New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-22

IIOAoSSOf AuSoer can not De permuteC
to make separate foundation of q fund
intended for the education of all. This
is intinated in the following remarks:
My feeling is one Of some discouragement
not OF diseai isfactiOn. l suppose we thini
very much alike on this subject. only yor
cling to the better citizens of the State will
| q tenacity that does you honor. But i
clashes too much with our general policy Il
do and suffer as much as you seem willing
to do and suffer.
| And further:
! We are not accomplishing in Louisiana
the main object Of the trustees. You and
| have done the best we could in the cir
cumstances. We have kept up school;
under private auspices, and helped many te
get some education; but we have not beer
| able to strengthen permanent public
| school system. We have nothing perma
| nent to show. To Louisiana we pay .more
| and accomplish, for the future, less than in
| any other State. This is the reason l car
60 no further in this direction.
If the Rev. Barnas and Professor
Lusher could have the control of the
educational fund Of the State; if the
Radical constitution and laws could have
been so far amended as to permit separate
schools, then the Peabody fund might, in
accordance with the will of that New
England Protestant abolitionist, who ded,
icated it to education, have been applied
to the separate school system which Rev:
Barnabas and Professor Lusher have fo1
some years past endowed with such com.
mendable iberality. But this clashes
too much with our general policy" say
the trustees. 1--WE are not accomplishing
in Louisiana the main object Of the trus-
tees. We have not been able to strengthen
permanent public school system, says
Rev. Barnas. "You and I. Profes.
sor, pay to Louisiana more and accom-.
plish for the future less than in any other
State. This is the reason" says Rev.
Barnas, pressed by the opportunities of
the Professor, Il can 60 no further in this
direction" .
All this being interpreted means: mir.
Lusher, I am general agent on salary;
you are a special agent for the same fund.
You are also gentleman Of pronounced
political purposes, in which I, to great
extent agree, but, Mr.. Lusher, we are
both merely agents Of board which d.
reefs how this fund shall be administered.
They do not approve of your views or
purposes, and have instructed me to with.
draw their appropriation heretofore ap.
piled in consonance with your personal
and political views. As am morally and
by interest bound to do the will Of my
principals, I can 60 no further in this di.
rection." That ism the direction of run
ming separate private schools with the be-
quest Of philanthropist who gave his
money to both shores of the ocean, and to
both sections of the Union, and who never
intended that his benevolenee should be
limited by Ines Of latitude or hues OF
color.
We will, however. let Rev. Barnas
into local secret, which may show him
that be is long way yet from the estab,
ment Of such a system of public schools
as he would like. Does Rev. Barnas
know that the party to which Professor
Lusher belongs is by no means in favor Of
any public school system at all? Does he
know that there is pronounced purpose
to reduce the appropriation to the public
schools? Is he aware that the same oh.
lection to pay Catholic taxes to the sup.
port of schools in which the Bible is
text book has manifested itself here as in
Ohio and New York! Yet such is the
case. So that Rev. Barnas will not only
take the risk Of not seeing Professor
Lusher Superintendent Of Schools, but
runs q serious risk Of not having any
public schools to be superintendent by
anybody. Better, perhaps, for the Pea.
body trustees to take these schools as
hey are than await the presidency of
Professor Lusher or the repeal of the
whole system.
We must express our regret to see the
evidences that Professor Lusher combines
The diffusion of knowledge with the in
of political opinions, and that
he is a propagandist of opinions which,
however right they may be. should no
more be transmitted through the agency
If philanthropic fund than sectarian
opinions should be through a similar
agency.
That Professor 1usher carries his per-
,onal and political grievances into the
,urule chair of q magistrate Of learning
will be apparent from these quotations:
The State system of public education, as
If this State, is not such a system as the best
informed classes of oar community can Qp-
orOre. Yet, / can not admit that my con-
tinued exclusion from that Office should
,ause suspension of my willing lahors as
agent; for that, indeed, wOull be inficting
lpon an innocent people q punishment for
heir patient submission to the foul injustice
rhich has robbed then, of the servants of their
,ItOice.
Professor Lusher, we infer, did not ex-
oect this correspondence to be confined
% the archives of the Peabody board, for
ne embodied in its closing paragraphs an
appeal to the people Of Louisiana. From
his it may be seen that in abiding by
;hese political interests he has lost posi-
ion of great popular usefulness, and pos
slbly Of some personal advantage. This
he naturally hopes will not be forgotten
in the frtr1ra Here Is the annea1.