Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-02-27
[CoMMUNICATED.1


myself, as clearly before you and your reader
as possible, | must ask you and them to indulg
me in reviewing very briefly a few points in
previous communication in regard to the run
ming of the Colored Schools 1t will be born
in mind, that not one single house in whicl
colored children have been instructed, belong
to the School Board in any manner; that ever,
such house, with one exception belongs exclu
sively to the colored people. 1t will also b.
borne in mind that it was definitely and dis
tinctly understood between the colored trustee
of these houses mot schools) and the Schoo
Board, that if they. the colored people, woult
grant the use of these houses for school pur
poses during five days in the week, then TIL
School Board would endeavor to procure teach
ers for them, to be appointed by the local whit
trustees. 1t has been also stated that owing t
the impossibility Of obtaining for these school
teachers, whose qualifications should in all re
spects be equal to the standard of qualification
required of teachers in the white schools, TIT
School Board, in full meeting and after due de
liberation, had come to the conclusion that il
these schools applicants, holding no certificates
would be recognized by the Board, if appoint
ed by trustees. Every colored school in The
county has been and still is taught by partie:
not holding a certificate. Few persons, it wa:
thought could reasonably believe that, in the
first organization of these schools, colored chill
dren required teachers whose qualifications
should enable them to correct the following
sentence: Time and tide waits for no man.
Vide Millar's late Grammar If, therefore, the
School Board has, in endeavoIing to conform
to the spirit and meaning of the law, violated
any and all of the provisions of the school law
applicable to these schools, Mr.. Millar, if ag-
grieved in either purse or morals, must summon
the Commissioners to answer wherefore they
have dared to depart from his construction oil
the law. This much have thought it neces-
sary to recapitulate for the better understand
ing of facts which shall now present.
1t appears that an intelligent white lady,
holding certificate, applied to teach colored
school. She received her appointment from
two trustees during the latter part of Il long
vacation. This appointment met, it appears
with great opposition from the coored patron:
of the school. The house was theirs and they
would not permit the teacher-elect to open The
school. Now, Mr.. Editor, what steps could be
taken either by trustees or the School Board tc
install teacher-elect into a school not under
the authority or control of the county authori-
ties, but belonging to these people from whom
the opposition comes? Does not common SENSE
tell US at once that the colored people, by moi
conforming to their agreement with the School,
Board for the use of their houses forfeit. by
their own act any and all right or benefit tC
compensation for teacher? In these remarks
have reference to all the colored schools in the
county. The whole matter stands thus: TIL,
Commissioners say, Let US have your house:
and We will try, through the agency of trus
tees, to provide teachers for you and give t.
each school its share of the appropriation a:
salary for your teacher. The colored people
say, No, we will not have as teacher person
to whom we have objections. The Commits
-soners reply, Keep your houses and we vii
keep the money. Is this not an end OF tht
matter. By not accepting the terms proposed
by the School Board they have no school:
which the Board would or could recognize
Let us suppose, Mr.. Editor, that in one of oul
white schools, over which the School Board il
its corporate capacity, exercises all the right:
of entire ownership, case should arise involv-
ing conflict as to the powers, duties, rights,
and authority of school commissioners, trustees
and patrons, in appointing and installing a
teacher. 1t is conceded that the trustees have
authority under the law to appoint teacher,
but that authority is not dictatorial in charac-
ter; they are but agents to whom this trust is
conhded to be exercised according to their best
Judgment when selecting teacher Suppose
then that large majority of patrons should
manifest. not only open and decided hostility,
but general opposition merely to the teacher
whom their agents, the trustees, had selected
for them, would not nine teachers out of ten
see the folly of accepting the position and be
willing to relinquish all right or claim to it by
virtue of such appointment? If on the other
hand the trustees and teachers were TO combine
against the expressed opposition of this large
majority, and were to find it necessary for their
purpose to back this authority by the interven-
ton of the School Board and the teacher should
be actually placed in possession, what | ask
would be gained by such procedure. Moth
ing, sir, nothing, if | may be allowed the ex-
preston, but an empty triumph over an empty
Will
all fair-minded men would deprecate But
when all the school authorities, trustees, and
patrons, the one to exercise with prudence and
discretion the authority vested in them, and
the other with just conception OF their ri hts,
come together to act for the common good and
interest of ALL and by proper adjustment of the
claims of authority, duty and right, reconcile
all differences In a fair and manly spirit then
indeed is there a triumph, not elating the one
or singing and goading the other, but tri-
umph, the result of mutual forbearance, com
promise and Cancellation in which all can par
ticipate and of which all may justly be proud
l take it as an undeniable position that patrons
of white schools do have, and have exercised
their preferences without being chargeable with
resistance to authority. And in the case o.
colored patrons, it is reasonable that they toe
should have their preferences and that ra
tional trustee will not construe the manifesto.
crate opposition to trustee authority.
To resume the case of this particular school
/ shall make statement which cannot believe
Mr.. Huntington will deny. | understood hin
to say in the presence of Mr.. Speake that the
white lady in question told him that if she haG
anticipated even, so much opposition to her
she would not have applied for the school. l.
not this reasonable? Is it probable that an in.
telligent and refined lady (whose penury, and
want, and tears have been, l doubt not, thank
lessly paraded before the public eye would in
sist upon taking position SO unpleasant AZ
this was likely TO prove, even if some summary
process could have procured it for her? This
seemed to be the condition of things when
Messrs. Speake and Huntington appointed the
colored teacher, to whom the preferences OF
these patrons pointed. By submitting the APP
pointing power to these gentlemen | do not see
that they have resisted the authority of trus-
tees. Ii any party, therefore, was aggrleved
by this appointment it was the teacher hrs
elected, and not Mr.. Millar. This colored wo-
man continued to teach from the time of her ap-
pointment until the expiration of the term, and
presented her report signed by two trustees
without protest, but having on it several large
black lines drawn entirely or partly across the
report, above the signatures. This fact WoulC
have authorized payment, as the signatures Of
trustees have been regarded as evidence OF the
appointment of the party.
But it may be asked, why did not the Treas
urer pay this party then? answer, that there
was on file in the Office communication, o.
which l shall say more presently, informing
the Board that the trustees would not sign the
report of this teacher, and at that time the ac-
ton of Messrs. Speake and Huntington was moi
known, nor was it known until about the mid
die of January. Upon my refusal to pay this
woman upon presentation of her report signed
as have said, by two trustees, with an oblit.