The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-08-16
A Political Humbug.

who were curious % know whether be- was
for negro suffrage. He argues. iu reply,
that the hatred and prejudices existing oe-
tween the TWO races az the south are So
great that they can never be induced 10
live together ON terms Of political equality
and As foreign colonization would DO impcs-
sible. he is for colonizng the negroes in a
part Of the rebellious States. Here is the
gist Of his plan:
The details Of ans system 0f separation
could only be determined Dy careful sluat
and q vide comparison Oi views. suppose
however. that without breaking up any OF
ganizatiOn oil any state. you take cOnii2uod-
territory M south Carolina. GerOga. Ala
lama aud Florida. and There. under ihe soy
ereignty al the United STATES. aud With ala
the facilities which The power and wealth Of
the Government can gave. we organize the
freedmen iu a dependency % The Union ans
alOgOus no the Western Territories. GIVE
them schools. laws facilitating the acquire
ment vi hOmesieads, % - pad Tor by tneir
own labor. iul dul exclusive pp4iucdl pri1i-
leges aided a. the start should 70 seem
necessary. Dy wise -rir.ri.'I nrut t'Ir lHf-
est brains and most phlan hrDp.c hear
amOug anti--iav"ry meu- o. JOIN them, aJl-
Confidence IN the essay Of political cA silence
There need be no cOerciye collection of The
cOlOred race of The designated region; the
majority are there now and tire reward OF
DOltical power would draw thither he re-
mainder quite a. rapidly a. their place
could be Supplied by white emigration IN
TO other States. The forts and seaport CIT
les could remain under the direct control Of
the Federal Government a. the basis OF that
common trade and Intercourse with other
parts OF the country and the world which
would be necessary. The fullest OppWiuni
" TO develop the highest civilization they
are capable OF, would be given. COlOred
men Of talent and intelligence would not
then make a vain struggle for the empty
name OF being lawyers without briefs or
merchants without trade, but would have
what leading journal al the East has fire.
quently demanded for them, the oppOrtuni-
ty, "a we'll a. the right, 10 rank according
TO their real character and ability"
We regard this scheme as "a mere evasion
Of the direct issue before the people as
delusion and humbug, utterly Impractical
bic in vArvuIlOn-uOL uesiraule II II were
practicable, a criminal pandering TO pOpu-
lar prejudices and unworthy of serious con-
sideratiOn as a measure Of public policy
1t is not creditable 10 any public man who
proposes such deusOn for popular ac-
tion. 1t do very well for an ingenious edi-
tor who was destitute OF subject on which
TO write an essay: or il might not derOgate
very much from the reputation OF fourth
rate member Of Congress, who wished to
astonish his constituents in Buncombe with
a wonderful exhibition Of craftsmanship
Such plans often look well on paper. and
may sometimes, with mnch labor, and I'm "a
long time, be carried out practically and
successfully in the colonization Of a few
hundreds or perhaps thousands: but when
the problem IS the immediate change Of
residence, business, climate, property and
institutions, of millions, "a one great mass.
and their future government under the pow
er of another race. ANA YET closely connect
ed with them, the difficulties Of making this
change become entirely nsurmountable
without q rupture OF the foundations of the
nation attempting il.
Colonization has ever been a slow and
difficult process, in all ages and countries:
and we have had before Us for about forty
years, the instance Of the American Colon /
iZatiOn Society, which. in that period OF
time. with the cOuntenauce of great states
men, and the gales of popular favor setting
in strongly for the enterprise. has trans
ported from this country 10 Liberia ouly /
about Z 600 or 5 600 colored people.
The proposition of Gen. Cox. SO tar as 7
we are able TO understand 10. is % appro- /
pirate four OF five contiguous rebel State !
to be eeclasirely occupied by colored peo- /
pie and their special white friends who may 4
volunteer 10 live with them These State- /
are TO constitute one great territory. 20 be I
governed by the United states la the same
manner that other Territories are governed. /
the negroes. however being the voters and /
officeholders. To this Territory. so organ !
lied, for the sake Of distinction. We might /
give the name Of Negrolaud. After suff- I
Gent trial OF these territorial citizens. Ne
groland would be admitted as one of the
United States. with representation ia both
Houses of Congress
The first thing that strikes The attention
is the Constitutional question involved la,
Congress the power al lis Will. to strike oui
Of existence, at once. four or five sovereign
States with their existing governments.
and reduce the citizens of those states to q
Territorial condition We will not discuss
this question: We only refer TO IL 10 show
the magnitude OF one of the difficulties
which meet US at the Threshold Of the en-
teprise
Again, in the States of South Carolina.
Georgia, Florida and Alabama, which We
may suppose 10 constitute the Territory OF
Negroland. were living IN 1850. no less than
l,497, l54 white people What Is to be done
with these. The very idea Of the PROPOSE ,
ton is that the blacks are 10 have terri
tory BY themselves, where under the pro ,
lection Of the United States, they can gov 2
ern themselves exclusively. and develop a,
such an amount and Kind of civilization as q.
their faculties will permit. In doing this. f
are this million and half Of white people q
10 live in dependent and secondary CON
dition among the blacks, deprived OF all p
political power, or are they to be removed ! Il
II you let the whites remain, You destroy
the whole enterprise upon which you have
started: If you remove them, you have an :
immense white colonization on your hands, a
more difficult, perhaps, than that Of the p
colored people. Where are these white 3
people to remove to. Who Is to pay the
expense Of their removal: suppose they re =
fuse to remove, where is the power to com =
pei ObedIences
Then, again, the whole ownership of the L
real estate in this Negroland is now vested p
In the white inhabitants. Is the Govern \
ment OF the United States 10 purchase this a
Sast property. If so, by what constitu-
uonal authority? If the white owners re-
iuse TO part with their homes. what then Is :
10 oedone, And after the lands are bought q
upon what principle are they to be dis q
mo