The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-02-02
letter frsn nenpnis. rsnHsssss.
January Goth, 1858.

january xNhut AQVot--
DEAR GATK:--lt has been long time
since wrote you friendly line, aud
many day. have passed since l had the
pleasure of perusing your ever welcome
paper.
OF war news, have none. Your ia
cililies for learning the movements Of our
armies, and hearing ofbattIea. and noting
the changes and variations on the politi-
Gal chess board, are greater than mine, and
| am glad to learn of yours.
But there is one field which ] have
greater facilities for exploring than you
have. The African has been forced into
q prominence of position, into an impor-
lance Of consideration heretofore unknown
in the affairs Vt this country, and the
statesman who would attempt to evade
the solution Of the problem arising out Of
those relations, would not only chow him.
self deficient in the principles Of human
ity and christianity, but destitute Of the
ordinary sagacity Of the common street
politician. We may not like ths negro,
and may not want to have anything to do
with him. The physician may not like
the cholera-very few of them do-yet is
that any reason Why they should notstudy
its true character, 80 that when they are
compelled to deal with it, they may do SO
successfully? TIE negro is in our midst,
and for the time being We cannot help our.
selves. much as we may dislike him. In
future, We must remove him from our
midst or treat him as component part Of
society. And in this great work we can
proceed successfully, only in proportion
as NE correctly understand the peculiar
charscteristics of the persons with whom
we have to deal. .'4b
Facts are Stubborn and frequently un-
pleasant. All must admit that the negro,
or rather evils growing out Of the relations
of the negro to the white race, has caused
all the past and present horrors of civil
war in our beloved country. And yet he is
not responsible for any part Of Il. He rails
ed no war cry, he planned no general in
surrection. No curling flames lighted up
the dark mantle Of night, no black clouds
Of smoke darkened the MONDAY sun from
cities set on FIRE by his destroying hand.
No widow or orphan shed burning tears
for the fathers and the husbands which
he had murdered. Congress was not be-
ssiged by his importunate petitions for free
dom; no ignorant rabhle were moved to
deeds of blood by the magic powers Of his
corrupt oratory. Meek and submissive
he hoed the cane and picked the cotton,
and barred his back to the lashes of his
cruel masters whip.
II he is guilty Of acting any part in the
bloody drama, his crime consists in send.
ing to the throne of God his fervent
prayer for the hour Of his deliverance.
We brought him to this country and
enslaved him here 1t ia not his fault
We qusrreIed about him after he was en-.
shaved, but that was not his fault, neither
/. it his fault that We fight. We Rugged
the adder to our bosoms. We must suffer
the pangs Of its venom. We sowed plen
tifully to the winds, OF the whirlwind We
are icaping fearful harvest.
Here is fact, stubborn as fate: the
negro is in our midst and is the cause Of
our present trouble.
All experience, all theory teaches US,
that to remove or correct m evil We must
FIRST understand the nature md locality
of the evil. The surgeon would mot pull
. tooth to cure broken arm, nor would
dentist amputate ! foot 70 relieve the
toothache. If slavery 10 the trus eondi.
ton Of the negro. il 10 folly, it is srinin.
al for us to attempt to free him; if libsr.
~ is his right and God is Just, ell our Of:
forts to hold him in chains will only en-.
nance our own destruction. II Ill tn
vast fields Of the South can be cultiva
ted only by his labor it would be GU,
own ruin 10 remove him. II oul
prejudices are 80 deeply rooted ani
80 we'll founded tina. We can not liv,
together harmoniously. separation il OIL
only remedy. Have they : mind capabl.
OF being expanded BY education to ths
/ gigantic dimeusionsof the Anglo Saxonsl
Do they possess the finer feelings Of th,
human soul which. elevate man above III,