The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-12-16
EDUCATING THE NEGRO.

EDUCA1lNd lnE NENllO'
Mr.. EDMUNDs KIRKE has short sag
pestlve article In the November number
of the North American Review, in which
he undertakes to show the best method
for educating the negro. His observa-
tions of the negro were had at Knoxville,
Tennessee, where he claims that negroes
are congtegating from all parts OF the
south-negroes of all classes and antece-
dents attracted by the widespread and
we'll founded report that in this region
the negro problem is least interfered with
by white influences. "In no northern city
have they larger liberty, or more perfect
freedom to develop whatever of manhood
or womanhood there is in them" Right
here we may be permitted to remark that
the negro enjoys as perfect freedom In the
City of Austin as in the City of Knox
Vile or Boston. Our observation OF him
leads us to concur in the main with
the conclusions of Mr.. Kirke. We are
not prepared to go all lengths with the
author in what ne says of his theivish
disposition and drunken habits, his loll-
ing lazily in the sunshine, &c; but we are
prepared to say that the negro with us
interprets his newly acquired freedom to
mean no white restraint, considerable
time in doing nothing and constant loco
motion the best evidence of full relief
from the chains of slavery. But here
there is little beastly or habitual drunk
enness among the negroes.
We do fully agree with the author, how
ever, in his position that the negroes as
mass are not ready for higher education,
and that money and time thus
spent upon them must be, as a
rule, entirely wasted. The author
points out the utter failure so far of the
efforts of we'll meaning, but unwise north
ern people, who have expended great
sums of money founding schools in the
MUM w BlNo Vho h0Bto oh pho ou'"h
tages of classical education" Because
the system has operated we'll i'll the north,
is no reason why it should do the same in
the south. After two hundred years of
slavery and consequent total ignorance
Che might have added, the lowest depths
of barbarism from time immemoria) it
is not expected that the negro can at
once understand purely intellectual stud
les. He suggests az far superior to
classical schools, and it is to this branch
of the article we wish to call most earnest
and thoughtful attention, the establish
ment of an industrial system of training
for the negro throughout the south. We
regard the plan most excellent one. The
negro is not ready for the higher branches
of study yet and never will be, if false
system of education is adopted and ad-
hered to. He gives the experience at
Knoxville of ga highly cultured, accom-
plished northern lady," who has devoted
twelve years of arduous labor to teaching
the negroes "the higher branches" and
she sees as the fruit of her labors many
of her best and brightest scholarships
gone to the bad, and boys untitled for
useful work, and actually good for moth
ing. The result, she says, evidently, of
trying to cram their heads with learn
ing they could not understand. Not to be
outdone, however in her noble efforts to
aid those who so much need her help,
this excellent lady has now opened
an industrial school to which she is ad,
dressing herself zealously. Sewing and
cooking, household duties and practical
bread winning arts, she now proposes to
teach them. We believe she has taken
the step that will lead to her own splendid
success, to the ultimate elevation of thu
negro to position of useful citizenship
and to proper preparation for benef
cial requirement of higher education.