Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-01-26
Federal Aid to Public Education.

A bill has been introduced into the
House of Representatives. proposing an
appropriation of S1O,O00,OO0 per annum
for five years out of the Federal treasury
to be expended in the advancement OF
public education in the several States Of
the Union, the appropriation to be distri.
buted among the States on the basis of re-
lative i'literacy, Such a measure has for
some time past been discussed among the
leading minds of the country and jim the
press. A large and influential public
opinion has been developed in its favor
and 1t is probable that the measure may
be enacted into law before the adjourn
ment of he present Congress.
The effect Of this measure if, it become
law, will be to send large proportion
of this fund into the Southern States wi here
i'll consequence of The large number of ig-
noraat freedmen, illiteracy prevails to a
greater extent than in any other section OF
the Union. The provisions of the bill. as
we understand them, are to place the Fed
eral appropriation at tie disposal of the
bureaus of public education in the sever
al States to be by them distributed thro'
the usual channels for the promotion of
the object intended to be accomplished.
II 1t be conceded, as it appears to be,
that the Federal government is sufficient
~ paternal in its functions as to substitute
any enterprise or charity ia the States, it
will certainly be admitted that an appro-
priation of a small portion of the surplus
revenues of the Government to the libera-
ton of large mass of the people of the
country from the bonds of ignorance in
justified by the highest principles of JUS
tice and humanity. Even if The power or
duty at he Federal government to inter
fere in any way in the cause of pubic edu-
cation in the States were questionable, as
perhaps it is, still i! would seem that such
an assumption of power, by the common
consent of the States, would be fully justi
fed by existing circumstances.
The result of civil war, prosecuted by
one portion of the Union for the alleged
purpose of coercing certain States. that
had undertaken to secede, back to their
allegiance to the Union, and OF certai
ts the constitution which were
forced upon the seeding States as con-
sition precedent to their reinstatement
in the Union, and of certain alleged ''re-
legislation enacted by the
Congress of a portion of The States and
made binding upon all, a large class Of
ignorant men of African descent were ia
ken from the bonds of slavery and utter
ignorance aud invested with all the rights
and privileges of American citizenship
The effect of these extraordinary measures
has been. by the common consent of all
impartial minds in the civilized word,
to put an unexampled aud most oppres-
rive degradation upon the citizenship of
those States in which these emancipated
freedmen live.
There are some that believe that these
freedmen may be educated up TO an APP
probation, and a conscientious discharge
Of their prema'ure!y conferred rights OF
Actua'ed by this hope, those
States in which these people live have e1-
,rted themselves to a heroic extent to
provide, out of the scant revenues OBJ ain
.ble from their impoverished condition
md wasted resources, for the education OF
hese freedmen. 1t would seem eminently
proper, therefore. that the Federal govern
nent and the people Of the Northern and
Western States, who are responsible for
his sta'e of affairs in the South. should
consent to bear their share in alternating
he evils and partially correcting the
wrongs that result from it. The manifest
object of this proposed measure is to reach
Ind, if possible, remedy the great mischief
which Is acknowledged to exist in the citi-
zenship of the enfranchised freedmen, and
It is most gratifying to observe that the
nstice of the measure is extensively ie-
by leading Republicans, and that
it bids fair to receive the pretty solid sup.
port of that party in Congress.