The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-15
There has been within the past year
| good deal said about education In the

a good deal said about education In the
south-much Of 1t greatly to the dispar-
agement OF our people, and our schools.
The zeal of the "Odgen Commission'" to
accomplish what they have undertaken,
Gators to induce this commission to at
tempt large things. have brought about
statements, many of which have been.
certain OF ourayoung men who have gone
North for their education, and anave been
thoroughly saturated with the ideas Of
cry 50 demoralized and devastated our
Southern youth that we had here In anti
bellum days no literature, no manhood.
and -nttie educationl.th We ha IA! IN, no
and that since the war we have had
scarcely any scholars except those who
heye been EDUCATED int In the North NJ ~
these slanderers Of their section by
pointing out that in 1850 there was more r,
money inNe;gted IN aonfshern than l, In IN
students attending Southern than North
portion Of Southern than Of Northern
gressmen, cabinet officers. foreign min
listers, Judges, governors. etc., were col
lege graduates{that the standard !, or u
sity Of Virginia was the only real uni
yersity In the .country-that We had
t the soSh f fSan they Could predaee
the North-and that our specialists and
scientists. such as Audubon, Bachman,
Better known in Europe than any pro,
duced In the North, and better deserved
the reputation they won.
h Ms aSh5 shaN FIJI shfn e
S,S6s1s3 men OF the North. held them
down for four years and IN over ~ S ~
Of splendfd Victories which astonished
the world, there was at least little
manhood dsplayed--!indeed enough to
Southern manhood
But I will not go into those matters
as wsh to gye some o. any peT
South. :, +,
g yeTy r 1ydlg X th so edueEt Rery
a nsFsssa0 81 sa s sea?ss
class academies where boys were thor
e epFaly ar fSf W sf and
uniyerslty-in the ability Of its faculty,
and the high standard OF scholarshlp
requIed Of It's hs contnent
WhlXle the the other Southern States were,
probably. not equal t9 Virginla IN ta ss
WscS wo ,sey rapd S
forging mItd to the front to meet the edu-
cauonal vents Of our people ,ntarr,,n
f,a these Of the
South. where would we be to-day7 But
alas! When the dark days OF war came
the "midnight lamp Of professors ana
students was exchanged for the camp
a a5ss ce eh s. ssy alessa Tie ts%s
Of southera youth and nd INA nan arsat
prIncipies Of constitutional freedom. and
defend their homes and flresides, from
Invasion. Not only were our scnools ana
Colleges closed. and the privileges OF
war, hut the endownonts OF our col
s ffsss w ther b bMs
libraries and apparatus dostroped, ana
there seemed no hope that our imp In' y,
erished people could restore them aEnln.
H,rhen followed the days OF 'Feconstruc-
tlon''-so call ed--Which We're IN many
RESPECTS worse than the, war, ana our
and bread for their families g 40 muen
people were too busy proVldihg meat
'o Ana enS yat tsoy did begin early in those
dark days to rebuild their, ruined schools.
nee that was marvellous. and the schools
and colleges OF tho South We're gradual-
- built up, until tho marye! q to.aay
are as well endoIWycd. end al o. etIlois9t ,o as
IONA toayal resord Of whIah She may we'll be
proud. Not. only has she malptainsd 9
public school sys ITEM; for both whites ana
blacks which has lheens Improved each
year. (and which is, IN my Judgment,