The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-29
NASHVILLE.
Pablo Schools and the Civil Rights
Bill.


NASHVILLE, May 2S.-The following
circular appears this morning: q.
Dsp'r OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, J
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OFFICE, :
NASHVILLE, May q, 1874.
To County Superintsndsnts and Public
School Directors throughout the State Of
Tennessee:
The Civil Rights bill pending before
the United States Congress in its proyi-
sions concerning public schools is in
direct conflict with the law under
which the public school system OF the
State is organized, and by which .its
officers are governed. 1t is further
more in conflict with the 12sh section
of article eleven Of the Constitution,
which provides that no school estab.
lished or aided under this section shall
allow white aud negro children to be
received as scholars together in the
same school, 30 what the bill commands
our State Constitution and public school
law forbid. That bill has already
pessed the Senate, and all indications
point to it's passage by the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES. In view OF the fact
that in many OF the counties the
schools now closed are expected TO be
reopened for the summer session in the
month OF July. and inasmuch
az it is desirable to avoid as
Tar as possible the embarrassments that
will necessarily follow the enactment
Of the civil rights bill, l deem it the
part Of prudence to suggest that for the
present and until further advised, no
no new contracts with teachers tor
either white or colored schools be
entered into by the school directors.
Bv observing this suggestion much
complication and unnecessary expense
NAV be avoided, and should the civil
rights bill fail TO pass then no serious
harm can have resulted from thls
admouition, and should it become q
law in its present shape then further
instructions from this Office will be-
come necessary and will be promptly
given. Very respectfully,
TSignedl J. NJ. FLEMING,
State Superintendent.
The Nashville Banner, one of the
representative papers OF ;tbe Liberal
Conservative element OF the State, pubs
fishes the following double loaded edit
torial Tomorrow, morning. ."n
: without q particle Of prejudice,
partisan or personal. let us briefly point
ou, the irreparable damage to result
from tb e passage of the civil rights bill
before Congress. First, 1t OF very ne.
cessity -oyertbrows the common school
system of the State. The proposed law
is i'm direct conflict with the Constitu-
ticn and the laws enacted thereunder
for the establishment of common
schools. The State Superintendent OF
Education il bound BY solemn oath TO
obey the law under which he was ap-
pointed, and when the law OF Congress
prevents him from so doing, the result
will Inevitably be the closing ofevery
common school in the State.
There 10 no other alternative, this may
"A we'll be understood first as last, and
with this upshot let it be borne in mind
where the hardships mainly rest. The
colored children, OF the State, now
having equal educational advantages
with the whites, furnished almost en-
tirelv by the taxes OF white citizens,
v;lI he s;mply turned adrift by the
ensctm eut OF the bin, having their
only hope of education gone perhaps
forever. Under the existing regime
colored children ate offered the amplest
opportunity for education and culture ;
under the proposed law OF Congress
they lose every practical aud solid
advantage in the gain of mere polItl'
cal phantom, the veriest sap OF senses
less sentiment. No matter 10 what light
the question can be viewed the colored
people will be the losers if Congress
persists 4 in this foolish legislation.
The enactment OF the bill in question
a. solutely establishes the white man e
party not only in Tennessee, but in every
State in the South. One OF the mos,
prominent and influential Republicans
in the State asserts, unequivocally, that
nine hundred and ninety-nine Republi'
cans of every Thousand in Tennessee
are emphatically opposed to the meas
ure. They cannot fail to recognize th'
! encouraging ptrides OF the negro undel
the existing sbsnsacsnt lava nor cal