, 1873-08-02
SUMMERS LAST LETTER.
Discrimination Against Negroes in
''' Public Schools.

EuUl1C SCHOOLS
Washfngon tJaly ao> Dtspateh to the hoston Adrsr'
Senator Sumner this afternoon addressed thu
following roply to uoto Of congratulation and
gratitu!lo recently reooiyod from tho leading
- WAs'trNnTon, July 70, 1872
GENTLEMEN. nm honorod by your commits
nication Of July 20, In which, aftor congratulat.
your sincere hopes that may resume my labora
In tho senntc, thcre to tako MP again tho cause
citizena Of Washington aro now engaged in
school systom for iii Children" desiro est to
salt WHICH yonr Ds eomsnancation mum M e9bibits, 70
and for your, hopca tha, / may again
Health itself Ia valuable only as It enables Is to
perform tho duties Of llfo, and know no proB.
ont duty moro commanding than that to Which
you refer. confesa truo pleasure in learning
ehe good cauao into their own hands, booauao
through thom it's triumph is cortain but thoy
must be B. In earnest. e.4 They must ."insIst and
labor; then labor @ md insist again. Only in
than atubbornnoss Or opposition. be overcome.
Tho open foo can bo mot. It's hard to doai
with that du1lnesa which fecls no tllrob at tho
thought Of opening to I'll complete equality in
you, gentlemen, that, living at tho National
Capital, you hayo peculiar responsibility In
tho warfare for equal rights you lro tho advance
guards sometimes tho forlorn hopc. You aro
animated to move forward not only for your
own Immediate good, but because through you
the whole colored population Of tho country vii,
| bo bonofted. Whnt ig secured for you will be
secured for all, whilo, II you full, thero ia
] for this thought arouso to increased 0xertion)
| that your triumph will rebound to the good OF
all Tho District Of Columbia is tho place whoro
| all tho great reforms born Of tho War llavo be-
{a ri
wEero all generous plants have been tried.
Emancipation, colorcd suffrage, tho right Of col
ored poraons to testify, aud their right to ri1o in
the street cars.--ail those began bore, and re-
On the nbolition OF slnvcry wo Woro solornnly
warned that riot, confusion, and chnos would en-
Buo. Emancipation took place, and not q voice
or sound was hoard except Of peace and glad
ciana that il colored persons were allowed to
| vote there would bo masBaore at tho poliH.
Then, again, colorol testimony was doprociatoa,
when 1t Vas insisted that the Btroot-carH would
| these changes woro benoficent. Nobody would
revorso them now. Who would establish slavery
| again Who would drive colo1od citizona from
| tho pol1s7 Who would exclude him from tho
| etrcet cars? And now tho old OBJ
do service again, in order to tod defeat
| effort for the, common schools, being achools
|
recognized in tho elective franchise, In tho
courtroom, and III tho streot-car. If this prin-
| cfplo is just for all tho latter, md nobody anys
| tho contrary now, why hesitate to apply 1t to
tho child In the why ho should go. Why, thon,
compel him in those tender yaarA to boar the ban
Of exclusion? Why, ut that early period, when
| Impressions aro received for life, impose upon
man, therefore he mnBt DO trainod to that aolf-
respect without which thoro can bo no true man
hood. But this Gun be only by removing all ban
Of exclusion and every badge Of inforiority by
color. IA the old objections arc waiyod, SO
BY our fatlers in tho Declaration Of Indopend-
once, that all men woro created equal. Admit
ting this principle aa rulo OF conduct, tho sop
aration Of childron in tue public schools on ac-
count Of color is absolutely indofonsible. In
aboliBhing it, we simply bring our schools into
conformity with tho requirements of tho
Declaration: 10 the objection that this chango
will injure tho schools, ropy this is contrary to
ling of:children according to tho ,genius Of ro-
publican institutions has been found excellent
in influence and further reply By insisting
now, as alway1 DO, upon that 5uatico to m op-
and which mover fails to bo wellspring Of
strength and happlnoss, blessing oil who hell,
it and Ill who receive it. Fooling US I do on thia
question, you will understand that cannot SEQ
without regret any opportunity neglected Of adj
fel1ow-oitizens. On this thoy should DO q unit.
Wherever tho question presents itsef, wlothor
| in OongroBs or tho Legislative chambers Of tho
District, or tho popular assembly, thero should
account OF color. It ia easy for lawyers and poll
tciaus to find EXCUSES according to thoir dcsireR,
but no hno-Bpun theory Of tech1sicality should bo
| allowed to prevail against the commanding prin-
(signod) CHARLES SUMNER.