The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-05-13
1.-THE IMPENDING EyIL."
1TRrorI tbe Knory3Ile Press and Herald.

During a recent visit to Nashville,
we spent a pleasant morning in the
office Of the State Superintendent. Of
Public instruction. and were highly
interested in and sgratifed by the
details of the excellent progress Of
the new school system throughout
the State, as explained to us By Col.
Fleming. The system is swiftly
bearing down all remnants Of opposi-
ton, and is becoming more and
more; popular as its 9benI6cent pro-
visions are understood and appre
ciated. The utmost harmony pre-
walls between, the State Snperin-
tendento and. the County Snperin-
tendents, and the latter give an In
telligent and ready support to 2all
the Recommendations of the former.
Col. Fleming's thoughtful and
timely words on the undoubted. evils
which would result from the adop-
ton of the supplementary Civil
Rights bin, with the mixed school
clause retained, met responsive
echoes from many friends ofhour
State school system, regardless of
parties. One special letter to Col.
Fleming We have been permitted to
copy. 1t is from Rev. G. ~. VII
Iiams, County Superintendent OF
Carrole county. a Northern man Oy
birth and education. and moreover a
Republican, and yet further a North
ern Methodist preacher. Surely the
conclusion that he reaches regarding
the effect of the negroes demand
| for m xed schools, should be well
weighed and serve as an example to
the Republican journals, who keep
silence. for partisan ends, or else
through diShonorabIe timidity, dare
not speak out in opposition to the
fatal demand. The letter is as fol-
lows :. tsT aIa-- -ess -sge sTg
Hollow Rock, Tenn, May 3, IA. q
Hon, Jno. III. Fleming, Supt. Public
Instruction
DEAR SIR have just read in the
Union and american, statement OF
your views concerning the effect OF
the proposed Civil Rights Bilr' up
on the public school interests of our
State. l concur in your opinions
and hope that their publication may
tend to avert the impending evil
that threatens with complete destruc-
ton the cause of popular education
| in Tennessee.
| A Northern man by birth and ed
ucation, | surely will not be thought
| inimical to the cvlored race or op-
| posed to their education. In fact l
believe it to be the imperative duty
| of the State to promote means OF
educationafor all her children with
out regard to race, color or previous
condition. But the most efteetual
means that could possibly be aenl'
ployed to overthrow the present eN-
cellent school system, and deprive
all classes of it's benefits, would be
the Civil Rights Bill with the school
clause incorporated in it. E. 80. "a.
ses4-- -.r G. w. WILLIAMS. 'ca
The evil which the Civil Rights
Bill threatens to the school system
of TenRcssee is not altogether de-
pendent upon the passage OF the bill
at this session Of Congress. The
demand Of the State CoIored Con
vention for mixed schools, has awak.
ened alarm, and the evil has been in
a measure already wrought. Should
Congress evade discussion on the
bill, and adjourn without voting up
on it, the result will be almost as
evil as if the measure had been pass
ed. For the counties, in Wow OF
the demand of the negroes, and the
probable acceding to that demand
by Congress at its next session, will
almost unanimously refuse to levy
school taxes And this is as true OF
the Republican counties Of East
Tennessee as of the Democratic
counties OF the Middle and Western
Divisions. aItis as true of Knox as
of Carroll. With Senator Brownlow,
We believe that nine-tenths Of the
white Republicans are determinedly
opposed to mixed schools.
What then is the alternative!
Simply for Congress to act promptly,
and2speaking now solely with re.
ference to the public school system
in this State. and in the South
publicly pronounced, by an adverse
vote, against the mixed school
feature in the Supplementary Civil
Rights bill. The Repnbiieanopress
of Tennessee, and the Southern
States generally, who have The ear OF
Republican Congressman, have dp.
ty to perform in this matter, which
responsibility they cannot shirk,
without being held to q strict &C
cotntabititv - YeEai s-o'
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