New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-25
NEW ORLEANS. SATURDAY, MAY Is, 1872.


done. The taxes paid within this period of
time will be found to have been faithfully
applied, and, if the facts in the case will be
carefully considered, it will appear that
never were public funds more wisely and
properly invested. Eleven hundred schools
and nearly hundred thousand pupils are
proofs of economy and industry, the like Of
which it might be difficult to find as the
result Of other public investments.
So often have heard the question of the
uses of the school fund referred to by par
tisan newspapers, that / am especially de-
lighted with the opportunity Of pointing
public attention to its detailed application
as required by law. The legal use of pub
lie money is an element of public morals,
without which general confidence in gov
eFnment is so shaken as to demoralize the
community beyond anything else. More
mischief has resulted from the unfaithful-
ness of public servants than from most any
other cause. The condition of the public
mind on this point in New York and Louis
lana is about identical. We had a Wick
life; New York had a Connolly Both
plundered the people, and the people
hurled them from power at the proper
time How many Wickiiffes and ConnOlIys
are left we can not say; but one thing is
certain-God is just, and will open up
way for the detection of evil doers of
every Sort so that honesty and truth may
not be drawn away from the foundations of
society,
The public schools of Louisiana have
been increased in number, have been made
efficient and successful beyond anything
known to our history, largely by the faith
fulness of Mr.. Graham, our present Auditor.
With the aid afforded by this incorruptible
public etieer, those charged with the estab-
lishment and conduct of public schools have
been enabled to point to a degree ofsuccess
not yet reached by any State in the South.
The State Treasurer also, so far as his du-
ties we're concerned, has done his utmost to
give to the school funds of the State the
most conscientious care.
Had we been saved from WiclSliffe's ras-
cality, and from the destruction of State
notes TO the amount of $3.50, 642 13, in
1868, as shown by the Treasurers books
for those years, we could have had, ere this,
not merely eleven hundred schools, but SIX
teen or eighteen hundred-Yery nearly
enough to accommodate every educable
person in the State.
Not only have we had to endure these two
sources of serious financial embarrassment,
but we have had to act upon the maxim
that the laborer was worthy pf his hire, it
mattered not that the labor was performed
in former years. or under former admins
tratiOns. The sum of nearly $4,000 of
money collected within the past two years
to aid us in establishing schools under the
present system was appropriated by the
LEGISLATURE to paw teachers IN various parts
of the State for services rendered years ago.
This was right, Teaching then was as ne
cessary as il is now, and we have nothing
but praise for those whose sense Of duty
prompted the appropriation, but it is well
to bear in mind the important facts relat-
ing to our work and the reverses with
which we have had to contend. / name
these only to demonstrate the force of con-
trast, and bring to view the causes of con-
graduation at our success. We have blessed
the State with schools notwithstanding our
embarrassnents.
The city of New Orleans has not given
her schools an additional appropriation for
more than two years, and vet her teachers
have gone on patiently, awaiting better
day. By means of State apportionments,
and the payment of upward of 100000 of
a former city appropriation, the schools of
the metropolis have been kept alive and
the teachers paid up to within seven months
past. Now, for the first time during the
period of the present administration, the
City Council has levied local tax for the
support OF public schools, and it is hoped
that within the next ninety days every
cent due to the teachers viii be paid, in
cluding losses sustained by forced sales of
their certificates of indebtedness. To the
credit of these teachers, it may be said that,
Notwithstanding their pecuniary embar-
rassments, their work has been faithfully
prosecuted, and their schools increased in
numbers OF pupils and efficiency Of instruc-
ton.
The prejudice existing against the system
on account of the right of admission to any
of our public schools of any child, regard
less of color, has disappeared to a very con-
siderable extent, and to-day, IN proof OF
the truth of this statement, nearly one-halt
the free schools of New Orleans contain
white and cOlOred pupils, whose kindly
treatment of each other would bear strong
contrast to that which would result if the
same thing were tested in some Northern
cities. Politicians can not ascribe this re-
suit entirely 10 their partisan zeal. The
fact has deeper and nobler significance than
the mere triumph Ofparty. Itdemonstrates 1t
that
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
And that
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
God has not withdrawn His prOvidential
dealings from this section. He favOrs kind
ness and charity, and why not expect
kindness to the cOlOred child here as well
as in Boston or London.
Let us not grow weary in well doing.
The work is but just begun. All nature
is full of facts beckOning us onward to the
glorious era when Louisiana's children shall
all be intelligent. Let me illustrate.
Here Mr. Conway read an extract from
the Pennsylvania School Reports, which
closed in this manner:
"The human infant comes into the world
the most helpless of all animals, having
eyes, it sees not ito any purpose) having
ears, hears not; having hands and feet,
knows not their use, and having the ma
chinery of minds action, manifests no use
of its powers: it is the crude ore, whose
power must be drawn out or developed with
labor, care and skill; that wonderful power,
so various and so grand in its developments
that lifetime would fail to enumerate its
achievment in art, science and industry, that
power which (under God) rules the world,
searches out the visible creation and even
enters the unseen, and reveals the secret
springs of natures action, is all dormant
in the newborn infant, it awaits dr0tCil1g
OUt-educatiOn."
Here in Louisiana we are engaged in
"drawing Outn the citizens OF the future
from the children of the present; we are
drawing Louisiana out of darkness into
light, and from the power and bondage of
ignorance to the light, and liberty, and
progress, and happiness, and peace, and
Joy of popular intelligence. The rough iron
ore. taken from the heart Of the mountain,
is not melted, refined and drawn out into
bars in day. Labor, and care, and skill,
and perseverance are all necessary. So
with u.s. We must take the child, refine
him, draw out his native powers, teach him
their uses to himself his fellOw-men, his
country, his God. Picture the colored child
reading the newspaper to his parents
nine-tenths of the cOlored children able to
read and write.
COST OF sUPERNTENDENCE IN LOUISIANA.
The eost of our six suDerinte,,dents. in