The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-27

SOME LEADING EDITORIALS.
EdueatIon In the south.

New York American.
It s doubtful II the people Of the North in
telhgent as they are on genera! subjects have
ever thoroughly understood the situation OF al
fairs in the South.
The tremendous struggle which closed at APP
pomattox left the South utterly impoverished.
Sheridan's work in the Valley of Virginia was
sample Of that which was true Of the entire
South, aid the crow that few across the region
between the Potomac and the gulf was obliged
to take along its 'ratons"
Marius sitting midst the ruins of Carthage saw
no greater desoladon than that which greeted
the home-return Of the defeated Confederates.
Desoatoni Il more than that 1t was
desolatior dosola.e; dcsolation reduced to its
last, lowest, bitterest dregs
Those who saw it can never forget it--those
who did not see it can form idea Of 1t.
And yet from this sheer this terrible prostra-
ton the men Of the South arose They had lost
all but their manhood but that unconquer-
able for the men who followed Lee as well as
the men who followed Grant belonged to the old
Viking breed which from the days OF the Morse
men until now has never known encouragement
or despair.
But the men Of the South arose to find them
selves confronted by strange new problems, by
| suddenly imposed and tremendously difficult re-
spousib.lites
They we're hungry, and had to be fed naked,
and had 20 he clothed sheltercss. and had to be
housed--and their only capital in the midst Of
the distressing situation was their bare hands
and their indomitabie courage
All that a man has will he give for his life :"
and for long time the only thought with the
Southern people was How shall we livei"
| The problem Of keeping body and soul to-
gether, OF reiencing and redeemng the turned
| out fields, OF rebuilding the burned and ruined
habtatious. OF retrieving their lost fortunes, kept
the South busy for quarter OF century.
Before life's grim necessities all other things
had to bide their time.
This will help to understand the educational
situation in the Southland as nothing else will.
The question Of culture postponed at the
| beck OF a much more serious question--that of
existence.
But despite the untoward environment that was
! forced upon them by the war, the Southern peo-
pie have within the past ten or fifteen years made
rapid, we may say marvellous, strloes along the
way Of education
II is a long call from the -bellum public
school system (Which, by the way, was hardly
worthy Of the name of SYSTEM to the wise
| intelligent and thoroughly energized effort that
is being made in the South Of today for the edu-
cation Of its youth
The day OF fighting for mere existence has
passed material prosperity has again, or is
coming, and the South is now fighting for knowi-
edge, for the culture which shall lift up and en-
noble the lives Of its people
| Education" is the burning question today
throughout the whole South and with the ardor
with which the old Crusader once turned his
face toward the Holy City the leading men of the
| Southland are looking toward the mental train
ing which shall broaden the horizon and beautify
the living OF the coming generations
Ihirty-and-eight years have passed away since
| the strangest, most unnatural and bloodiest war
OF all history came to its solemn close at Ap-
pomattox, and at last real peace has come
It sat white-winged and beautiful, above the
heads OF Northerners and Southerners at the
Waldorf-Astoria Thursday evening
1t was the occasion OF the dinner given BY
Robert c, Ogden in honor OF rae Southern edu.
cation board.
Big-brained, great-hesrted, eloquent men from
the Southland were there, and as they told Of the
grim carnestness with which the Southern peopl,
are taking hold Of the educational work their
Northern brethren were amazed, electrihed, over,
joyed
Such meetings as the one held at the great
nostelTy day before yesterday are prophetic OF
the most splendid results, and we can not hav,
them too often,