The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-08-11
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!, North.
The antagonism of which I have
spoken is not entirely ne-sided.-
On the part of the former master it
takes the form of an indomitable
pride, which utterly refuses to enter
tain the idea of political or social
'equality, mingled with n hatred in
tensiIied by The circumstances and
the results OF the war This feeling
is not confined to the slaveowneis
alone, but the poor whites share it
fully, and often show it more passi-
onately.
On the part of the freedmen, it is
manifested in an utter distrust of the
dominant race. and an enmity which,
although made by circumstances more
passive and less openly manifested,
is as real and implacable as the other
They have the mutual attraction Of
race among themselves, and repul-
sion Of the whites as another people,
developed to a degree which sur
prised me. 1t is not as individuals
of nation common to us all that they
speak OF themselves, but, to use the
language of one of them, speaking to
myself. they feel that they shave long
been an oppressed and down trodden
people"
Hildreth, In his "Despotism in
America" declared slavery to be in
itself state Of war. and this charac.
ter is lndeiibly impressed upon both
races in the South. The captive
learns duplicity toward his captor,
and in the slave it has boone marked
characteristic 1t is fair strata
gem for which he feels no guilt.
have ssen a master boasting of the
fidelity OF his servant, and discussing
the subject of slavery in his presence,
while the negro waited upon him with
an impassive humility which would
make you believe no intelligent idea
Of freedom had ever penetrated his
brain Yet | have seen that same
negro afterwGrd in camp, transform.
ell into u clear-headcl ally of our
troops. leading them 90 his mater :
buried stores, or guidin. them to the
Hanks OF the enemy's lines, with an
intelligence and steadiness of purpose
which left no doubt as TO his under
standing Of the conflict between him
self and his master.
The daily and hourly repetition of
proofs Of this fact, many OF them too
subtle for description, but none the
less convincing to the observer, has
fully convinced me that never be-
tween Norman and Saxon, nor be-
tween Gaul and Frank, was there q
more conscious hatred, or an antag-
onism more likely to prove invete.
rate, than between black and white
on our Southern soil. The negroes
will have no sense of security nor
faith in their former masters, even If
they offer them political rights; they
will fear them as DlnaoS dana fsrcA.
rs.
What does history teach us in re.
gard to the permanence and durabil-
ily of such preiudices and enmities
of race? Speaking on this subject,
Augustin Thierry, in his history of
the Roman Conquest, says: "What.
ever degree of territorial unity tue
great modern States Of Europe may
appear 10 have attained; whatever
may be the community of manners,
language, and public feeling, which
the habit Of living under the same
government, and in the same stage
of civilization, has introduced among
the inhabitants oteach of those States,
there is scarcely one Of them which
does not even now present living
traces OF the diversity OF the races
of men, which in course of time have
come together in it, This variety
shows itself under different aspects,
with features more or less marked -
Sometimes 1t is complete separation
of idioms, of local traditions, of po-
litical sentiments, and sort of in
stlnctive enmity distinguishing from
the great national mass the popula-
ton of q few small districts; and
sometimes q mere difference of dia.
lect or even of accent, marks, though
more feebly distinct and hostile to
each other.
If fifteen centuries of common gov
ernment and political Union have
not been able to obliterate the dis
tinctions and even tho "instnctve
enmity' ofraces which were physio-
logically similar, what encourage.
mcnt have we that success will attend
forced political fusion of bitterly
hostile from the antipodes of the hu.
man familyY
The process by which even the
comparative unity OF the English
people was achieved, is described by
tue same philosophic historian, whom
l have quoted, near the close Of his
great work, as complete amalga.
nation" of the Norman and Saxon
idioms, and q "miXture of the two
races" which it took four centuries
of sanguinary war to accomplish
Just stepping rs we are from the
battlefield on which the descendants
of common ancestry, so little re,
moved from us that we can literally
reach back our hands to grasp those
of our common sires, have waged the
most tremendous and terrible of mod
ern wars, it does not become us tc
argue that peaceful discussions will
quietly settle differences which in