The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-02-05


the report of the United States Commits
sioner of Education, John Eaton, Jr. Ed
ncation in the South is treated by the Com
missioner in substance as follows:
Education, the great process Of assimla-
ton, evidently should receive more atten-
ton than any other function of our civil
life. Our society is of such nature, the
establishment of permanent caste is so i'm
possible, the flow and reflow OF individuals
through all relations from the highest to the
lowest is SO constant and easy that the con-
duct of any one man, woman or child, can
an no sense become safely q matter of III
difference to the other members of society.
The moment of neglect is the opportunity
of vice and crime; and the extent of neg
lect il the measure of the peril from
these sources, and the index of the re-
duced productions of industry and the
losses of capital. If the individuals
who are idle, ignorant and vicious in
crease so as to constitute the majority,
the declared object and form of our govern
ment, so far as that unit is concerned, is
perverted or destroyed, be it the civil unit
of the town, city, or State. Notwithstand-
ing the beneficial results and imperative
necessity of universal education, every
generation of adults has thus far, in some
form presented difficulties or shown hostil-
ity to the education of all the children in
their midst. The late appalling struggle in
our nation, was not only sectional, but the
con ditions out of which it arose were as
line of demarcation indicating the differ
ences of education in the different sections.
The solemn fact is shown that one fifth of
the admit nonnlation of tbe country is litter
.ate and three-fourths of this ignorance is to
he found in in the South. By careful cal
r,ulation II shown that race nreiudice il ex-
.rc;sed hv five neonle ont Of every six to-
ward one,
The white nop,,lation being 80. $50. $50.
and aIl the others only 4 .96S. 994. of whom
$40 600 are colored. There is probably
no greater obstacle to universal education
than this race-preiudice. 1t is not satisfied
with ordinary manifestations, but records
itself in the enactment of prohibitory laws,
Nm ;ts eagerness to wound Others. the white
raca If nI,r country has injured itself.
Al safely NAV one race exclude another
from the benefits of medicines or the an
nl;cat;on of sanitary laws. No city would
think of tolerating the smallpox in any
class of its citizens. even though that class
were Of another race. for it has been so
terribly written that this physical scourge
in its deadly unity diversions all bounda-
ries of race that the dullest. most bigoted.
and stnnidest of Communities realizes per-
Sectly that it's only hone of immunity de-
pends ON the protection of each Individual.
and every class composing it,
But. what bodily disease has ever
wrought the terrible evils to society that
come from that ignorance whose children
are destitution and crime? The despised,
neglected. destitute. and ignorant have. in
mast times. more than once DESTROYED gov
enments. and NAV do SO again. The chill
dren whom society. the church, and the
school fail TO educate. learn in the streets,
and from countless teachers of vice, aided
by those grim masters. hunger and want,
the malignants that render the property of
our households. the virtue of our women.
and the health and happiness of our people
insecure.
In some instances, in the Southern States
all the intense bitterness of fratricidal
war is remembered. Yet again, men of
eminence in the professions and in society
ACCEPT with philosophy, he wishes was
universal. the new order of things. Rising
above the social prescription around them
and whatever of remorseless poverty any