The Portland daily press., 1868-08-26
A War of Races.

The cry of the Democratic party has been
and still is that negro suffrage will produce
war of races. But who will naugurate this
war? Not the negroes surely, unless oppres-
sion drives them TO it. Thus lar they have
with few exceptions been very patient in
submitting even to injury. l.
From the whites the danger is to be appre-
hended. They declare that they will never
submit to have negroes go TO the polls on an
equality with themselves and that their re-
sistance to this equality will produce war and
bloodshed. In other words the punishment
of political ostracism is to be inflicted upon
the negroes, not for crimes which they haue
committed, but for crimes which white men
threaten to commit.
Will the American people when their sense
of Justice repudiates this policy be bullied
into it?
To give equal rights to all men, so far from
producing war of races, is the surest means
of preventing it. All reason and history
confirm this. 1t brings about state
of things least favorable to any hos
tile undertaking. Both blacks and whites
at the South, will as general rule find it for
their interest to remain in localities in which
they have formerly resided, if they can do so
in security. A thousand ties bind them to
the familiar spots. There they are acquaint-
ed, have relatives, perhaps, understand the
business facilities, have formed business con-
nections, and will be better able to get re-
munerative employment. Thesecertain ad-
vantages the most at least will not exchange
for the unavoidable Inconvenience and
doubtful chances of benefit resulting from
change, unl,ss injustice compes them to
remove. NoGhing will be so likely to keep
both races distributed indiscriminately
throughout the South, as equal rights, be-
cause nothing else is effectual as security
against mutual injury. A formidable war OF
races is not likely to arise under these cir
cumstances even if either race is disposed to
produce disorder, for so isolated must be
their efforts that slight force will be suffi-
cient to quell it. Modern warfare is not
thing TO be carried on by banditti. 1t mus
tiers armies and draws its resources from
compact and united people or the fire quick
ly burns out for want of fuel. Scattered in
surrections are not to be feared by great
nation. But there is no reason to apprehend
even an attempt at insurrection if justice to
all shall have disarmed all of even a plausi-
Bile pretext for disturbance.
Men do not act without a motive. 1t is on
ly when all hope of peaceful remedy for
wrong is taken away that they resort to more
desperate measures. The intermingling of
both races at the polls and in the courts on
terms of equality, will moreover promote a
mutual recognition OF their common humani-
ty and common interest.
1t will soften their prejudices which, as they
are engendercd by ignorance. must disappear
with increased familiarity. The best means
preventing confagation, or of disarming
it OF its terrors if it come, is to keep the com
bustlble clements in society mtermingled
with the incombustible so that the one shall
neutralize the other.
On the other hand place the blacks under
the ban of social and political prescription
and by deprving them of equal rights subJect
them to wrongs for which there is no peace
ful redress, and what is likely to ensueP
Unable successfully to defend themselves
while dispersed they will naturally fly from
the scene of their prosecutions and concen-
trate wherever an asylum offers. Their pre-
ponderance at these places will enable, and
the wrongs under which they have been
smarting will dispose them, to retalate upon
upon white men in their midst, the same
injuries and disabilities as the latter have
inflicted upon them.
Would there then be no reason to fear
war OF races when both sides are intiamed by
mutual injustice and emboldened ty con-
cert?
Our recent experience is standing admo-
milton that it is dangerous thing to array
two hostile sections against each other.
One of the most formidable wars that ever
hreatened the Roman Empire was occasion
ed by refusing political power to the other