The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-30
THE MEETING LAST NIGHT.

| / La
The large concourse of citizens who n
sponded to the call for mass meeting, lai
night, to protest against the present Git
School Board, and to pronounce a forms
and indignant. disapproval of its course, CAV
, evidence of the deep feeling which pervade
] the community in regard to the matter an
of the determination of the people to us
every legitimate and proper means to remed
the evil complained Of Nor is it strang
that this feeling and determination shoult
exist in New Orleans, for our public school,
have been institutions which in the past VI
have pointed to with pride and in which w
knew the youth of our city could obtain no
only knowledge, for that, after all, is but 9
secondary consideration, but moral training,
which is SO essential to the well-being and
proper development of every human being
Example is ever more forcible and elo-
quent teacher than precept, and in the past
the teachers in our schools were good men
and able, teaching by both example and pre-
cept We were justly proud Of our public in
situations in those days, and the people paid
the taxes to support them not grudgingly,
but gladly. The times have changed, how
ever, and the schools have changed with them;
indeed, nowhere do the wonderful changes
which have been wrought during the last fif-
teen years appear more s.rikingly than in the
public sch ooIs of this city.
Strange faces meet us experimentation
who are alien to the State, and in many cases
grossly incompetent, have usurped the func-
tions OF old and tried teachers who were
identified with the schools and who had
helped to build them up; where order was,
now is chaos, and such are the impure and
deSasing influences which surround them
that in very many instances parents have
been compelled to withdraw their children
and send them to private schools. The
Board of Directors are almost all violent par
tisans, appointed because they were such,
and not for their ability or fitness for the
positions. They represent no one but them
selves, and have SO grossly abused the high |
trusts which they have usurped as to call
forth the reprobation of men of the Repub- |
lican party who are not lost to all sense of
decency and shame.
There is no dissenting voice in this COM
munity as to the unftness of the School |
Board The desire for its removal may be
said to be universal, and among all our peo-
pie not one is bold enough or has the
sffrontery to attempt even q defense of men
who stand condemned before the world:
There was no turbulence last night, and poll
les was by common consent eschewed. The
movement was not against the board for po-
itical reasons, but for moral and social
'easons. School Board composed largely
" even entirely of Republicans who were en-
tiled to the respect and confidence Of the
such thing be possible, and
We sincerely trust it is-would not be OBJ
ected to by the people SO long as the present
egime is maintained /
We might name several gentlemen in the
sepu blican party who would give character
nd dignity to the Board, and we insist that 6
UGH men shall be placed in the places which
ave been dishonored by the present Board. ,
he speech of Judge Kennard we print in 9
Ill, and it will well repay perusal, as it is s
'rcible and exhaustive argument, showing t
le enormity of the recent action of the @
,hool Board, the illegality of its composition t
I'd of its doings. t
The remarks of Mr.. Charles Buck were ex- g
edingly well timed and genuinely eloquent, I
ID were delivered with grace and force a
at added much to theiretfsct. a
Prot. Alexander Dimitry made an i'm t.
omptu speech, but it was grand effort for 81
that-earnest, graceful and powerful b
oh an effort as might have been expected al
'm the eruoite and accomplished Profess
r. nc
The practical results of this meeting will p
seen when the committee to be appointed as
the President to-day shall have had time ga
act la