Chapter II: The State of Education in the Slave States

The maxim that "Knowledge is power," has ever more or less influenced the conduct of aristocracies. Education elevates the inferior classes of society, teaches them their rights, and points out the means of enforcing them. Of course, it tends to diminish the influence of wealth, birth, and rank. In 1671, Sir William Berkley, then Governor of Virginia, in his answer to the inquiries of the Committee of the Colonies, remarked, "I thank God that there are no free schools nor printing presses, and I hope we shall not have them these hundred years." The spirit of Sir William seems still to preside in the councils of his own Virginia, and to actuate those of the other slave States.

The power of the slaveholders, as we have already showed you, depends on the acquiescence of the major part of the white inhabitants in their domination. It cannot be, therefore, the interest or the inclination of the sagacious and reflecting among them, to promote the intellectual improvement of the inferior class.

In the free States, on the contrary, where there is no caste answering to your slaveholders--where the _People_ literally partake in the government, mighty efforts are made for general education; and in most instances, elementary instruction is, through the public liberality, brought within the reach of the children of the poor. You have lamentable experience, that such is not the case where slaveholders bear rule.

But you will receive with distrust whatever _we_ may say as to the comparative ignorance of the free and slave States. Examine then for yourselves the returns of the last census on this point. This document gives us the number of white persons over twenty years of age in each State, who cannot read _and_ write. It appears that these persons are to the _whole_ white population in the several States as follows, viz.:

Connecticut, 1 to every 568 Louisiana, 1 to every 38-1/2
Vermont, 1 " 473 Maryland, 1 " 27
N. Hamp., 1 " 310 Mississippi, 1 " 20
Mass., 1 " 166 Delaware, 1 " 18
Maine, 1 " 108 S. Carolina, 1 " 17
Michigan, 1 " 97 Missouri, 1 " 16
R. Island, 1 " 67 Alabama, 1 " 15
New Jersey, 1 " 58 Kentucky, 1 " 13-1/2
New York, 1 " 56 Georgia, 1 " 13
Penn., 1 " 50 Virginia, 1 " 12-1/2
Ohio, 1 " 43 Arkansas, 1 " 11-1/2
Indiana, 1 " 18 Tennessee, 1 " 11
Illinois, 1 " 17 N. Carolina, 1 " 7[4]

[4] This summary from the return of the census, is copied from
the Richmond (Va.) Compiler.

It will be observed by looking at this table, that Indiana and Illinois are the _only_ free States, which in point of education are surpassed by _any_ of the slave States: for this disgraceful circumstance three causes may be assigned, viz., their recent settlement, the influx of foreigners, and emigration from the slave States. The returns from New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, are greatly affected by the vast number of foreigners congregated in their cities, and employed in their manufactories and on their public works. In Ohio, also, there is a large foreign population: and it is well known that comparatively few emigrants from Europe seek a residence in the slave States, where there is little or no employment to invite them. But what a commentary on slavery and slaveholders is afforded by the gross ignorance prevailing in the old States of South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina! But let us proceed. The census gives a return of "scholars at public charge."

Of these, there are in the free States, 432,173
" " slave States, 35,580

Ohio alone has 51,812 such scholars,--more than are to be found in the 13 slave States! Her neighbor Kentucky has 429!! Let us compare in this particular the _largest_ and the _smallest_ State in the Union.

Virginia has scholars at public charge 9,791
Rhode Island 10,912[5]

[5] See American Almanac for 1842, page 226.

But we have some _official_ confessions, which give a still more deplorable account of Southern ignorance. In 1837, Governor Clarke, in his message to the Kentucky Legislature, remarked, "By the computation of those most familiar with the subject, ONE THIRD OF THE ADULT POPULATION OF THE STATE ARE UNABLE TO WRITE THEIR NAMES."

Governor Campbell reported to the Virginia Legislature, that from the returns of 98 clerks, it appeared that of _4614 applications for marriage licenses in 1837, no less than 1047 were made by men unable to write_.

These details will enable you to estimate the impudence of the following plea in behalf of slavery:

"It is by the existence of slavery, exempting so large a portion
of our citizens from the necessity of bodily labor, that we have
leisure for _intellectual pursuits_, and the means of attaining
a liberal education."--_Chancellor Harper of South Carolina on
Slavery._--_Southern Literary Messenger, Oct. 1838._

Whatever may be the leisure enjoyed by the slaveholders, they are careful not to afford the means of literary improvement to their fellow-citizens who are too poor to possess slaves, and who are, by their very ignorance, rendered more fit instruments for doing the will, and guarding the human property of the wealthier class.