The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-06-20
Home Correspondence
Shall Black and White Chill
dren Recite Together?

). Senate, was the most august, the
most venerable, and the most en-
lightened legislative body in the
land. But the Senate must no longer
dare to claim that honor. 1t proper
ly belongs to the Board of Educa-
tion, of Fairfield Township, High
land County, Ohio.
That body, on the 25th of May,
1872, in special session assembled,
originated, voted on, and passed by
a majority of one, a resolution, which
is bound to give to them an immor-
tality, such as kings and potentates
might envy. That resolution, as it
is put into execution, as its influence
widens and deepens, as it goes up
and down in the land, lifting up the
down-trOdden and oppressed, and
scattering peace and good will
amongst men, will return in its
fruition, a crown of glory for its au-
thors' heads-a crown of glory more
brilliant than the sun-a crown of
glory, surrounded by phosphor-
escent haze, all radiant with ten
thousand halos circling round their
venerable brows.
Here is the resolution itself. 1t
will speak for itself more loudly
than any tame words of mine can
do:
"Resolved, That the colored chill
dren of the District be admitted to
the Common Schools of the Town
ship; but they shall not be crossed
or recite with white pupils, and the
Directors are authorized to see that
this provision be carried out"
would rather be the author of
that resolution than to wear the
diadem of the Cesars. [ would
rather write the latter part of that
clause, than be the Editor of the
New York Tribune. The sublimity
Of the thought, the beauty of ex-
preston, the terseness of the SEN
tences, all conspire to raise in our
breasts emotions beyond the power
of words to express. After reading
it even the Declaration of Independ-
ence becomes tame and insipid.
Let us look little more closely
at this noble resolution. They first
resolve that the colored children
shall be admitted to the Common
Schools Or course they must be
admitted. The Board of Education
beheld the poor African, stretching
out his arms to them, and asking
for protection. The call was heard !;
and these wise, judicious, good, he
roic men, regarding not the frowns
of men or devils, set to work, to
devise a plan, by which they might
be admitted, without endangering
our free institutions. This point is
gained in the latter part of this res
olution, providing that the races
shall not recite together. 1t can do
no possible harm for white and COL
ored youth to have equal means of
education, to sit together in the
same school room, to play together
on the play ground, to drink tOgeth-
er from the same bucket and from
the same tin-cup, but if they are
permitted to recite together, then,
| farewell to female virtue, farewell
to all that is good and true and
beautiful Were the races permitted
to recite together, the degraded
, "nigger" boy might stand an equal
2 chance with his Caucasian brother
in the race for 'life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness" But by this
: humane provision, the teacher is
privileged at every recitation, to fix
2 firmly, and still more firmly the
, true relation of the races to show
the superiority of the Caucasian
race, and to fix, eternally fix upon
i the African the degradation and in
e fanny which the curse has already
= fastened upon the sons of Ham.
This is not the only advantage
gained. The teacher is also greatly
u benefited. By this arrangement he
|, gets employment for his leisure
e hours. The law requires that tht
e teacher should spend six hours eact
u day with his pupils. A conscien
Il tious teacher will endeavor to obey
q this law. If his time is not wholly
o occupied, he longs for some employ
3, ment to help him pass away tn
q slowly dragging hours. Now it is
Is notrious fact that our District School
= do not average more than thirtl
recitations daily, and these recita
tions do not average more thai
'e taoenty minutes each in the LENGTH
'e Hence any one, who is "quick i
p" figures" can see at a glance, tha
D. not more than one-half of the time
~ which the law requires that th
le teacher should spend with his schOO
= is occupied in actual work! But
ie he is permitted to hear all his recitt
tions twice, to accommodate th
colored youth, his time being OccI
70 pied will pleasantly slip by; he Wi
:, gain the respect and confidence
: both white and colored patrons, an
IN his school will be converted from
20 little PandemOnium, to a perfe
Paradise.
1t would seem, in view of Il
IT. many advantages to be gained, nor
or could be found who would object
on the enforcement of such law. b