New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-17
THE WAR OF RACES.

The Memphis Daiiy Corrmcrcat-a Rebel sheet OF
course none others indulge in such Injuries OF wo-
breaches on this theme O sermon full OF l0aths0me
malgnity. 1t is but one of many We presume; but
il is good specimen Of its kind: spicy with newly
knded wrath and pointed with recent facts OF bloody
import The text for the discourse is passage from
Jefferson, written in 1921, when he was II years of
age, and, according to the editorial prophet in the
plenary rpeness OF his bright and powerful intellect
The text runs as follows: Nothing is more certainly
written in the book Of fate than that these people (he
ncgces) aro to be frees is it less certain that the
two races equally free. cannot live in the same gov
eminent. Nature. habit. opinion, have drawn IN
dcble lines Of distinction between them Tho
points are these Jefferson was an ani-Sl avery man,
and would prophecy tho most hopefully Tor inc
Blacks. He was very wise ald siSlcious man
likewise His first prediction has come true INC
second therefore WILL in all likelihood, come truo
also. There will be a war Of races in the South.
But in war OF races, tho Black race will be not onIy
subducd. but extcrminated. Thus AbclitionIsm de-
stroys itself, and thus pretended philanthropy VIII
prove the destruction ofts victims One rtwo sips
in logic here inyite remark; fox instance that inc
second prediction must be fulfilled because the rst
hes been; and that of races Il tho only issue
supposing the second prediction to DO justified by ex-
p,rience. in the order Of time We viii ofcr sug'
pes,ion or two touching the first dilemma; Jefferson
nredete.l the emancipation of tho slaves by some
means. in some probable omergcncy-an exceed
;nglv varue predction He also predicted the sep
,-1.Ion Of tho races-another prediction even more
vnyue. Events have brought about the formal eman-
coation Of the slaves must events, therefore, bring
..gse Of ha dpneldS n
ut,e on the grounds on which the different prophe-
cies were based.
Why did Jefferson predict emancipation and why
DID he predict the separation Of the races 1t is not
difficult to answer either question Jefferson was an
Abolilionst. He-believed that Slavery was wrong,
and ,ha, God was Just. lie was a statesman, and he
saw tina, the form Of government, that must in time
prevail at the South was opposed TO democratic
tendencies. and must give way before them. He was
close observer Of society, and he could not be blind
10 the fact that he slave population would eventually
be an embarrassing and possibly an unmanageable
element in Southern communities. He fore
saw the ultimate extinction. therefore, of slavery
a. mistake, nuisance, mischief
solecism and sin. 50 sure a. the Almighty lived
il could M, endure he ,rembed for bis country while
il did Observation reflection conviction faith, lent
their combined vision TO pierce the future when It
should be no more. A moral vision thus keen was
not to be baihel the great conclusion came, though
under circumstances which no merely mortal vision
could have indicated
And why did jefferson auguring thus hopefully for
the negos emancipation, augur thus drearily for his
emancipaed destiny Because he was himself a
virginian with the ideas of a French Liberal. but
with the habits Of Southern gentleman, used from
boyhood to feel about the Blacks the best of South
ern gentlemen may, but as Southern gentlemen al
WAYS will he said truly that habit and opinion drew
an indelble line between the Whites and the Blacks.
When be added Mature" he meant habit and opinion,
which were Nature to him. no doubt, as they are TO
most of U.s. His limits were the limits Of destiny.
God proposed nothing more than he could conceive
possible. lie could not conceive il possible that
Whites and Blacks could live together in equal free
dom under the same government. An immense array
Of evidence historical moral presumptive, convinced
him that Slavery must pass away. Where was the
evidence TO persuade him that the races must be de-
tsched or fall into hopeless strict Not in history;
not in philosophy; not in consciencei it was simply
in his bones and blood" The one, prediction, there
fore might be as inevitably foolish and false as the
other was wise and true The vcrfcation Of the first
would on general principles, suggest the iutlity of
the second.
But the second has already been justified by the
same history that justified the first. Trumphantly
excaims the predicator of Memphis: DO you not
know what transpred here in TENNESSEE Have You
not heard Of the recent in NewOrleansi
Are you blind TO the signs of the times in the Caro-
lnas, in Georgia, Alabama, Florida Can you not
feel the pulse of the chvalry beating with indigna-
ton at the disgrace that emancipation puts upon
them Have you not caught the whisper OF their re-
corded vow that the negroes shall be either banshed
or exermina,edl oh yes; but does this prove that
War of Races is inevitable, that Whites aud Blacks
cannot live together that indelibe line is drawn
bv nature between theml II proves that the South
ern Whites retain their ancient preudceS Of BIRTH ig-
norance and habits 1t proves that they are gifted
with Beotian fatness of intellect regards their
interests it proves that their pride is dearer TO them
than Ceir prosperity, that the indulgence OF their
temper Il weeter than the llness Of their barns; It
proves that they hate the freedmen, are jealous Of
their thrift are malignant toward theif loyalty are
voxed over their ACKNOWLEDGEMENT at their masters
pense, arc beside themselves with rage at their own
powerlessnoss. 1t proves that their nature, in It's
grossest and least human element would gladly draw
and means 10 draw an ndelibe line between the two
Races But il their nature Gods nature Is tho bar