The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-09-03
EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS CHECKED.
Summers Legacy One of Sorrow
and Bitterness.
A Bloody Conflict in
Alabama.
THE BLACKS POLITICALLY ROUTED.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, August 81, 1874.
Since the close OF the war and the introduction
OF schools for the benefit OF colored people they
have shown a decided disposition to forsake tue
paths OF ignorance for those OF knowledge. Tney
have taken advantage OF every opportunity al
forded them for education. so lar from ehe
whites being altogether unwilling to see the race
advance it was not unusual that. IN many In
stances, nurses and servant girls were taught by
those emnIovinr them At first colored schools
were few and far between IN Tennessee. Consld-
ering the poverty OF the race they made great
strides toward general Improvement. Schools
commenced to increase until there at least one
to be found in every other county, though, as
general thing, they were not very accessible un-
less located In the towns and villages The school
house generally made to serve two purposes.
During the week 1t was used as q school building
and on the sabbath as house of worship. These
school houses were not models OF architecture, but
were usually Of the rudest and most primitive
order.
OLD DESERTED BUILDINGS
we're patched up refuse pieces OF lumber
utilized and made do their part with the assist
ance OF divers logs and tmbers in the erection OF
school rooms. There was a ruggedness about them
that at once bespoke poverty, but, at the same
time, showed the right Kind OF pluck, and 1t gave
the impression OF a desire to rise in
the world and to make the best
OF the means at hand TO reach the
standard they had erected. The next
difficulty, and IL greater than that of getting
buildings, was in procuring teachers. Their own
people were, general thing, in state OF hope
less ignorance while prejudice prevented many
whites from undertaking the task Of teaching the
young idea OF the coored race to shoot, under
pain OF being ostracized and forced to seek COM
partnership among those they taught In this d.
la
in the persons OF the few fortunate negroes who
had learned to read and write. Some OF the
teachers, male and female, thus employed could
barely read, and were paid $50 and 500 month. 1t
was clear that II the colored race was to be edu-
Gated 1t must be done through coored teachers
EDUCATING CoLoRED TEACHERS
Accordingly Fisk University and the Tennessee
Central College came into existence, and. having
normal departments, young men and women were
taught at least the common branches OF educa-
ton. Their course would hardly be completed
before they we're called to some point to take their
places teachers.
The school system adopted by the republican
State administration a year so previous to the
incoming OF the democratic and conservative
party was very defective, and neither the white
nor the colored schools prospereu under it, The
Constitutional Convention OF 1870 provided that a
public system OF schools should be main
tanned, with the especial proviso that there
should be no mixed schools the whites and
blacks should be provided with separate schools.
Under this section OF the constitution splendid
school system was adopted by the Legislature
nearly two years ago, and put Immediately into
operation under the general supervision OF the
present efficient State superintendent, Colonel
Jonn N. Fleming. He at once adopted such a
course as had tendency to bring the schools into
popular favor. Such system once introduced
into country it was political death TO any as
pirant for public honors to dare TO speak against
it. BY this time the
CoLoRED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
alluded to above had turned out quite large num-
Der Of students capable OF teaching the minor
branches and preparing better teachers than
they yet had had. The schools OF the
blacks were given a remarkable impetus,
until now there 600 school houses for the
OF the coored people and over 1000 colored teach
Prejudice was beginning fast to die out and
the coored schools received about much en-
enlargement throughout the State as the white,
with very few exceptions. The State school fund
yields s720Oo seml-anuually, while the poll tax
amounts to $4,000 Annually. These amounts were
apportioned out the colored schools receiving
:heir pro rata
In tie matter OF school buildings the negroes
were provided for, In cases where the school fund
was used, as wen as the whites. In some cases
rude structures were built by subscription,
but were then better than those formerly in
use. The question OF having mixed schools never
occurred to the whites, and until the civil Rights
bill came up the blacks never thought oft, and
were perfectly contentcd and happy with the lib
era provision that had already been made for
them and with their rapid progress.
THE NEGROES WISER THAN THE POOR WHITES.
one OF the conservative papers IN the State has
collected statistics which show tnat, comparatively
speaking, there Is less ignorance among the
negroes in the state at present than there Is
among the poor whites. This startling fact was an
argument so forciDle IN itself that 1t had mucn TO
10 with carrying tax OF fifteen cents on 500 in
that county (Sumner) at the election OF the 9th
might here remark that this statement, to-
gether with the presumption that the Civil Rights
bill would not pass, carried the question by a
heavy majority During the past educational year
DR.. Sears, agent OF the Peabody fund.- distributed
about Ss5 900 TO schools without regard to race or
color. When summers legacy was taken up In the
senate IT, produced genera T Tem1fa rs IN
expire within month"; but they were so Injected
with the general discussion Of the mixed
school clause that 1t with the utmost DIM
Gu ty that discipline could be maintained with
either teachers or scholars When the bill finally
widest connection and excitement prevailed.
THE OBNOXIOUS MEASURE
was universally denounced. The old lion, PreJu-
dice, that mad Jam couchant in his lair for 80 long
and that had sunk into an easy slumber now
sprang up with teniold more vlRor tnan ne mao
augmented. we're raised, intense feeling prevailed
the school system was shaken to It's iounda ton
and It's utter annlilatIon threatened.
To add 10 the fury state Colored Convention,
having its origin in Washington, was convened
here. IL was believed to be originated at the in
stigation OF placemen. 1t was political fight and
somebody must be put down that another repub-
lican might be raised to the summit or his
political aspiration. In this Convention in
nammatory speeches were made and In.
dorsed. The delegates clamored Tor mixed schools
and for social positions with the whites Samuel
Lowery, colored United states gauger in this
Cong ressIonal district said that he had walked
arm In arm with q white woman Canada. and
he hoped the day when he would walk
through the streets OF Nashville arm in arm with
any white lady he chose. This and other sen tments
OF the same kind were loudly applauded. They were
not satisfied with the system OF schools as IL then
existed, though the State constitution recognized
no other They desired their children to be edu-
Gated with the whites and taught their equality
by sitting side by side In the schooroom with