National Republican., 1875-12-02

ness than before, but no changes were made in
| the chain OF subordination which had already
Hence for a long time after the conquest the
| Saxon subdivisions Of society were maintained,
| and the inhabitants of the country continued to
be divided into the two great classes Of freemen
and serfs or slaves. Except the baronial proprie-
tors oi lana anu anu .ne iree tenants e
serTitude, which uniform in this respect that
no one who had either been born in or had fallen
into bondage could acquire any absolute right to
property. Aside from this, however, there were
distinctions in the degrees OF servitude. One class
of viIleins, or villagers though bound to the most
servile offices Of rural industry were permitted to
occupy small portions Of land to sustain them
selves and families.
Other ranks of men, equally serviIe, are no
ticed in the ancient records, particularly the
bordars and cottars. The former, in consideration
of being allowed small cottage, were required
to provide poultry eggs and other articles of diet
for the lords table; and the latter were employed
in the trades of smiths carpenter and other handi-
craft arts, in which they had been instructed at
the charge OF their masters. Inferior to these
were the thralls or serri, principally employed in
menial services about the mansion.
Their lives were professadly protected by law,
allowed in some cases to purchase their free
dom; but, in other respects, they were In the
lowest degradation, so much so as to be considered
mere chattels and regular articles Of commerce.
From this condition, so strikngly descriptive OF
our own, in many respects as slaves, and even now
as freedmen. as the centuries have passed. these
classes and their descendants have advanced in
intelligence, industry and civilization till their
uenleNeme0IS IN InOSe lllnHS HSWulcnQlSIl0Rulsu
national greatness command the admiration Of
theworld. Industrial effort inspired and sustained
Intellectual and moral endeavor, and those react
value, assert and maintain their freedom and in
dependence. but to make the progress and accom-
plish the results which their history records.
Our industrial futurc-the future of Industrial
triumph, is still before us. Properly appreciatng
the future, while we labor to open avenues of
honorable and dignifed industry TO our children
shall gain wealth and its blessings, elevate our
selves and our pOsterity from our present low
moral and social condition, while VIC demonstrate
the possession of that industrial capacity and
power which signalize individual and national
vigor and purpose.
Let us remember that the ancient and mediae-
val nations and races are more distinguished
for moral and Intellectual than industrial accom-
plishment.
The immortal pyramids of Egypt, frownlng
upon the ages, attest the Industrial triumphs of
the once proud people of the PharaOhs And the
monuments of Greek and Roman greatness arc
seen and admired not less in their Industrial than
their intellectual achievements This is true of all
the nations and all the races of the past which
have won renown and gained eminence and intu-
enee in the worlds history.
OUR EDUCATIONAL CONDITION.
A having relation TO our general educational
Hon. John Eaton, Commissioner of Education of
the United States:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. BU-1
REAU OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON,
ID. C., November 16th 1875.
DEAR SIR: Your request that should furnish
the cOlOred people since their emancipation, Civ
ing the number of pupils and the progress that
has been made by them, is received. In reply,
would respectfully say that on these points full
statistics cannot be given, because they are not
received by us. In tine State reports on education
from the old non-slaveholding States there IS
raycly ever any separation of schools for colored
children, with their pupils, from the others; and
in many Of those from the States in which slavery
existed there is no such separatiOn-none, for ex-
ample in the reports from Alabama, Florida,
kentucky Louisiana, Mississippi or Texas. And
even in the States which do make returns on this
point there is considerable difference as TO { he
character OF the returns. Such as we have, We
give:
For instance from Delaware VIC have, from the
secretary of society which has thus far attended
TO this work. report of lbs cOlored pupils in %
schools, under 2S teachers; from Virginia report
of 81, ,267 coOred pupils enrolled in 669 schools,
number of teachers not given: from South Care
lima report of 50 94 such pupils under Sl4 colorcd
teachers, number of schools not given; from North
Carolina in 1873. report Of 40, ,42s pupils in rs
schools, number of teachers not given; from Vlr-
ginia report Of g94 schools with an enrolment Of
t2Os6 tout Of eoored population of 3l7) under
40 colOred teachers; from Tennessee report of
103 $50 colOred school population with 93 schools
921 coored teachers. and in 1873 c0lOfed attend
for colored population Of 1928, attendance not
given; and from West Virginia report of =, i51
colored children tout of 5,5iO) in 81 schools.
of the other slave States, Alabama appro-
pristed $le3, 400 for schools among coiored
school population OF liz 300; Arkansas had no
public schools to report in 1874. Louisiana, BY
without distinction OF race or color, aud perhaps
one half out of her school population Of 2503s7
may be colored, with perhaps Ike Proportion
seems to have given TO her colored schools S5s,-
500, these schools numbering 2i5, with 269 teach
tucky q system Of schools for coiored children
was commenced In 1874. and there Is yet no report
from It. Out of the 1527s5 enrolled In schools in
form your own estimate OF the number Of colored
thfId.
or the former free States California reports
694 colored children in public and private schools
lIdlana, q eolored school population OF e.47o;
ance Of colored children with the whites in q
largo majority of the counties, while IN ten coun-
ties they attended separate schools; number Of
The above refers throughout to elementary
schools. Beyond these we md Is graded schools,
tion in ave Southern States, and several OF kim
dred character sustained by the Protestant Epis-
copal Church. The former had, at the time Of
statistics Of the latter are not In our hands.
Then the State Of Alabama sustalns, or helps
to sustain, as part OF her public school system,
for the training Of colored teachers, with about
200 pupils In them. Maryland has one. at Balti-
more w,tS aSoss ut as1 pupils and New York Z city
colored people themselves ut Jefferson Olty, Mo-,
and others Tor them at Lincoln University, Or.
Fish % UnivsrsipS fGlSi and % NassTiiis Normal Norma and
Theological Institute, Nashville, Tenn, with one
At Maryville, in the same State; ct Tongaloo
New Orleans University, New Orleans, La; ct
Talladega College, Talladegs, Ala; at Atlanta
Tniysrsity, Atlanta, Ga; q. shaw University,
the same place. In Petersburg, Va, the Rev. @.
Cook, o colored minister Of the Protestant Epsco-
al
one, and at Howard University one, as you know.
The number OF colored pupils in most Of these
rated in the statistics from the whites who may
also be attendant.
In ali the above universities and colleges, too,
the colored people have admission to the ad-
vantagcs Of both superior and professional in
struction; also at Berea college, Berca, KY; at
Central Tennessee college, Nashville, Tenn; at
Alcorn university, Rodney, Miss; at Leland uni
versity, New Orleans, La, and at the University
of South Carolina, Columbia. Obcrlin college,
ohiO Is open e them Yale and 4 trinity Conn., %a9S
admitted colored students, and few, If any, would
exclude them now. At most Of the theological
schools in the Northern States, too, coloredpapls
are believed TO ind welcome, How far this is
the case at law and medical schools, your own re-
searches have probably determined.
As to the progress made by colored pupils in the
various kinds Of Institutions thus organized for
them or opened to them no absolute general state
ment can be made In the effort to secure equal
advantages to. pupils Of every color there has
been less and less showing Of the different races
in statistics 1t is, however, certain that in many
instances which come clearly beneath our OBJ
servati0n, the col0red cnldren In the schools and
colored youths in colleges have advanced as fast
and us far as white ones with the same advan-
tages.
Trusting that this information may serve your
purpose, am, very respectfully, your Obedient
servant. JOIN EATON,
Commissioner Of Education.
Prof. john NJ Ldngsf0a, WdshiRgf0n, ID. C.
In coIored schools managed by boards OF trus-
tees or commissioners having charge of the white
schools as well, In which uniferm regulations as
10 text books, the employment aud control OF
teachers, the examination and conduct Of pupils
are enforced, though the schools be separate, in
many instances, the progress OF the scholars has
been marked and commendable. In schools
where the children attend without reference TO
complexionAl peculiarities their progress has
been greater, and the Intellectual and moral con-
dition Of the scholar more thoroughly improved.
In such schools nc Inconvenience or injury Is ex-
perienced by either class, white colored, while
their contact improves both In feeling and friendly
perfect reconciliation to the races. Such colleges
rs Oberlin and the schools OF New England far.
nieh proof Of the correctness Of this opinion And
the trustees and officers Of such colleges and
schools deserve the grateful communication of all
classef. They but pursue that path Of national
reform essential 10 the highest good OF the col
ored, and conducive to the permsnent welfare Of
Will win for the philanthropic Christian educator
the golden crown OF the nations noblest reformer.
As 10 this subject, need not weary your pa
telce with protracted remarks. Upon the Dig
nifty, Importance and necessity OF education our
minds are fully settled. I'VE have only to give
ourselves anxiety and care rs 10 the thoroughness
and skill with which the children and wards nre
educated. We are justly solietous rs TO the
wholesome eharhcter OF feod eaten by our families.
An1a O.