The New York herald., 1868-02-10

We have published from time TO time, OF
good authority, accounts Of the negroes iu
!, II yti returning TO the fetch worship Of theil
} barbarian ancestors and kindred in Africa. The
negrophobiss and negro worshippe,s Of this
} country have pretended to doubt these state
} ments, because they confcted with the theory
of the political and social equality of tie negro
race with the white race and Of the negro's
capacity for high state of civlliz ,tion. There
is no doubt, however, as to tho facts of those
Africans relapsng into barbarlsm, both in
Hayti and elsewhere, whenever they are eman-
cpated from the restraints and guidance Of
white people. We see now that President Sal
nave, OF Hayti, who it must be presumed is
one OF the most intellectual and civilized mon
OF his race, has been excommunicated by tho
Christian Church for fetichism. When ruler
or chief Of people like Salnave abandons
religion or adopts . superstition we may be
sure that the mass of the people have gone or
are tending the same way; and this relapse Of
Salnave to African fetichism is conirmatory Of
what we have heard frequently about the
negroes in Hayti returning to their normal
state of barbarsm.
The negroes in the United States, taking
them in mass, have attained degree of civili-
cation which the race never reached before or
| elsewhere. Or course we mean the mass of
that people. aud do not consider such rare in
dividual exceptions as those Of Toussaint
pOverture and other negroes Of superior
ability as controverting the general fact.
These cases are entirely exceptional and are
very rare. The negroes here made this pro-
gress toward civilization because they were
in immediate contact with and under the guild
ance and control Of the highest race Of man
hood, the Caucasian. Perhaps we might say,
also, because they were under the highest type
of the Caucasian race, the Anglo-Saxon or
Anglo-American for it is known that the NO
groes under the Spaniards and other European
nations have not made such advances toward
civilization. But even here, where large bodies
Of them live chiefly among themselves and are
isolated in great degree from the white
people, they begin to relapse into barbarism.
This fact has been known to many Southerners
and TO those who have travelled and studied
the subject in the South for long time. But
latterly it has come to our knowledge through
the most reliable authority that in certain
parts OF North Carolina, of Louisiana and of
other Southern States, the negroes are going
back to sort of fetch worship Even there,
where they have been taught Chris
tianity from childhood and see its wor-
ship and influences al around them,
they are tending. to idol worship and to
the grossest superstition and practices regard
ing witchcraft There are cases where untor-
tunate negroes have been nearly beaten to
death by their fellows for the purpose Of pun
melting the witches or evil spirits out Of them,
just as the barbarous tribes of Africa do, as
described by NJ. Du Chaillu. This universal
tendency Of the negroes everywhere TO. fetich-
ism--a sort o! undefned mixture Of witchcraft
and idol worship--is remarkable, and is .
subject for the study of philosophers.
Speaking of the capacity of tho negro for
civilization and Of his tendency to relapse into
barbarism, that indefatigable traveller, Du
Chaillu, says in bis Journey to Asbango Land"
81 believe that the negro may become more
useful member Of mankind than he is at pre-.
sent; that he may be raised to higher stand
ard; but that If left to himself he will soon
fall back into barbarism, for wo have no ex-
ample to the contrary. In his own country tho
efforts of the missionaries for hundreds OF
years have had no effect; the missionary goes
away and the people relapse into barbarism.
Though apeople may he taught the arts and
sciences known by more gifted nations, unless
they have the power of progression In them
selves they must inevitably relapse i'm the course
! of time into their former state" This agrees
with what is taking place in Hayti, with what
| we see in this country to limited extent,
with all experience, aud with what we shall
unless the government takes the place Of the
| old masters OF the negroes in providing for and
controlling them. We do not say that negro
slavery was best for either or both the races or
that we should return to it. IL is abolished
and should never be revived. But unless there
be some sort of guardianship or control over
| this inferior race by the superior 1t will incy-
itably fall back to barbarsm and die out.
| In face Of these facts, demonstrated by his
tory, experience and ethnology, what q mon--
strous policy is that of our radical Congress In
placing the POLITICAL power OF the South in
the hands Of such barbariansl What an
atrocious attempt to subvert the laws of God
and nature! What o crime against society,
decency, order and good government to put
our own highly civilized race-the people OF
our own flesh and blood-undcr the heel of
savages How infamous 10 create q negro
barbarian balance Of power 10 control the
destinies Of this mighty republic Yet that is
what our infamous radical Congress is doing
that is what il is determined TO do-unlese the
people Of the North rise In their might and
defeat It's atrocious purpose Radical recon-
strucion means negro supremacy in the South