The Smith School

February 15, 1850

Here is a letter addressed to the Editor, from Thomas Paul Smith.

Here are excerpts:  “We are colored men, exposed alike to prejudice and oppression; our interests are all identical – we rise or fall together. We believe colored schools to be institutions, when properly conducted, of great advantage to the colored people. We believe society imperatively requires their existence among us.  ….while those who profess to desire the abolition of colored schools claim such an immense majority, they could show on their petitions only 227 names, according to their own count, including children as young as three years  — and that out of a population of 1950! And furthermore, a petition of 170, at least, was presented against them, including some of our clergymen…..”