Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-09-09


ty. Thousands OF ex>Uniou soldiers, who
never before or since the war voted other
than Republican ticket went to the polls
vehemently cursing the Republican major
lty IN Congress, and deposited their ballots
for original Sccessioni-ts against their COM
rades in the Union army, swearing ms they
dld so, that they would never again vote
with party which supported the cO-educa~
ton of the races.
In some leading journals of the North
nave seen rejocings over over the result of
the election in Tennessee as condemnation
of President Grant and his Administration
Nothing can be further from the truth
President Grant is more popular in Tennes-
see to-day than he has ever been. The sole
issue in our election was the Civil Rights
Bill And the letter you wrote me, in
view of the election since held, is prophetic.
lou say, writing on june 25, the tendency
OF THIS measure will be to unite the great
body, perhaps | should say, all of the white
race of that section in political action against
the colored race, and in such contest the
former are certain to obtain the ascendency
unless South Carolina be an exception y
Mississippi may be added to South Carolina
as sustaining the Republican party If Con.
gress shall pass this bill: but in no other
Southern State with this bill adopted, will
the Republican party have any chance of
success. With this load of mixed schools
TO carry, the only result Of an election in
tennessee will be to take the census of the
white and black voters and as there are
only 10000 colored to 10000 white voters.
1t does not require much genius for mathe-
mates to show that the Republican party is
doomed in this State and the South.
IL Is no longer question as to whether
we will have mixed schools in the South
ern states where the white have the MAORI
ty. The elections already held show that
to be as impossible as it is for the distin.
assails your and my position, to be made
Popa Of Rome unless the National Govern
ment shall 10 it by force of arms The
North has the power TO do this by passing
Mr.. Hoar bill for a system of compulsory
education; butto do SO it will be necessary
to station Federal troops in every county of
the border States. l have been written to
by a large number of persons in different
Northern States who desire to settle in
the passage Of the Civil Rights
These writers tell me they will not settle in
II State where there is no system of free
public instruction. / tell my correspond
ents that the white people of Tennessee are
very anxious for immigration. They feel
that their State is languishing for the want
of it; that ii can never be truly prosperous,
and have its vast resources developed with
out it; that as an earnest of their desire for
immigration, they have established ms
liberal a system of free public instruction as
any Middle Western or New England
State, and perhaps more liberal system in
view of their straitened financial condition.
That under the constitution and laws of
Tennessee, the negro is not Disseminated
against, that he has fair divide, pro rata
share Of the school fund, though he does
not pay one mill on the dollar of the taxes
assessed for the support of these schools
But, through the Tribune, | will frankly
say to NY numerous correspondents, that
they might better not come TO Tennessee
until it is settled whether Con gress will
pass this bill for the cO-education Of the
races, for the present generation of Teunes-
seems will abolish the whole system, and
be deprived all the benefits of immigra
tiOn and the development of their resources
sooner than submit to this measure Both
races pre now perfectly equal in the enjoy
ment of free school privileges in Tennessee.
The privileges and the restrictions work
equally upon them. A white child is Just
as much restrained from attending colored
school Ms a colored child is white school,
and the abstract right of one race in the
premises is abridged just as much as that of
the other. Under this system we have in
Tennessee 5S9 colored schools, and 639
colored teachers. Under this benefcent
system the great mass Of the poor children
of the State, of all colors, are being educa-
ted. But tho editor of Hdrper'S Weekly
says that such restrictions rs attach to our
school law are the result of prejudice If
this be true, it has the merit of bearing
equally in its restrictions upon all classes
and both races.
1t is the part of wise statesmanship to re.
spect the prejudices of the people to IA Ger
tain extent, and il is entirely evident that
this prejudice must be respected in Tennes-
see or the free schools DESTROYED and the
people of both races, who are too poor to
send their children to private schools, left
without the means of education. The
school law in this State does not in any way
affect the equality of the races in the enjoy
ment of the public schools ; it only affects
them in their social aspects, by providing
that they shall be educated in seperate
schools. The law is in accordance with all
the requirements of Republican principles,
embodied in the doctrine that all men shall
participate equally in the government of
the country, and receive, impartially, with
out regard to race, color, or previous con-
dition of servitude, the benefits conferred
by that Government,
The demands of the impracticables who
clamor for mixed schools have no such
grounds for their support, either in princi-
pie or policy, as the claim of the colored
race to equal suffrage and the other civil
and political rights which have been con-
ferred upon them. There is no similarity
in principle between the supposed discrim-
nations of the school laws Of Tennessee and
other Southern States, and those real dis
criminAtions in the matter of testifytng in
the courts, voting and holding office, which
the law has already removed, and which
existed to the prejudice Of the colored peo-
Pile exclusively. The separate school pro.
vision is restriction upon both races the
denial of the right to testify In the courts,
vote, and hold office was a discrimination
against the colored race in the political in.
terests of the white race In the opinion OF
the white Republicans Of Tennessee our
schooljlaw transgresses no Republican priD-
ciple and makes no discrimination aga inst
any race or people.
Ifthere are States in the Union where the
colored people do not enjoy equally the
benefits of a school system supported by
public taxation, let Congress rectify the
wrong But il the colored people want to
secure substantial benefit in the matter of
education, they should abandon the idea of
mixed schools where there is no race dis
scriminstion, ana insist upon provision
guaranteeing TO them equal benefits in
every State. This position can be sustained