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3.

aside from theirs own indifference, is their cowardly fear of the almost universal prejudice against the freedmen, & especially against taxing the people to educate them. There are some intelligent, leading Union men, however, whose goodwill & influence I have endeavored, [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] and successfully, to enlist in my favor. Yet almost no one dares to speak in a public way anything in behalf of the education & rights of the freedmen. And there seems to be great hesitation in voting money for their schools. It frequently happens, that men will talk very fair, professing to hold no prejudice, &c., [[strikethrough]] but [[/strikethrough]] who will do nothing, & who will oppose every effort to do anything. The difficulties arising from these things can scarcely be overestimated. I have, notwithstanding, met with very good success thus far.

[[underline]] Charleston [[/underline]] - I deemed it best to postpone any action in relation to the school house here - since I failed in my first effort -- till my return from Point Pleasant, about Nov. 1st, and, what is most important, till [[underline]] after the election. [[/underline]]  I knew by conversations with the members of the Board that they were timid, and that the slightest thing would