The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-07-24
pailp argus.
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Saturday Evening, July "a, 1853.
ANrAG0NIsM OF RACES.

While the recon struotion bills were peno'
ing in Congress, the argument was fepsa''
edly made against them by Democrats 'HS'
the tendency of such legislation was to en-
,onaar nre;nd;ces and antsgonisms between
az wh;,ss and blacks of the South, mas
mucb a. the bills were VIGOROUSLY intro
dpced in the interest Of the latter, and in
nppjshment Of the former. 1t was not In
human nature for it to DO otherwise. In
the same manner antagonisms can be en-
nendered between father and son, husband
and wife, or i'll any, no matter how sacred,
relation Of life. But the argument had no
force in Congress predetermined to eAaIt
the negro race and degrade the whites OF
the South. As on about every other i'm.
portant question which has divided the peo-
ple of the country for the past few years Of
Radical reign, time has demonstrated to our
opponents the soundness of our arguments
and the fallacy Of their own theories of gov.
eminent. The interests Of the negroes and
the interests of the whites Of the South
have been and are mutually dependent -
The white man il essential to the negro
and the negro is essential to the white man,
Just as labor and capital are essential TO
each other. If the planter Of the South
prospers, so prospers the laborsr whose toll
tills his fields; if the planter becomes bank
rupt, labor has no reward and ia not in de.
msnd. Hence was argued the folly and
even crime of putting the Freedman's Blu.
reau over the employer to compel him to
hire and pay the Freedmen and hence was
argued the wickedness and bad policy of
DISTINGUISHING the planter and making his
former slaves voters, and the two classes III
walls in government.
The two races being thrown together in
the race Of life, If left to themselves, would
naturally adjust themselves to each other
in harmonious and equitable relation, but
if thrown in each others faces by unwise
and meddesome foreign legislation, only
turmoil, strife, contentious and conflicts
could be expected. This is all, in effect sd-
United now, and we frequently hear appeals
made to the whites OF the South to practice
just what they have always stood ready and
willing to practice if allowed to do 80. The
Chicago Post, referring to the state of at
fairs in Kentucky, says: at seems to III
that the better class of Southern journal,
would not only be laying the foundation for
their own success broader and deeper, but
would be doing the South and the country
al inestimable service, by foregoing the lit
tie temporary gains snatched from fieetng
circumstances, and proceeding at once to
. recognize the identity of black and white
interests, and the certainty that, as soon as
one class ceases to Cypress the other the
individual members of each will range
themselves upon opposite sides of political
questions without regard to race, color, or
previous condition Of slavery. Kentucky
will soon have $4,000 new voters. Do her
public journals desire 10 antagonist these
against the white vote2 Undoubtedly not.
II aoonld produce a state Of society that
toould soon ripen into cioil outbreak"
The forced relation existing between th,
races in the South would undoubtedly hsv,
led to more conflicts, but for the presenc,
among them of an odious class aptly called
carpet baggers," who HAYS shylocked the
poor negroes so numerically that reaction
in favor of their old masters has recently
get in which promises to give the bulk of
the negro influence at the polls to the white
native people of the South. The presence
of the race of placehunters and sharpers
who have sloughed off from the North has
given the negroes Of the South an opportu,
nifty to contrast the so-called "rebel element
and the socalled "loyalists," and give his
intelligent vote to the rebel elemen. or ma.
tive Southern white man, who is to-day the
best friend the colored race has, as time
wall more and more clearly show.