Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-02-18

school system is firmly established, this
does not become a question of magnitude.
But to the people of Tennessee, whose free
school system is in its infancy, II is ques-
ton of grave magnitude. l don't believe
that IN any question, upon which j am
called to act, / am governed by any hope
of political preferment or fear Of party
clamor but not being n candidate for re-
election to the Senate and not caring
whether my views are popular or not,
have no hesitation In saying that am OPP
posed to this bill-because of the feature.
which compels the education together of
white and colored children. / will not
waste time in discussing any abstract prin-
ciple involved in this bill Of the great lead
er of the Liberal. Greeley party in the late
Presidential election. / am opposed to it.
The practical results which viii follow its
adoption alone, concern the people of Ten
Desseee of all races and colors. j believe
that any attempt to enforce, by arbitrary
act of Congress, the attendance of the two
races in the schools and churches, will re
suit in the total destruction of the free
school system in Tennessee. For the sake
of the argument, l admit that this fact is
caused by prejudice, but it is a prejudice,
which Congress has no power to control.
IL Is sufficient that we see a most useful
system imperilled by an attempt to redrce
an abstraction to immediate practice. The
colored people of Tennessee, have now a
fine opportunity to show their good sense.
Upon their action on this question largely
depends their own interests and the well
fare of their people throughout the coun-
try. would appeal to the common sense
of the colored men of Tennessee to say If
| they believe that their race can get better
| educational facilities by attending the same
schools with the whites. In South Caro-
| lima and Mississippi, where the colored
,Nnnplotinrn 10 I'm, ,nt
lose anything by the bill now before Con-
gress, but in those States, where they have
| the power, ] do not believe they will sub
serve their own interests by attempting to
enforce the attendance of the whites and
blacks in the same schools and churches.
Already in those States the colored peo-
| pie through their State Legislatures,
have the power to establish such school
| regulations as will give their own race
| equal educational facilities with the whites.
When we come to Tennessee, where the
colored vote is just 10000, out of 100000
votes, and the other Southern States where
the whites are overwhelmingly in the ma
jOrity, the matter is quite different.
In Tennessee and other Southern States
where the whites are largely in the ma ori-
| ty, will that state of feeling be enGendered
which leads men to give generously to the
common cause of education ? Will the
contact of the children thus compelled be
such as to encourage the hope of greater at
tainments and more kindliness of senti-
ment as they grow up? 1t should be re-
membered that the colored race, though
large in numbers, constitute very small
minority of the whole people of the United
| States. However strongly united, they
have no power to compel concessions from
the whites. Whatever they get must conn
as the free gift from the whites. j. is
therefore, the part of wisdom upon the par
of the colored people of Tepl essee to bt
careful upon insisting upon that which car
do no practical good to either race, but i,
sure to bring disaster and ruin to the most
useful institution Of modern times-fret
schools. Let the colored people of Tennes
see ask Congress to desist from any legisa
| ton which enforces mixed schools, anC
they will have established new claim tC
respect and confidence. Let the coloreC
people have their own schools and churches
and the white people have theirs. Let the
colored people have fair divide of the
school fund and they will find their owl
teachers and preachers.
| w. G. BRowNLOw.
|