Year: 1874

The administrators of the Peabody
educational fund represents different
sections of the Union and are not uni
ted in their political views, but they
agree in their devotion to the great
trust bequeathed to them, and they
enjoy the confidence of the whole
country. When these gentlemen make
a statement of fact about the South it
is entitled to credence, and their opin-
ions upon the best mode of educating
the two races should have weight
equal a. least to those from any other
source. No Government bureau has
better means than this organization
for ascertaining the real condition of
the schools of the South and the senti-
ments of the Southern people on the
school question. In all the Southern
States 1t is represented by intelligent,
disinterested agents whose sole duty
is to find out and report the truth, and
the distinguished general agent, DIR.
Barnas Sears, makes tie subject his
constant study, largely by travel and
personal observation. Therefore, we
attach much Importance to the report
made at the recent annual meeting Of
the Board on the subject of mixed
schools, forecasting the consequences
OF the possible future) passage of the
Civil Rights Bill. Itappears from this
statement that the bare anticipation of
such an event has greatly discouraged
the friends of free schools all over the
South. They were slowly overcoming
the natural aversion to school taxation
felt at the South, and were winning to
their side those who were at first in
different to the cause Of popular edu-
cation, when up springs the Civil
Rights Bill, with its mixed-school
clause, to freeze their enthusiasm.
Had this bill passed, the trustees of
the Peabody educational fund would
have had sorry tale to tell this year.
but its postponement until the next
session gives time and new hope to the
friends of free schools. But they can
not be expected to work with the same
heartinessand success while the shadow
of doom hangs over the school system
in which they are engaged. For moth


ing is more certain than that the en-
forcement of the idea of mixed schools
upon the reluctant and protesting
South will end in the entire abandon
ment of free schools in some of the
Southern States. Unless the whites
can have schools for their own chill


dren-separete from those provided
for the blccks-they will throw up
public schools altogether and fall back


on private schools, every father paying
for the education of his own children.
The trustees of the Peabody fund, who
have every opportunity of knowing,


assure us that there is no doubt on this
point, and we believe them. They also


say that the colored race would be, by
\ far, the greatest sufferers from the
| abolition of the State school systems,


and this is undoubtedly true At


present the promoters of free schools


are deeply impressed with the need of


educating the colored race. 1t is the
subject to which they give their best
thoughts. The freedmen can have, if


they will but avail themselves of it,


access to schools equally as good in


all respects as those designed for the


whites and a continual pressure is


cXerted upon them to use these means


of education for themselves and their


children. The white taxpayers not


only pay the bills for these separate


schools, but by their own eXertions


try to fill them with pupils. And the


freedmen appear generally well satis-


fed with the system. ltseems natural
for them to be Isolated from the


whites in schools. They neither ex-
lpect nor desire to have the two colors


mixed in the same school-house and


but for few carpet-baggers and kin


drcd meddlcrs in Congress, who arc
lperpetually stirring up strife between
the two races, the freedmen would
} never alone have raised the issue of


mixed VS.. separate schools. If the


Civil Rights Bill passes and the school


system of any Southern State is in con-


sequence abandoned, the negro will


then be seen in his true condition of


helplessness and dependence. He will
? be deprived of his State school, and,


large measure, of the counsel and NOR
, al support by his white friends and


protectors, and will be bereft of all cd
, ucational privileges except those affor-
, ded by the Peabody fund, unless in
deed Congress should pass law estab-
fishing schools as national institutions
in all States where the citizens do not
! provide mixed schools at the public
, expense.