the sequel of appomattox-第29节

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cause　it　was　good　policy；　and　because　if　they　did　not　do　so　some　one　else　would。　The　〃Advertiser〃　of　Montgomery　stated　that　education　was　a　danger　in　slavery　times　but　that　under　freedom　ignorance　became　a　danger。　For　a　time　there　were　numerous　schools　taught　by　crippled　Confederates　and　by　Southern　women。

But　the　education　of　the　Negro；　like　his　religious　training；　was　taken　from　the　control　of　the　Southern　white　and　was　placed　under　the　direction　of　the　Northern　teachers　and　missionaries　who　swarmed　into　the　country　under　the　fostering　care　of　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　the　Northern　churches；　and　the　various　Freedmen's　Aid　Societies。　In　three　years　the　Bureau　spent　six　million　dollars　on　Negro　schools　and　everywhere　it　exercised　supervision　over　them。　The　teachers　pursued　a　policy　akin　to　that　of　the　religious　leaders。　One　Southerner　likened　them　to　the　〃plagues　of　Egypt；〃　another　described　them　as　〃saints；　fools；　incendiaries；　fakirs；　and　plain　business　men　and　women。〃　A　Southern　woman　remarked　that　〃their　spirit　was　often　high　and　noble　so　far　as　the　black　man's　elevation　was　concerned；　but　toward　the　white　it　was　bitter；　judicial；　and　unrelenting。〃　The　Northern　teachers　were　charged　with　ignorance　of　social　conditions；　with　fraternizing　with　the　blacks；　and　with　teaching　them　that　the　Southerners　were　traitors；　〃murderers　of　Lincoln；〃　who　had　been　cruel　taskmasters　and　who　now　wanted　to　restore　servitude。

The　reaction　against　Negro　education；　which　began　to　show　itself　before　reconstruction　was　inaugurated；　found　expression　in　the　view　of　most　whites　that　〃schooling　ruins　a　Negro。〃　A　more　intelligent　opinion　was　that　of　J。　L。　M。　Curry；　a　lifelong　advocate　of　Negro　education：

〃It　is　not　just　to　condemn　the　Negro　for　the　education　which　he　received　in　the　early　years　after　the　war。　That　was　the　period　of　reconstruction；　the　saturnalia　of　misgovernment；　the　greatest　possible　hindrance　to　the　progress　of　the　freedmen　。　。　。　。　The　education　was　unsettling；　demoralizing；　＇and　it＇　pandered　to　a　wild　frenzy　for　schooling　as　a　quick　method　of　reversing　social　and　political　conditions。　Nothing　could　have　been　better　devised　for　deluding　the　poor　Negro　and　making　him　the　tool；　the　slave　of　corrupt　taskmasters。　Education　is　a　natural　consequence　of　citizenship　and　enfranchisement　。　。　。　of　freedom　and　humanity。　But　with　deliberate　purpose　to　subject　the　Southern　States　to　Negro　domination；　and　secure　the　States　permanently　for　partisan　ends；　the　education　adopted　was　contrary　to　commonsense；　to　human　experience；　to　all　noble　purposes。　The　curriculum　was　for　a　people　in　the　highest　degree　of　civilization；　the　aptitude　and　capabilities　and　needs　of　the　Negro　were　wholly　disregarded。　Especial　stress　was　laid　on　classics　and　liberal　culture　to　bring　the　race　per　saltum　to　the　same　plane　with　their　former　masters；　and　realize　the　theory　of　social　and　political　equality。　A　race　more　highly　civilized；　with　best　heredities　and　environments；　could　not　have　been　coddled　with　more　disregard　of　all　the　teachings　of　human　history　and　the　necessities　of　the　race。　Colleges　and　universities；　established　and　conducted　by　the　Freedmen's　Bureau　and　Northern　churches　and　societies；　sprang　up　like　mushrooms；　and　the　teachers；　ignorant；　fanatical；　without　self…poise；　proceeded　to　make　all　possible　mischief。　It　is　irrational；　cruel；　to　hold　the　Negro；　under　such　strange　conditions；　responsible　for　all　the　ill　consequences　of　bad　education；　unwise　teachers；　reconstruction　villainies；　and　partisan　schemes。〃

*　Quoted　in　〃Proceedings　of　the　Montgomery　Conference　on　Race　Problems〃　（1900）；　p。　128。


Education　was　to　be　looked　upon　as　a　handmaid　to　a　thorough　reconstruction；　and　its　general　character　and　aim　were　determined　by　the　Northern　teachers。　Each　convention　framed　a　more　or　less　complicated　school　system　and　undertook　to　provide　for　its　support。　The　Negroes　in　the　conventions　were　anxious　for　free　schools；　the　conservatives　were　willing；　but　the　carpetbaggers　and　a　few　mulatto　leaders　insisted　in　several　States　upon　mixed　schools。　Only　in　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina　did　the　constitutions　actually　forbid　separate　schools；　in　Mississippi；　Florida；　Alabama；　and　Arkansas　the　question　was　left　open；　to　the　embarrassment　of　the　whites。　Generally　the　blacks　showed　no　desire　for　mixed　schools　unless　urged　to　it　by　the　carpetbaggers。　In　the　South　Carolina　convention；　a　mulatto　thus　argued　in　favor　of　mixed　schools：　〃The　gentleman　from　Newberry　said　he　was　afraid　we　were　taking　a　wrong　course　to　remove　these　prejudices。　The　most　natural　method　to　effect　this　object　would　be　to　allow　children　when　five　or　six　years　of　age　to　mingle　in　schools　together　and　associate　generally。　Under　such　training；　prejudice　must　eventually　die　out；　but　if　we　postpone　it　until　they　become　men　and　women；　prejudice　will　be　so　established　that　no　mortal　can　obliterate　it。　This；　I　think；　is　a　sufficient　reply　to　the　argument　of　the　gentleman。〃

The　state　systems　were　top…heavy　with　administrative　machinery　and　were　officered　by　incompetent　and　corrupt　officials。　Such　men　as　Cloud　in　Alabama；　Cardozo　in　Mississippi；　Conway　in　Louisiana；　and　Jillson　in　South　Carolina　are　fair　samples　of　them。　Much　of　the　personnel　was　taken　over　from　the　Bureau　teaching　force。　The　school　officials　were　no　better　than　the　other　officeholders。

The　first　result　of　the　attempt　to　use　the　schools　as　an　instrument　of　reconstruction　ended　in　the　ruin　of　several　state　universities。　The　faculties　of　the　Universities　of　North　Carolina；　Mississippi；　and　Alabama　were　made　radical　and　the　institutions　thereupon　declined　to　nothing。　The　Negroes；　unable　to　control　the　faculty　of　the　University　of　South　Carolina；　forced　Negro　students　in　and　thus　got　possession。　In　Louisiana　the　radical　legislature　cut　off　all　funds　because　the　university　would　not　admit　Negroes。　The　establishment　of　the　land　grant　colleges　was　an　occasion　for　corruption　and　embezzlement。

The　common　schools　were　used　for　radical　ends。　The　funds　set　aside　for　them　by　the　state　constitutions　or　appropriated　by　the　legislatures　for　these　schools　seldom　reached　their　destination　without　being　lessened　by　embezzlement　or　by　plain　stealing。　Frequently　the　auditor；　or　the　treasurer；　or　even　the　legislature　diverted　the　school　funds　to　other　purposes。　Suffice　it　to　say　that　all　of　the　reconstruction　systems　broke　down　financially　after　a　brief　existence。

The　mixed　school　provisions　in　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina　and　the　uncertainty　of　the　educational　situation　in　other　States　caused　white　children　to　stay　away　from　the　public　schools。　For　several　years　the　Negroes　were　better　provided　than　the　whites；　having　for　themselves　both　all　the　public　schools　and　also　those　supported　by　private　benevolence。　In　Mississippi；　Louisiana；　and　South　Carolina　the　whites　could　get　no　money　for　schoolhouses；　while　large　sums　were　spent　on　Negro　schools。　The　Peabody　Board；　then　recently　inaugurated；*　refused　to　cooperate　with　school　officials　in　the　mixed　school　states　and；　when　criticized；　replied：　〃It　is　well　known　that　we　are　helping　the　white　children　of　Louisiana　as　being　the　more　destitute　from　the　fact　of　their　unwillingness　to　attend　mixed　schools。〃

*　To　administer　the　fund　bequeathed　by　George　Peabody　of　Massachusetts　to　promote　education　in　the　Southern　States。　See　〃The　New　South〃；　by　Holland　Thompson　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


As　was　to　be　expected；　the　whites　criticized　the　attitude　of　the　school　officials；　disapproved　of　the　attempts　made　in　the　schools　to　teach　the　children　radical　ideas；　and　objected　to　the　contents　of　the　history　texts　and　the　〃Freedmen's　Readers。〃　A　white　school　board　in　Mississippi；　by　advertising　for　a　Democratic　teacher　for　a　Negro　school；　drew　the　fire　of　a　radical　editor　who　inquired：　〃What　is　the　motive　by　which　this　call　for　a　'competent　Democratic　teacher'　is　prompted？　The　most　damning　that　has　ever　moved　the　heart　of　man。　It　is　to　use　the　vote　and　action　of　a　human　being　as　a　means　by　which　to　enslave　him。　The　treachery　and　villainy　of　these　rebels　stands　without　parallel　in　the　history　of　men。〃

A　Negro　politician　has　left　this　account　of　a　radical　recitation　in　a　Florida　Negro　school：

After　finishing　the　arithmetic　lesson　they　must　next　go　through　the　catechism：

〃Who　is　the　'Publican　Government　of　the　State　of　Florida？〃　Answer：　〃Governor　Starns。〃

〃Who　made　him　Governor？〃　Answer：　〃The　colored　people。〃

〃Who　is　trying　to　get　him　out　of　his　seat？〃　Answer：　〃The　Democrats；　Conover；　and　some　white　and　black　Liberal　Republicans。〃

〃What　should　the　colored　people　do　with　the　men　who　is　trying　to　get　Governor　Starns　out　of　his　seat？〃　Answer：　〃They　should　kill　them。〃　。　。　。　。

This　was　done　that　the　patrons；　some　of　whom　could　not　read；　would　be　impressed　by　the　expressions　of　their　children；　and　would　be　ready　to　put　any　one　to　death　who　would　come　out　into　the　country　and　say　anything　against　Governor　Starns。

The　native　white　teachers　soon　dropped　out　of　Negro　schools；　and　those　from　the　North　met　with　the　same　social　persecution　as　the　white　church　workers。　The　White　League　and　Ku　Klux　Klan　drove　off　obnoxious　teachers；　whipped　some；　burned　Negro　schoolhouses；　and　in　various　other　ways　manifested　the　r