, 1889-12-05
THE FREEDMAN.
Government Aid Recon- meded for
His Eduoatiou.

His Eduostiou.
The interest Of the general govern
ment In the education of the people
found an early expression, not only in
the Thoughtful and sometimes warning
utterances of our ablest statesmen but,
in liberal appropriations from the com.
mon resources for the support OF educa.
ton in the new states. No one will
deny that it is Of the gravest national
concern that those who hold the ultimate
control OF all public affairs should have
the necessary intelligence to wisely di.
rect and determine them. National aid
to educate has heretofore taken the form
of land grants, and that form, through
the constitutional power OF congress to
promote the education of the people is
not seriously questioned, and / do not
think 1t can be successfully questioned
when the form is changed to that of IA
direct grant of money from the public
treasury. Such aid should be, as 1t al.
ways has been, suggested by some ex-
ceptional conditions. The sudden
emancipation OF the slaves, the besto~al
of the suffrage which soon followed and
the impairment of the ability of the
states, where those new citizens were
chiefly found, to adequately provide edu-
cational facilities presented not only ex-
ceptional but unexampled conditions
That the situation has been much
anieliorated there is no doubt. The abil-
ity and interest of the states have hap.
PLY increased, but great work remains
TO be done, ana think the general gov.
ernment should lend it's aid. As the
suggestion of a national grant in aid of
education grows chiefly out of the con.
dItions and needs Of the emancipated
slaves andtheir descendants, the relief
should, as far as possible, while
necessarily proceeding upon some gem
eral lines, be applied to the need that
suggested IT, 1t is essential, If much
good is to be accomplished, 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 supplant
local taxation for school purposes.
As one congress can not bind sue
ceeding one Ill such a case, and as the
effort must in some degree be experi.
mental, l recommend that any apprOpri-
alton tor the purpose he SO limited in
annual amount, and us to the time over
which IL Ii to extend as well, OH the one
hand, gives the local school authorities
opportunity TO make the best usr ui tile
first years allowance, and, on the other
deliver them rom the temptation to
unduly postpone the. .assumdtion of the
whole buruen themselves.
The colored people did not introduce
themselves upon us. They were brought
ties where they are now chiefly found by
cruel slave code. Happily for both races,
they are now free. hey have from
standpoint OF ignorance and poverty,
which was our shame, not theirs, made
remarkable advance in education, and
in the acquisition of property. They
have, as people, shown themselves to
be friendly and faithful towards the
white race under temptations of tire.
mcndous strength. They have their rep.
resentatives i'll the national cemeteries,
" here a grateful government has gath
cred tho ashes of these who died III its
defense. They have furnished 70 our
regular army regiments that have won
high praise from their commanding Of
ficers Tor courage and soldierly qualities
aud for fidelity To the enlistment oath.
In civil life they are the toilers OF their
communities, making their tull contri-
button to the widening streams OF pros
perity which the community are receiv
ing. Their sudden withdrawal wocld STOP
production and bring disorder in the
household, and generally they do not
desire to quit their homes and their EN-
ployers, but resent the interference of
the emigration agents who seek to- slim
ulnte such desire. But, notwithstand-
ing all this, in many parts of the coun-
try where the coIoreL population is
large the people of the race are by va
riuus devices deprived of any effective
exercise of their political rights. The
wrong docs not cxpend itself upon those
whose votes are suppressed. Every con
stituency in The Union is wronged. II
has beon the hope oi every patriot that
sense VI justice and OF respect tor the