the education of the
colored children. It IS an object
| well worthy of public sanction and
sympathy, but It is one which will
be defeated rather. than promoted
by the foul attempt to ,mingle white
and black children in tie same
schools. That win never have the
as3ii ifssce6ee u the Kteiiigent
moral and honest AOf either race.
|-Demagogues who have. no ~ehilarsn
to educate, or take good care to
place their children in the exclusive
ly white schools Of 1.-THE other
States. may, in order to curry favor
With the negro voters, favor this
dcmoralizing eschemei;1 but the
sensible colored people and all the
honest white. people of this city
viii array themselves in solid pha-
lanx against it. Let the people
be aroused ind put on their guard
against the conspiracy to carry out
this purpose. which is even, now
matching in the stronghoids Of
Radicalism within our city limits. y
We have to say in reply, that this
characteristic denunciation of pro-
gressive ideas aud measures on the
part of the Tan-s is just what might
have been expected. f
1t would be amusing, if it were
not disorganizing to society, to find
the Times fighting against accom-
plished facts, which in their very
nature are irreversible, and to see it
in such a ludicrous furry about
the mixture of colored and white
children in the public schools. 81
In Massachusetts, and the other
New England States the white and
colored children sit on the same
benches in the public schools and
when it is recollected that the
puritan stock came from England
where karistocracy is worshiped,
while the best blood of Louisiana
was transmitted to the Continent of
America from republican France,
it seems some what out of keeping
with the aristocratic tendencies of
the Times for it to denounce the
system adopted by the descendants
of the aristocrats, in New England
There are some comparisons too,
which do not tel in favor of the
Times. For instance New England
furnishes fully two thirds of the
capital employed in the commerce
Of the nation, yet the children
Of rich parents there. are
allowed to associate with \ the
children of the commonest laborer,
While the Times, which speaks for q
poverty-stricken section of the
country, where more than half of the
white children are even more iSno-
rant and degraded than the, colored
children pirates, about the outrage
OF such association.
Then again, the best educational
system ON the Continent exists amid
the terms of an indiscriminate ad-
mission to the public schools; and
beside not only do many of the
best men in the. nation advocate
mixed schools, but some of the
ablest men of the nation have
themselves sprung from the system
of mixed schools.
But the criticism of the Times be-
comes even more ridiculous than it
is absurd, when we examine the
merits of the question at issue. In
the first place, if people have aristo-
cratic prejudices in republican
society, they ought to pay for them,
by sending their children to private
schools; and in the next place if
people are not willing to submit to
tie laws which give them equal
protection with al others, it is one
of the best proofs they ought not to
be entrusted with the responsibility
of enacting laws.
A child is not better than its
father. He will sit on the same
benches with colored legislators;
why then cannot Ills children sit on
the same benches with colored
children-the experiment Of mixing
white and colored children has been
tried in the best society and proved