Edmonia Highgate to Rev. M. E. Strieby, Feb. 8, 1866
- Title
- Edmonia Highgate to Rev. M. E. Strieby, Feb. 8, 1866
- Date
- 02-08-1866
- Creator
-
Edmonia Highgate
- Description
- Teacher Edmonia Highgate writes from New Orleans, La. to Rev. M. E. Strieby of the A.M.A. regarding the situation of education in New Orleans. She is currently principal of the Frederick Douglass School, a converted slavepen.
- Related Financial Supporters
- American Missionary Association
- Transcript
-
New Orleans Feby 8th 1’66.
Revd M. E. Strieby:-
Dear Friend:-
Having been employed in the Govermental schools of this city for a time I have improved the fine opportunity to know their condition. The schools of New Orleans have been sustained without aid from northern Associations. But commencing with the month, February, the government has withdrawn its pecuniary assistance[.] While the Freedmen's Bureau still retains its supervision i.e. regulation of tuition fees provision of school houses and school property, yet the colored people must compensate the teachers by making an advance installment of $1.50 per. mo. for each child they send. This plan was proposed by Maj. Gen. Howard because the Bureau owes an arrearage on teachers salaries of four months standing and as Brevt. Maj. Gen. Baird says, “it is not our policy to increase our indebtedness.” Consequently the number of teachers in this city which up to Feb'y 1st was 150 has been reduced to twenty-eight. I need scarcely inform you that something like 3000 children have been shut out of our schools because their widowed mothers are “too poor to pay” Their fathers being among the numbers “who made way for liberty and di[. . .] There is a class mostly Creoles, who have for years, paid an educational tax to support the schools of the whites, themselves deriving no benefit there from. They cannot offer to pay that tax and tuition also. I refer now to the lower class of Creoles. Of course some of them are wealthy but do not feel in the least identified with the freedmen or their interests. Nor need we wonder when we remember that many of them were formerly slaveholders. You know the peculiar institution cared little for the ethnology of its supporters. The question is this dear sir, can the American Missionary Association pay several teachers under the F. Bureau's supervision? The people's fees will not warrant the salary of even the twenty eight teachers retained. The Fred. Douglass, school of which I am principal under the new arrangement, numbered 800 pupils, now it has but 127. We have just obtained the sanction of Mr. Wright, Gov. school director for this district, the right to receive pupils at $1.00 per mo. Board and other expenses are exorbitant here. We still draw rations from the Government yet those who have to wait so long for their salary are reduced to sad straits. Our schools are conducted on the most improved plan. We make a most judicious us. of objective teaching and other New York and Boston ideas. Capt Pease our military Supt. spares no pains to make our schools not what enthusiastic abolishests would call equal to northern 1st class schools, but so in fact. It may perhaps amuse you to know that the building in which I teach was formerly a slavepen but now conveniently fitted up as a graded school. What can you do for us? What will you do to keep us from terrible sacrifices before the Free school system can be established[?] We want immediate cash more than you can imagine. We hear consoling rumors that this more permanent school system may be inaugerated in the course of a few months. But during the interval, we ask our friends for aid. Should you care to write to our soc’ty, Mr. N. Willy, Office Freedmen's Bureau, you might obtain more information on the matters here in refered to. Believe me.
Very truly yours,
Edmonia G. Highgate
Box 1714.
New Orleans, La.
Part of Edmonia Highgate to Rev. M. E. Strieby, Feb. 8, 1866