The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-14
lNEGRO SCHOOL TEACHER.
H URGENT FOR TIE PASSAGE
OF THE BLAIR BILL,
And Gives His Reasons Therefor
as an Earnest Advocate for the
Spread Of Intelligence.


i. The Blitss Of the Appeal;
The speech OF Senator Jackson, de-
liyeTed few months ago before the
Tsnnessee State Association OF Teach
eTs In favor Of nstional aid for educa-
ton, stamps him as man OF generous
and statesmanlike views, and one OF
whom Americans may justly feel
nroud. We confess our surprite at the
hold position taken by this Henry
Clay Of our time. SO frank and I'M
snswerahle are the arguments OF the
Senator, 70 iar-reachiDg and patriotic
his doctrine, that no lair-minded
mnu can successfully reiute them.
II that bill becomes law il will elm
mate the evils incident TO the present
condition of the country. III defeated,
The memorable necessities OF the peo-
ple will ttl den and substitute by
which they shall rescue themselves
from the bondage OF illiteracy and its
immediate influence. No man 10 30
blind as not to know that the motive,
reason and end in view Cf the bill is
in the interest Of good government
and posterity. In this respect that
hill concerns the learned as we'll as
the unlearned, the rich as well as the
moor. II concerns all who fet a COM
mon interest in the nations welfare !;
but il concerns also the benighted
aud degraded whose condition to-day
pleads for relief and amelioratlon.
While this is true, there are those who
grant the capabillty Of a certain class
10 ACQUIRE int llectual knowledge, but
&es,ion the possibility OF their high
moral development, and upon this
theory base their objections against
the education Ct the masses. But to
concede TO any man, all things being
equal, the ability TO grasp an iLtsl-
lectual truth Is virtual acknowledg,
ment of his capacity to embrace and
practice all the virtues found in the
catalogue a. human excellence, and
hence the development Cf the moral
faculties. Endowed with moral nat
ure, man is eminently fitted TO
discriminate between right and
wrong, and ID ignore the capa-
b.lity OF any lace or people
10 develop their moral powers, rem
ders them NJ once irresponsible OF
crime. But the law makes no such
exemption, and it matters net in what
Condit % man may exist, there is no
human agency, DO argument however
ingenious, Nat can ALLEVIATE him from
the attributes OF common humanity.
There is no power that can dispossess
him OF those sublime instincts which
characterise man and ally him to an
overriding divinity. We therefore
must in reason acknowledge his right
TO exercise and improve every grace
with which heaven has endowed him.
We conCede that some men are more
susceptible of mind.culture than
others, but the intervening OF tempo
raj causes too often serve as
more certain barrier against
the mental growth OF a people.
Only lew years ago neither intellect.
ual nor moral culture was required OF
the colored man in substantlation OF
mental.at ailments, but now he pre-
sents himself u living example OF un-
compromising integrity and merited
worth. lie is an American citizen.
He embodies the feelings and prac-
tees of American life, and all that he
is or shall be is wrapped up in the
destiny OF cur grea. and growing re-
public. The presumption that he
is either fool or knave
does not always make him
one az the other, Like mott
men, he is the creature OF circum.
stances, looking to his government, in
common with the people, for relief
from the condt on OF illiteracy in
which he finds himself at present.
OF the 1920, goo proposed to be app
propriated for common school educa-
ton, 10 be expended annually among
the States and Territories, according
to the number OF persons over the age
OF ten years who cannot read and
write, let it be remembered that this
sum is TO be applied Unfortunately
for the benefit Of the peoples chill
dren, and not alone for the colored
people. Under any circumstances,
popular education is a matter Of abso-
Lutte necessity 10 a republican govern.
ment. Withhold it from the masses,
and the framework may become
30 remodeled as TO materially affect
>the fabric from base to apex. It Is
with the lawn asing powers to adjust
interior forces, that they tend with
undertaking gravity toward the CEN
trail idea on which the government
was founded. II that idea is made
commensurate with the demands OF
the ration, every citizen and coming
generations shall know the intrinsic
worth OF our institutions, love and
revere them more dearly, and count
il naught to die for ones country.
For If education means anything,
ii means the development OF
every ilCulty OF the human
mind, so that in its constituent parts
ii is hardly possible to cultivate one
without impressing upon the others
some lesson Of moral duty. But,
granting that mao may acquire in
tellectual knowledge TO the neglect OF
the moral powers, we are, neverthe-
less, compelled to admit that the
truths of intellectual science are re.
formative in themselves, hence help
ful in restoring man to a more ele-
waited condition among intelligent be-
ings. Though predisposed to error,
the human mind ia not rendered more
vicious for what il learns in the arcans
Of nature. Whether that knowledge
be properly applied or not, the fault Of
evil doing rests no. with iDtuitiye
truths ~ learned, but with an Unborn
propensity ~ wander from those re.
straihts which are imposed by the
teachings Of intellectual science. A
devil from the beginning, though
guided by an inward conscience, man
yields TO the impulse of passion and
becomes a very slave to thousand
vices. Had he no restraining influ
euces, quickened by the light of edu
cation and go7erning his nature, he
might then be Stunned as a dangerous
enemy to civilized society. But oul
present syttem OF education tends il
every respect to humsnize and dignity
man. IL is certainly, then, not fair &
conclude that intellectual education il
detrimental to people because OF an!
seeming deficiency in morals. With
out education and its progressiv,
tendencies to enlighten aud quslif
the mind for it's eternal mission
the grand work Cf man and deit,
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