The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-12
AGAINST COMMON SENSE.

We commend to the perusal of the colore
people of this city and State the followin
sensible article from the st. Louis Times q
the OH inst, under the above caption. in re
gard to the folly of forcing the race issue il
the public schools:
The negroes of New Orleans are doing
very foolish and most hurtful thing whe1
they attempt to force mixed schools upon tn,
VIII lite people of Louisiana. Especially alsoi
the time inopportune. The nation, recovered
from its sectional or fanatical debaucb, is in.
tensely matter of-fact again 1t is disposed tc
let Well eaough to alone. 1t is willing to secure
the negroes every single political right guar
anteed by the revolution, but it will not inter
fere to force social equality anywhere upon
earth. 1t is sick of strife and constant agita-
ton. 1t is not prosperous, not certain of its
political surroundings, shaken as reed in
the grasp of tremendous financial wind, at
sea generally and adrlft on the hazardous
waves of regeneration and rehabilitation.
The logic of the situation is too inexorable to
admit of controversy. The negro is free
man. He has just the same practical rights
that any other citizen has.
He is creature of the laws equally with
the whites. Tie same winds blow for him,
the same divine commandment necessita-
ting work applies to him, the courts are to de-
eide in future whatever disputed status is de-
veloped in regard to him; and so the sooner
he ge;s rid of the idea that he is the ward of
the nation and entitled because of his color
to the latest and best in the land, the better
it will be for his race, his offspring and his
future in the land he inhabits.
Common sense, physiology, hygiene, and
prejudices that are as strong as love or hate,
quire separate schools for the two races
They are maintained in most of the Northern
States to-day, although the right to exclude
negro children from any but the schools thus
provided for their benefit has frequently been
questioned, formerly under some OF the State
Constitutions, and more recently under the
Constitution of the United States. Not long
ago very important case Of this character
was decided in Indiana.
In 1S49 the city Of Boston was sued in be-
half Of negro girl who sought to recover
damages by reason of her exclusion from one
of the primary schools Of that city at which
white children received instruction. Charles
Sumner represented the negro girl, and the
case was argued in the Supreme Judicial
court Of Massachusetts,, before Chief Justice
Shaw. Sumner commended that the exclusion |
Of colored children from the public schools |
which were open to white children was in vi |
olation of the constitution of Massachusetts, |
according to which all men, without distinc-
ion of color or race, were equal before the
aw.
The defense showed that the city had estab-
ished and then maintained two primary
chools for the exclusive use Of colored chill
lren, and that the Constitution simply re-
Iuired the means Of education to be furnished
nd did not prescribe the forms by which it
vas to be impaired nor the social relationship
hat was to obtain in the establishment and
maintenance of the schools themselves. The
,ours directed non-suit holding that the
equation was constitutional which restricted
9 plain itf attendance to The schools estab-
he'd for col pred children.