Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-04
GENERAL EDUCATION.

The interest of the General Government in
| the education of the people found an early eX-
PRESTON not only in the thoughtful and some
| lines warning utter.nces of our ableSt states
men, but i'll the liberal appropriations from The
common resource for the support OF education
| in the new States. No one will deny that 1t is
of the gravest national concern that those who
hold the ultimate control of all public affairs
should have the necessary intelligence wisely
| TO direct and determine them. National
aid to educsiion has heretofore taken
| the form of md grants, and in that form the
constitutional power OF Congress to promote the
education OF the people is not seriously ques-
tionei do not think it can be sue essfuny
questioned when the form is expanded 20 that
| of direct grant OF money from the public
| treasury that such aid should be. as it always
has BEEN suggested by some exceptional condl-
tons. The sudden emancipation of the slaves,
| the bestowal OF the suffrage which soon fol-
lowed, and the impairment of the ability of the
States where those new clt1Zeus were chiefly
| found 10 be adequately provided with ednca-
| tional facilities, pre-ented not only an eXcep-
| tion4l, but an unexampled condition. That the
situation has been much anchor ted there is no
doubt, and the ability and interest OF the States
| have happily increased; but a great work re-
! mains to be done, and l think the General Gov
| eminent should lend Its aid.
| Asthe suggestion of a national grant in aid of
! education grows chiefly out OF the conditions
| and needs of the emancipated slave and his de-
scendants me relief should as far as is possible,
| while necessarily proceeding upon some general
| lines, be applied TO the need that suggested it.
u
pIished that the sympathy and active interest
| of the people of the states should be enlisted;
| and that the methods adopted should be such
| as to stimulate and not to suPplart local taxa
| ton for school purposes. As one Congress Can
not bind succeeding one in such q case, and
| as the effect must in some degree be expert
| mental l recommend that an appropriation for
| the purpose be so limited in the annual amount
| and as 10 the time over which it is 10 extend
as will, on the one hand, give the local
school authorities an opportunity ID make the
| best use of the first years allowance, and, on
the other, deliver them from temptation to un-
| duly postpone the assumption of the whole
| burden themselves.
/ The colored people did not intrude them
selves upon u.s. They were brought here in
chains and held in the communities where
they are now chiefly found by a cruel slave
code. Happily for both races they
| ignorance and poverty, which was our shame,
| not theirs. made remarkable advances in edu-
cation and in the acquisition of property. They
| have. as a people, shown themselves 10 be
| friendly and faithful towards the white race
under temptations of tremendous strength.
They have their representatives in the matte nal
cemeteries, where grateful Government has
gathered the ashes of those who died in its de-
tense. They have furnished to our regular
army regiments that have won high praise from
their commanding officers for their courage
and soldierly qualities, and for their fidelity TO
the enlistment oath.
In civil life they are the toilers of the commu-
mites, making their full contributor TO the
widening stream of prosperity which the clnlr
munlties are receiving. Their sudden WITH
diawal would stop that production and brir
disorder in the household. Generally they do
not desire 10 quit their homes, and their en-
ployers resent the interference Of the emigra-
ton agents, whose object is 70 stimulate such
desire.
But, notwith standing all this, in many parts
of our country where the coloEed population is
large the people of that race are, by various de-
vices. deprived of any effective exercise of their
poli al rights and of many of their civil rights.
The wrong does not expend itself upon those
whose votes are suppressed Every constituency
in the Union is wronged. It has been the hope
of every patriot that the assent Of justice and
Of respect for the law would Work gradual
cure Of these fragrant evils surely no one sup
poses that the present can be scceptei as per-
munities must work out this problem for them
selves, we have right 10 ask whether theyaIe
at work upon III Do they suggest any solution?