The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-27
From the Philadelphia North American (Repub. J
OUR FREE COLOREl P0PuLATIQN


lthere is any fact established by steadily accu-
muatng evidence, it is that the free negro cannot
find congenial home in the United States He is
exotic amongst US; and all the efforts of philap-
thropists to naturaize him American soil, and
under American skies have failed. We know that
it is to attribute this failure to the preiu-
dice the whites, which defeats all the attempts
made to improve radically and permanently the
condition of the blacks; but after allowing to this
cause all the influence which it deserves, it must
be admitted that it does not explain the almost uni
versal degradation of the coored population in the
tree States. and we must look beyond prejudice and
social ostracsm, and the unequal legislation which
may be supposed to flow from these, for some deep
er expanation-one which we believe is to be found
in the constitution OF the negro himself
IL Is great mistake to suppose that the mere
circumstance of removing the political disabilities
under which any particular class may happen to
labor, is sufficient, of ITSELF to alter and improve
their condition. The most that liberal institutions
and laws can do is 10 leave free 10 the exercise
and development of their faculties in general; and
according to the nature of these faculties and the
innate qualities of the SOUL will be the state of the
man and of society resulting. Now, so far as the
coored population of most of the free States are
concerned there are no laws that tramme their
faculties, or limit the sphere of their industry.
They are at liberty to pursue most callings and to
accumulate property. The laws extend protection
to the person and property of the colored man as
they do to the white. And to prove this, if proof
were needed, it would be easy to mention the
names of few persons belonging to this class who
have grown rich by honest industry. And in the
lace of such state of things, when we find the
great bulk of our colored population, ninetv-nine
In hundred, making a precarious livelihood bv
contentedly performing the most menial Offices or
living in idleness and wretchedness, we can hardly
fal to attribute it to characteristics of their own
1t cannot be doubted that enough sympatby is
felt for our coored people to furnish them with
entouI agement and patronage if they had the
enterprise to become good mechanics and laborers
and the energy to compete with the white laborer.
M hnlIf in fha ,p-Ih
demand for labor to absorb the supply and no
well qualified workman, unless in periods of depres-
sion, need fear to be unemployed. But we see the
blacks daily driven from ayocatious once deemed
almost exclusively their own 1t is long since they
have tiOurished in any of the trades if thev ever
pursued them with success. Within few wears
they have ceased to be hackney coachmen and draw
men, and they are now almost displaced as steve
dores. They are rapidly losing their places as bar
bers and servants. Ten families employ white ser
wants now where one did twenty years ago. What
ever explanation may be given of these facts the
facts themselves cannot be denied and what is to be
done with our coored population, unless they can
be induced to return colonists to the native land
ot their race, or seek some other tropical region
battles the wisest of US to saw
We are led to these remarks, by rejecting on the
great reluctance displayed by the people of the new
States to having free negroes settle amongst them
There IS something more in this than mere preiu-
| dice or jealousy. 1t is exhibited in places where
the political sentiments of the people are as diverse
4
| were to become rule, in fra ming a constitution
for new State, to prohibit the residence of free
negroes. In the case of slave State it is not diff
cult to understand this. The presence of the free
|. negro is dlsadvantageous to the slave. And be-
sides the policy OF the slave States is to discourage
| manumission, which draws from the resources OF
! the State by diminishing the number of laborers
| But in free State, where emigration is invited
by holding out every inducement to the inhabitants
OF the old States and to foreigners this aversion tc
! the presence of cOlored people can only be ex.
| planned by the opinion that has obtained almost
universally, that they cannot become useful citizens
! OF the United StateSj or, in other words, thai
| they cannot compete, on equal terms with the
| white races.
This opinion is undoubtedly founded on observa
ton 1t has come to prevail in the free States il
| spite of theOries,-we had almost said in defiance
| OF the wishes of good men everywhere. And il is
OF the utmost Importance that this truth should be
fully recognized by humane and philanthropic men,
We believe that all labors directed to the promotion
OF the welfare of the free cOlored man, as well as
the slave population of this country will miserablv
| TAIL unless this truth is borne in mind. We ap
paud, to the echo, the movement made in Russia by
the Gar, to entranchse the peasant and raise the
sert to the dignity of free and this, because
there is no natural difference between the Russian
landlord and his servant attached to the SOIL The
latter possesses all the capabilities belonging to the
former, and needs only that chance of development
which the restrictions imposed by the laws forbid
nm to ENJOY But the perpexing problem which
we In the United States must bring to a practical
solution is, what is to be done for race which, in
the absence of prohbtOry laws can make no head
way whatever Tor itself or, at least none in the
presence of race of superior intellectual force and
energy? We see communities springing up
and absolutely prohibiting the residence of class
marked by peculiar physical and moral character.
istics, among them, the conviction that its mem
bers must be burthen on their resources We see
the same class at our own doors, as a body daily
becoming more helpless OF all questions none de
| serves more to be well pondered than that which
relates to the disposition to be made of the negroes
| on this American continent. Let not a hasty iudg
ment pronounce their utterly hopeless; nor OF
the other hand, let false theories respecting th
equal intellectual and moral force of the races de
! ceive into mistaken and injurious policy.