The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-06-22
Sensible Talk from a Black Man.

A"AN - AFNNsNtk AANkAAs
We promised last week to give the
remarks Of David Bone (co!orod) be.
fore the pupils and spectators at the
examination exercises Of the school, in
Winchester, under tho control Of Doc,
Townsend, (colored,) David Bone
said:
Had my own wishes and feelings
been consulted, | should have preferred
one more able and competent to adj
dress you t -night; but, at the earnest
solicitation Of your teachers, rs well rs
others, and the deep feeling | have for
the welfare and advancement Of my
race, | am before you to offer, in my
feeble manner, some thoughts and sug.
gostions for consideration,
Education means much moro than
the elementary knowledge to be oh
tanned in the sChool-room, or in the
hail Of the college. 1t is everything.
The object Of 1t is to teach us how To
live, and qualify us for the great du-
ties Of the life here, and Of The life to
come, AS the bent Of our education
IS so, to Il great extent will our, future
lives DC directed and innuenced.-
Hence, you see how all-important that
we, and especially .hG young, he prop
er!Y and rightly educated. But Shall
only have time to touch upon the lead.
ing and practical features Of our
subject rs affecting Us us Il distinct race
and people, The progress our people
have made since the war is gratifying,
and should encourage to greater cXcr.
ton and more earnest efforts, While
il Is true we have made considerable
advancement in education, and, more
strictly speaking, intellectually, yet we
have made only n beginning, and there
is room tor more and greater improve
mcnt. But in some rcspccts-oihcrs
than the education of our minds-l
regret TO say we have not progressed
AS we should or might have done, and
it is upon this branch Of our education
| desire to call your attention. | mean
the teaching and cultivation of the
qualities and principles of honesty, in
tegritV Of character, and purity of life,
in which We have made but little adj
vancemcnt since the days Of slavery,
The facts ana history OF our race rather
show that in these things we have
refrigerated as y people. If this be
true, it is n sad commentary upon Us as
a race boosting Of freedom. We are
now, and have been for twelve wears, a
free people. If we are not honest,
truthful and %virtuous, it is our fault,
We have been educated and taught and
instructed upon these great cardinal
and governing principles Of life. and
cannot well put up the plea Of ignor.
anCo as our excuse. | fear our race do
not fully comprehend and appreciate
relation to these al. important habits
and principles Of life. 1t does not
necessarily follow that because we al.
vance intellectually that we also i'm
prove in morals. l. has been stated
by high authority that, notwithstanding
those who have escaped punishment, !
the rate OF convictions in 1870 as com
pared with those Of 1860 is as follows:
In AlabGms 1867, instead of l79; in
Its, instead of25l; in FLOR d
ida 335, instead Of 33 and in Louis !
lana crime has never been SO rampant a
in that State as during the r%cccut l
years. This shows that in these States
have been more frequent among
our race since we have been free than
when we were in bondage. This
should not be, Theft, perjury aud
adultery We are disposed to look upon
rs small oncnscs. | fear there is ill
lie regard for personal purity and con
of the life, | will Illustrate
his by a single fact: A distinguished ,
southern minister was asked to per +
Orm q marriage service by a freedman. +
At the appointed time the groom, who {,
vas Il tavOrilC servant in Il planters f.
lOuschold, and who had more than the !,
intelligence Of his race, pre- Il
ienlGd himself with a wOman on each q
nm, and proposed that the minister 7
marry him to both. The rcas.
N Of the refusal the man could not ap
lie said, al he was willing G
md the women were willing, he could 3
not see why anybody else had the right J..
object" Hadn't freedom come in ? j
And this was his notion Of freedom
o marry two women if he wanted to, s.
md they were also willing. This in y
surely an Ignorance Of the ma /
urc Of the Conjugal band.
ave are corrupt, too, in our man b
lcrs. Politeness to all should be u
tudied and cultivated. Weare not as h
Industrious as we should be. These G
hings we ought to reflect upon, con
idcr and see if we cannot make still \
Improvement"