The enquirer southerner., 1874-06-05

was hkely would, support this bill
because it secured the suffrages to
their party of seven OF eight hum
dred thousand acolored voters in
this country. Sir, he underesti-
mated vastly the political adyan>
tages, not to the party, but to the
ideas which that party has enters
tanned for the last fifteen or eighteen
years, to which it is pledged. on
which the new government has
been constructed. and which every
party that claims power in this
country in the future and maintains
that Claim by any considerable
lease Of power will be obliged to
aeeap. Opening the public schools
OF this country. to every class and
condition ofpeopie without distinc>7
tionef race or color, is security.
not for the votes of seven or eight
hundred Thousand negroes now liv>
ing in thiscountry and entitled to
the right of suffrage, who ars bound
to the Republican party By ties
which they cannot sunder, but it is
security that through the coming
generations SO long as the history
Of this time shall remain and the
great deeds in which we have par
ticipated shall have influence on
public sffairs, the rising generations
in each of these generations will
advance to manhood with the fixed
purpose of maintaining these prin-
ciples. Intelligence is the security
tor the principles in which we be-
lieve, and-ignorance is the protecs
ton of the principles and the poli>
cy we oppose. A system of public
instruction supported by general
| taxation is security, first, for the
prevalence and continuance of those
ideas Of equality which lead every
human being to recognize every
other human being as an equal in
| all natural and political rights and
the only way by which those ideas
can be made universal is to bring
together in public schools, during
the forming period Of life, the chill
dren of all classes, and educate them
together. Il.
The public school is an epitome
of life, and in it children are taught
so that they understand those re-
lations and conditions of life which,
if not acquired in childhood and
youth, are not likely afterwards
to be gained. To say, as is the
construction placed upon SO much
of this bill as I proposed to strike
out, that equal facilities shall be
given in different schools, is to ret
your system of public instruction oil
that quality by which our people,
without regard to race or color,
shall be assimilated in ideas, per.
sonal, political, and public, SO tina,
when they arrive at the period o.
manhood they shall act together
upon public questions with ideas
formed under the same influences
and directed to the same genera
results; and therefore, I say, if i
were possible, as in the large cities
it ia possible, to establish separate
schools for black children and fol
white children, it is in the highes
degree inexpedient to either estab
; lish or tolerate such schools.
The theory of human equality
cannot be taught in families, tax
& ing into account the differen
conditions of the different member
and the families composing human
society but in the public school
; where children of all classes ant
conditions are brought together
| this doctrine of human equality Cal
be taught, and it is the chief mean
of securing the perpetuity of re
/ publican institutions. And mas
, much as we have in this countr,
four million colored people, l as
: sumo that it is a public duty tina
they and the white people Of tn
, country, with whom they are to b
associated in political and publ
, affairs. shall be assimilated AM
made one in the fundamental ide
, of human equality. Therefore
where it would be possible to es
, tablish distinct schools, | ar
against it as a matter Of publ
, policy.
But throughout the larger par
: of the South it is not possible t
!, establish separate schools for blac
Q children and for white children
that will furnish means Of educaIio
!. suited to the wants of either class
and therefore in all that region {
, country it is necessity that th
schools shall be mixed, in orde
that they shall be of sufficient siz
to make them useful in the highes
degree; and it is also importar
v that they should be mixed schooi
e in order that, when the prejudic
which now pervaGes portions of ou
people shall be rooted out by tn
n power of general taxation, the
/ will be able to accumulate in ever
t district those educational forces b
f which the public schools shall B
:, made useful to the highest degre
e for which there is capacity in tn
e public will with the power of ger
It eral taxation. 4
On the one side, then, is pre-
udice which is founded in no re-
distinction except the distinction
e color and on the other is a publ
4 policy founded with the sinstisutiol
n Il zE