The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-16
THE SCHOOL BOARD.
Speeches by Pinchback and
Mccarthy.

The crowd of individuals who style them
selves School Directors and who, collectively
are known as the Board of School Directors
assembled yesterday in the Council room, al
the City Hall, in special meeting called, osten.
sbly for the purpose of continuing the work
of appointing teachers, but really, for the
purpose of giving Pinchback an opportunity
to make speech.
Dibble, President. called the meeting to
order. The roll was called, and Pinchback
took the floor, and thus he spoke:
Approaching the value of time and dis.
liking to introduce personal matters into the
deliberations of the board, it is with regret
that feel constrained to rise at this juncture
to question of privilege.
The annual election of teachers in the
public schools by this board, has been made
the occasion of q malicious and slanderous
attack upon the colored members in general
and of myself in particular, by the New Or
leans Times In its issue of yesterday, under
the caption of The School Outrage, appears
an editorial in which is distinctly charged
that "nine negroes and three more degraded
city the alternative of submitting to humilia.
ton or relinquishing an inalienable right.
The ostensible cause of this attack is the ap.
pointment as professor of mathematics of Mr..
E. J. Edmunds, q gentleman born in this
city, of respectable and worthy parentage,
and without superior in this branch, in the
city or State, q graduate of the Polytechnic
Institute at Paris. and late lieutenant in the
French army.
1t further charges that "the election of
Mr. Edmunds, if street gossip can be cred
tied, found its origin in my fertile brain, for
the purpose of creating a sensation" Now,
what are the facts in the case relative to this
matter? assert, and challenge contradic-
not originate with me, nor with any other
colored member of this board; and further.
that the colored members, approaching the
deIcacy of the question, hesitated long after
the merits OF this gentleman had been
brought to their attention and fully discussed,
to pledge themselves to his election. After
being thoroughly convinced of his compe-
tency, as to qualification and fitness, owing
to his high personal character and integrity,
and with "no intention to create
sensation" but believing that it
would furnish an excellent opportunity
to test the sincerity of the Southern
people in their oft-repeated assertions from
the pulpit, the rostrum, and through the
press, that they accepted the civil and politi-
cal equality of all men before the law, they
agreed to, and did vote his election, which
was unanimous If this man. "worthy and
we'll qualified" is to be driven from his post
by the incendiary harrangues of an irrespon-
sible press, whose power for mischief l admit,
for it has brought dire calamities upon this
community, we can not escape the conclusion
that this profession of friendship and accept
ance Of the new order of things by our white
fellow citizens is but sounding brass and
tinkling cymbals.
Another and still more important reason
me to support this gentleman. I
desired, sir, in this crisis of our nations his
tory, to ascertain whether the laws were only
to be enforced where the rights and privil-
eyes of white men are concerned. With the
government, national and State, in the hands
of the Republican party, if they are power
less to protect the citizen. it is high time that
the colored man should know it. If we are
to be mere "he vers of wood and drawers of
water" no matter what proficiency We may
have attained, the sooner we understand this
fact the better.
The Fourteenth Amendment of the Consti-
tuition of the United States declares:
"SEcT1oN l. All persons born or natural
lied in the United States, and subject to the
Jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and of the State wherein they
may reside. No State shall make or enforce
any law which shall abridge the privilege sor
immunities of citizens of the United States,
nor shall any State deprive any person of
life, liberty or property without due process
Of law, nor deny to any person within its
Jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws.
Ill l.
citizen possess than the right to hold Office ?
lies the appointment of Mr.. Edmunds, and
which must be some day finally settled in this
that induced me to favor his cleo
ton, and that impels me to stand by it now,
and it should make every member of this
board resoute in his determination to do the
same.
I have no fear Of the popular judgment rel
alive to the conduct of the colored members,
f an impartial review of their action is laid
before the people. Constituting half of the
members of the board and invariably the ma
ority of those present at its sessions, what
have we done In corps of teachers num-
boring four hundred and forty odd, we have
elected only forty eight colored teachers.
Article 1876 Of the constitution makes it our
imperative duty to mix the schools, and in
Ohtu VI OluS0 \dItlCio 1OOJ WO hlO SUI
smnly epjoined to enforce the Constitution
and laws; but in Difference to what reg ard
Is an unhealthy and vicious public senti-
nent-the natural outgrowth of the former
condition of society here-we have, in viola
ion of our solemn obligation, RETAINED to a
arge extent from forcibly attempting to mix
he schools, the result of which is that to-day
majority of the schools are unmixed.
So much, Mr.. President, for our general
l said, in the opening of my
remarks, that the ostensible cause of this
trade of the Times was the appointment of
Mr.. Edmunds. propose now to tell you the
ZEAL cause.
He continued, and spoke of the Times in by
10 means complimentary terms.
When Pinchback had concluded Mccarthy
got up, and fourishing aloft copy of the
BULLETIN, he waved it around his head thrice
o attract the attention of Dibble, who was
amusing himself with the secretary.
Dibble's attention was attracted, and Mr..
Mccarthy commenced:
"Mr. President, rise to question of priv
laOa. r will read an article in the RITZ PTrN -