Year: 1866

of those engaged in the educational in
terests of the Freedmen are not uncalled
for. Others, Dotin sympathy with them
have spoken of them, and of their work !;
and not always in the kindest or most
charitable spirit Let both sides be
heard That there is1nothing discredit-
able in the work itself, or which necessari7
ly brings under suspicion the characters
aud motives of those engaged in it,
would seem to be, a statement whic
must command the ready assent Of every
fair>minled person, lA@HJ t5
More than this-the work commends
itself as a good very much needed an
Indispensable work; and, withal, an hon
orable and Chris ian one In the new
position in which the Freedmen and their
children are now placed, as we'll leave
them without food or clothing, as without
education. To bestow this is sim .ly an
act of mercy; one of the plaincst OF duties.
Why suppose that they who have me
forward to do this work. have dor so
under the promptings OF, unworthy and
self h, rather than of pure aud dslnte-
rested considerations Is it not, better
for ourselves, and fairer to others, to inn
pute good rather than bad motives?g Is
it not better to take the more obvious,
particularly when it is the kindest and
best Interpretation of actions? The com
! lug Cf teachers from the North on such
an errand, has been br1ught against them
as an evidence of their seli-conceit as
an unjustifable interference; as indlcat>
ing on their part, the belief that they
alone were competent to meet the ext
gcrcies of the hour, and of the colored
race, in supplying the traiupg which
they need.


The work, it has been said, could have
been done, and would have been done,
and as we'll done, without them, and by
the people of the South themselves


Again, the condition of the poor and
degraded classes at the North has been
urged; and the questions asked, Why
not remember tn charity begins at home?
Why come here to remedy our evils, when
you have your own to look after and re-
dress? =.


Aud, finally, the very position of
teacher in colored scho | is looked upon
with contempt spoken Of deprieciating
ly, and even sueeringly as if it inv lved
personal degradation, and never could
be held by man or woman who had
any true self respect


A wotd d or two in reference to each Of
these points.


SO tar as concerns any undue or ex.
aggerated estimate of themselves, on the
part of the teachers or of their ability to
d. what could not be done as well, or
better, by others-the imputation, on
its very face, is purely gratuitous one,


There is nothing either in their char
acters or motives to sustain it. They
are, for the most part, unobtrusive, de.
vote young women, who have left tt cir
New England homes, and come to this
labor, il, for any other purpose them to
to do good, certainly not in any vain re-
lance on their superior gifts, either of
intelligence or benevolencei or in ary
foolish self.confdence that they have
special call to this office, or special en-
dovnents to II eet its demands. Neither
tbey nor those who send and support
them have been moved by any other con-
siderations thrn those which arise out of
the urgency Of the case the plain pal
pable fact that here is great and import.
ant work to be done; class of ignorant,
neglected beings to be instructed; to be
fitted to use and to improve the freedom
which has been conferred upon them.


In word, it is believed that here is
an opportunity of doing good to race,
not whose present hopeful condition alone,
but whose past history has made the
strongest appeal to their sympathies.
They have come, some Of them at no in-
considerable sacrifice aud Inconvenience,
to do, or to try to do, this work to inn
prove this opportunity. All they ask or
desire is, to be permitted quietly and un'
obtrusevely to do it They would not
that their good should be evil spoken of,
though, it need be, they, doubtlcss, Can
submit to this; content to leave it with
the future to show what the present,
with its excitements and pr judices, can
not decide, whether their work was need
ed or not, and whether they we're the per,
sons to do it or not As to the charge
of interference with the South, Of taking
its work out of its own hands, which, left
alone, it would lave done, is it not an
objection merely in forml Is there any
solid foundation for it in fact How
many Southern ladies could have been
found willing to consent to the labor
which is undertaken by these NortherL
teachers; willing to 60 into these school
rooms, and to undergo there day after
dav, the drudgery of teaching these color