d
capable of exercising the rights and privileges of free government.

Free government exists through intelligence and integrity in citizens.
The whole system of slavery in which the Negro had been schooled was
such as to leave him without either intelligence or integrity. It
rather taught him that deception was a better way to recognition than
decency; and that whatever supplied his wants, regardless of its
nature, was the means to be used. As the Negro stepped forth from the
darkness of bondage into the light of freedom, the eye of his mind
accustomed to the blackest and lowest was not ready to exercise the
function thus suddenly thrust upon it. It was blinded and needed
treatment that it might be so reconstructed as to guide and lead
aright in this new atmosphere to which it had suddenly gained
admission. The Negro came from slavery in want of training, and
training is requisite to citizenship.

A man, to be trained symmetrically, must be trained mentally, morally
and physically. Although this symmetrical training is much a result of
personal effort, the effort must be directed by an intelligent,
interested teaching. It is to such teaching that the Negro school
teacher has directed and is directing his efforts.

The first schools established distinctively for Negroes in our country
were supported and taught by philanthropic white people of the North.
At the date of the founding of these schools there were practically no
Negro teachers, but in these institutions, fostered by consecrated
white men and women, Negro boys and girls began to receive training
through which they developed into the first teachers of the race.

These schools, begun by philanthropy (although at first they did
primary work) have developed into the Negro colleges, normal schools
and industrial schools of the South. These schools of higher learning
are still manned largely by white men and women. Thus the work of the
Negro teacher is almost entirely limited to a few state colleges and
to the public schools of the Southern cities and of the country
districts. The especial point of excellence which characterizes the
work of the Negro teacher is its interestedness. Whatever may be the
sentiment in other sections, in the South--the real home of the
Negro--every Negro's standing is gauged by the standing of the whole
race in case of those who are most kindly disposed to him, while those
who are illy disposed judge all by the lowest of the race. The