New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-11-06
FROM MaAsaCh uselts.

''.~s wv so ioGo
"a. Efa.-s srhs Ns~ Natioaai Era a.d ca.sen
In company with my old friend and class.
mate. VIM. II. Ash, (wlo. by the way, Is a
member of the Boston Theological Seminary. \
visited several places of great Importance
important because Of their literary and his.
,oyical character. Among them, most PROM
inent. were the Atheneum, School of Tech
nologv, Public Library, Institute of Natural
History, the Public schools, and lastly, but
not the least. the Parker House, one of the
largest hotels in the city, where took supper
IN company with my friend Ash and Rev.
G,o. ". Williams, successor to the venerable
and re.Ie, ted Grimes. of the Twelfth Baptist
Church. BOSTON. This latter gentleman.
though Young, is regarded as one of the ablest
and most eloquent preachers Of the Baptist
connection in New England. Having re-
.eiyed his academical course in PENNSYLVANIA
aud his theological course at the famous
school, O! Theology, at Newton, Massachu-
sets, we presume the epthets "ablest" and
eloquent are not misapplied. Some time
in MAY our friend Williams will be married
II that beautiful and accomplished Young
lady, Miss Sallie Sterrett, Of Chicago, the
daughter of our old friend Theodore Sterrctt.
Whence he'll sail for England, France,
Vienna, and Germany. On his return he'll
resume his pastoral duties in this city, unless
called 10 fill some such place rs that vacated
by the llmcntcd Anderson
ThcIc has been Il vast amount said on the
question "f mixed schools in the District of
Columbia. both pCo aud con- But when |
stood on Phillips street nj noon to-day, and
saw the little urchins engaged in their sport
upon the grounds Of the schools, and every
other one "f IA different hue -claspng hands
in the most friendly manner-I became con-
'Inced that here is a school erected upon the
common law of equality, brought about BY
righteous public sentiment. | thought as
Wendell Phillips thought when in Rome,
he visited the Cathedral, and heard sermon
delivered in a most melodious tone aud
when he moved forward to note the personal
appearance of the priest, he was astonshed
to discover that the speaker was a negro.
This struck him so forcibly that he ex-
claimed, 81 must be four thousand miles from
New York. Here, in Boston, there is no
distinction either in the public schools or
hotels. To compare Washington with Bos-
ton in wealth and culture would be out III the
question. And yet, to pass bill clualizing
the schools in the District seems to be utterly
distasteiul 10 the Old residents of pro-slavery
recollectons.
heard John Il. Cough lecture Tuesday,
the 2sth utimo, at Music Hall. Subject:
Might Scenes in Great Metropolis. -
lie told the people that society was rcspon-
sibie for the degradation of fallen humanity,
and that intelligence and prosperity could
never be complete without society, was
more liberal in its views. And so | hold
there can never be a triumph of republican
liberty in the District of Columbia until the
last vestigc of human slavery shall have been
destroyed-I mean caste distinctions in the
common schools. May God grant that the
Forty-third Congress see fit to close up this
chasm existing IN the schools of our city, and
throw open their portals to all the children
OF men alike. The term "colOred" cannot
be found in the Constitution of our country,
and why should it be found in the laws of
the District-the capital of the nation Here,
In Boston, man is a man to all intents and
purposes, be he white or black. The ave-
nues Of industry and competition are thrown
open 10 all men. And each is invited to take
view at the voyage of life with equal privi-
leges and equal chances. When it shall
please the people, as Cough said in his lee
ture, TO come down to the common level of
humanity, predict TOR all men in the District
of Columbia bright and glorious future.
Respectfully yours,
WM. II. BELL.