The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-05-06
}NO,,,.39.

:. :. INC, go
ton increased fifty per cent. during
the ten years; that Of New Orleans
doubled; and that Of Washington &C.
tually trebled. The result IS inju-
rious to the morals Of the negroes,
and equally injurious to their health,
as they are cooped up ID filthy, over
crowded dwellings,, where every san
itary rule is set at defiance It is
injurious, again, as it gives che car
pet-baggers' Gas they are called con-
troll of the municipal governments
And lastly, It Is injurious, as IL de-
prives agriculture Of the labour it SO
sorely needs, and which alone can
enable The South to recover from Its
Iosses. & iii78st.lI atifiH f9ra4r
So far the statistics Of the Census
hold out no brilliant promise for the
future Of the negro race ii America.
IN two particulars, however, there is
very decisive evidence Of highly en-
couraging progress. In the whole
Union in 1870 the number Of col
CURED boys and girls Of school age
|in this case : to lS-amouhted to
I, 1920, a97s. OF these as many as
$50, 372 were attending school for at
least some portion OF the year. If
we were to compare thess figures
with the figures dealing With the en-
tire population, the proportion would
mot appear large. But toifinstitate
such d comparison would be utterly
misleading. For generations public
opinion in the Northern and West
tern States, at least, has required
free parents to educate their chill
dren. Wherever d settlement has
been made, therefore, ina new terri
tory, one Of the first steps has a.
ways been to provide Ia school. It
is a matter Of course; then, that the
attendance Of white children should
be large. But as long as slavery
lasted it was punishable offence in
the South to teach a slave to read or
write, and no person known to have
a drop Of negro blood in his veins,
though he might in reality be as fair
as the fairest European, would, on
any pretence, be admitted into q
school attended by whites. Conse-
quently we find tllattin all the Uni-
ted States there were in 1860 not
more than 1880 coloured persons
at schools Of every kind, including
those especially provided by Aboli-
Itiohists for the negroes in the North.
In thirteen years, therefore, the at
tendance has been multiplied very
nearly six4times. Even Jwere we In
stop here, the result must be charac-
1terized as the achievement Of great
success. By painful experience We
ourselves have learnt the difficulty
Of educating a people. Though we
have been engaged upon the task
here at'home for nearly half a cen
tury, we are even now only laying
1.-THE foundation Of a really national
system. Yet here in England We
brought to the undertaking every
advantage an ancient civilization,
a dense population on small area,
1 unlimited wealth, bounless public
spirit, widely distributed scholar
Eship, and above all and beyond all,
the priceless advantage Of q united
people. Insthe Southern States, on
the other hand, all the conditions
were reversed. Everything was new,
every distance was vast, every per.
son was poor, and every class was
] divided. TO havemade 80 much pro
!. gress, in spite of snchHheavy disad
.|vantages is certainly no. mea1
achievement. lNm is the progress
confined to any part Of. the country
In 1860 there were in Alabama onl,
lila coloured PERSONS lat school, Il
1870 there weie 1856; inls6Ol til
attendance ID Arkansas was S, /,
! I1s7O twas, 5,7s4; in Louisiana til
! increase Is ifom 275 to Ill, O76; an
!, lin South G4rolina it isf from 365 L
: 1885, These figures tell their ON
! story, and It is only fair to- credit th
{ Government with the good work it
z-1now shown to be performing
.-ls5 roefBE CONTINUED. %
/ e. In 1906 there was but or
It'll mai1fin this conntrv who cn,,ld nal