Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-23
The status Of the Nesro-Duty 5nd POlle5 Of the
White Race.


The Status Of the Nesro-DuT Snd POllcF OF th'
White Race.
IT. tie Editor n tie Whig;
The existence Of a large number OF negroes in on
mijs; is a fact which no thinking Virginian can dis
regard What il 20 be done with them What in
tiuence viii they exercise over the welfare OF on
state And what is our duty towards them Thes'
are questions which cannot b. set aside or ignored
We must not only face them, but We must Discus
them and examine them ia every light in which they
can be regarded as % understand them IN al
their bearings. 10 We. m Virginia, DO not discuss
these questions there are Others who viii. and "ul
silence will be interpreted a, % sulien and unIeacha
Ole disposition % get nd OF the subject ana 10 "aU
our ttue when We can Doe guilty OF injustice ana OPP
press on without fear OF being called to account
and with one % protect or and the negro 10 VIII
not 90 for ln the CONSCIOUSNESS OF uuI IecL''ue
90 deSp.-e these suspicious against Us OF 10 remain
silent and inactive or to vent OurieehngS M laInen
tatons over our hard lot OF complaints ct the m
iuSfIre or Recommendations of others II ART
silent or ID we show indifference % the subject, OF
refuse 20 discus, 10 iu proper spirit enemies viii
takeadvantAge. ls thew have already done, %, tbs
conduct aud now, while they have the power will do
rs ncalcuIlh,c injury. They will not only In vari-
on, way, cripple our industrial, prospects, and thus
DELAY the return OF oU- prosperity, but will also in-
lure oar character before the world. And such good
reader, OF Shakespeare as You are know how true
% is,
Who steals my purse steals trash; It's something
nothing,
iva. mine. us his, and La, been slave to thous-
dUds.
Blu, he that d,che- from me my good name
Robs me OF that which not eurches him,
Aud makes me poor, indeed.
We can. with comparative ease, recover from our
present lmpoycri-hment; but every honorable man
knows what grIevou- and lasting misfortune Il Is,
either % q nation or individual 10 have his good
name seriously assaulted. therefore make no apollo
~ for sending YOU my thought, on this subject
there i, uO danger n DISCUSSION only let 10 be free
and thorough aud Truth Will be found. No uulu-
.pr.d man ever said truey thing than did Mr.. JET
f.r-ll when he said, Error OF opinion may be
safely tolerated when reason D, left free 20 combat H.
/ am perfectly aware that / viii shock the preju-
diccs OF many good people, and also OF some sen>i-
Ole ones, when ] give It as my opinion that the
sooner the Legislature makes some preparation 10
give the right Of suffrage % the negro under proper
restrictions, and with some educational aud property
anal d ltr.lis th. better for the state Nv reasons
Tor this upauu are the following,
l. such IS the rrcm0rGbic utcrOrty Of the negro
tn the white man. race, that there Is mo- earthly
danger u giving the negro this advantg &c, and con-
-yqgcuuy all the expectations ot our enemles-the
Ridcal~-aud all the Tears OF ourgOOd od-idShioncd
VlrrIuIJu- from this source, are equally imaginary,
and w. turn ont iu practice to bc equally nile ou
.au make the negro formidable 10 the white man
only boo % state of slavery, Ur ia some condition APP
uIulclug slavery. iu which the evll-mlhded WMle
miu. as he now can do. can come 10 hiS ana ana
-fyt him 20 power which the negro, unshac kled by
amy unjust or arbitrary law, but lett free m all
,I.ug, can hy possibility never have. When You
.u4k. % Law uuiu-tiy discriminating towards the
negro you do mot >o much mjurc or degrade the
H.rb AS yuJi cmhaIrd~s and hinder the WLi.e lnlu.
Lei both Do. free Ist both have the same opportunity.
and the white iJhortr wall 100 once occupy the good
I1n and follow the profitable trade, and occupations
aud the negro viii go straight, singing and dancing
GOD the poorest land ami the mcauc~t cabin lu Tie
uc.ubOrhpod 10 is his nature, his instinct his re1-
son. 50 o. io. and uo power Ou earth tut the unna
.urll coalition OF JboatOui>m and pyo->ldvery-'Sm
can krcp him t.om IL, and TINS can do ii only for
short time.
>. ou can in no other way silence the accusations
which are made against our character aN state, or
stop the agitation of the negro queSton-bOth
which are doing SD much 10 injurc us aud Keep Us
from recovering our forfeited position IN the Federal
Government. We have NO power 20 control the agI-
tatiuu ul tI.s -uhcct-our cucm'eS have now every
advantage over Us. The appearance ct truth which
they have IN all that they say against u.s. ana IN
l.ir ui their rGht % protect the rccdmeu' AMI The
necessity uf their interference cannot h' Sleuced 10y
-ue >terotyVed phrases that the southern man Is the
best friend ol tle negro, ami that southern people
understand bis character aud wants better imam any
other persons. This may all hc true, Tut YET me
autuortic-. who have tine power 10 interfere IN thlS
matter. DO upt believe these assertions; neither uu
rle uc.rDr, believe them, consequently they do no
-rol, 900 fact. they da harm. unless something prac-
-i-ll is done hy u.s. To show our good Will towards
J.r negro o. dl>Uu our enemies, % give assistance
and curuul cement 20 our friends lu the other states
and especially b uur -rea, friend the President
we must do something practical to show that We are
not afraid OF che ur-rOthar We are equal To The de-
mlnl, ui the present emergency that We are not
dcmuglIZeJ 10y our rcyer>r- but can come up To our
lutv and can do right even under our present mn
tuItie-. This is tue true character OF Virginia
- be- nT becomes TINS rs consistent
with our tJdiuuuiry history, and Will show that we
are nor the degenerate sous of noble ancestors, hul
tl3t th, fire of our turrflthrrS still burns within oar
bb,0m,. notwithstanding our late reverS's. 10 has
never once entered nv mind 90 Toe afraid OF anything
negro can do. or that his pretended friends else
where can do. through him. All that ann AFRAID OF
i- that the manly character OF our state may SINK
under It's present difficulties aud late rrvcr>'S, anu
il "a msuit 10 oi dependency, We may do ourselves
Ju injury which no mortal power besides can do.
o. We will only face ogr danger IL Will disappear
3 Lettht negroes vote, under certain property ana
educational restrictions, ani YOU must renieGler 10
.yil D., good while before any serious addition can
3D., made % their voting population. II may pos
~liy Zoe that q few thousand Will he added To me
Vote ,f thr state think 10 more probable ID viii
b, only fsv hundred Ia the meantime with pro-
per cucOurI-tue ln immigration, our white popu-
.tfiuu Will Increase with Sr'i rdpdsty. Ana "h'I'
Ne. will thus do Justice o. the ulgsO and secure Ms
r.lt,rtiuu ami 40 the same time, deliver ourselves
.rJm ,lc utrrmrldlng ot others the negroes m our
midst viii br So greatly outuumbercd by the whites,
and their rrlauyr Importance De So reduced ana
they will be- such q feeble and insignificant element
of power among as THAI, Iu . very f W years, We
viii only wonder that we ever eutsrtli4eI lear or
% doubt ON the subject We must remember, Also
that the negro has never Increased rapidly n the
Free states" Il gill, no doubt, be the same case
here among us while, oU the other hand our labor
ng white population will now increase more rapidly
THAN ever, and will become more Intelligent aud en-
,truri,ug aud useful, Ihi, together with our M
crease from immigration, will so add 20 the numbers
and wealth OF the State that ia Il IeU years we Will.
doubtless, bc disposed 90 Keep the few negroes who
viii De- among U>-much a. some amiabe French
Republicans once proposed TO keep few Moharch-
IS IN Fraurc-dS a rarity.
Not wishing 10 take mp too much OF your yalu-
lil. space nor % oyerbugdeu your readers, will
reserve my other reasons for a second number.
Yours respectfully
JOHN T. CLARK.
NULWOOD HALIFAX comfy, Va.