New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-02-26
From Missouri.
JEFFERSON City. Feb. l6

not be the result; but on the other hand. it
will create public schools. Public schools
are schools open to the public; open to all
children that may want TO attend them.
Schools which exclude any class OF children
are not public schools they are select
schools. Nearly all The schools in The re-
cent slaveholding States are not public
schools, but select schools: and the civil
rights bill makes provision to change them
from select schools to schools that arc truly
and really public schools. 1t is claimed that
the great majority of white people would not
send their children to schools which should
admit colored children. If this should be
the result, it would only be temporary, and
it would be far less evil than the evil ex-
listing under The present state of things.
There are many thousands of school dis
iricts in which there are only few colorcd
children FIVE, ten, or iiftccn-not enough for
4 school. Hence there mus. be hundreds OF
thousands Of cclored children who arc not
provided with schools. There are also thou
sands Of districts in which there IS about an
equal number Of white and colored children.
enough fer one large school; but not enough
for tive. In such cases there IS usually no
school; consequently but small part OF The
colored children, under the existing system OF
schools, have the mcans ocgettincan education
Statistics show that one-fourll Of the colored
children are attending school. This certainly
is an evil Of vast magnitude, and far greater
than any evil that could. result from the cs-
Enlistment Of public schools on true
and righteous foundation. The cry raised
against the civil rights bill is the same cry
which has been raised whenever II has been
proposed 10 secure to tie calgrcd people
their just rights. When the proposition was
made to admit negroes into the Union army
many were shocked nj the idea, and the cry
rung throughout The land, "It will break up
the army and ruin the country" We hear
the same cry now; but ii is to be hoped that
these men who have in the past defended
the causc of The weak and the lowly will
stand firm and secure the enactment Of Just
aud righteous laws. The ilca Of white
peoples schools is the same as the oa of
white mems government, white peoples
churches, willie peoples cars. Il is all utterly
opposed to the split Of Christianity and TO
the genius of cur Governments and il is high
time that it WAS entirely rooted ont Of our
Republican Institution. The truth is, il The
Civil Rights ELL became q law, and colored
children 90 to the public schools, The school
will not he broken up. The past proves this.
within few months, the public schools in
some Of the cities in central and southern
territories, have opened their doors TO color
ed children. There Was some opposition at
first; but the excitement soon died away,
and every thing moved on as before. This
would essentially be The result all over the
country, if the Civil Rights Bill shall become
law. There would be a good deal OF X
element and opposition at first; but the
Southern people, as in the past, would acQui-
esce in the law, and soon matters would be-
come harmonious and peaceful.
Certain members OF Congress, who have a
great deal TO say about what they call, mix
ell Schools" are very glad to go to mixed
Congress. The fact is, the opposition Of
many people against sending their children
to a school, where there are colored pupils,
springs from a foolish within. So long as
negroes are acting in The capacity OF servants,
they cannot get too near these people of
strong prejudices. They Ike to have them
in their parlors, dining rooms and Kitchen
They have no objection to sitting on the
same seat in the car, or even in church, pro-
virled they are servants. Il colored boy may
stay all day in the school room, and tend the
fire, and not word is said against it. But
if the same boy takes his books and goes TO
school as a scholar, it is dreadful thing /;
and wise members of Congress say it would
break up our public schools What will cur
National Legisla ture DO in this matter? Will
they, in order to indulge their foolish, ludi-
crous spirit of caste, make provision, in GER
tain cases, TO establish separate schools? II
PEOPLE will not send their children to schools
where colored children so, then let them
keep them at home or send them to private
schools. Surely colored people should not be
obliged to keep their children at home, be-
cause certain persons have foolish, absurd
notions Our public schools should be pub
lie schools in truth and reality. They should
be open 10 all who wish to acquire knowledge.
Our Lawmakers should enact laws for the
people and not laws for certain classes. 1t
is surely too late for class legislation.
In Missouri, the school law provides, il
there are more than fifteen colored children
in a congressional township, that certain
school officers shall establish q school fol-
colored children. But if there is not this
number Of children, no provision is made
for school. :,
Now, there are hundreds Of townships in
which there is not the requisite number for Q
school; and these thousands of colored chill
dren are deprived Of the means Of an educa-
ton. Thousands of coloredm linen are required
to pay taxes 10 support schools for white
children, and yet are not allowed to send their
children to school. What an outrage on
justice! III the rights Of any other class were
thus tranpled upon, there would be cry Of
indignation throughout the entire country
This case alone shows the necessity of the
Civil Rights Bill.
Modifying the bill so as TO make provision
In certain cases for separate schools would
be only cutting Off some of the branches Of
their gigantic evil. The root must be re-
moved and destroyed. To do this the bill