The mountain Democrat., 1865-11-18
MOErS suRaRs.

y
A Southern newspaper cOrrsspsedsal
Of q NOrthsrn papetAysthe people abouI
him sayA "If the North knew the siAn,
tiOn Of a1Airs hers, Il csrtainly woald ~
lent. - We have no doubt Of II. s1gnOr.
ance has done ell this mischief and e.
nOrancs and .bigOtry are banded together
to keep the Southern people under sub.
lection. The Northern people never have
understood the actual relation existing
between the two races at the South. They
have supposed It to be ell ease, affiuence
and cruelty on the part Of the whites, and
all labor and suffering on the part Of the
blacks They are ignorant, too, Of the
pecullAritieS and capacities Of the negro.
Thsy persist In regarding the color Of his
skin ~ about tha only difference between
him and tho ESAes; and an tlrefr reason
ing is based upon the falIacy that white
aud black slavery would be the same.
1t would seem that the palpable differ
ences Of origin, of history, of attainments.
Of character, ought to correct this error,
without Q resort to an experiment so ex.
pensive as that We are now making; but
there is some satisfaction in the belief
that the operators will be wiser when
they get through. "Free nigger" was
always term of reproach among the
slaves Of the South, in their chickering's
with each other; and none can know how
contemptuous it is, unless he has had an
opportunity to compare the two cOndi
tons ofslavery and freedom. The South
has always been cursed with gang Of
lazy, vicious, thieving vagabOnds, called
free negroes, and they were the great
annoyance and terror of the country
And it may readily be imagined that with
all Of them free, and empowered With the
right Of suffrage, demagOgues would take
advantage Of their ignorance and en-.
courage them in their wickedness. -
Would our people like to have gang Of
vagrant wretches planted here in numbers
equal to our present population. and pro.
tected in their inSolsnce by armed men
in full sympathy with them! Would
they like to be controlled by the votes of
such wretches! Certainly not. Then
why seek to impose such = condition up
on the people of the South! President
johnson may as we'll declare that the
white men Of California shall not vote, as
that the negroes of the South shall vote.
II our people have one particle Of respect
for law, they will not countenauce this
movement of the radicals. 1t is quite as
ridiculous as it is lawless. We confident
ly appeal to any one who has had Oppor.
tunities to know what plantation negroes
are-and large majority of the negroes
OF the South are plantation negroes-to
say whether he considers them qualified
to exercise the highest privilege Of free.
man! ~
But, suppose the radicals carry their
point, and their expectations are realized.
that the negroes will steadily vote against
and out vote the whites, as perhaps, in
some places, they would, with Federal
bayOnets--wOUld that assimilate the
races and make them friends! On the
contrary, it would revive and perpetuate
the "irrepressible conflict" and one or
the other would be extinguished in bloed.
Can it be doubtful which it would be?-
No true friend of the negro will desire to
pit him against proud, brave and intel.
ligent race, upon such an issue. White
men, thank God, are to govern this coun.
try yet. They will not surrender their
birth.right to the negro.