The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-01
SHALL THE NEGRO BE coLoNIzED :

in time.
SHALL THE NEGRO BE CoL0NIzEDs
1t is becoming more evident every da,
that the people of the South will onl,
see things as through glass darkly.
They will not view matters in thei
proper light SO long as they can find al
abstraction to dwell upon. The negr
will not be considered in relation to hi
real value to the State as laborer, Will,
the abstract quality of his skin is in the
way. Prejudice against the American
of African descent, in free condition,
blinds the former master to his own in.
terests and the interests of the State
1t is really a pity that sensible men
should hold such childish notions, and
be governed by such foolish prejudices.
Philosophy and reason do not deal with
distractions, and men of intelligence
should judge things by their real merits,
their uses, purposes and actual qualities
The fair complexion, the rosy cheek,
nne eye, cherry lips and well shaped
form, are abstract female beauties, which
please the eye, but of what real value
are they in this work-day world? What
pleasure could they afford a BLIND
man, and of what use are they when
we come to the stern realities of life /?
A woman possessed of these attractions
may be a very useless member of socie-
ty, drone in the busy hive. a lilly of the
valley, which 'toils not and neither does
it spin," and is incapable of any use
full purpose further than that of pleas
ing the admiring eyes ofthose who wor-
ship the beautiful; while the more home
ly of the sex, frequently are the most
lsefulan necessary persons, as mothers,
sisters, wives and real workers. The
first we value for her abstract qualities.
the other for her real merits. Now. we
trust, we shall not be accused of advo-
eating negro equality when we venture
to apply this theory to our colored popu-
lation. The ark-skinned son of Ethio-
pia possesses none of these distractions
of beauty, which we admire i'm the rose
and the lilly: he was not framed and col
Ored to suit our esthetic tastes; not being
a flower adorned to please the eve, he
must have been made for some useful |
he is either vegetable, min
eral, "a medicinal herb or precious stone.
a black diamond, for instance, in the
rough state. Weare therefore not called
upon to- admire his personal beauties;
but to make use of his actual and
useful capacities. We are not apt to scru-
tinize very closely the beauty or the fair
ness of the complexion of those we EN-.
ploy to plough our lands, dig our bitches,
our canals and railroads,
and perform all the rough, Iaborious and
mental offices of life: all we require is
that they do their work faithfully. 1t
makes no difference to the employer,
whether they be unsightly or comedy in
face, hideous or perfect in form, dark as
night, or fair as morn, only that we
would prefer the ruder and more ungain.
y tothe delicately formed, were we in
search of Woodworking servant. We
hold that beauty is not an essential quail
ty for laborer, and that the color
makes but very little difference-tbat n
black field hand is quite as good ga
/ white one--and that an intelligent t
black who understands his business z G
more useful than an ignorant white I
Who kncws nothing about the duties he
nay be called upon to perform. Hence. t
o change the willing and intelligent la
'or of the negroes, born upon the soil,
nd educated to its cultivation, for the
gnorant labor of foreigners, who know
lothing about our customs, habits, or
'eculiar style of agriculture, and perhaps
ave never seen the products of our soil
row, seems to be the height of mad
ess and those who counsel the adop-
on of such policy are governed by
leir blinded passions of hatred, and not
Y the cool dictates of reason. :.
1t is sad to think that there are sensi-
lie men in Virginia-men of strong
inds, and with their reasoning powers
| perfect state of preservation-who
ave permitted themselves to be so led
tray by the angry discussions of these
sjointed times, as to counsel and insist J
Jon the forcible removal from the soil of
e State of her entire trained and in :,
lligent laboring population, and the !.
bstitution of an ignorant, bigoted and y
class in their stead!
i'll the world believe that such a sui n
1al course meets with the approval of =.
en- of sense and acknowledged ability -
statesmen even, and tried warriors?
e are astonished that sensible men 70
ould be found to advocate this policy oil
Virginia, and to urge it upon de
. Government. An industrious pop pc
alton, no matter whether it be black. -,
lite, red or yellow, is blessing to any in
ate, and especially to one like Vir- to
Tia, which has thousands of acres of is
cultivated lands lying idle-virgin II
!, whose bosom has never yet been th