New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-18

how far the negro question was within the
range of peaccable solution, it is useless now
to discuss God seems 10 have held the ma
ton responsible from the time it practically
decided 1t against the negro.
Our late war has been attributed to q dis.
tasteful PRESIDENTIAL election. But this, but for
ITS anteecdents, would no more have assumed
| such historic Importance, than the emptying of
lew chests oil tea INTO Boston harbor could by
! ITSELF have caused the American revolution
| what made the conflict Of political ideas be-
! tween Boston and Charleston so potentousY A
1 vital principle was involved, which affected the
whole nation. The war came and has gone,
and the liberated and enfranchised negro is be-
| lore us to be considered in his probable future
relation to the white race. Thus far all that
has been conceded to him has been wrung from
the white race OF all parties Mr.. Lincoln
never proclaimed emancipation till Federal de-
fcats ON the Peninsula left this in his hands "a
the only weight he could use in the balance
against the disposition of the English and
French governments to recognize the Confed
eracy.
II the Lord has taken the negro in hand to
repay hIn for all his degradation, il is useless
for us Ia object. Whatever opposes will be
swamped or shattered. Ii is not best for ma
tIons and races to assume too much. On the
late or present comparative degradation of any
people, when philosopher argued before the
British Association of Science that negroes are
iit.only to be slaves a negro who was present,
having escaped from slavery, quoted julius
Caesar, who said "he found the British too stu
pId to he fit for slaves"
God requires much OF us as nation. The
negrols before Us proitering assistance. Is he
competent? We need not answer hesitatingly.
1t IS not.a question of msccgenatOn. God, /
think intends Ia convince the world of the
competency of the negro mind for high achieve
mentS. The experiment would he all the more
satisfactory If the race came to it, from the tolls
of slavery, purcr.
" Bnt would you send ignorant negroes to
make our laws" No, we have had enough of
ignorant legislation without the negro, and |
would not repeat the experiment with him.
would make intelligence the test without in
vidious discrimination.
Nv ould you force social equality upon US :"
No. the negro does not ask it or need it. Euuali-
ty before The law of the land and OF intellect
will leave yon and him to the fullest exercise
of your social tastes. | would simply let him
do his best, and give him credit for what he
does.
HE Is ENTITLED TO a HOME IN THIS COUNTRY,
for his foreClthcrs were among the earliest of
| its inhabitants, and no race has worked harder
on ITS soil than the negro race. He is entitled
TO full liberty "a a citizen of this country, be-
| cause through all the long years of his abject-
ness his love for it has been undying as his
soul. Tie s entitled to 1T because he has not
| taken advantage of the helplessness of any por-
| ton of the opposite race whose circumstances
! have at any time placed them Ia his power. He
| is entitled tOit because, when called in the field,
no fought for it and established his character
| Il good soldier Iie is entitled to share in his
| country's prosperity because he is contributing
| to it, aud fewer of his race are begging in our
| streets than of any other race
lie will be as much needed in the future Of
| the country rs any other man. If the Cauoa-
| sian is restless, the negro is domestic good
! counterbalance-and will help TO husband the
resources accrung from the push of Caucasian
| commerce.. We will need him for his music
and genial disposition. We shall need him for
his organizing qualities. Witness his Masonic,
Odd Fellows, and other lodges, which, under
! English charters, he has worked in this country
| amid all his disabilities as also his purely
negro churches, which have lived and hOurshed
| against all opposition. We will need him for
the contributions he will be able to make to the
cabinets of science and literature. Already he
is at work successfully with his schools and
colleges, and efforts at authorship; and TO re-
fuse his intellectual contributions, when meri.
torious, or even to deny their merit without i'm
partial examination, is to dwarf ourselves and
dshOnor God.
| Above all, we Will need him for his religion.
Should the country fill up with Chinese coolies,
We will have them TO Christianize. But the
negro is already Chrstanized. 1t has been
well observed that if the whole white Ameri-
can race had become intidel God would still
have had people in the negroes, and could
have reconstructed His church on the black ba-
sis of the slave population" If physical
and intellectual imperlection resulted from a
moral cause, the presence of moral excellence
must include, ut least, the highest human posi-
billties. England by the moral power of her
people whtens every sea with her commerce,
while France from the lack of such power 10
BUNDLED at the feet of Germany.
When we, a nation ignore Christianity as
the vitalizing agent and true standard of per
sOnal capabilities and excellence, we shall be-
come the most guilty aud foolish people On the
lace OF the globe. We have the country the
population, aud circumstance for the highest
Christian civilization, and fully TO develop it, we
must be careful to stimulate and encourage
every class of mind to its best possible effect.