Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-21
THE COLORED PEOPLE.

THE COLORED PEOPLE.
Not long ago, the people of our own city
and other places in Vermont, had the 'ppor-
tunity Of seeing what education is dong ior
the colored PEOPLE in the South. A profess
sor, a graduate and student OF Atlanta
University accompanied the representatives,
If the American Missionary association III
their New England tour, and gave a thorough
explanation OF the methods, the conditions
and the results of educational work among
he freedmen of the South. The showing
v these repre.entativcs OF the Atlanta Uni
versitv was, to say the least, a gratifying
one. To many, who have been doubtful
of the moral and intellectual capacities OF the
a gro race, it must have been almost
"A revelation. Here were two young
men, as examples Of the memb rship OF TINS
one Southern instituliun. The one, grad
ualc, aud row pastor of Congr' gall'na
church among his own people in the , ~ :;
i man. one would say, Of more than nrdl-
nary intelligence, irrespective OF color
man of refinement and information, WIN
ming speaker and clear thinker The Other
a mere lad, boru in Africa aud brought To
this country, not many years arc, by a rough
sea captain. who after wards turned HIM into
the street to shift for himself. THIS lai,
stepped in all! the native ignorance Of his
race, was taken INTO the school at A.
anita, and is now pursuing there some
of the higher branches of study preparatory
to the profession Of the ministry. Aud
these, we are assured, are not phe-
nominal cases. Not only in Atlanta
University, but in the dozen or more OF
prominent schools and colleges for the freed
men in the South, just such instances of MIN
| tai AID moral improvement are to be met
with ly scores. Far from being naturally
incompetent and degraded, the negro is thus
proved 10 be almost phenomenally quick
wittcd aud teachablc. We doubt whether
any Caucasian intellect subjected 10 ceniur-
les Of the bascst Ignorance and superstition,
degraded by slavery and its abuses, and Kept
so long below the level of its capacities for
want of educational opportunities, could re-
cover itself in 50 brief space of time as the
negro intellect has, since schools Tor the
| freedmen were established in the South.
The fact is simply this Whatever OF de
graduation and immortality and ignorance the
colorel people Of this country are TO be
chargcd WITH is due to the treatment which
they have received ut the hands Of our pc)-
ple Any candid reviewer Of the history OF
the race, both during the period OF slavery,
aud for greater portion of the time since,
must admit this.
1t WAS thought at one time that the
negro race was decreasing in numbers
in this country, and that, by natural
depletion and by "assistcd emigration to
Siberia, We should get rid OF our ill-trcatcd
wards altogether. But the census has killed
this unworthy hope, aud the problem is still
before Us. The negro is here 10 say. Now
what can we do for him-what ought We to d.
in view of the cruel wrongs of the past
and the almost equally cruel indifference
OF the present! Even now, while we are
contemplating ways and means, and while
the religious and missionary sOcietioS are
doing what they can to atone for the ncgli,
gencc of the people, the negro is beginning
to move for himself. The c)lored people
are bus.rring themselves on behalf of their
race. The better and more prosperous
classes are debating what they can do iul
their ignorant and poverty-strlcken brothers
in the South. Why may not there be II CO
: operation, a uniting OF forces iu the work d
raising the freedmen from their degrade ion
Let all the people of the North, and Of til,
nation, join hands in undoiug thu
wrongs OF the colorcd race, and cleyat
ing them to honorable citizenship ant
social usefulness. And what shall be TN
lever to lift up this fallen people
Education. That has been demonstrated L
be the saving factor in every problem of hu
man degradation. Enghten the MUD, AM
the whole being gets light. Religion au
morality follow as naturally as vegetatio
I follows sunlight There ought to be an az
preparation equivalent to half the debt OF til
; United States for educational work in tn
South. Every cent of it could be advantage
ously applied not only for the benefit OF til
i coored people but for that of the poe
whites, who are not much better of, If an,
5 than the freedmen. Without doubt, til
i South is the great missionary ground of thi
u country, aud it is the ground for missionaric
: Of money aud education, as well as for mil
siOnaries of the Cross.