New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-12
THE Peoples COLUMN.

Explanatory and 0lbes~iss.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:
! In reading the verbose articles of the
Roundabout column of the Times, Z am
daily forced TO reflect now much can be
made out of little, and how useful language
is to those who seek notoriety by making
much ado about nothing. For instance, In
an article headed Hit Again" published
on the tenth instant, Roundabout confesses
himself unable to answer the following
questions of Mitchelrs geography: "ln
what latitude and zone is New England
Why, any school boy or girl would answer
at once: North latitude and North Tenn
perate zone; because it lies north Of the
equator and between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Arctic Circle. But Roundabout
uses many high sounding sentences, and
about One-tourth of . column in holding,
as 40 ;magines, the most eminent geOg-
rapher of the day up TO public fidiculs.
The public do smile. but not at Mitchell.
IN the article Immediately preceding,
aud headed Experiments at the Webster
School," the writer falls into quite a passion,
with as little cause as he had for his sub
| sequent righteousness. After stating that
this is the day OF inspired dOnkeys, he
grows quite animate and laxative; utters a
great deal about mixture of the children in
| the schools, kicks backwards violently and
harmlessly at the president of che school
board, intimstes that it is the design of that
| official to mix the schools, and makes him
| self the champion of these endangered in
| situations. lis a pity TO witness the waste
| of so much wisdom and zeal. The whole
| thing is 2 mere attempt to create q need
| less excitement. 1t. is OF course, based
| upon Misrepresentation. Abiding to the
| policy Of keeping the two races apart in the
| schools. Roundabout asserts that during
the past year the system was faithfully
pursued, and with tho happiest results"
This assertion should be modified. The
| system was pursued as well az it could be
! under the circumstance of the times and
| the pressure against the Administrators,
but the generality of the statement betrays
the ignorance of Roundabout as TO the
actual condition of many OF the schools.
| Another proof of the accuracy OF this
| writer who, according TO himself, is the
man TO ditfuse general knowledge, can be
found in the glazing misstatement that
fifty children left the school yesterday
| Upon inquiry it is ascertained that out of
$50 pupils attending the Webster School.
only fifteen have left, and their teachers
say that these will all return as soon as the
noise created by the Times is hushed. 1t
| has always been found difficult and almost
impracticable to close the school doors
against a certain class OF persons whose
complexion and good breeding make it
necessary to resort to their at cestry to dis
cover the purity of their blood. Such
pupils could be found at all times past in
the schools. and but little more has been
done by the admission of the two OF three
children into the Webster School during the
past week. With these facts in view. It
was difficult TO perceive why the Times
should suddenly take so much interest in
the schools. until the publication of the
article on Our Public Schools" in the
issue of the eleventh. IL is apparent
from this that the journal is merely
tOluIUR llS wv ok sULloDuuI . bOuLECCs hcl
tracted by the displacement of SuperiHten-
dent Carter. 1t falsely states that this
gentleman was removed because he was
opposed to the mixture of the schools, and
AYERS that the stranger who was appointed
in his stead found his chief recommendation
IN views ~antagonistic 10 those of Mr.. Carter.
! The mixture of schools, so far as it exists,
took place under the administration of Mr..
, Carter. and if he is not held responsible for
it, equal consideration should be extended
to his successor-at least until his own acc
tons develop all antagonistic policy. But
the Times seems to be i~mplacable against
the new superintendent because be as
succeeded Mr.. Carter. 1t declares that the
public and the teachers are surprised at his
removal.
The Times knows very little of the eff.
cheney of men or Of the opinions of the
teachers. 1t repeatedly calls the new incum-
bent a stranger. This stranger has beenin the
city about twelve years, hence he must have
arrived about four years before the birth of
the Times. This stranger has also been
considered as the most active and success
full member of the school board for several
years past, and has become greatly es-
teemed and beloved by all the teachers with
whom he has had relations, and his appoint
ment, so far from creating surprise, has
been gladly received by almost the entire
body of teachers. Ii is to be hoped that
the individual paltiality or prejudice5 of the
Times will not continue to betray it into so
many obvious Misrepresentation and in
spire it with sentiments which produce on
the public mind the impression that it is
:nimical to the cause of public education.