New-York tribune., 1877-06-02
THE SOUTH.
EDUCATION IN GEORGIA.


Difficulties THAT ARE MET wITII-RECENT CRIT
CIsMs uNJUsr-AN HONEST PURPOSE on THE
PART OF THE GOVERNING CLASSES.
lFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIL. TRfBuNE.l
AUGUSTA, Ca. May 2G.-In recent issue OF me
Boston transcript appears letter on educa'ioh III
Georgia which would make capital text ior oiS-
course about Northern misconception OF southern
affairs The writer gives the white school popula-
ton of the State as 2l7 73 and the coored as l'o'
3O4. OF the whites he says 12l,4ls attended tne
public schools last year. and of the blacks 11,3o''
Although the white school population is only one
fifth greater than the colored the number of white
| children in attendance it appears, was more thah
double the number of cOlOTed children. only httle
more than fourth of the schools open their doors
TO the blacks On this basis of facts he builds a
theory that the colored schools OF Georgia are a
sham and pretense," and that they - only prove
that the old STAKEHOLDER means to keep his loot on
the neck of the black man." These same facts, seen
in the light afforded by recent travel and inquiry III
Georgia appear 10 TO indicate different state ol
affairs and the conclusions reached by the writer OF
the letter seem only valuable as an illustration oil
the erroneous ideas honest and intelligent people ut
the North often form of the condition OF things III
the South when they look at them from distance
through tho green spcctaclcs of local prejudice
Il there exists no desire on the part of the white
poople of Georgia TO educate the negroes, why are
over POO schools maintained for their benoht,
and why are nearly 90 900 c0lored children recelv-
inc education in that state! The whites have had
full control of affairs there for over six years why
do they tax themselves to keep mp schools for the
NEGROES 90 out of 90 Of whom pay no property-aX
whatever? Ii appears to nc that taking the bare
figures alone they lead 10 the conclusion that the
old Shareholders do not desire 30 keep the blacks III
ignorance Without any compusion except that of
,.f t,trtig aud nn1 an
policy they nave it appears provided for the educa-
tion Of nearly third of the colored children oi
school age. Would il not be lair in this showing,
before concluding that they are purrOsely excluding
the other two-.hirds. 10 inquire if there are not
reasons in the state Of society and tic character ot
the colored people TO account for the Larger proper
lion of white than Of colored children attending
school! Such an inquiry would show, hrSt'
that the coorcd people as class tecl
less concern about the education of their children
than do the whites. Much of the enthusiastic inter
est they DISPLAYED in learning TO read and write
when schools were first established has oOzed away,
leaving large numbers of the least intelligent wholly
Indifferent as to the advantages oi sending Their
children to school. \ knowledge of the low mental
and moral condition of the average plantation negro
makes il seem only natural that he should not b" an
active promoter of the cause OF education.
Of far greater intelligence, almost as much open
to this rcproach as he is. Many negroes will not
provide their children with clothes IN which they
could go to school. it isno uncommon sight in Che
country to sec black boys and glIs, o. Z, or
years CID clad only iii ragged shirts.
The negro is every where the farm aborcr, and rs
soon rs his children get old enough 10 handle line
they are oi value to him in the fields, and he thinks
his crop more important than all the learning Of the
schools The younger children are sent 70 school,
but those of 10 years old and are kept at home
whenever there Is anything for them to do.
Teachers Of colored schools complain Of the difficulty
of securing punctual attendance from the pupils.
Coloycd people cannot he brought to appreciate the
importance OF regularity and method in
anything and their children are kept ont Of school
for the most irdug causes. Poverty, Jack of inter
est arne from ignorance and need of the assistance
Of children old enough to work therefore 20 far to-
ward accounting for he smaller proportion of coll
orcd children than of The whites attending The pub
lie schools Of Georgia and other Southern States.
Another cause should not bc passed unnOtlccd.
Throughout the pine belt that stretches across
Southern Georgia the coored population is so scanty
that i'm large districts OF country il is impossible to
get negro children enough together 1t any point
o form q school, and the same state of things exists
in tine mountainous COGutie, IN the northern part oi
The state. Where there IS not negro family 10
the SQUARE mile of territory, colored schools ont
of the question. As TO mixed schools, il is folly to
talk Of them. Tie people will not tolerate the idea,
and to attempt TO establish them would be to break
down the whole public school system. Ii is not
altogether color prejudice that stands in the way,
but prejudice in favor Of cleanliness and morality
felt by Northern imm grants strongly as By native
SoutherncTs.
do not mean to argue that The common school
| system is ~ good in Georgia il ought to be, or
that the coored people have i'm all parts of the State
as fair an opportunity for education as the whites
but do mean to say that an honest, well-meanng
effort is being made by the white people as class to
provide schools for the blacks. There is "A marked
difference in different localities in the manner IN
which the school system established by State laws
is put in operation. Local effort and interest of
course essential to the efficient working of the sys
ten, aud in some counties there is dcplorabe lack
OF both. There may even be counties where no pro-
vision is made for schools beyond spending in a care
| less way the amount received from the State fund,
and il IS quite possible that in sections the old
prejudice against educating tho blacks survives the
progress Of modern ideas, but such sections are ex-
| ccptional. The dominant public sentiment among
! the whites Of Georgia is unmistakably in
| favor of giving the children Of both races
an equal opportunity Of acquiring n COM
mon school education. The school system is no
| longer hated importation brought in by the car
pct-baggers has its roots firmly fixed in the CON
yictiOns of the intelligent governing classes, and il
IS consequently secure of pcrmancnce and develop
ment. 1t is very easy to find fault with the system
and to show its shortcomings in comparison with
the system Of the Northern States but let would-be
critics remember that the common schools Of the
South arc only few years old, and that they
counter difficulties undrcamed of IN the North-dif-