Year: 1871




IPRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT


ATLANTA, June 10.-No general system OF
schools yet been established in Georgia.
law was passed some time ago providing all the ma
ehnery OF school districts and directors necessary for
setting in motion comprehensive system for the educa-
ton OF both whites and negroes but by strange oms-
son adequate provision made for raising money
to support the schools No levy OF local taxes was
authorized raise funds in addition to those furnished
by the State, that the law remains imperative and
nothing has been done beyond eectDg school officers
According 10 the law the proceeds OF the poll tax OF the
license tax and nehaf Of the derived from the
State railroads to be set apart school fund and
distributed among the districts that maintain schools
The from these sources will amount to about
slOOOO but this would scarcely be sufficient TO support
choolsl single month in the year for all Of the 100000
children Of proper ages in the State. Public sentiment
in favor Of free schools is not strong enough to incline
the people to raise additional funds by voluntary con-
ributon; and there authority to levy taxes TO
make up the deficiency, the whole matter awaits the
action Of the new Democratic Legislature which meets
In November. There much prejudice still existing
against free school system account Of the necessity
OF taxing the white for the education OF the negroes
that there TO fear that the Legislature instead
OF remedylng the defects In the existing law will repeal
II entirely and substitute nothing for it. The import
OF public education is appreciated at present only
by few people In the South To the masses OF southern
white men a free school, maintained by taxation, is
looked upon as one Of the many abomnabe
ideas brought down from the North by the de-
tested Yankees and free school for negroes is hated
above all things by the poor whites whose own children
are growing up in ignorance. Among the educated
classes there s however hopeful change Of sentiment
in progress upon this subject and few influential men
may be found almost every town who in favor
Of free schools and who do not hesitate to say that the
future prosperity OF the South depends in no small
upon the elevation of her Ignorant population
of both races and he correction 1by Feducaton OF the


produced in themIby ignorance The friends OF ed
ucation I'm Georgia. although comparatively few in num-
ber do not despair and hope by combined efforts to per-
suade the Legislature pass efficient school law and,
two three years TO enghten public sentiment as
to secure such law the support of majority of the
people.


Georgia f. probably the most enlightened OF all the
Southern States yet there within her borders to-
day 6OoO native adult Whites who cannot read or write,
and II to them were added the whole bulk of the negro
population, so vast of ignorance would be found
that, II combined for any political purpose, it would
sweep away all opposition the intelligent class could
make Many thoughtful men apprehensiye that the
ignorant voters WILL In future, form party by them
selves as dangerous to the interests Of society as the
Communists Of France and they are convinced that the
only way to avert the evils that such political combna-
ton would bring begin at to weaken the ranks
OF ignorance and recruit those of intelligence by tho
rough system Of common school education.


1t must be understood that nothing is now doing
I'm the way Of education Georgia. In all the cities,
towns and villages there are schools for the whites
established by the teachers private enterprises and
not little has done for the negroes by the Freed
mems Bureau and by various Northern charitable so
cietes The State superintendent Of Education esti-
mates that nearly One-ha OF all the children OF scho-
lastc age have had instruction in schools during
the past year. He also estimates that 10000 colored
children in the State have since the war; been taught
TO read and write But is In the towns that this edu
cational work has been chiefly accomplished. In the
country the prejudice against colored schools is still
strong and another obstacle exists there TO the main
tenance OF such schools OF schools OF any kind which
also exists throughout the South, viz; the sparse
settlement OF the rural districts In most localities 1t Is
difficult to get children enough together at any given
point TO warrant the employment OF teacher. This
will prevent the Southern people from becoming gen.
orally educated the people OF the North for the next
generation aud until the large plantations divided
and system Of small farming prevails 1t will readily
be seen that the presence OF twoEacesHn the South in
creases the difficulty OF establishing public schools In the
country Prejudice is too strong TO admit OF the teach
ing Of white and coored children in the schools so
that in neighborhoOds where children enough OF both
races could be assembled to form school If they could
be taught in building by teacher no school can
now be established, for the expense OF erecting TWO
buildings and employing two teachers would be TOO
great for the people BEAR The South must therefore,





country becomes more densely inhabited, and until
prejudces in regard to race are extinguished


There was nothing resembling school-system In
Georgia before the war; except provision for educating
pauper children in private schools where such existed,
at public expense. There therefore no material
OF an old system left TO in building up
new one; and this fact makes the work more difficult.
There were no school districts and even no town
ships. The only division OF the counties was and
still is into militia districts; but this is 80 indefinite
that there much difficulty in employing 1t for school
purposes No maps made showing the lines OF
these militia districts and their boundaries are 80 vague


"a 10 be in many undscOverable The old records
will for instance describe the line bounding certain
district as running from Smiths Clubhouse to Jones's
Bridge and thence Browns blacksmith shop, etc
enhouse bridge, and blacksmith shop and their owners
having disappeared 40 years ago and left no trace be-
hind them. Al. .,... .,o
edueaon in higher branches OF coored youth Of both
sexes called Atlanta University, not because 1t is
university in any proper sense OF the word but because
the purpose is make 1t at some time in the future
This school ought to be visited by every person who be-


eyes the negro TO be incapable Of high degree OF
mental culture Here 100 pupils pursuing all the
studies usually taught in colleges, and exhibiting in
their recitaton brightness of intellect frankness OF
perception and q power Of memory not exceled by
pupils in the best white schools. About onethird OF
them are pure blacks and the rest are shaded of to fair
haired blueeyed boys and girls seemingly without any
mixture OF African blood. The pupils Of the lighter
shades seem to have advantage over their darker
associates their mixture of Anglosaxon blood opening
70 them no royal road to knowledge. In the recita
tious in Greek, algebra, geometry, and eloeution,
which / heard while visiting the school yesterday
pupils of unmxed African blood were among the best in
each class Nearly all the pupils exhibteda surprising
nrofeeney in their studies their brains seemed to
work as rapidly and accurately those OF races which
are generally believed be better endowed with natural
faculties OF these young people cannot be taken
as fair examples Of what be accomplished In the way


a., education with the average negro OF the South They