New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-11
EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
THE TWO RACES WORKING IN HARMONY.

TIoNAL HELP ASKED FoR-FDUcATIoxAI CON-
TRAsr BETWEEN NEGROES AND POOR WHITES
SUCCESS OF coLoRED TEACIERs-A MOVEMENT
TOWARD CAPITALIZATION OF PowrR-FEMAIE
EDUcAuoN-PERsoNAL EFFORTS OF SOUTHERN
WOMEN TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF CULTURE
HOW SCHOOL FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED.
ifhoh SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRmUSEl
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. June 16,-There is much to
encourage all thoughtful and patriotic men in the
attitude and activities of the people OF tho
southern States relative education The increase
Vi popular interest, and of accomplished resulfs in
FeIywnere manifest and vital. All educational
work In the South whatever the obstacles and dis
couragements III this field may be, has the advan-
tage OF constantly rising tide and of being done
on widening lines OF advance. Ii is time OF growth
VI new undertakings, more comprehensive plans
and, generally of increasing revenues and resources
OF all kinds. The very fact that educators have
been at work so long, and that educational insitu-
tlons are established on firm basis ia in most
northern communities, a reason for a somewhat Lam
guid popular feeling in regard 70 education "The
machinery runs itself" But in the South there is
hewness about much of the educational work now
gong on which gives opportunity for personal ear
nestncss, and for the development of nopuar entbu-
siasm and thus the situation has its advantages "a
well as its disadvantages
lnotice, also, nearly everywhere a feature Of
great interest and Importance in the fact that the
become
more practical and industrial than is the education
obtained in most of the high schools of the Northern
States The Southern people are compelled by their
peculiar conditions and circumstances of life in their
communities TO inquire more closely than is done in
the North what kind of l1nowedg and instruction
Will be most useful to the young in after life Tho
new education in the Southern States is in many
instances better suited to tic needs of the average
people than is the average Northern school educa-
ton to the needs of fhe m thero
NEGRO EDUCATION
OF course there is still much Of popular Ignorance
and indifference almost everywhere in the South:
there are many incompetent teachers; with the gen.
cra encouragement fnadeoaate revenues for preSs
ing needs. Bat, considering the recent impoverish-
ment of the country and the violent displacement of
the old system ofsocia life and Of the institutions of
all these States the results actually attained in the
establishment and administration of new systems OF
popular education are remarkable and highly crafi-
flying. The Peabody Fund has produced imneasur-
able benefit to the Southern States have seen many
OF the men who are chiefly concerned in its admin
istration and il is evident that this work is in the
hands, generally OF persons admirably fitted for its
management, and that the proceeds of this endow-
ment are distributed with scrupulous fidelity and
with wise perception regarding the chief needs of
the time The foremost Iaen OF the Southern States
i mean those foremost in business and in the social
and moral life OF the local communities not in mol
itics-are everywhere taking UP the subject of ed
ucatlon Tor the negroes Ia serious and business
like spirit. 1 have not found anywhere except in
Southwestern Texas any manifestation of prejudice
against negro education, feeling of jealousy re-
garding the advancement of the colored people in
intelligence OF eapability for self-elevation The
Southern people are divided in opinion regarding
the capacity Of the negroes for continued or per-
manent intellectual Improvement. some of them
holding that while the negroes readily acquire rul-
iments OF knowledge account of their initiative
ability, they are much inferior to the white people
in whatever requires sustained and complex mental
activity. This is probably trGe but no such rule is
OF universal application and Southern men say
everywhere that many individuals among tho
coored people are capable of using profitably the
lest educational facilities that be placed within
their reach and that il is necessary fcr the interests
OF the white people that the negroes should be ed
ucated as fast and as fully as possible.
Many OF the Southern people appear to me rather
sanguine in their expectations regarding the results
Of popular intellectual enlightenment. They talk
very much as Horace Mann and his fellow-laborers
did in Acw-England when they were beginning tho
intellectual revival which led 10 the establishments
of the New-England public school system They
WILL OF course, find, has been found in the North
ern States, that even after the public cheols have
educated the mass of the people other problems of
a serious nature remain. The negroes are being
educated more rapidly, IN large portions of the
South than are the people known as poor whitess
More interest is felt and greater efforts are made IN
behalf OF the negroes taa for this class OF white
people. The negro has the advantage Of being in
the worlds eye and mind. He is somewhat pic
turesque, and occupies position of historic inter-
est. He has powerful friends. The Door whites -
have no friends there is no pcturesqucness. no
historic interest, connected with their situation.
The leading white of the Southern States
DeInocrats-Sccm to me 10 feel 4 more kindly in
terest in the negroes today than IN this class Of
poor people of Their own race. They know much
more about them. Much more effort is likely 20 DO
made for the education and Improvements of the
negroes than for the advancement OF the door
whites = and yet the class is not az ali so degraded
OF worthless is popularly believed. But they
have no friends, no sympathy, either North or
South
A CALL FOR NATIONAL AID.
Leading Southern Democrats almost everywhere
believe that aid from the National Government in
the education of the negroes is desirable and in-
deed, Indispensable. To one accustomed in tho
North TO hear Democrats oppose al avoilable inter-
ference of the General Government with the work
of the States and OF local communities il start
ling TO hear Southern Democrats so generally and
vehemently advocate 4 National system Of elu-
cation 10 be sustained by the National Treasury.
When ] suggested to these gentlemen that even
many Republicans in the North think il unwise TO
make any greater changes than are absolutely
necessary account of the war in our institutions
and methods Of pablic administration, they were
sometimes almost impatient.
Whether anybody likes il not" they said,
" one of the results of the is Capitalization,
-.