New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-16

4
really felt somewhat alarmed at the earnes
! support which was apparently given to it b
leading men of the nation, we are nov
heartily thankful that it will do us no harm
Greeley is a good man; and we feel unde
obligations to him for the great battle of hu
man rights which he has so.nobly fought an
won; but for all this, we cannot go with hin
to Cincinnati. Men may be great, good
honest, and strong and may have periorme'
Herculean labors in behalf of human rights
but when they go to tampering with the enc
mics of our Government, and drink cham
payne with the men they have so nobl,
fought, without one particle of concession OIL
the part of the enemies, and when men
though they be old friends--go outside Of thu
ranks, among stragglers, to fight our leaders
inside the ranks, we must bid a long adieu tt
them. We love our freedom too well to leave
the ranks for any half-dozen men.
We are thankful that Hon. Charles Sum
ner did not go Cincinnati, but remained il
] hiSsnat battling for hupon,, rights. All honor
to his noble name J.! May the many s.tars
which illuminate his glorious career never be
darkened, but may they shine with still
greater brightness until he goes forward to
enter still more glorious career in the next
life. If Sumner had been nominated at Gin
cinnati we would have wept. But Horace
Greeley can do us no harm, while Grant will
lead us to victory.
ALCORN UNIVERSITY.
NVo hovo met raooivad ON, E'p o;pna
writing the above, and see that a g student"
of Alcorn University tries to give us right
good blowing up for merely mentioning as an
item of news, the passage of a bill in the
lower house of the last session of the Legis-
lature, abolishing the Institution. Well,
Mr.. Editor, if that student has not gray hair
ON his Uranium we are much mistaken in the
language of his letter. He is at perfect lib
erts to exhaust his vocabulary of words in
defending the institution, and of trying to
place us in the way of denouncing it. What
we wrote was simply a matter of. news, and
were careful not to express our opinion about
the matter. All parties connected with the
institution are our warm personal friends,
and we would not dip our pen to draw a line
derogatorily of them. But of one thing we
are afraid-that the Democratic jurist who
SO readily gives it as his opinion that the bill
giving Alcom University its existence, &C.,
cannot be repealed, would do all in his power
not to have it repealed, as he knows full well
that if the doors Of Alcorn were ordered
closed, the doors of Oxford would be ordered
xhii
When the bill passed the Legislature last
May creating Alcorn University, it was re-
ported that Governor, Alcom said, snow let
Oxford be for young white Southerners, and
Alcorn for tho children of white carpet bag
gers and negroes" We give this as we have
heard it from a responsible source. ..
Student says: ''Any man or set of men
who would break up these relations Speak
ing of the happy relation, as he expresses it,
existing between former master and former
slave) by attempting to mix the schools or to
force colored youths into Oxford University,
pie of Mississippi five have ever wished
that Alcon University never existed, the
expression of such sentiments by one of its
students in its incipient state, would compel
us to ask the members of the Legislature to
wipe it out of existence at once. What ?
Students trained in this broad, free land of
ours, that it is ruinous to us for colorcd youths
to apply for admission into Oxford, or any
other institution of learning in this great
country? If such are to be the instructions
given to the students of Alcorn, may Heaven
blot it out of existence before it curses us.
we sincerely hope that its good President
| and our friend DR.. Revels will seek out that
student and instil more manly nature in
| him. f-.a ..
1t is true the law establishing Universities
| does not mention color. But all the trus.
tees, professors, and students of Alcorn are
colored, and all the trustees, professors, and
students of Oxford are white. Thus the line
is drawn; laws are mere words, but public
opinion and public actions are the lever
which mark out the course for the rising gen.
Grafton. And we hope never to hear thai
students in any University would so igno.
rantly admit their own inferiority by saying
none but an enemy of the race would Insist
upon colored boys applying for admission
into Oxford--a mere fourth-rate institution!
| CIyIS.