New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-12

1t Is not called Tor by justice or Dy any hhniosJ
Nobody would argue that girls should be edu-
Gated only nj the expense OF women taxpayers
The object Of the public school system Is 10 raise
the standard OF citizenship, to dffuse 'nteil-
| sencc 10 call not the enlightened but the igno-
rant to intellectual life and salvation IL 1t were
not so II would be a monstrous wrong TO com
| pei the childless man 10 contribute to schoois
| for his ncghbors children. The attempt TO Ill
| vert the school funds OF North Carolina so that
90 per cent OF them shall be used to teach those
who need teaching least IL avowedly made not
| so much to promote the education or the WHITES
rs to retard the education OF the blacks. 1t mas
| not even the merit of n measure OF sellshness
| II is measure of hate. lis authors say the
negro is getting to know too much and must be
put in mental md Industrial subsection, and the
same arguments slightly adapted to meet new
| conditions, are brought forth which secured the
old legislation making it n crime to teach
slave 10 read his Bible. The men who make
them are not seeking the solution but the az
gravation OF the race problem. They are en-
dcavorlng to carry slavery further than the an
GENTS and still keep in use the spiritual fetters
which they found more cffectual than iron
chains for the degradation Of the slaves
Over sixty years ago De Tocquevlllc thus COM
mented on the intellectual oppression Of Amerl'
can slavery:
The legislation OF the Southern States with re-
gard to slaves presents Mt the present DAY sucn
unparalleled atrocities as suffice 10 snow tna'
the laws OF humanity have been totauy PEI
verified, and TO be.ray the desperate posltlon Oh
the community In which that Legislation mas
been promulgated. The Americans In THIS por,
ton OF the Union have not. indeed augmented
the hardshps OF slavery: they have on the con
trary, bettered the physical condition or me
slaves The only means by which the ancIentS
maintained slavery were letters and death; the
Americans OF the South Of the Union nave as
covered more intellectual securities for the du,
ration OF their power They have employed
their despotism and their violence against the
human mind. In antiquity precautions were
taken to prevent the slave from breaking MS
chains at the present day measures are adopted
to deprive him even Of the desire OF freedom
Tho ancents kept the bodies Of their slaves In
bondage. but placed no restraint upon the mind
ard no check upon education and they acted
consistently with their established principle
since a natural termination OF slavery then
existed. and one day or other the slave might
be set free and become the equal OF his master
But the Americans OF the South. who do not
admit that the negroes can ever be commingled
with themselves. have forbidden them, under
severe penalties. 10 be taught 10 read or write
and. they will not raise them TO their own
level! they sink then, nearly possible 10
that OF the brute5.
Change slave 20 negro citizen and the passage
fits North Cardinals present attitude toward
tho blacks whom II would enslave by ignorance.
De Tocqueville did not wonder ut this refinement
and ntensifcation Of bondage, and he did mot
regard the abolition of slavery a means Of
"wardng off the struggle OF the two races in the
| Southern States" Neither need we wonder at
| the antagonism. But. however natural it may
| be, to foster 1t and e1aggerate the negro's in
feriority is only TO sit the safety valve. The
stronger the repression the greater the catas
| trophe Heaven knows the race problem Is
| troublesome enough. but there is no escape from
It by perpetuating the old evils. The Southern
whites inherited slavery and it's dangers and
sought TO perpetuate It partly because they did
not see any other escape from the dangers. The
same dangers, we may admit now confront
them in another form, and they trying the
same old methods, not to aDnihilate, but merely
to postpone them. How much better II would
be to face the embarrassments now, and. &C
cepting frankly the troubles springing from an
ancient wrong, grown greater by continuance in
wrong to strive toward fnal perhaps distant,
adjustment Of the race question: than to go on
In the old road Of injustice, which leads only to
more misery and hate.