Daily Republican., 1881-07-26
NegrO Education.

TON u. w. Courier, one ol 'uo io',
ing Democratic journals Of the Soutt
isout in a stroDg leader in favor OF tn
education of the cOlored people OF tn
South, and that by government aid
We recollect the time when it was mad
penitentiary offence TO teach negro
il he were slave, the alphabet,an If
free negro, the one who taught was il
danger of assassination right in hit
same South Carolina, and this same
paper which is now calling upon ,ht
government to educate the negro was
Jealous supporter of that inhuman sys
TEN of laws This is one of many indi
cations that Southern public opinion
with respect to the matter of negro edu
cation, has undergone a great change
within even the past decade. Within
a period of ten years past the attempts
that were made by Northern philan
thropy to establish and conduct schools
for negro children in the South, have
encountered bitter hostility from the
Southern whites, and in some sections
this hostility still exists. Less than a
year ago Methodist Conference, III
Atlanta, Georgia, spoke in very bitter
terms of the outrages that had been per
petrated upon the teachers of the negro
schools, conducted by the Methodist
church, and the trustees Of the Peabody
fund have had occasion to make COM
plants Of u somewhat similar chara,
ter. In the Southern cities, however,
the centres of intelligence, it must be
admitted that the feeling in favor Of
the general education of the blacks ha.
become gradually stronger, for the
prejudice born Of old slavery times, has
yielded to the conviction that the vel
fare of the entire Southern community
requires that the negroes shall be edu.
Gated Their elevation to the dignity
Of citizenship is beyond recall and the
question to be considered is, whether
they shall be permitted to exercise the
functions Of citizenship, intelligently |
or ignorantly. Nobody will contend |
that the country can avoid injury, it ii
permits mass Of ignorance, including
many hundred thousand, of voters to
remain in the midst Of it as partic-
pant in the work Of carrying on tie
government. The mere prospect OF
such thing is abhorrent and appall |
ing. A voter who cannot read his bal.
lot and who il unable 10 determine for
himself which is the right and Ii.
wrong of the questions at issue befort
the country, will almost certainly l.--
come the VICTIM Of demagocu-s. ant :he
enemy Of good, pure and wise govern
ment.
There will be plenty of evidences Of a
desire to educate the masses whenever
II Shall happen that the solid south
shall split into two political parties.
Then the negro will be ardentIy sought
after and woled by both. He will
know his power and will use it too for
selfish purposes and ends unless he
shall be taught to do better, in favor of
that party which shall prove to be most
deAterous in the practice of the low arts
OF the demagogue. The negro voter in
the South will lot her, after encounter
The distractions which have hitherto
been placed in hi- path. He will not
only vote for President and Con-
gTesslnen, but he will vote for State
Legislators, for Judges, Governors, and
al County and State officers. His in.
iluence VIII be exercised upon the go
Vernhent Of the entire country ior
good or evil, and if be Shall re per.
mlt1cd to remain ignorant his influence
will undoubtedly he for evil. The
people Of the North long ago recognized
these facts, and it was because they did
recognize them that large sums OF
money were contributed by the North
for the establishment Of neur, schoo]s
IN the South. Probably much more
would have been done for the caus, Of
the education Of the colored people of
The South but for the intensity OF South
ern sentiment against it.
We are glad that the voice of an en-
llghtened public sentiment is that the
federal government might properly, be-
cause Of the poverty of the South, and !
for the good CT negroes and the country {
a. large, lend its assistance to the work
OF promoting the education of the {
blacks. The Republican party repre- ,
scented by General Burnside, rut it's I
belief in this matter in practical shape, :
IN a Dill which directs that the proceeds f
OF sales OF public lands shall be devoted |
10 This purpose. That bill was not 4
PASSED at the last Congress on account t
JI the opposition of Southern members
OF Congress. 1t, or modification of it,
can be passed at the next session of
Congress if the Southern. members de-
sire 1t, Perhaps 1t will be passed any
how, fir the Republican party which
70 vors the general policy Of the llwill
have a majority in the next House and
can do as it wishes about such 4 matter
az this. AT any rate we are pleased to
hear the leading organ of extreme
Southern sentiment clamoring for the
Of tfe blacks.
THE ATLANTA (Ga.) Constitution
seems to BIZ terribly dsgruntled at
Senator Bayard. In making an attack
upon him it calls him theConkling OF tie
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