Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-06-18
THE SCHOOLHOUSE AT THE
SOUTH.

No matter what may be done through
policies or politics for the benefit of the
South, all hopes Of permanent improve
ment can rest only on tie education of
the people, "without regard to color, race
or previous condition of servitude," as
the Fifteenth Amendment has it. Here,
too, is the real test of the good faith of
those who have succeeded to the control
of State Governments at the South. We
cannot expect them to promptly lay aside
all political prejudices and to treat the
freedmen as citizens on the same level
with themselves. But if they have any
intelligent regard for the ordinary inter-
ests of their communitles-for the re-
preston of crime, the growth of order,
purity and prosperity, ana the elevation
of all classes-and any sincere and en-
larged patrionism, they will seek to edu-
cate both races as rapidly and fully as
their means will permit. The question
is on their hands whether they will have
four or five millions of men a dead
weight and curse to society, or a source
of general thrift and advantage, moral
and material. 1t is question that rises
altogether above the domain of politics,
and it determines both the good faith
and the craftsmanship of those who have
to deal with it.
For some years after the war in sever
al of the Southern States what little was
done by the Republicans under great dis
advantages. Where the Democrats got
into power the work visibly languished
or stopped altogether through the failure
of funds and the hostility of local com.
munities. We are glad to note some
marked exceptions to this rule during
the last half dozen years, and to observe
that they are increasing. In Virginia,
for instance, where there has been less
political disturbance than in most other
parts of the South, the number of pupils
in the public schools increased from 58,-
974 in 1870 to 184,496-or considera-
bly, more than three times as many-in
| 1875. OF the latter number 58,76O
were colored pupils, being about the
same, it will be observed, as the whole
number of pupils five years before. In
fact, the schools present very nearly the
proportion of the two races which exists
in the population of the State. At the
commencement of the Hampton Normal
institute, members of the Missionary So
ciety present stated that the colored
people of Virginia have the same rights
as to schools that the whites have.
sOu36SehfahP STATES IL fhs 1f6sdatB tBHo or nth4r
ness of its school privileges, although
Georgia and Tennessee are making good
progress. In the former State the whole
number of-pupils had been trebled from
1871 to 1875, while the increase of col
ored scholars-from 1864 to 5O,350 be-
tween the years mentioned-was much
greater than the ratio among the whites.
Of the children of school age in the year
of 1875, about one-half the whites and
one-third the blacks were enrolled in the
schools. In Tennessee, where the laws
provide for separate schools, under, how
ever, the same general regulations, about
$4,000, or one-fourth Of the colored
children, are enrolled in the schools.
In Florida, Governor Drew claimed In
an interview the other day that the pub
lie schools are quite as we'll, if not bet
ter, maintained than under the Repub-
lican administration. The laws remain
unchanged, hostility to negro schools is
steadily diminishing, and the school
funds, says the Governor, "shall be ap-
piled with entire impartiality for the
benefit of the two races" The assuran-
ces in this respect recently given by Gov.
Hampton Of South Carolina and Nichols
of Louisiana, under circumstances of
peculiar responsibility, will be remem-
bered by all. 1t is cheering, amid SO
much that is discouraging at the South,
to record these evidences of decided
progress. If they continue they will
carry with them ultimately the whole
settlement of the problem now before
| tho countrv - Roeto,, To9,1,70I