people were then opposed to State schools.
The principle was bad. State schools were Yankee notions; only fit for regions like New England
, with no ancient gentry and no servile population.
First Families were above that sort of thing.
A State school meant equality, and if the war had put an end to servitude, equality was still a long way off. The Negro seemed ready to seize an opportunity neglected by the Whites.
That impulse was not sustained long enough for fruit.
It was a spark — a flash-and it is gone.
The Whites, grown wiser by events, have founded public schools in every district of the country; schools for White
children as well as schools for Black.
These schools are free, well built, ably conducted.
A father can have his child taught to read and write for nothing; but in a state of freedom, he may either set his child to learn or not. Hardly any White
parents neglect to send their child to school, for the necessity of education has been forced on their attention by loss of fortune, fame and power.
It is otherwise among the coloured folk.
Two Negro parents out of three neglect to send their little folks to school.
They will not take