but
it has at the same time won for you the confidence and esteem of all
the thinking portion of the white race, who are interested in good
government and a well-ordered and law-abiding community ... for which
this community ought to be profoundly grateful." And this man is also
"ebon black." And here we would correct the impression that a large
disproportion of the negroes are receiving "a higher education." The
idea is given out that a great mistake has been made by the societies
and philanthropists that are seeking the elevation of the freedmen.
It would relieve the quite unnecessary alarm of objectors if they
would consult the United States census for the statistics of the
negro population, and then compare with its six millions of colored
people the few thousands of them found in the colleges, academies,
high schools, theological seminaries, medical and law schools of the
land. Probably not more than one negro in a thousand is receiving
anything beyond the very simplest instruction. Surely, then, no great
harm can yet have been done, or is likely to be done, for many years
to come. And yet, long before the objectors had spoken, these same
educators had begun to add industrial training to book learning, and
they are now pushing this branch as fast as the pecuniary means are
furnished.

Nor should we overlook the vast and pressing necessities to which the
higher education stands related. There is a loud and general call for
_competent_ colored teachers, instead of there being such a surplus
as the aforementioned writer found when he says, "There was only one
vacancy where there were fifty teachers." A remarkably favored
locality! The superintendents of Southern schools tell a very
different story. Not long since, the Rev. Dr. Haygood, of Georgia,
in an article in the _Independent_, called for fifty thousand colored
physicians, to be furnished as speedily as possible. And who can
exaggerate the need of educated colored ministers to take the place
of the old ignorant preachers? And how is any race to rise without
intelligent leaders of their own in every locality? These will
naturally be found in their men of education and property, in their
ministers, physicians, lawyers, editors, teachers and political
representatives. It is idle and wrong to repress or ignore the
ambition of negroes of talent to be something more than laborers and
servants, bootblacks and whitewashers. They must have the chance that
others have, i