The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-01
The School Resolution.

piNtng W tue DeNp~'"'t ~ "
Iution Of the Lynchbmg Convention con-
corning the public schools:
"we are opposed to the policy indicated
In that resolution for the reason that we DO
no. believe that the colored people are pre-
pared 20 successfully manage the colored
schools under separate and distinct or
ganiZation."
Not with the expectation Of convincing
our Siaunton contemporary, but for the
benefi, OF others, let us ask. in the name oil
common sense how can man who does
"not believe that the colored people are
prepared TO manage successfully the colored
schools under separate and distinct or
ganlzaiion," justify Governor CAMERoN's
appointment Of two negroes to manage one
of the largest and best high schools, and
dozen Of the best grammar schools, in the
State! Was ever such Inconsistency
avowod before? II the negroes are not
prepared 10 manage successfully negro
schools, they are certainly not prepared to
assist in the management OF white schools.
The Virq,nidR will only add dilemma TO
dilemma by claiming that white members
Of the School Board OF Richmond will
manage the schools successfully not
outstanding the presence OF two negroes.
In other words. the Virginion admits
that if Governor CAMERON had appointed a
majority OF negroes upon the Richmond
School Board he would have perpetrated
wrong upon the people OF this city and OF
the Commonwealth, but claims that as he
appointed only two out Of nine, thus leav-
Ing all power entirely in the hands Of the
white trustees, the act OF appointment was
q commcndablc one. The negroes PAUL
and FORESTER will not feel greatly fat
tered by the Virginian'S plea; but we
leave il 10 them TO settle that point with
our Stanton contemporary. Let us pro-
coed 10 examine into the nature Of that
plea.
Negroes, says the Trginian, are not pre-
pared 10 manage successfully the public
schools OF Virginia-not even schools for
children OF their own race. But negroes,
says the same virgini0n notwithstanding,
are prepared to assist white trustees in the
management Of white schools How can
Z lat possibly be? Two negro trustees and
three white ones can outyote four white
trustees. The two unqualified and Gun
prepared" negro trustees appointed by
Governor CAMERON could, therefore, in the
management of the Richmond white
schools, have outvOted four OF the
white trustees by forming COM
bination with three OF the worst
of the white trustees. Instead of appoint
ing n Board consisting Of nine duly-quali-
fed trustees-men prepared to manage
successfully" the best schools in the Com
monwealth-the Governor appointed upon
the Board two negroes who, according TO
the Virginian, are not prepared to manage
successfully even the negro schools. In
what strait must the Virgiaiaa be, when
il iustifies the Governors appointments,
and at the same time admits that his APP
poiniInents were not fit TO be made
Last week our Staunton contemporary
SAID that the Lynchbmg Convention had
"sat down upon" the Dispatch and the
state in refusing to draw the color line
which had been demanded by these jour-
mails. This week the Virginian says:
1T was not that they [the Lynchburg
Convention wanted to see the children of
the former slaves OF Virginia have the
mental training and instruction to tit them
for the duties of citizenship-not that they
wanted The public schools to prove bene-
that hax ricla fO
witness the mental and moral advancement
of the colored race-that this resolution
was adopted, bat that the race issue might
DC draicn in more distinct and marked
manner than IL had been before, although it
might result in the destruction Of the col
ored schools in the State !"
In another sentence the Virginian says
that the Convention did this "because OF
cruel, barbarous, and uncivilized race-pre-
JUDGE"
Cruel, barbarous, and uncivilized race
prejudice. What! Is race prejudice
"cruel. barbarous, and unciyilized +" !:
Then mixed marriages and mixed schools
ought 10 be encouraged, as well as mixed
school boards. The prejudice which for
bids mixed schools and mixed marriages Is
exactly the same " cruel, barbarous, and I'M
civilized race-prdulice which would for
bid mixed school boards. Turn il and twist
il as you viii, that prejudice" whatever
il Is. is all that justifies our statutes against
miscegenation. The negro in the North
feels It more fully and sensibly than do
those in the South. In the North negroes
are treated with silent contempt except by
few professional philanthropists. They
are not consulted about anything. From
the days OF ancient Greece till now blacka-
moors have been regarded as inferior peo-
pie, and no attempt 10 wash them white
has ever been more successful than the
supposititous one recorded by EsoP.
We impue no unworthy motives TO oul
S.sunton confrerc. He has deceived him
other white men and does not share il
their "cruel and unciyilized preiudices.
just as we had finished the foregoing W,
came across, in the Atlanta Constitution
the following paragraph:
"To be plain and direct, the people iron
africa keep the white people OF the popu
Ious northern States from coming south
Dislike for the negro induces them to pre-
fer the irigid sections of the extreme North
west, where there is not scarcely any sum
mer, To the best lands and heaithiest local.
ties in the southern country. The man tina
has 10 depend upon the work OF his tw
hands is not willing tocome into competi
ton or association with the colored labor
ers. The men who 90 out OF the north
eastern States TO find new homes prcfe
TO 20 where there are few or no mem
bers Of the negro race. The color line i
drawn much more rigdly in the northern
mind than II Is in the South, and whit,