300 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



The question is often asked me, whether the colored men, or 

 the boys and girls in. our school, are bright and are capable of 

 learning, if they can study in classes,' and all that sort of thing; 

 if they can make improvement worth the efforts which are made 

 for their education ? I may say that considering their inheritance 

 for past generations, I think they are making wonderful improve- 

 ment. There are in the South, perhaps hundreds of thousands of 

 native Africans, who were brought over as slaves, still living, and 

 we can expect no more from them than if we attempted to educate 

 them on their native soil; but they are here, they are here to stay, 

 and what duty has this nation or people towards them? But per- 

 haps there are many more of their children here, only one step 

 more advanced, and what can we expect from them ? They have 

 hardly learned our language, much less have they the intelligence 

 which is induced by constant observation and by inheritance from 

 past generations. But as regards the class who come to our Uni- 

 versity, I must say they are making wonderful advancement. If 

 you could hear the discussions at the public exercises of the debat- 

 ing societies among those boys, you would, I think, admit that 

 they compare favorably with any college exercises among our awn 

 young men. They seem to have intelligence enough and observation 

 and reading enough to make a good speech, and surely they have a 

 good use of language. There is one point in the development of 

 their minds that is wonderful, and that is the memory. They will 

 commit to memory wonderfully. That faculty of the mind has 

 been educated for generations. While in slavery they had no other 

 way to learn, they had no other way to store up knowledge, only to 

 remember it, not knowing how to read. I think they are making 

 great progress and are worthy o£ the efforts that are being put 

 forth by missionary zeal and private enterprise. And yet, what 

 is being done in this way towards their education is but a drop in 

 the bucket; it never can reach the m.asses. Millions have not been 

 reached yet. And this government, if it does not want a nation of 

 paupers and criminals whicli are the result of illiteracy, must take 

 this woi'k in hand and educate them. 



The President. We have with us a gentleman from Maine, 

 whom I am very happy to introduce to you — Mr. Z. A. Gil- 

 bert, Secretary of the Maine Board of Agriculture. 



