Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-04-03
Our Dutysto the Negroes.

We present to oarTeaders to-day the speech Of
Gen. HAarroS at the mass meeting of fieedmen
in Columbia, We admire this speech, and hdpe
that At the many Msstihgs this sOrt3Which viii
take placessll over tho iundg tho leading ipcn,of
every community willfollow.tho example of Gen.
HAMPTON. And noto1ly nwords, ,5bdt in deeds, AT
the presenttiruo wahare need of the divine virsue
Of moral:coufagc. Great changes arc impending !;
vnst revolutions in sentiment and opinion are
now progressing. ". need mea TO guide
public opinion, who can be alike generous and
jus. Men whose. eyes are corched To- discern tho
wants Of the age Men who are not 20 welded
to the customs and opinions Of the past ms to be-
come pcrpefuai clogs on the wheolsi of social and
national progresl.~A the measures Of The. Radi-
cal Congress have been offensive, bccause wick
edly assuming a determined spirit Of injustice on
the part. of the seuthsrnr people towards the
blacks; all intended to make hsblaeks look; to
the Northern: people fqr justice and .rishta'in-
stead 0: lothsir own white frienas.in tine South.
BY ull rncans then, let us-of the South do every
thing in roason to prevent the'antagonism between
the two races, which has bcenso carefully insti-
gated by shc great Radical party. 80. 80
And as to The elnciaion Of the negro, his! free:
dom, addiag, as it does, 50 vastly to sresponsi-
biItios to society and lug, makes it an imperative
necessity. With thltodecta!ien of belief in the
rrstrierable stupidity: of the uesro which some
1 indulgein we haxs-no patiUuce.a There arc. mono
so blind as those who will not zee. and mono SO
foolish as those wilfnly blind to great facts most
nearly concerning them.. The negro con and will
learn, and under present circumstances should be
Ecarefully taught. : - So
The maxim of law, that ignorance does not'ex-
cuso infrartiop, prc-supposes fair opportunity
at least for all subjects Of Law tobecoms arauaint-
ed with its commands This in the present con-
dai1n of the negro,:is iuapossiblej because the
/; largest number of negroes by far do not know
how to read; and-afe in no such close association
With those who do, as to give thom an opportuni-
ty for information: 1t bchOoyes all citizens to
do at in their power to correct this want Of in
formation and it would not bo inapt if those
.Bho. employ freedmen should undertake 10 read
them the criminal law and make them fully ac-
|
quainted with its provisional.
p t the thorough education of the negro race
in the ruiiments of knowledge is matter Of
even more Importance than this. So far as we
can learn, they exhibit, old and young, a most
] laudable thirst for knowledge. Schools provided
. for them are numerously attended, and We &no"
4hat they make aueS Spcctedly good progress. In;
/ deed &c have seen enough with our cwn eyes to
become oonrincel,that provisions for theedrea-
ton of the negroes will not be thrown. away.
Every advance of the lowest class in intelligence
is an additional security to the higher class, to
capital and intellect. that its possessions and the
proceeds of its labor will bo retained BY it. Brute
Ignorance cnvies, tho superiority of intelligence
and wealth, and too frequently desires to set its
own force Of muscle against the force of intellect
for the possessions of the latter: Education RENE
dies this The negroes should be encouraged and
assisted by every possible means in the building
of schoolhouscs and churches And We repeat
that the negro must be educated and that too BY us
who from the native white citizenship of the South
we must 10 this if we would secure the best con-
dition of society, indeed tho very safety Of it
from the inccndiary teachings that will certainly
he brouoht to bear upon the lately liberated class