Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-25
Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1880.
THE EDUCATION OF INDIANS.

THE EDUCATION OF INDIANS.
 The anniversary exercises of the Hampton
 (Va Normal School again call attention to
 the very interesting experiment in the educa-
 tion of Indians now in progress there. The
 work originated in the appeal on behalf of
 seventeen young Indian prisoners of war at
 St. Augustine Florida, for an education.
 Thus far ninety-six Indians in all have been
 at the school There are now sixty-eight
 there-forty- seven boys and twenty-one girls.
 Of these sixty-two are aided by the govern
 ment and six supported by charity
 The results of the experiment thus far are
 very gratifying. It might be expected that
 the negroes under. instruction at the school Indians, just as white scholars do for negroes,
 but such is not the case. The representa-
 tives of the two races live and study together
 in commendable peace. 'sThe difficulty with
 them" says General Armstrong, is not so
 much ignorance as weakness or deficiency of
 character not lack of brains but of moral
 stamina. Both need drill throughout the
 range of living" Many of the common mo-
 tions of Indian characteristics seem to be
 overturned by the experience at Hampton.
 It has been the common belief that they are
 lazy, unfeeling and treacherous. The Indians
 at Hampton, it is declared, show none of these characteristics. In work they are slow,
 but willing. In the school room, 1t is the tes- timony of a teacher at the head of the Indian department, himself graduate of Hampton,
 skillful in managing Indian boys that their antp will fou dren in any public school of the same grade. In their training, one-half of each day has been given to class recitations, and the other half to farm work and mechanics. In the shops are many interesting speci- mems of their work There is a horse cart complete, of their make; variety of small and useful articles of blacksmith work; all the wooden tables used in the school are their work; they make all the tin ware needed by the school, do most of the shoe mending and many small jobs in painting, and other mechanical work. Under the direction of a carpenter, they have built carriage house, weather-boarded and shingled. The farm squad has worked successfully at the cultiva- tion of various crops. The Indian girls have had instruction in household industries, and are now learning to make and mend their own clothes.
 In view of the promising character of the work it is pleasant to learn that benevolent persons have planned to benefit Indian girls by erecting building for their benefit at a cost of $15,OOO. A beautiful site adjoining the school premises has been given, and it is expected that the necessary funds for the building will be procured the coming fall and winter. When this building Is completed at least fifty more girls can be accommodated. It is also encouraging that there is no scarcity of Indian pupils. Those at the school now came and with the consent of their pa rents and hundreds of both sexes said to be eager for an education. General Arm- strong is now of opinion that three years at will fit Indians for simple life of labor in their own homes.
 Whether the educated Indians will relapse into barbarism on their return to their people from the school is much discussed. It is believed that they will, as whole, stand the test of home, if the methods of teaching when they go back, favorable arrangements be made for a start in life. Of the Florida boys all but one of whom have returned to their homes, but one has relapsed into all the others arc d8ing we'll Of course the more there are educated, the more they will strengthen each other, and every friend of the Indian will be glad to see such 1 work as is done at Hampton prosper, for in 1 it isthe uplifting of the Indian race, if it is to be uplifted. l