The National tribune., 1882-04-22
The Slater Fund.
races.

The fact that Mr. j ohm F. Slater, a wealthy
citizen of Norwich, Conn, has Just created
fund of one million of dollars I" for the edu-
cation of the freedmen is calculated to
forcibly remind the country that, although
nearly two decades have passed away since
the abolition of slavery, the future of the
colored race is still far from being assured
1t is true that the labor system of the South
has adjusted itself to the changes brought
about by the emancipation act, and that the
political equality of the negro has been
legally established; but the industrial and
intellectual development of the race has not
been by any means as rapid as was antici-
pated at the close OF the war, and as there
then seemed to be good reason for expecting.
No one at that time foresaw the obstacles
that the pioneers of colored education were
destined to encounter in the South, and such
benefactors as George Peabody little dreamed
that the elevation Of the race would be i'm
peded by those who, most Of all, were inter
ested in fitting it for the responsibilities and
duties of citizenship. 1t is scarcely worth
while at this late day, perhaps, to recall the
melancholy experience of the Northern
teachers who were sent out to found colorcd
schools in the South before the reconstructed
States established their present public school
systems: no one who has ever read "A Fools
Errand," by Judge Toprgee, can be ignorant
of the social ostracism, and the actual perse-
cution, to which these early missionaries Of
knowledge were subjected. The fact which
concerns MS now is that, although every
southern State recognizes its obligation TO
educate it's coiored as we'll as its white
youth, the duty is very imperfectly dis
charged, and the children of both races are
the sufferers thereby. As rule, the schools
are open but three or four months in the
year, and the time is too short to admit Of
any considerable progress being made in
any branch OF study. Add to this that but
little care is taken to secure competent
teachers and that considerations other
than those of personal fitness, too fre-
quently govern in their appointment, and
it is not difficult to understand why the
condition of education in the South,
instead of being source of satisfaction, is
still the occasion of grave solicitude to
those who have the welfare Of the colored
race really at heart. At one time there
seemed to be some ground for believing that
the Federal Government would make good
the deficiencies of State education by appro-
priating the revenue from the sale of public
lands to the support of the schools, arpor-
tioning it according to the illiteracy of the
population, but the Burnside bill, which
was designed to accomplish that result
passed but one House OF Congress- and there
seems to be no disposition to revive it at the
present session. although the sentiment of
the country undoubtedly strongly favors the
measure 1t is not to be wondered at, un-
der the circumstances, that philanthropist
of broad views, like Mr.. Slater, should devote
his fortune to this object rather than to any
one of the many Northern charities which
otherwise he might have been disposed to
foster. We apprehcnd, however, that the
trustees who are charged with the duty of
expending the income from this fund may
experience some difficulty in so applying it
as to exercise any marked influence for the
better upon the condition of the freedmen.