The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-07-05
Z a-asa--4.
Negro Civilization

Tor To Republican
Negro Civilization.
NR. EDITOR: have been much interest
"a in perusing your articles on Negro Cir
,izat.ou. Indeed. - prominently has The
negro race been thrust upon the American
mind for tie past few years, that anything
that seems to enlighten the public in refer
ence to the present position, past history,
or future prospecto OF that unfortunate race
cannot TAI 10 elicit profound attention
Ii Is with no desire to crticise any posi-
ton taken in those articles, that l offer q
few remarks, for the positions there taken .
in reference to negro suffrage believe TO
be substantially true. l wish only TO sug-
gest that the facts there stated may not be
sufficient a. a basis on which 10 found The
conclusion thai the negro s Lot susceptible
of any considerable decree Of civiliza-
ton
So numerous and Of such grand proper
lions are the questions involved IN our Ideas
Of the term civilization. and hemeans nee
essarv Tor its attainment, that it IS unsafe
10 predict the future Of any people from
simple knowledge Of It's present position
aud past history. II such knowledge is
sufficient. what q glorious future might
have been drawn for Egypt 10y some phi
losopher Of the time u Ramses the Great.
And Yet that very natiOu-author OF the
first form OF civilization the world ever saw,
ante dating the Christian era by near 1000
Years, aud occupying as il dii. the highest
place among nations not only in govern
memt but in the arts and sciences--ost her
civilization and her nationality many cen
turtles since And such has been the fate
Of Il majority OF ancient Civilizations.
Indeed. So numerous are the instances OF
the decay OF national civilization. that It
may be a question worthy Of consideration
whether il IS not in the great plan Of Ma.
ture. that civilizations. like individuals and
races. are destined 10 have their growth
maturity and decay.
We're IL not that monumental history
everywhere thrust upon the observation OF
the traveler-proyes to the contrary. per
son would believe the modern Egyptians in
capable Of any considerable degree of adj
vance In the arts Of civilization. With q
degradation scarcely excelied by the negro
in his native home. it would be difficult 10
comprehend that they are the descendants
Of the Phara0hs and the builders ofthe pyr-
amids. The fact thot tho ..uogrn races
/ nave eAIeteu sN LlOusanu yc.... --;,l.4et
! erecting any architectural monument which
might transmit its memory and fame 10 fu-
ture ages, is not sufficient to Justify The
conclusion that they are not susceptible OF
clvihzng influences
Two thousand years AGO the progeuiJor-
Of the AnglO-SaXon race were known To
civilized Rome as Nortteln tartartans-
a thousand years before that, the Pelasgc
tribes. that aflerward composed the Roman
state, roamed the shores OF the Adri4tic
unframed and unciyilized. History and ira
ditiOn trace every people back to this same
condition
The fact that people now occupies low
position, is no good evidence that it Is in-
capable of rising. Let some great orgaui-
/ ger OF society like Lycurgus, Charlemagne,
or Alfred the Great, arise among the negro
races, and he might arouse even their latent
energies and place them on the line OF pro
I gress.
The susceptibility Of any people to i'm
proyement cannot be safely predicted by
Judging OF the Intelligence of the masses.
The MASSES never lead progress. \ lew
men lead the masses follow. The city o
/ Lansing contains near 4, 600 people: take
from il twenty Of her most enterprising and
energetic citizens. which would be one IN
every TWO hundred, and how changed would
be the aspect Of our society.
In our great national struggle there hay,
been arrayed ON both sides al one time oyel
LOCO. 600 men; aud YET, al no time during
the war could either party have lost ten of
their greatest men men without seriously
hazardiBg the success Of their cause. Oul
country has 80, 600. 900 inhabitants w
occupy position emOng the nations of the
world second 10 none; and vet take from
II the labor and influence OF 3. 600 of ben
greatest meu-being one in every no. 600
and we would speedily sink TO a third OF
fourth class nation. if not even lower.
one mind sometimes leads millions Til,
influence Of Luther shook European soci
ETY. To- IT, centre. and. scaling the might.
Alps made the despot seated in the rick
ETY. chair OF & Peter trembie for his safety
Alexander. Cesar, and Douaparte c0ul,
each make or destroy a nation by nod.
Let a few men of powerful minds. pos
sessing great organizing powers such mel
as Touissant. the hero of st Domingo. APP
pear in some of the nations OF Africa. al,
the negro race might lie aroused. The val
of the ct. Domingo slaves a well as the
recent success OF those same negroes IN re
polling the armies OF Spain. prove thai
they are capable Of organizing and endu
ring the trials Of an intense and protracteJ
effort in the attainment OF 4 common inter
est, while the fact OF the existence Of sucl
minds as TOuissant, Samuel Ward. and 9th
Us "a luC PuAc HVe-4o A~S0- FAyf' tnO Oolfd
bility OF the race 10 produce great men
These two facts proved and We have two @
the essentials Of civil progress. / 30 not
therefore despair Of a future civilization
among negro races. q.
LANSING, July l. 1865.
~ \ correspondent OF the y Y TT.
Juae writes concerning Robert Dale Owen,
letter: He omits l think, one aspect @