Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-26
The Mixed school Feature Of the Civil
Rights Bill.


The Mixed school Feature Of the Civil
Rights Bill.
There seems to be q good deal Of apprehen-
sion amongst the friends of education, without
regard TO party lines, that the mixed school
feature Of the civil rights bill will, IL adopted,
practically destroy the public school system In
a large portion of the Union.
The Baptist Home Missionary Society In its
yesterdays session in this city, took up the
question, and Rev. DIR. Jeter, OF Virginia, while
urging the necessity for prompt action being
taken for the religions improvement of the col
ored people In the South, expressed the opinion
that IL that provision Of the bill became . law
the educational interests of the South would be
totally ruined. DIR. Sears, also, gave 1t as his
belief that the passage OF the bill would destroy
the free-school system Of the South, because the
people would not endure taxation for the sup
port of mixed schools, and many of the best
workers in the cause of education in the South
would resign their positions in despair OF q sue
cessful GROWING Of their efforts, however stren-
uous. He had arrived at tais fact from CONVEX
sations with men of all parties in the South
While he did not deny that all men are equal
before the law, and that In the abstract the
passage Of this bill might be right yet it is not
expedent- The relation of the general gov
eminent to the state governments is one of ex-
pediency, and is il expedient for the general
government to destroy an excellent free-schooI
system in the states? After further debate, the
society deemed the matter of so much import
aDee that special committee was appointed
take ii into earnest consideration.
In the same line we note that Senator Brown
low has recently declared that If the civil rights
bill should pass without the mixed school fea-
ture being stricken out, the whole school fabric
in Tennessee will at once fall to the ground, as
it will deserve to do. Then the expenses OF the
education of their children, if they are ejuca-
ted at all, win be borne by themselves, and not
by the white people, as they now are.
1t Is worthy Of consideration also, that the
opinions of teachers Of experience and judg-
ment are all adverse to the change. One Of
these teachers, Of northern birth. residing in
Nashville, Tennessee, writes thus upon this sub
ject in q recent communication to the press:
"To the people of the South the question of
mixed schools Il one of vital Importance. After
years OF earnest effort the friends of popular
education in Tennesse succeeded in securing
the passage OF law providing for the estab.
ltshment Of system Of free public schools. The
only distinction that IL made between the white
and cOlored children is that they are to be edu-
Gated in separate schools. 1t Is difficult to see
how any one IL wTOnged by this arrangement,
or that any great moral principle Is violated.
That the establishment OF mixed schools
lent system, IL almost universally believed by
those who are best acquitted with the subject,
hhu Nuc COlOTcu pcOplc WOulu Dc the ones VINO
would suffer the more severely. majority of
the white population would be able to send
their children TO private schools, but the colored
are too poor TO thus provide for theirs, and they
would grow up in ignorance"
Colonel John Fleming, Superintendent OF
Public Instruction in Tennessee, and editor OF
the Tennessee School Journal, says, also:
90 No little uneasiDess has been very reasona-
bly, created among the friends of popular edu-
cation IN Tennessee by the proposition to in
clude public schools within the operations OF
The civil rights bill now pending before Con-
eress, 20 as TO require the CO education of the
white and colored children The public school |
law OF Tennessee is impartial in its provisions, !
giving no preference as 10 their common rights !
to one race over another. Provision is made /
for SEP arate schools for white and colored chill
cren, and the law has been enforced by the !
school on GERS with strict regard for the rights
or both races. Indeed, after having carefully |
studied the feelings OF the colored people de- /
siIous or educating their children, we are salts
led that they in Tennessee, as well as the /
whites, prefer the present arrangement; for |
every intellig gent man or woman, whether white !
or coiored, who has given a moments thought |
TO the subject, must know that Congressional
act with an enforcement clause compelling
mixed schools would AT one fell swOop DESTROY
our pubic system utterly, and undo the labors
of years."
The Cincinnati Commercial of SATURDAY.. in a
carefully-cOnsidersd article, comes to the con-
clusiOn that the passage of the bill will be a
grave error. One consideration OF much i'm
school question in the southern states, is, that
whereas at present the colored children are
aimst entirely instructed By colored teachers, |
on the other hand coIored teachers would sell
dom or never be employed under the mixed
school system. To dismiss the teachers of the
ep1ranchlsed race, and close against them this
field Of usefulness and improvement, would be
grossly unjust 1t is idle to suppose that the
present generation of white people at the south
will consent 10 have their children educated by
colored teachers; and the advantage to the
colored children Of having teachers of their own
race would be almost wholly taken away by the
attempt to enforce the mixed school system.
Another most important argument against
passing such a civil rights bill as that proposed
cat least in its present shspe) is that the sole
possibility OF Its enforcement rests with the
courts Of the United States. These courts are
30 few in number and 80 widely separated as to
render any practical attainment of Justice un-
der this law. or its equal enforcement through
out any state, an utter impossibility. Says the
Commercial.
"Think of the sbsurdity of attempting to en-
force throughout the state of Ohio, which has
but two district courts of the United States /
one at Cincinnati and one at Cleveland-an abb |
fOlute equality OF the white and coIOred races !
m6nt, common and higher Schools and places |
OF refreshment! The United States Marshals |
would md their hands 30 full of business that /
they would be compelled to call upon the Trea- |
sury At Washington for an appropriation of !
about million dollars, and power to appoint |
thousands OF deputies TO enforce the law. The |
United States courts themselves would have to |
be multiplied a hundred-fOld, or the cases
arising uncer the new penal statute would |
never come to trial. Yet IL Is manifest that the
county and state courts cannot and will not en-
force law Of Congress, for IL is not their func-
ton &c do 50. IL is forbidden by the very toun-
dalton principles of our judicial and political
Vefa nj afu nf
leaving the whole question Of further legisla-
ton 20 civil ights-at least in the direction OF
the means Of educatiOn-tO those state and local
authorities which alone have power in the
premises In this case, as in so many others,
the people may we'll say to Congress: GLANDS
OF, We are competent TO regulate our own at
fairs"
The Sontharn Mathndists In confaran.a AZ