National Republican., 1888-01-17
ID NToCRAr1c on RAeE.
The Most Promising Colored Institu.
tion of Learning Utterly Rulned-
Let the Friends OF Education Protest
Against 1t,

Let the flenUB Ot EuuChtiOh iTOIebt
Against II.
A proposition has recently been made in the
Virginia legislature TO investigate the present
unsettled nnd prccari)us condition of affairs
at the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Insti-
tutc. This institution, with the Hon. John NJ.
Langslou, ex.ministcr to IIayu, one of the
ripcst scholars of the age, AT its head, hal
made rapid strides in It's general educati )nal
advancement, and was at the close Of his al.
ministrdtion, hstanding the repeated
attempts of Democratic school officials tn
break u up, tho first institution of It's character
upOn tie continent.
10 It's then high and exalted position aud
worth the governor of the state testiles In his
late annual message 10 the legislature when
he says, al holievcthat IL Qhe instlntc) is. ful.
filling It's mission and carrying out the objects
for which II was established"
This institute IS creature of the Re-
publican or coalition movement in Nir..
giniR. iOunGCd by all act of the assembly OF
1882 for the express purpose, us per charter
: the higher education of colored persons
with an appropriation OF 500 600 for us toun1
dation and an annuity of $4,000 for its general
support, IL was organized at the beginning Oi
the academic year of 1885, and advanced ns
steadily aud rapidly MS any school SO young
The exit OF Republican rule with Hon. Il
r. FaIr as superintendent of public instrllc-
ton, the hightst school authority OF the state,
q man Of excellent ability, LEFT the sehool in.a
prosperous CONDITION in the hands OF the
Hon. j. NJ Langson as president, appointed
10 such position by the retiring administra.
ton, at whose head stood the Hon. Wm. H.
Cameron.
Mr.. Langston came to the institute we'll
qualified for the duties incumbent upon him
as, president. bringing the fruits Of ripe
scholarship, and more especially impressed
with The necessity and practicability of es.
toblisiipg high standard of education for
the Colorcd youth OF the state. As n scholar,
the principal prerequisite as president of an
| institution OF learning, his divers services as
| sCloOlmHp ard numerous diplomas. among
| which is u life membership of the Victoria
| II sliute, the famous British society OF
| scholars aud thinkers Of the world, show him
to he u pronounced educator.
He had given permanent shape and ch1rAc-
| ter TO the work OF the higher education Of the
negro youth tone and scholarly name TO the
institute. And in short, in SPITE OF the mn
CooI Grafton. even autngOnistn, of Sunoriutnn.
| dent buchanan and his negro prOLe seS, menl.
| he's OF The board ol visitors, the school under
him was n success UP 10 the LIST dar of Jau'
1t is plainly evident from the course Of leg.
| islation and events us connected with the In.
| situte that the Democratic party ab iniio
| welded It's power, under John l. Buchanan,
n man of comparatively 10 scholarly name
| and influence, and who has low ideal of
| ntplo ability and high education, at the head
OF the school system of the state, to destroy the
| Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute,
| iof as soon as in power, at an extra session
Of The legislature, called especially for the con.
| sldcTation of the settlement nGthe state debt
| under pretenSe OF rCOrgHniEiug the school, u
i bill was passed revising that part OF the char
ter which says that Nil the officers Of the inSti
luie shall be co!orcd eActpiing tho eN-ollicio
president Of the hoard OF visitors, and 20
| amending 1t that employees other than preSi-
| dent profess ors, and instructors may be white,
| thus to-day two colOred men are made nom.
| lnal treasurer aud sCcrctniy-IElrchcadS,
! when, in fact, tvD white men keep the books
and hNndle the finances Of the institute.
There are other white employees in the per.
| sops of watchman, engineer, and superintonl'
! ert OF building contrary. to the design oil us
| founders and the wish OF the Colorcl people,
| for whom ii was established.
! At the same time the compulsory feature OF
! tie summer institute, provided for in Il pre-
! yiOus bill which was OF inesumablc value TO
the colorcd teachers OF the state, as conducted
| at the institute, was DESTROYED.
The summer normal of 1856 at the institute
was an immense success, 30 teachers being in
| attendance The summer normal Of lSs7, al
| thouL not compulsory rs to the attendance OF
| teachers, as AT the former Of 1856, with fbur
Other institutes in opposition. was compare.
lively successful, numbering l8O.
| The Interference with the summer normal
was CntiIely unCalled for, because II was
| mcRrS of Improvement to the ColOrcd teachers
Of the state. and they Willingly came 10 its
intellectual pOIia.S.
Now, we leave the acts of the legislators aud
| come TO those Of the beard oi visitors. COM
| posed Of six illilcrate negro Democrats, who
| viCd with their political master, John l.. BIZ
clanNn, III degrading. ana breaking up the
moral and intellectual foundation ofthe school.
And had not such man as the Hon John NJ
!
succet ded long before they did.
These ignorant political slaves, who ought
never have been appointed trustees OF a col
tcHdont public instruction, thus cx.oilicio
president of the board. began their work by
clecling instructors without reference TO ability
or character and without consulting the preSt.
dent They aiicrward appointed men 10 pro-
fessoTt hips in the same manner, and but one
among five holds n col legiate diploma.
They attempted to lower the high intcilsc.
| moral standard
It was the determined, iuvuCible, and ellpC.
tual maintenance of this that won for Mr.
langsion Tie displcasure OF such authorities.
Now they refuse to Ic.e elect him. Tor what
Only 10 crafty the selfish. personal, and poliLi-
cal hated OF the Democratic bosses, and not
the conservation OF the best interests OF the
ColOICd people, whose children had looked
TO that school ms their salvation.
! They attempted to abuse, malign, calum-
ni9tS. Willy, and outrage him, but the hrdye,
master of the situation, the champion OF the
norIo'S cause.
They removed him against the earnest pro,
test oithe students, parents, guardians, aud
the nero press.
Who have they elected to succeed him? A
person without name, OF little or no ability
and less influence, without scholarly name
and title, a graduate only Of the negro public
schools Of Richmond and that twelve years
aGo,Whon the public school system of the state
was not by any means what II Is to-day.
He Is president OF q college, and dlcs I't
know what college is or ought to be. lie
| COnldn TCadtnedt gree OF a. 10 save MS lliU
| This is lust ike the emOcmtS-"anythiug
for Il bigger But "the last straw that broke
the CGn!els back" was the decision Of the board
| Of education refusing to remove an instructor
| for Immoral conduct III making indecent pro.
! posals to n lady teacher, especially when the
hoard .tcel admitted his guilt. Flfy or moro
students--who!e classes-leit the institute on
that account. And all should have lett, for
! WREN school loses its moral character 1t is
unworthy OF the. patronage of decent people.
| The Democratic party Is entirely responsible
| for the rupture OF this school. They have
taken 1t out of the control of the colOred peo-
pie, 20 whom II figltly belongs, and they have
white DemOtrAts-a as Daniel Webster has said
"a thCRtCr for the contentious of politics. =
party and faction cherished in places colsc
Grated TO leaning and piety."
| Let the friends of education liberal white
men, the negro especially, be true 70 tham-
selves, and the Democratic pnrty shall answer
for his and answer In utter defeat in the next
| elections.
While the accomplished scholar, statesman
| iNIiSt, diplomat, aud orator leauGs the Virginia
Normal and Collegiate Institute to no sue.
ccN'or, he goes forth to educate the masses o
| his people,
Let thcnogro arouse to the sense OF his duty
| whole schools tNkou away from him. not {
representative in Congress,
| Let the nCgrl of the fourth congressional dis
| triCt, In the name Of his children, for wboSC
/ education Mr.. langston so 2cllOusly labOrcd
whose battles for complete liberty he has eve
fought nominate and elect him to the fifty
Let this be proclaimed from the pulpit, the
rostrpm, even from the houSCtop.
| - ------
The Tax Lien Certificates.
| rbrTop Y ,rIpN Al y pFpIrDTIgkSt 4 bill of rrAl