New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-09-11

tue BOARD treated one who, by the most siren
uous exertions, has worked his way up to tn
top OF his profession whose services on tn
battlefield, and in the hospital, have wo
the praise Of white men who were able +
recognize his merit. Having neglected unit
the last moment to send him an official motto
oil his dismissal, they propose, we understand
to keep him out Of the salary justly due him
The Doctor makes the mistake Of address
ing argument to these gentlemen. The,
thought the expenses of the High School to-
much when Mr.. Greener had charge a
81 500, with s7OO for an assistant. The,
begin this year with a principal al 1900
and two assistants at 600 each!
Consistency, thou art jewell"
Such men, regardless of the children's vel
fare, governed by pique and jealousy, tot
ignorant to know what is for the children
good, cannot injurc one with n reputation
such as the Doctor has earned. He is above
their petty malice.
WASHINGTON, April l., 1873.
To ne Boart n Trsteesqr obiorsd scsoos Of Washia9
ton and Georgetown.
GENTLEMEN: Your notice informing me
that my services as lecturer on anatomy
physiology, &C., had been dispensed with
was received but as neither the notice, OF
the resolution by which was dismissed, and
which / saw published in the morning papers
of the proceedings Of the board, state why
was dismissed, the public as well as myself
are left to conjecture as to the hasty action
Of the board. True il is, that just before
hn ali taI
read by the superintendent giving an account
as to the discipline and cost of running the
high school, but it did not state that
neglected my duty, or that was incompe-
tent to perform it; neither did it state that
was responsible for the discipline, which was
stated to be so defective. Now, gentlemen,
l came to your school with good reputation,
which gained by my own eXertiOns, and it
is due to the public whom serve, as well as
myself, that you should state the reason why
you repealed the resolution of former board
under which was appointed. And here
may state that the report of the superintend-
ent was grossly defective, inasmuch as it did
not state whether the scholars learned any
thing at all for the increased average price
of the cost Of teaching them. And, there
fore, all we have learned from it is that il
cost thirty-five dollars per child to teach
were scratched; that forty or more of the
tassels were torn from the window curtains;
and that some Of the scholars made noise in
passing through the halls but it failed to
state that the charts and models can be used
for future years, and that although | was
appointed the 10th of September last, and
reported for duty at once, the board refused
to allow me any pay until January /, 1873,
and as the school year terminated the end oil
June, all l could have received as salary,
provided l had been paid up to that time,
would have been $500, instead of $500, as
stated by the report. So that, deducting
5000 as salary, and s234.95 cost of charts
and models, makes total Of s434.95 less,
and should not be charged to the past school
year. But it has been urged by the president
Of the board that it is a useless expense to
have anatomy, physiology, and hygiene
taught in the school.
Well, gentlemen, ask you, in all SINGER
ity, what more important subjects can be
taught there? For it is all very well to
teach the scholars geography, grammar,
mathematics, history, Latin, and elocution,
&C., but what will all this avail with body
weakened by the neglect Of the laws OF
health or by too much study? And as for
example, suppose you take two children and
put them to study in the same school lei
one be taught the laws Of health and his
own being, and the other left to himself,
without a knowledge OF either, the former
will grow up to manhood invigorated in mind
and body, while the latter will more than
likely be dwarfed in both. And YOU will
pardon me, gentlemen, if ask you, also,
are you aware Of the injustice you are doing
to these children, or have you thought at all
of the subject as it relates to them? And
1n ,hor hot ha III;
of the District of Columbia have been de.
prived Of the privilege of studying these i'm.
portant subjects, whose parents were taxed
to educate white children, and when you
have gone to the expense Of purchasing the
finest and most complete set of charts and
models of any school in Washington, and
the children's parents have gone to the ex-
pense of purchasing the books necessary to
prosecute their studies, and they having pro-
crossed in them as far as they have gone, in
a manner that would do credit to any schol-
ars, are you fulfilling the trust the Govern.
mcnt has reposed in you, as educators Of the
colOred people of the national capital, in cut.
ting off so important study?
Gentlemen, allow me to admonish you
that our colored children require all the edu.
cation they can get to prepare them to com.
pete with white children, who have had, and
ucation, and any colored man or woman who
will interpose his or her authority or iniu.
ence to prevent the spread of knowledge
among them, posterity will spit upon theil
graves, and their memories will be eXecrated
by all true men as enemies of their race.
And, gentlemen, it will be very difficult
for you to make the public believe that your
action was based upon your desire to ecOno.
mize but, on the other hand, they will
rather believe it was to spite somebody
without caring whether it would be an iniur,
or a benefit to the school. have come to
this conclusion because you have acted with
indecent haste upon matters of which you
had no information to guide you, for GER
tainly you could not have known, having
just entered upon your duties, what your SUI
perintendent acknowledged he was ignorant
of, namely, whether the scholars had beer
benefited by being taught anatomy, physiol
ogy, and hygiene. And you cannot put il
| the plea of expense, in the face of the facts
that you pay 81 600 to have music taught il
the schools, and you have, since YOU passed
the resolution to dismiss me, procured a piano
for that same school, and appointed a teache
Of drawing. Now, all this is just as it shout,
be, but will not insult your Intelligence b,
asking you which is the most important, ant
still, L opine, should you inquire of the chill
dren's parents, they will say, IS If you hav.
TO leave off anything, do not let it be tina
which pertains TO the health Of our children.
Nor can you say that such studies are use
| less, for they are taught in schools of a sim