the sequel of appomattox-第32章

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he　Negro　must　be　educated　and　strengthened　against　〃the　wiles；　the　guile；　and　hate　of　his　baffled　masters　and　their　minions。〃　The　New　England　Freedmen's　Aid　Society　considered　it　necessary　to　educate　the　Negro　〃as　a　counteracting　influence　against　the　evil　councils　and　designs　of　the　white　freemen。〃

The　tasks　that　confronted　the　Southern　States　in　1865…67　were　two：　first；　to　restore　the　shattered　school　systems　of　the　whites；　and　second；　to　arrange　for　the　education　of　the　Negroes。　Education　of　the　Negro　slave　had　been　looked　upon　as　dangerous　and　had　been　generally　forbidden。　A　small　number　of　Negroes　could　read　and　write；　but　there　were　at　the　close　of　the　war　no　schools　for　the　children。　Before　1861；　each　state　had　developed　at　least　the　outlines　of　a　school　system。　Though　hindered　in　development　by　the　sparseness　of　the　population　and　by　the　prevalence　in　some　districts　of　the　Virginia　doctrine　that　free　schools　were　only　for　the　poor；　public　schools　were　nevertheless　in　existence　in　1861。　Academies　and　colleges；　however；　were　thronged　with　students。　When　the　war　ended；　the　public　schools　were　disorganized；　and　the　private　academies　and　the　colleges　were　closed。　Teachers　and　students　had　been　dispersed；　buildings　had　been　burned　or　used　for　hospitals　and　laboratories；　and　public　libraries　had　virtually　disappeared。

The　colleges　made　efforts　to　open　in　the　fall　of　1865。　Only　one　student　presented　himself　at　the　University　of　Alabama　for　matriculation；　but　before　June　1866；　the　stronger　colleges　were　again　in　operation。　The　public　or　semi…public　schools　for　the　whites　also　opened　in　the　fall。　In　the　cities　where　Federal　military　authorities　had　brought　about　the　employment　of　Northern　teachers；　there　was　some　friction。　In　New　Orleans；　for　example；　the　teachers　required　the　children　to　sing　Northern　songs　and　patriotic　airs。　When　the　Confederates　were　restored　to　power；　these　teachers　were　dismissed。

The　movement　toward　Negro　education　was　general　throughout　the　South。　Among　the　blacks　themselves　there　was　an　intense　desire　to　learn。　They　wished　to　read　the　Bible；　to　be　preachers；　to　be　as　the　old　master　and　not　have　to　work。　Day　and　night　and　Sunday　they　crowded　the　schools。　According　to　an　observer；*　〃not　only　are　individuals　seen　at　study；　and　under　the　most　untoward　circumstances；　but　in　very　many　places　I　have　found　what　I　will　call　'native　schools；'　often　rude　and　very　imperfect；　but　there　they　are；　a　group；　perhaps；　of　all　ages；　trying　to　learn。　Some　young　man；　some　woman；　or　old　preacher；　in　cellar；　or　shed；　or　corner　of　a　Negro　meeting…house；　with　the　alphabet　in　hand；　or　a　town　spelling…book；　is　their　teacher。　All　are　full　of　enthusiasm　with　the　new　knowledge　the　book　is　imparting　to　them。〃

*　J。　W。　Alvord；　Superintendent　of　Schools　for　the　Freedmen's　Bureau；　1866。


Not　only　did　the　Negroes　want　schooling；　but　both　the　North　and　the　South　proposed　to　give　it　to　them。　Neither　side　was　actuated　entirely　by　altruistic　motives。　A　Hampton　Institute　teacher　in　later　days　remarked：　〃When　the　combat　was　over　and　the　Yankee　school…ma'am　followed　in　the　train　of　the　northern　armies；　the　business　of　educating　the　Negroes　was　a　continuation　of　hostilities　against　the　vanquished　and　was　so　regarded　to　a　considerable　extent　on　both　sides。〃

The　Southern　churches；　through　their　bishops　and　clergy；　the　newspapers；　and　prominent　individuals　such　as　J。　L。　M。　Curry；　John　B。　Gordon；　J。　L。　Orr；　Governors　Brown；　Moore；　and　Patton；　came　out　in　favor　of　Negro　education。　Of　this　movement　General　Swayne　said：　〃Quite　early　。　。　。　。　the　several　religious　denominations　took　strong　ground　in　favor　of　the　education　of　the　freedmen。　The　principal　argument　was　an　appeal　to　sectional　and　sectarian　prejudice；　lest；　the　work　being　inevitable；　the　influence　which　must　come　from　it　be　realized　by　others；　but　it　is　believed　that　this　was　but　the　shield　and　weapon　which　men　of　unselfish　principle　found　necessary　at　first。〃　The　newspapers　took　the　attitude　that　the　Southern　whites　should　teach　the　Negroes　because　it　was　their　duty；　because　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；