THE EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM IN tHE COTTON STATES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 321, 2 December 1875, Page 4

THE EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM IN tHE COTTON STATES.

The following is an extract from a very«ble lecture pu the above subject by Darter A. Hawkins, E^q., Chairman of Committee on Educa tion of the; New York City Council of- Political Reform : — ,-. „ , '- / Wh^ile Ravelling in Italy in 1?53, 1 had for a cpoipanion for aooie !we'ekß ; a . penttetoah from Moscow, who was a member of the Diplomatic Service of Russia. He spoke seven languages,,, and, though he had never been in America, be was as familiar as Dq Tocquevilte with our history and institutions. One* day he surprised me by saying, "How long do you|totnki your free Government will stand ?''.-. l\ replied, "As long as any Government stands; we think it the best, aud the best q£ every apecieq. survives;" . > Ha.rapHedi "I give you tea years. Half ' of youir 'ebifntry. is &t for a Kepublic,; ' |lti ! 'that half the ' intelligent, citize^q, ihe.' school district, thatowo^ the country, the State, the Free Cburcb', are all homogeneous, qualified and ( hkrb?opiou9 elements of free Goveronient. t ' But, the other half of yourV country lias an tUßttPtUion and a aociatf organisni , which unfit every citizen for a Republic, 'and irain him up jfdr ja military despotism. At the rato:lhio( a progress, and develop iin America, ti e crisis' must come within ten years; ai d then the result will^ depend. up.(n whether there is in\the Free Stats intell^g|nce and decision' enough 0 *^BP«i^oo't slavery; if not^free goveri - men t' will end. .; The XJoion „wilUe preservßd, but either as a mijitat^ despotism protecting slavery, or 1 democratic republic abolishing eta ve^ , and protecting the free common schoo » and a f?ee Charch."' . ' . ! " i J e ! J The^crisij did^ come, in eight years.. After a century, of, experiment, thb cotton States 'decided to sacrifice free government loi T the^aakV of retain in| forced 'labor, , Thjey ; ,Qxpendes <.■&«& I million, of lives and ibtl)ion.s,of, moqe«, in the' 'enda^or (p establish 'a political power in harmony with* htfnfen slavery,! and with it as a, corner afoaq. . : I Th^ir^cts, tnethpd pf thought, and! aspirations during the,: five years ofj bloody struggle had rendered them I more unfit than befdre 1 to" carry "on sue-' cessfally aitf I ' Wisely'"' "the ! ' f fre'e and tolerani^^ijnent .Ibey had failed to . destroy; namely,^democratic. republic based upon uniVer^if'suffr'age. " v When peace was restored, it was thought jso b« clear' thfef it was not w«e r -or safe to intrust this 56£ per cent of boro ,and bretl petty tyrani& and 611---garchista with the whol&political power of the .qottou : sitst.e.Bi : ; Tb©y iwo^ild naturally try to restore ioj substance, i not inform, the wfaolg ordar\pf .thing* and Would do It'inevitably if not re strained by some superior power. But the 43^ per cent of coloured in habitants jtm odt of UoWage w^er equally o^ifit -to r'tile a republican f Stale though^ 1 from an opposite, stand-poini They jvere, grpsely^ . ignorant, ; and: been brought np'to 'con'eidertnemselvef bumap cattle~mere cß^ttels— ;wi^h no right I^cflp( s tp l4bj»i{ and to pb«ey. Tne gateß fiii knowledge," politic , cal k«awle(}gej j had beert kept and BhWtt^iaftißt;.^ai; "'/,': .'\ ":' : '" :: :' f^' Ia !c|flfhjng ioutt thejreb^llion^iWe put aa cad to Ahei former civil r ahti social Stated' 'fi^^^l^^fea^'j^ 1 abolished .haman/ejiiijffej^a'd^Me all human midge : sjubl law, Buf we "di 3 not and pouh) not oradinate at once tne evir tn^ctg, upon an classe^ ( f»(.two f .yiears -/of slavery; y rheae<reraain tflj ne<^ generaWhat now -i^ tbe ! actttal; ijonditiofl - of our patient aa a member of on ? democratic republican ! fam)iy^ l : T B h has full civil aid poUtipaT rigbtsj bi ; 51 pe/ ,.cenf of iboste ttieege c '•-. ten cannot read or write, and is a igooraat of tre bi& of these rights as i child ia of jbe ae© of 1 * oase'of sbr^ice - insvrumenta. If we give the 1 'fnerrtf raeuts to him, a Q d,lea^B^hiin- without 1 guardiai>, be ia ras likely to euf, an probe, - and; caw in rthe~ wrip'qg "pjacJB 1-1 T io tbe^igbi^andthaftdeßWoy' nimaM • So it is with one-half~dur patient . What fwe 'intended: "»• hia aalvatipiA ma y» uignoraßo? -and inexperience, prove hia deatructioa. But (he South must be saved from' the unlettered of both claßs^s.' in^hor.^ it muefc be redeemed, from \th4- rule of ignoraocbg TW at once by restrictiog 'suffrage to . the in* telligents,|pr, .^.a -matter, fact, a right like tfeat^f ÜB,affirag S , j once con 2 forred upon millioos q£ men, cannot be> peaceably taken away. Nor woul^ it be wise at prtseb^to dft'W, lif It were practicable; forthe 49 per <jent of the present geaerat ion in tbe cotton States, -who are oot illiterate, are, as already, abown, not themselvetfquaiifiex] to gov&rti with juatrce 1 and equity % republrca^ State^peop^d io tlie extent of nearly;, one-half byv their former slaves. The 30,000 unpunished. mur- ! dew, stated by a Southern 'niember of Congress to hiaive been committed by them since civil government . was restored, are proof of this. The political slaughters of #ew prleans r poacfaa.tta, and Cohax demonstrate it. The L redeoiptioai and; j restoratiofi of the ootto'n States can be accomplished only by. and .through: : universal e4oca. tion.^ military governor* martial ( , ( law, cars nothing ; : they, ran mere temporary restraints, like tb( hangm^ S?^Mi^M^»^fi often necessary evils, hut treser reformatory eleoa^qia. Coaiprooiise^ to V .Ova/: ..!/•: 'II & "-iil *;'?•.)

keep the Keliog^s or the M'Enerys in ;. ppvcei pfuiile. Tbe free comnioa school mast be planted, nurtured, and sustained within .reach of every mail's children, whi^e, . 6r colored, from Albermarta Soua;! to. Rio r fc»rauda; arid a'law raiistbe enacted/ and pffblfc sentiment to enforce it created, that will require the children to ;attehd( these j aChoola* In t^e language of MiUon, statesman as well as poet :" "To make the people fittest to choose,' and the chdseir fittest ; So govern, we mast teach the peopled The patience and perseverance of long years "are essential to Buccees in this voder- ■ taking.' :■. We must ; labor and wait till the present generation, at least, has passed away, pad a oew one has been born and educated in freedom, common 'schbols,' and, equal civil rights. It is a Work, a gigantic labor, to create the schools and educate, io them seven , millions of 1 people* .'■ ■I' \. :