The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-08
PerVerse Bourbaoism.


dren persons of their own race who
were proved, on examination, to be-
entirely competent, and in going
directly back on promise to try the.
SKIP eriment Of placing two new
schools for colored children in charge
of colored teachers, shows that race
prejudice is still one of the great OBJ
bstacles in the way of educating the
largest Class of iIliterlte persons in
the States where slavery formerly
existed. The question of edutatiii4
the eAfranchisea lssst is one 0f vasi.
! TimpCftancet 70 INC country, ana tssiz.sf II &
cially SO to the section where it con-
stitutes considerable part of the
population. The movement in favor
of national aid TO popular educati@u
in the State is b3sed mainly on the,
great need of stimulating the intelli-
gence and informing the minds of
the negroes, who are lIencetOrth to
exercise the functions of citizens.
| That they are ill-ftled IN some res
perts for the duties and rospo 81
bilities OF citizenship must be admit
ted, and the consequences are inevi
tahly such as to interfere either with
the wisdom and efficiency of local
government or with the free exercise
of their rights. Their ignorance and
incapacily to understand fully their
recently acquired relations to the
State are to large extent, the cause
of the disorders from which they
suffer, and of the difficulty of secur-
ing for them the benefit of such en-
Reimbursement. These are made the
excuse for efforts TO keep them in po-
litical subjection even where they
constitute a majority of voters, and
are the source OF the weakness of the
race fer political self defence.
The civic rights Of the negro race
in this country ale the result of ire
sitible events, and they are, beyond
question, to be securely established
by one means or another. The whole
nation is pledged to see that they are
not taken away or rendered of no
effect by indrection. Most as
suredly, the best and surest method
of solving the problem involved is to
endeav0r to raise the eolprtd citizglss
to the capacity of citizenship BY es'
ucatiOn rather than to be continually
played with the difficulty of protect
ing them in their incapacity. Many
OF the more liberal minded people of
the South profess to have no other
objection to the free exercise of the
suffrage by negroes than the ignor-
ance tnat prevails among them. 1t
is, in fact, very generally admitted
that the great necessity of the race is
education, and if its members can be
improved in intelligence and put in
the way of understanding public in
terests and the duties pertaining to
them, it is believed that the obstacles
placed in their way will gradually
disappear. The Southern States,
where they exist in great numbers.
plead that the task is too much for
them. They profess to be willing
that the negroes should be put to
schools, that their children should
have every opportunity and adyan-
tage for instruction, but the organic
ing and maintaining Of the necessary
school system is work of difficulty
and expense too great for them to
cope with. We prefer 10 believe that
these professions are in the main true,
though beyond doubt there still re-
mains much of the old prejudice
against educating negroes. There is
Il sort of unworthy jealousy of any
increase in their capabilities and
desire to Keep them in the position
of hewers of wood and drawers of
water, content with m0nial functions. |
But assuming the professions of
willingness to have them betterfitted
for the exercise of the duties of citi !
zenship, and to allow them freedom
in that exercise so far as they are
fitted for it, to be genuine, we have
right to expect thai no obstacles shall
be put in the way of their acquiring
education. They should have their
full share in the benefit of such |
schools as exist, and those who rise
to the capacity of good teachers
should be gladly welcomed to the
task of helping on the work. There
Is one thing to be said OF the en-
franchised blacks generally. They |
are eager 10 learn; they are ambiti- |
Gus to place themselves on IN intel
tectual level with the whites, so far
as they can, and they are anxious to
exercise their rights inteIIigently and
honorably. 1t cannot be said that as |
class they are vicious or depraved,
turbulent or disorlerly. or disposed |
to be intractable. They are remark
ably docile and, all things consider
Il Il.