Education In Charleston, South Carolina

The city Council of Charleston South Carolina have issued an appeal to tli ple of the United States for aid in educatingthe childrcn of that cit)'. A free school system was firstestablished there In 1811, and in the face of a strong opposing party has been muintaincil ever since. Before the civil war the benefit of our free schools were extended only to the white children, and at the best were inadequate fortheeilucation ofthis class alone. Charleston shared the fate of must Southern cities during the war and several of her school buildings were burned. After the war came the extra tax of building new buildings, one half of the roofii of these buildings to be devoted to the use of colored children. In addition to all this the Btati was burdened with a heavy debt, business was n down and the finances of the citizens were rendered in a deplorable conditiun. The assessed value of the property of Charleston was in 1SÖO $45,000,000, in 1880 f21,000,000. The free school f und in 1811 was $5,100, in 1880 $62,000. The city has done extremely wel] in keeping up this system of schools. Kotr, as by the libera tion of the slave?, a number of colored chil. dren equal to that of white hu been thrown upon the public to be cared for and to be educated, acoominodations that were formerly stiftlcient for the accommodation of the white children can now accommodate but one-half of the children of the city. Two or three of the best school buildings have been given up to the children of freedmen. The whole South, and South Carolina 'm particular, has iwilrtniri to the factthat education is the government's best protector, that the ignoran t voter is an enemy to a free government, and that the safety of the local government ot every city In the South demands that the colored man be educated. The citizens of Charleston show wherein Congress has contributed to the orinen tl Mll interest? of several States by granting large tracts of public lands to aid in nUMUbtaf schools. It is claiined tliat in lier destitute condition the South has a nght to a sharc in these government lands, and the claim is Just. A great deal of trouble at the ballot box has been causcd by the ignornnce of the votcrs. WaM Soutli li:is awakeneü to the realization of the fuct that tliis troublc i imiseil to a great degree by tlie igBormaca oí the vntT and ii rcady t adopt meiuures for i oo, then h the time tor the central overiuncntto co-operate with South in producinp a nore enliglitened elM "f voters. Now is the Unie to act and we hope that somethin will .ivc the Soutliern States a ihow n thé public lands and that will at U;i-t be hhm Mátatenos.