Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-26
JEFFERSON DAVIS
On the Future of the Southern Blacks
and FenIaHism.

entitled the "Prison Life of JEFFERSON
DAVIS" we extract his views on the ques-
ton of negro emancipation and its results,
and the late abortivc invasion of Canada in
behalf of Ireland;
Mr.. DAVIS referred to an account he had
been reading Of an attack on a negro named
Davenport in Connecticut, for marrying or
living with a white woman. Also to the
New York riots, in which mobs rose sud
denly upon the blacks, hanging them to
lamp-pOsts and roasting them at slow fires
The papers bore evidence, from all sections,
of increasing hostility between the races, and
this was but part Of the penalty the poor
negro bad 10 pay for freedom. The more
political equality was given or approached,
the greater must become the social antago-
niym of the races.
In the Soath, under slavery, there was no
such feeling, because there could be no ri
valry. Children Of the white master were
often sucked by negroes, and sported during
infancy with black Playmates. Old enough
to engage in manlier exercise, it was under
black huntsmen the young whites took their
first lessons in field sports. They fished,
shot and hunted together, eating the same
bread, drinking from the same cup, sleep
ing under the same tree with their negro
guide. In public conyeyances there was no
social exclusion of the blacks nor any dis
like engendered by competition between
white and negro labor. In the bed-chamber
Of the planters daughter it was common for
a negro girl TO Sleep as half attendant, half
companion; and while there might be, as in
ali countries, and among all races individual
instances of cruel treatment, he was ", u
satisfied that between no master and laboring
classes on earth had SO kindly and regardful
a feeling subsisted. To suppose otherwise
required a violation of the known laws of
human nature. Early associations of serv-
ice, affection and support were powerful. To
these selfinterest Joined. The horse hired
for day may be fed or not fed, groomed or
not grOOmed, when returned TO the liReTy-
stable. The horse owned by us, and for
which we have paid thousand or fifteen
hundred dollars, is an object both of pride
and solicitude. His grooming, stabling and
feeding are cared for. If sick, he is doctored
and cured if possible. When at work it is
the owners interest that he shall not be over
taxed.
The attainment of political equality by
the negro will revolutionize all this. 1t
will be as if our horses were given the right
of intruding into our parlors, or brought di-
rectly into competitor with human labor, no
longer aiding it, but as rivals. Put large
gangs of white laborers, belonging to different
nationalities, AT work beside each other, and
feuds viii probably break out Endeavor
to supplant thousand Irishmen working
on levee or canal by a thousand Germans
ready TO accept lower wages, or rice rersd,
and military power will be required to keep
the peace. Emancipation does this upon a
gigantic scale, and the most aggravated
form. II throws the whole black race into
direct and aggressive competition with the
labOring classes of the whites, and the igncr-
ance of the blacks, presuming on their free
dom, will embitter this difference. The
principle of compensation prevails every
where through nature and the negroes will
have to pay, in harsher social restrictions
and treatment, for the attempt to invest
them with political equality To endow
them with the ballot by act Of Congress was
impossible, until the trunk Of the Constitu-
ton, already stripped of many branches
once full of shade and pleasant singing
birds, was torn up by the roots. Each
State had the privilege of deciding the
qualifications of its own citizens; and some
of the States most clamorous for universal
negro suffrage in the South, where such a
measure would. send unlettered blacks to
both houses of Congress, and pass the State
Legislatures and Judiciary altogether into
their hands, themselves refused the ballot TO
the negro, though not numerous enough in
any district to decide the majority of a
poundkeeper.
The present Fenian movement iOr Ireland
was a farce TO make angels weep. The last
attempt was in 1913, when the population
of Ireland was more than million larger
the movement originating at home, and all
Europe in a convulsive and volcanic condi.
ton. History gave no example of an OPP
pressed race that had accepted exile return
ing with success 10 liberate Informative land.
The aristocratic refugees of the French Rev
olution indeed got back to their country, but
only under the swords of a combination in
which England, Austria, Russia, Prussia,
and the German States were enlisted, with
their whole military resources. Ii was a
mere catch-penny clamor of designing DEM
agogues in its cis-AtlantiC aspect; nor could
he see that in Ireland there was an organi-
zation or egena vigorous purpose 10 accom-
plish the object proposed. England's con-
troll of the seas was absolute, at least so near
home, against any less combination than
the navies Of France and America. To
land men in any sufficient quantity in Ire
land would require some desperate sea-fght
by navy with navy, and a transport fleet
costing for vessels and ther equipmonts no
less than some hundred millions. The men
engaged in this business are either rogues or
fools He had no special cause TO love
England nor dislike; but such impraeticable
and pigmy threatcnings of her empire
would be ludiorous in if not too sad.
Against the rocks Of her coast astorm clouds
Of 4 thousand fold the Fenian power had
dashed with clamor Of waves and mist of
spray, but next morning the sun shone
bright again, the air was calm, and only in
q shore strewn with wrecks could evidence
be found of any past commotiou.