Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-21

/ The Quitman Negro school Affair.
/ The citizens Of Quitman very naturally
feel thst great injustice is done them by
+ that portion of the Northern press which
I holds them responsible for the destruction
I of the negro school building which was
/ burned u that town few weeks ago
There are newspapers in the North which
treat all matters relating to the South IN
a nosule spirit, and when an opportunity
presents itself TO arouse sectional feeling
| against the south, they make the most OF
10. Inev ignore the truth because 1t
woulu defeat their purpose.
IL viii never be known probably who
set fire to the school house. 1t is certain,
however, that no reputable citizen Of
Quitman had anything to do vita the
burning Of it.
II is not improbable that The school was
not regarded with favor by a majority Of
the community, not because the Quitman
people are hostile to the education of the
negroes, but because it was located in the
best part Of the residence portion Of the
town. it was tolerated but not en-
cOuraged. IL was an institution where
negro students were taken as b0arders
, and the white teachers associated with
them on terms of equality. school Of
that kind wouldn't meet with favor
IN any northern town Of the size of Quit
man. 1t is not too much TO say that it
wouldn't be tolerated. II was tolerated
in Quitman because the Southern people
7 a = no of nd
ness, and are ever ready TO extend to him
a helping hand. This feeling the North
ern people do not understand.
The Northern people like the negro at
distance They don't want to come in
contact with han. They are exceedingly
Jealous, however, in trying to force him
into social and political prominence at
the south, and at the least show of resist
ance they incite their preachers and
then newspapers to attack and misrep-
resent the Southern people.
II a boarding school for negro girls,
under the management Of white teachers,
all living together in the same house and
eating a the same table, were established
in the most exclusive residence portion
Of any Massachusetts town, there would
be an uproar that would stir up the whole
or New England. If we are not mistaken,
ii hasn't been 50 MANY years since a white
woman was almost beaten to death by
mob of white men in Connecticut for
attempting to teach a negro school in one
/ of the villages OF that State.
These white missionary teachers who
are sent South are not the sort of people
, to succeed with the kind of work entrust-
ed to them. They are fanatics and
cranks VINO deem it their duty TO make
themselves az disagreeable as possible 10
the white people. They are sent South
because there is no place for them at the
North. They are nuisances at homo, and
It is not 10 be wondered at that they are
not regarded as desirable citizens at the
South. They seek the society OF ne
/ grOes and complain because the white
1 people decline to have any social rela-
tions with them. They do not seem to re-
member that at the North, itthey should
associate with negroes on terms of
/ equality, the doors OF white families would
/ be closed against them. When social
! equality between the two races is firmly
established at the North it will be time
enough for Northern missionaries to at
tempt to establish such equality at the
South.
1t Is astonishing how large percentage
of well-meaning but misinformed people
at the North thinks that nothing is being
| done at the South for the education of the
/ negro. II they would take the trouble to
! compare the reports of Southern superin-
! tendents OF education with the reports Of
! Northern superintendents they would be
astOnished to ind that more is being done
/ for the education OF the negro at the South
than at the North. In Brooks county, of
which Quitman is the county site, there
are forty-one negro schools, supported by
taxes paid by Southern white people, and
| it isn't such a populous county either.
The South is doing all it can to educate
the negroes. The white people are taxed
heavily for that purpose. If the North
wants to send teachers and money to help
in this work both will be gladly received,
and the teachers will be shown all due
respect if they prove themselves to be
| worthy Of respect. II they prefer to make
their friends and associates among the
| negroes, however, they viii not find the
homes of the white people open to them.
In this city the most perfect harmony
exists between the races with respect to
school matters. The reason is that the
schools are directed by those who under
stand the problem which they are engaged
in solving, viz, the education of the chill
dren of the two races without exciting
jealousies and race preudices.
Favorable Reports from the Orange
Belt.
| The rppOrts which are bpiuV racoivod