New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-29
MR.. HANDS NOBLE BENEFACTTON

The establishment Of the Daniel Hand Ed
ucational Fund for Colored People" with gift
of a million dollars is an event which deserves
commemoration. Mr. Hand is an aged resident
of Guilford, Conn.,, but large part Of the fort
une which he is distributing so munifcenty
| during his lifetime was acquired in. business
| in the South, where he obtained that knowledge
| of the needs of the colored race which is now
bearing fruit so philanthropicay 1t is i'm
possible to mention Mr. Hand without recall
ing another remarkable deed, of which be was
the beneficiary. AT the outbreak of the Re-
bellion he, Union man. was in business at
New Orleans. He made his way North, leav-
ing all his property in the hands of George w.
Williams, his confidential clerk and personal
friend. Mr.. Williams took such good care of
the interests confded to him that the value of
the property increased greatly, and after the
war he made an accounting by which hand
some fortune was turned over to Mr.. Hand who.
in the hands of less upright agent, would
probably have recovered nothing from his
Southern estate. Thus it will be seen that he
is now returning to the South the gift he re-
ceived thence, and in the character of his bene-
good to the greatest number.
In making the American Missionary Asso-
citation of this city the trustee Of his splendid
gift, Mr.. Hand has evidently been influenced
by the consideration that this society already
controls machinery which is peculiarly adapt
ed to the work in hand. AS the giver desires
that the colored people " in every State in which
slavery was established by law in 1861" shall
be entitled to partake Of the benefits of the
fund, it is evident that an elaborate admins
trative mechanism would have had to be Gre
ated had not the idea of employing a system
already in existence occurred to Mr.. Hand. It
is, moreover, one of the special functions of
the Missionary Association to gather informa-
ton as to the deserving poor, and especially the
colored people at the South. The choice of this
agency therefore, has the advantage of secur-
ing the most economical and at the same time
prudent and intelligent use of the fund, and
the extraction from the gift of the greatest pos
sible good. Mr.. Hand has guarded the dis
tribution of his money by a few broad condi-
tions in no way calculated to hamper or inter-
fere with the judgment of the administrators.
No doubt he is wisely anxious that his gift shall
not become a source of weakness to the bene-
ficiaries by diminishing their inducements to
help themselves, and therefore he restricts the
outlay to one hundred dollars in any individual
case. This is probably very prudent provision.
The income of the capital turned over to the
Missionary Association will be sufficient to do a
great deal of good. Naturally the intention is
to seek out the most ambitious inteili gent and
energetic colored people, and assist them ed
additionally and otherwise. A large latitude is |
given the association, and there does not appear
to be any danger of difficulties to the con |
structiOn of the deed of gift. The news of this
magnificent gift to their race ought to be re-
ceived with grateful satisfaction by the coored |
people of the South, and il is to be hoped that |
one of its effects will be to rouse in them de-
termination to deserve such muniGcence by |
proving their ability to profit by it, If at the
same time it stimulates the sluggish consciences |
of those Southern whites who have hitherto
looked with ceaseless jealousy and disfavor upon
all attempts to give their dark-skinned fellow
citizens the benefits of education, Mr.. Hands
noble gift will be specially benefcent But it
cannot at this moment be overlooked that the
gift is an indirect yet none the less effective
protest against that Southern spirit of narrow
ness, exclusion and prejudice which has caused
the persistence of the anti-ciyilizing conditions
to the removal Of which Mr.. Hands great bene-
faction is addressed.