Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-12

Board for Tennessee, 80 Aid and En-
courage the -Freedmen 90 Emigrafe
10 Liberia
Mr. SpelGe- and GeutlemeH Of tie lSenaic
BY your permission, I desire 70 state some
reasons for the Introduction Of this bill, /
find in my intercourse with the people, that
there IS amongst al parties, general de
sire that the oolored people Of our State
should be separated from amongst Us; that /
they should be sent OF and colonized some
where 10 themselves. The Governor, in 4
some Of his preyions messages, suggested |
the proposition as worthy Of our considers.
ton. As yet no measure has been devised, /
nor has any plan been presented al all |
practicable, looking 10 the accomplishment |
Of such a result.
/ offer this one, believing it is, at least, a |
step in the right direction, and that If il Is |
adopted and carried out efficiently, II may 1
become an important means Of ultimately |
efecting the end so much desired. The /
proposition only contemplates cooperating /
with the American Colonization Society, BY
means Of State board, in giving aid and 1
efficiency to one Of the most unselfsh and
philanthropie enterprises that has ever
engaged the attention Of the Christian world. /
No undertaking Of modern times has ever
been set on foot and prosecuted with 20
much uEselfsh deyotion as The American
Colonization Society; and happily for The
African race it has carried out is beBs-
fcent purposes and successfully surrnounted
every obstacle, and now stands the admira-
ton and boast Of the nineteenth century.
But its great work Is still unfnishsd-it
has already laid the foundation Of a great /
civilized African empire and rescued thoa-
sands Of Africa fons from degradation, and
has planted them securely and happily
again in their fatherlaDd. Henoeforth, ls
labors are 70 be more abundant and its re-
wards are 10 be Increased a thousand fold,
until millions Of this degraded rare shall
20 Rocking back to their ancestral homes
70 spread abroad IN that nov Wild and
savage waste, the knowledge they have
gained through theirlong nightof servitude.
As have Raid, 10 connect ourselves as q
State with this society, and to aid in this
great work is the objec, sought BY this I'LL HI
The first inquiry that presents itself is II
whether Il will be Cor the interest Of both K
the white and black race, that tfey should IL
be separated. This is a question demand II
ing our most serious and careful sttenfion
aud should be examined free from preiu- 4
dice and passion, in the calm light Of reeson
and sound reflection, and with an enlarged III
and comprehensive statesmanship unbiased
BY seihshness or party predictions 3 n II
III this question can be settled afirma- !
lively, then IL follows Of necessity Chat the
separation ought TO be made, and that we. 7
as Legislators, ought % use every legitimate
means for its accomplishment. What. then. I
is the relative condition Of the two races /
The white man is the original proprietor.
He owns The soil and controls The wealth
and capital and commerce Of the State I
He holds the offices and will be the gov 4
sraing race. he is endowed, whether nain-
rally or by long training, with capacities
and powers Of mind superior in every re- {
spect TO the black race and has been long
accustomed 10 look down upon the colored
man. These feelings and impressions have J
grown up and taken deep root in tkainmosf {
feelings and sensibilities Of the white man, !
not only in the South, but everywhere (
throughout the United States. This In
stinctiYe repulsion is as strong II not {
stronger, in the Northern States than II Is d
amoagst us. Il is no less deep and irradi- u
cable than the prejudice OF caste found in 3
many Of the oriental countries. There IL a
has becofne 20 interviewer with the manners. 8
customs and habits Of the people, that they q
viii suffer envy amount Of torture rather q
than give il up. Man, IN all ages and in (
every country. has many smilitudes. and d
here in our country, the white man. with a
out being any better or any worse than he b
Is in any other country, is so completely n
charged with this prejudice c. caste that he
can not divest himself Of il il he would. 3
II is vain and idle to reason or make penal | p
enactments, and statutory provisions against u
Il. Before he wall give il up, and admit Q
the colOred race 10 a social equality with | 81
himself be will forego every political and n
- - ] - 80 ~
Can the black man, ask, with this blight a
ing cnrse ever upon him, hope to elevate ,
himself, or rise 70 the full type of manhood v
in this oountry2 ~ Lfa .l.a s.
He must everremain servile and inferior d
being-the newer Of wood and drsWers OF NJ
water His black skin and tainted blood NJ
will hang like an incubus upon all his as u
pirations and efforts. For him the high 70
prizes Of life are All closed DO laurel d'
wreath will encircle his sable brow; no ad- IN
miring crowd will shout him welcome TO n
the temple Of fame, OF endow him with the D.
star Of honorable promotion. His lot Is 10 81
be here, from age 20 age, and FROM genera W
ton TO generation, one continued round OF "a
toll and service. Cut of from all the nober tn
aims and higher purposes of life by this W
bfighting stigma Of caste, what can he ever a
hope to be but a mere beast Of burden. 20 ot
be controlled by the superior genius and o.
commanding will Of the white man? His ed
mere physical and animal wants will be Sc III
cured 10 him, and he will no doubt enjoy tn
much Of the pleasure shat springs from the on
qualification Of low desires and animal in IA
stincts but, as a race, he can never hope II
30 attain much higher position than he la
at present enjoys, and the chances are that er
he will degenerate and become more de- VI
graded, and finally waste away and disap- Pc
pear. The mawkish philanthropy that IN
makes him Just now the object Of Interest, 10
arises mainly nom selfish political aim th
This purpose gives not a moments thought ~
10 the welfare or advancement Of the negro. by
It's only aim is 10 use him rs a tool 70 gain ~
or maintain power. This will be transitory CT
and evanescent. When the occasion shall th
have passed, the negro will beleIt as he is ca
now, % work and strive alone sgainst bis ~
adverse and memorable fate. With these pu
facts certainly existing and these prospects OF
awaiting him IN toe future, surely il cannot th'
be for the best interest Of the colored man IN.
% remain here and encounter them for inl
ever; at least when he is offered = home an
and country where none Of these degrading an
conditions await him; a home where Ay
every advantage that the white man en- OF
Joys will be freely bestowed upon him WI
"AaNAN NNNAN NAfAA anu fNAAIdA Ilkll kNai ]
you ana possess, will be his in as full and CHI
perfect q manner as the most favored of our me
race; home where all the art and appli. ] oel
mces that render life happy may be OBJ las
tanned with equal, if not greater facility mt
than they can be procured in this country; thu
where abundant harvests crown the labor has
pf the husbandmsn, and where all the BIO
riches Of the tropics are emptied, almost lea
unseught, into the lap of the lahorer. OIL
This country and these advantages, propose the
10 speak hereafter at present / desire 70 be-
show You that il is, also, 10 the interest Of lar
the white race that the negro should be ma
separated from amongstus In approaching pa
this qnestion, am aware that ! encounter Of
prejudice and fansheism on the one hand an
and avarice and sel6shneSs on the other IN,
81 ana told that the negro Is q citizen Of re
the State. and, az such, entitled teall the IN,
civil and political rights Of shy ether citi- VII
zen, and that il is cruel and unjust TO ex Re
dude him from participation in the bles Of
ings he haa helped 70 secare. might 81 ms
mit, cor She sake OF argument, that this Is
all true; nevertheless, II il is for the black fro
mans best interest, aud he freely desires hai
end chooses 70 50, itROt our duty. in risw oh