National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-18

The splendid gift of John T. Slater, of
81 100000 for the education of Southern
blacks, has had an unpleasant effect upon
the editor of the Nashville (Tenn.) Ameri-
can 1t would be difficult TO describe the
manner in which that leading Bourbon
organ examines the mouth of this gift
horse. Only itself can be the parallel of
the editorial which we copy entire from
the american of the l4th instant We ask
for it a careful reading 1t is headed
" Misplaced Philanthropy" and is as fol-
lows. The italics are our own:
The John r. Slater fund of 81 100000 is the gift of
the gentleman Of that name Mt Norwich, Conn,
for the education OF the colOrod people, and which
presents another instance Of the turn that philan-
thropic Ideas take among men of wealth at the
North, and Of the peculiar Of Ucw that
seems coupled with so much generosity. The
stated object here is TO uplif the lately emanci-
pated population Of the Southern States and their
posterity by comforting on them the blessings of
Christian education; he therefore directs the APP
preparation Of this large sum to this end, impeled
by an impulse Qfho imagination, ripened into con-
vcuon by following the groove made in his mind
by the influences which have been at work there.
TO us, who, having passed our lives among them,
know the negroes well, and know
that this pleasant tempered race is
satisfactorily working out their own dcstinies,
this seems the fancy Of distorted mind, and though
the free offering Of means to purpose like this Is
not Is true, bad IN ITSELF II is relatively mstdkcn
conception Of duty, and seems more the ouOrotcth u
prejudice than intelligent observation. For If the
negro is as yet illy-educated, are not also
thousands OF whites within the radius cncom-
passed by the daily walks of the donor Of this
sum and would It not seem that geiiitle phtldn-
hropy ntelligently directed, would seek to
ameliorate the ignorance and unchecked
vagabondism of communities nearer TO he
d0ROr9 The mOrbidness that conceives and
nurses such mistaken notions and so much mis-
placed sentiment strikes the Southern mind at once,
and while the desire to do good deed is upparent
and merits hearty recognition, and while the
South does not object TO such a distribution OF
wtdLh among US, the manner of its application Is
what strikes us Ms something akin TO the folly of
sending mission money to Booriboola- Cha, when
tenement. house starvation and pestilence are rife
at home. 1t is marked peculiarly Of The North
crn mind, but it is Jo,iy we may well condone al
1t Is one of the indirect which are observa.
Bile, and which are seconding natural causes ir
shaping the negro's future. The implication mus
not pass UNDECIDED, nevertheless, that facili
ties for the education of this race ar'
withheld them for in many Southern
towns they enjoy advantages unknown among
the whites. They not only have schools provided
for them at the hands of tho white Taxpayers
but owing to natural incidence and the indinfer-
cnce of the negro to the comforts oflfe their chill
Gren are len free 10 attend school throughout thei
first years, while the impoverished whites are
forced to utilize the still undereioped strength ot
theirs in the daily struggle for a livelihood. In
commenting upon this subject we pass by the ma
tcrial advantage of having largo sums of money
like this spread out over the South. This is but
one evidence of the inevitable ebb and flow oil
wealth. and we simply draw attention 10 the mis-
conceived notion Of the negTo's status and original
character and the misplaced sympathy made evident
in c0sos of this kind
Is it not delicious2 There is genius in
q man who can thus make q benefit to
appear an injury. The "narrowness oI
view," "the fancy of a distorted mind,
"the outgrowth of prejudice" the "mor
bidness," ~" misplaced sentiment" folly,
etc, etc, with which Mr.. Slater is afflicted
are grouped by a master hand and boldly
handled. Mr.. Slater was mistaken (st
says the American) in supposing that tn,
blacks needed help. Why, that "pleas
ant-tempered race is satisfactorily work
ing out their own destinies." OF cours
u are.
The exploded idea that mass c
ignorance had been set adrift by emancipa
ton was what Mr.. Slater had in his head
All mistake. What food of light il
let in when the Nashville editor informs
us that the "natural Incidence and tn
indifference of the negro to the comfort
of life" cause the blacks to send thei
children to school, while the empower
ished whites are so industrious that the
have to keep their children at home t
help them get living.
Mr.. Slater probably meant no offens
in offering to aid the South to the ex
tent of million of dollars in educating
the race which had been emancipate
without Southern consent. But tn
american says the gift carries with it al
"implication that facilities for the edu
cation of this race are withheld them,
whereas " in many Southern towns the.
enjoy advantages (through the indplencC
etc, aforesaid) unknown among tn
whites" We hope that Mr.. Slater wi
make suitable apology for his nobl
gift, which the Nashville american, Will
generously admitting that :" it is not, it
true, bad in ITSELF" still declares to b
"a mistaken conception of duty" an
"the outgrowth of prejudice" Generou
sentiments like those we have quote
will, if widely disseminated at tn
North, do much to remove the narrow
ness which insultingly donates 81 100000
to aid in subduing alleged ignoranc
among the lazy, and therefore over edit
Gated, blacks of the South. Let us hea
from other Southern States OH this inter
esting question.
nNy fr,HhE DnyMrc