The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-07-13
From New. York Police Gazette. J
The Negro Question.

ously TO the nation, costly as 1T was IN
the blood and treasure of our people,
has left us legacy Of gigantic proper.
tons, which bids fair to exhaust the
craftsmanship of the nation to properly
adjust. What is to be the result Of this
new complication no one can foresee,
while it behooves every one TO give the
matter their candid and conscientious
consideration, before it becomes involved
in the mazes Of political management.
That it is destined to become great
political question, the signs of the times
very plainly indicate, and it is wisdom
to be prepared by careful thought and
investigation to meet the inevitable
issue. The loosenipg of the hands Of
three or four millions of slaves, reared in
ignorance and taught to rely upon others
for the very bread that sustain theirl lives,
is q work Of such imposing magnitude as
to appal the most astute minds in the
contemplation of their future status and
wsl!-being. We already see the begin.
ming of the evils that are to flow fIom it
before these people can experience any
of the benefits of the freedom thus
hastily conferred upon them. The
sudden transition of an ignorant and
degraded race from lifetime in slavery
to perfect freedom, is like the sudden
removal of man from lifelong cell of
darkness to the glaring rays of sunlight
The very act of kindness may prove his
greatest curse, and entail upon him and
his progeny life of misery, in compar.
ison with which the worst form OF slavery
would be q blessing. 1t is. not only ne.
cessary that we should do good to every
one of the human race, but we should
see to it that our good does not result in
evil to those we would aid. Every &C.
count we receive fsom tho South rep.
resents che negroes to be IN very
demoralized condition. They do not
know what to do if they were ever so
much inclined to help themselves, aud
they have no inclination to help them.
selves even when instructed how to do
it. In this part Of the country they
have always been regarded as naturally
lazy and generally inclined to steal, and
the accounts from the South represent
them as being the same there.
The numerous stories of rapes, murders
and thefts committed by them that we
are constantly receiving, show conclu.
sively that they are not in IA moral
condition to fule themselves, and hence
the necessity Of keeping them under con.
troll until they reach period when they
viii be able. to sustain themselves, and
prove that they are capable of self.
government. The greatest trouble to
be apprehended is with corrupt poll.
ticians, who think they see in the negro
race an element of power, and hence
they care little how they are supported,
or what means are provided to make
them selfreliant, if they can only be
galvanized into legal voters at once, SO
that these politicians may ride into
power by their votes. These men would
drag dead bodies from their graves if
they could only obtain their votes, and
hence the necessity cf keeping the
negroes out Of politics at least for the
pTeSehly ana untll IneY can De educateu
to degree Of half civilization. They
need to be taught general ideas about
the.rights Of property, and the nature
and Nervousness ofcrime, and their duty
to Others, 50 that they may become. a
law.loving and law-abiding people
without resort to the lash, and until this
is done they are to us and to the gov.
ernment ponderons evil.
Another evil to guard against is the con.
duct ofnegroes in our northern cities The
factitious importance now given 10 them
by the fanatics who claim to be their
special friends, is making them insolent
and ovcrbearing, and. there is danger OF
the people becoming SO exasperated
against them Shat theywill rise up and
wipe them out Of existence. We have
seen in times past the fury with which
an excited popalace pursue Che negroes
when their passions are inflamed. Wise
men win seek to avoid any such ont
burst Of excited mobs. They are tho
most horfid things that can 'possibIystaka