Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-11-16
ICommun' ';edl
rDICATION, CUSTOM, PREJUDICE,
TIIEIR INFLUENCE UPON THE
MINDS OF MEN.

Mr. EDITOR:- Dear SEr:-Wc propose Il
offer n few re marks upon the above three
points, but must necessarily be brief, ant
leave the reader to elaborate much tina
might he added, for each division would af
ford ample material for sermon.
We are all ready to admit that education
has much to do in forming the common
mind, hut we are hardly aware of the in
nuence exercised over us either by education
custom or prejudice. Each and all have
much 10 do in forming opinions and fixing
character.
In discussing the influence of education
we do no. Il ign coniiuing ourselves TO The
mere matter of school n ID college teaching
hut embrace with il iireside teaching, boil
by precept and example, where impressions
are made Tat arc as indellible as the foot
prints of time. Some of these impressions
were for good, some were for evil. Some o
the customs are continued without injury tc
ourselves or others, but some are otherwise
Our object in writing this article is Il
show that there is an unwarranlcd and un'
Just prejudice existing agai. st the black
race. And secondly, TO show that that
prejudice WAS created III childhood by home
education, and that the force OF custom has
kept up the distinction thus created.
Every one bo 9 ID ." lin Il slave State
knows that Gom all Il cir surroundings,
they have been taught from childhood to
look upon all persons of African Il sc I as
Of IN inferior race, to he Gated as mehials
who are nothing but nigg' Is, and but little
better thNn Mutes But we are glad (tol
the honor of our parents) that so far as
parental teaching was CONGO, .icd, that this
was not on, own case. But by our school
mates and those OF larger growth it was
eminently so. Nevertheless VIC have known
child,en who, before they we've old enough
TO ihbibe this hate of the regrO, select as
paymatcs boys of their own age whose
skins are OF the sable class, and seem TO en-
Joy .heir society as much as though they
were .he lairest of the Anglo-SaXon lace.
But when they get older barrier is placed
bctween them The white boy is sent TO tao
primary school and from thence to college.
The colored boy is not allowed to 20 to
either but is sent 10 the field and kept there.
The one has every advantage of education
afforded him, the other every advantage
denied him. The one, as matter OF course,
acquires an edu" Iii, unless he is as dU nh
us an ass, the otbG, muat necessarily re-
main comparatively ignorant. Hence VIC
hear politicians dyolarirr that the negro is
Of an interior race, and incapable Of culture.
Now we d not wish To lower the stanGa. d
Of tho race 10 which we belong, but would
simply say that If the tables were reyers I'd
lor century or so, and the boy of African
descent and his descendants, sent to col
lcge as the whites have been for tho last
century, and the white boy and his desccn.
dahts sent to the field, and kept without op.
poltunities of acquiring knowledge as the
blacks have been for the last hundred years,
they would, in all probability, find suplri
ority and inleriority OF intelligence reve ed
also, Neither the negro here, nor his pro
genitOrs from whence he came, have had
any advantage Of education for centuries
back. IL is therefore absurd to expect them
10 show in general ile same aptitude To
learning that the son Of the white man does
iough we could name instances in which
the cOlored man has eXce'led most Of his
cOmpetiio, whose circur 'tances were mucl
more favorable than his.
a Gel lain class of politicians are making {
great noise abort negro equality, soGia
equality, amalga nation, &c, though WI
hclieve that they do not believe what thel
say. Equality before the law is one thing
social equality is another, and polilica
equality Is another Some of those wh'
make the most noise about social equality
make themselves more social with the ne
groes than Others who flvor the coloret
man in his rights. Some who rant ant
rave about negro equo can ride in til
same hack, and sit upon the same seat witt
him if they can make fifty cents out of hin
by the operation. And il the darkey hap
pens to have little old rye along, woul
not object to tai ng a little out of The sam
Jug, and not make wry face al il. 1t i
therefore sheer prejudice or ''claptrap" fo
such to talk about negro equality.
Now TO show how far our preiudices carr
us, we will bring two men before you, on
reputed TO be of African descent, the othe
is not; though the skin of tile latter, an
indeed all the linoaments of the face bea
stronger indication I OF the African rae
than the former BY what rule "hal tlcr
bo a MAX Of distinction. The black man
the whitest, and the rGpuled white man
tho blackest But one mir yles socially wit
the white race, the other IS excluded, not o
account OF the color Of his skin or the kinl;
in his hair, but simply because he is ropute
10 have small portion of African blood i
Ills veins 1t matters not how intelligent h
may be, the smallest drop of African bloc
Is sufficient to damn him in the eyes of
certain class of politicians and their adhG
ents, who arc unwilling TO give him an
lights that they are bOdnd to respect, eithl
political, social or civil.
Now to go n little further to show the G,
tent and absurdity Of our prejudice, and "
speak whereof VIC know when we say Till
We frew man in public business, who
custom. A stranger moved into the neigl
borhoOd and called at his place of busincs
lie was met at the door with: "Good morl
ing, sir. believe you have lately move
no the neighborhood, sir am glad yC
have called upon us sir. We will try to NAL
y to your interest to call again Sir" &c
~c' AT the first opportunity he inquire
who the stranger was, and was informed th
ne was a mulatto. lie replied, "Well,
was sold, just think OF II, was yes-sirrir
and no-sirring - nigger." And til
was the last Stirring he got, Did this info
nation change the color of his skin, Ii
manners, the value of his custom or an
lhlng elseY Was il not purely prejudice al
hn''ling clseP And this is the spirit in
ea 1s North, South, East and West, c
ctpt with those who have carefully weigh
lhe matter anu educated themselves above
We frequently hear men declaming III
lhe negro is naturally inferior to the vii
man, always was, and always will be, Al
was SO designed by the Creator, yet no
Hlnlents are adduced to show that such W
ne design, or that such will be the resu
" would be just as easy to say that the lri
are an inferior race, always was, and so {
signed to be, and il would be about as ca
y prove the one as the other There a
ignorant lrisllmen, and there are others
aS high grade Of intellect perhaps ms
ionnd in any other nation. The ignora
ltlslimen are so because they have no {
lorlunlty to he otherwise. The same m
We said OF the black man. We have kno,
some with very short kinks in their ha
VINO could read and write, while we ha
Known white men with better opportuniti
VINO could do neither. But this does 1
prove that the white man is inferior to
h1gfo; II only proves that he did not nv
useli Of the opportunities he had TO i
r"9ye ms mind, while the negro did.
VOW II we could lay aside our prelude
.gu'nst the negro as race, and give hin
'nlr chance for education, they would in I
heAl generation be Drepared for the hal