The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1880-03-27
Communicated.
New Orleans, La. March %. 80


New Orleans, La, March %. so
5 i. Grisamore, Esq, Editor of the "SEx-
TlNEL," ~Thibodaux, Parish Of Lafourche.
The editorial, in your issue of
10th inst. on the peabody Fund.-
Is, to say the least of it, both dis
INGENIOUS aud grossly unjust.
There is no truth whatever in
the lntlmation that DR.. Barnas
Sears,-not the "Chairman OF the
Board OF Directors"-as YOU SUP
pose-but the General Agent Of
the Peabody Education fund, ev>
er threatened the withdraw of that
beneficence, or actually withdrew
1t, from rural Louisiana, because
his ''favorite candidates for the
State SUPPLEMENTARY was not
renominated and reelected to
that responsible position.
His letter of Nov. 18th, which
was sent to you, on Nov. 9th.
ard again, recently on 18th, inst.
with my response ito your own
and other citizens application for
AID, explained the true cause of
the wathdraacal of the fund ; and
that letter, it seems, you cannot
venture to publish for the infovma
t'on OF your people, even though,
IN an editorial, on the French
side of your paper, you couclu,
sively show, in comments on
Surt. Fay's just views. that the
fault is in yoay New Constitution.
as interpreted By the first Leqisla
ture elected Mndey 1t.
1t the undersigned can rely on
what you, Sir, certified to him. in
your capacity as Secretary OF the
Parish Board OF School Directors.
to the effect, that he had been de
dared By that Board las weU as by
several otheTsl to be tie candidate
eminently worthy Of support By phite
and colorcd citizens, alike, qci5hoat
distinction @payty; he may sue-
gest, without improperly, that
it was natural that the Venerable
Agent of the Peabody Fund, who
experience an essential
qualification in a public ofocer.
should be justified in his conf
dence in such a candidate, since
the enlightened school officers Of
rural Louisiana, in many of the
parishes including several which
had received no aid whatever
from the Peabody fund.- had ex
pressed so nnequiyocal an apDre
cation of him.
But the honored and Venera
BILE Educator, for obvious reas>
ons, knew nothing of the tricks
OF politicians nothing of the op
position to a conscientious State
officer, by men of other sections
OF the State, who deemed it easier
to euade the essential provisions of
free school law than to seek its
amendment by jadicious Legislative
nothing of the pre.deter>
arrangements in the STATE
Constitution Convention Iensrinc
IN part, on u protest against the
adjustment of the State Superin-
teniencyI, which pre.determina
ton practically Invested the peo-
pie of their Inherent right to
choose their own candidates ::
nothing Of the falsehoods that
could be, and were, coined and
in and about the Baton
nominating convention. to
the La. Agent IF the Pea
body Education fund; nothing
the bartersng by which even the
pest qualified candidates are fire.
Iuently sacrificed in such bodies
lothing of the contempt of par
lamentary rules which might
characterize the final proceedings
# even a Convention of the en-
ightened citizens of the State.
But:the Rev. Barnabas Sears. so
ong the Secretary Of a State
Board OF Education, aud so hon
red a President of one of the re
lowned Universities of the land.
lid understand, thoroughly the
question Of an efficient system of
education. He foresaw las
lis letter provost, that an INSULT
lency OF State funds, and unwise
constitutional restrictions on the
pouer Of local commuuities.
OF necessity, cripple the
'ub'lc sd'ool system, by shorten
ng the sessions of the free
chools to two OF three months in
be year-thas rendering the plan
1 the Peabody Trustees impracti
and unavailing and he la
rented the injustice by which
ne efficiency of the public schools
T al! the rural towns, as well AZ
he Metropolis of the State, would
nus De eventually destroyed.
we knew nothing, yet, of the
'atrlotlc action of youy Police ia.
which If sustained by legisla
action, will provide ample
lnds Tor the maintenance of !
our schools, Or at least sufficient !
lnds to ent'tle- your Thibodauy !
zee nuhlic Schnols ~ {