The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-10-31
THE SOUTH.
Evidences Of Enthusiastic Patriotism in
All the Southern States.

hOO Wv III bitNb NOiANtlbACA Va ANNChNiAieN-
ton to the North and the Nation which
can alone give assurance that our gifts
will not be perverted to the future
enlargement of the sections and the
imperiling the peace of the Union?"
reply: / do not here discuss the
points at issue between political parties
as they bear on the present attitude of
the Southern people. But | am pre-
pared TO say, after a careful observa-
zion of political and other tendencies, in
all the States east of the Rocky Mount
aims, within the past five years, that,
whatever of the old unfrlendlness 10
American institutions or dangerous
political methods may exist in the
South, there are several causes of peril
TO the Republic in our own Northern
States of equal magnitude, requiring
equal patriotism and wisdom for their
management Within the life OF my
children our proudest Northern States
may call for sympathy and aid ON Viz
ginia and the Carolinas in emergencies
that appeal TO the solid conservative
American habit of thought and public
administration Indeed. in the swift COM
ing issues of the future every State and
section may be called, in truth, to come
to the front and save the Union, rs the
North so grandly did generation ago.
Now MY faith has never been shaken
that the only way to prepare any por-
ton of this Union to meet such peril or
to perform its ordinary duties is to give
its children and youth the full benefit
of our American system of universal
education-that training of the heart,
the head and the hand, through our
varied national agencies. which shall
send forth every new generation COM
petent to meet the demands of common
life or rise TO the emergency of any
perilous hour.
And urge our people OF the North
to their duty in this momentous queS-
ton of Southern education, because l
know the Southern people have well
begun this work for themselves and
only need our thorough sympathy and
aid for its fair advancement l could
ill pages and volumes with incidents of
personal experience TO confirm what l
say. Let me close this paper by one
true story of what saw in the very
heart of the old South-land
More than twenty years ago one OF
the bravesttof the young commanders
IN the National army, Colonel Shaw, OF
the city OF New York. fell at the head
of his brigade of colored soldiers, in q
desperate assault on Fort Wagner. dur
inc the siege of Charleston. He was
buried with his mon. and his BODY was
never found. After the close of the wal
the families, in New York and Boston,
connected with the fallen soldier. built
school-house in Charleston for col.
oCed children, established the Shaw
school, and for several years sup
ported it as private beneficence. Some
five years since the use of the building
was granted to the public school au
thorit es of the city on condition O.
the support of the school as part O
the general system of instruction. Lat
er still the building was virtually giver
TO the city. and all the funds of the cor
poraton passed over for its enlarge
ment; and now one of the public schools
of Charleston bears the name of the New
York Colonel who died at the head o
his black brigade forcing the entranc
10 that beleaguered city.
Last April, for the third time, Wis
tied the city, the guest of its govern
ment this time for the sole purpose o
speaking to and advising with coloreC
people. And | saw that nowhere il
this country is there now a more thor
ough and honest purpose to give thes
people a fair elementary education
than in the city that first threw on
Che flag of revolt and Shotted the frs
gun turned against the Union in 1861
There are several large schools. sup
ported FROM the North, which were Wis
tied. But the most interesting of al
were the two great free schools, con
tanning two Thousand colored children
many of their teachers representing tn
old respectable families of the city. n
portion of the public-School system re
ceves more cordial and careful atten
ton than this from the able Superin
tendent, the patriotic and energeti
Mayor, and the School Board, who's
President is the former Secretary of tn
Treasury of the Confederate Govern
ment
My last visit was to the Shaw school
now a collection of several hundre
children, with white and eolore
teachers; the Principal. like the Cit
Superintendent, an officer in the Cor
federate army. After suitable inBpeC
ton was invited to the great hall t
listen to some exercises by the highe
classes, prepared, as | understood. fG
their coming commencement exhih
ton. The FIRST was recitation, by
hundred of the older pupils. from LOne
fellows "Buildingo of the Ship" The
boy as black as night, George Wash
ington by name, was summoned frol
his seat to recitc pathetic poem: 9Th
Dying Soldier" 1t didn't need con
ment to show for what cause that so
der died; for the poem was mo:
touching story of peril aud suffering
L. Z n IL