Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-23
THE WHITE MANS GOVERNMENT.

1t is remarkable in these days TO
hear an intelligent negro declaring
that this is a white mans govern
ment. Such an incident occurred
at an educational convention held
at Louisville, Ky, a few weeks ago.
?. Ii. Clark, q negro from Cincin-
natl, addressed the convention in
the course of which he said:
81 trust that | shall shock nobody's
prsjudices, alarm no persons fears for my
sanity, when |, colored man, and life.
long agitator for colored mems rights, de-
clare, as | now do, that this is q white
mans country. 10 all its widespread
grandeur of mountain, valley and plain, of
river, lake and ocean, of densely crowded
city and uninhsbitsd wild, from sterile,
frozen Alaska TO the warm shores of the
Gulf this country belongs to the white
man, to him and his heirs forever. Ii was
a white mans ship burst through the gloom
which had shrouded this continent from
the eyes Of the Old World for SO mxny CEN
turtles, and it was q white man who leaped
first upon the shore, claiming the new land
for himself and his brethren. White men
have conquered this continent. Its
teeming fields, its mines, its wealth
producing iHdustrie5, its thousand cities,
belong TO them. This is q white mans
civilization. We gain enlightenment from
a literature which, in all its varied depart. .
ments-philUsOphy theology, physics, 4
mathematics, poetry and the drama
white men have been perfecting for 5000
years. This, too, is white mans govern
ment Our Union Of States. our guarantee
of free thought and free speech, our method
of enscting laws by men selected by the
people-all these are his peculiar mode7,
and are the crystallized results of his POI
lilical experience. In numbers, in intelli
gent energy, the white man stands at the
head Of all the races which have found a
home in America. White men have come
to US by hundreds of thousands each YER;
by millions every ten years. They have,
do and will control the destinies Of the
people residing upon this continent"
When Stephen A, Douglas tersely
gave utterance to the truth that
"this is the white mans govern
ment," he little dreamed of the inn
portance that his words were des-
tined to assume, as an axiom in the
future politics of his country, but
he did not live to see the day when
his utterance was secuted by the
followers Of his great rival. 1t is
remarkable to hear a negro enforc-
ing in SO strong manner the doc
trine enunciated by Mr.. Douglas
lie has the comprehension to see
and the candor to acknowledge that
his race can never become a govern
ing element in this country, and
that the white men edo and will
continue to control the destinies Of
the people residing upon this
continent" His speech is in
striking contrast with the course
of the mounting demagogues and
fanatics who have been urging the !
negro into positions for which heis |
fitted by neither education nor ex-
perience, that through him they |
might control many of the Southern
States. The speech of Clark will
show these miserable tricksters how
their work of urging the negro for
ward to seek difficult and response
BILE positions, is regarded by an in
telligent man of that race. Stephen
A. Douglas could not have uttered
a more forcibIe and eloquent vindi-
cation of the white mans right to
govern this country. /