New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-09

degradatiOns founded on color that were Oh
acted into State laws by Mr.. Blair's Southern
people when clothed with power by Andrew
johnson. We will not. however, since we
trust Mr.. Blair condemns them "A heartily as
wa do. But consider the fact that Gov. Leslie
Of Kentucky Ia State never ruled for an hour
Inv either CARPET. b8ggers or negrOes) is con-
strained to urge his Legislature, in this seventh
wear after Emancipation, to let the Coiored
citizens of that State testify in their Courts,
and TO call for stringent enactmenta for the
supprcssion of "Lynch-law" outrages-all OF
them. IA VIC all know having Whites for their
authors and Blacks for their victims. And
here comes Gov. Walker of Virginia-a genu-
inc New Departure man, born in the North,
and never Rebel. elected by Republican help
and an honest advocate OF Legal Equality,
Universal Education, and all that, who nObly
t4stifjes to truths that Virginia was slow to
learn, as follows:
"Wo have now had the benefit Of nearly two years OK
perience under te order OF things resu'tins rO"
the almost unanimous action OF the people In 1852 We
we're the first voluntarily to insugurae the experiment
Of uni yers suffrage. and equality before the law Por
haps nowhere else could that experiment have been so
successfully tesed-ccrtanly nowhere else has II been
20 faithfully and 40 mpartiay tried Radically opposed
10 preconceived aud we'll considered opinions-rauGht
"a thoughtful well knew. with tho gravest possb
Observation-Disclosures experience has demonstrated that
under favorable circumstances 1t may be rendered not
only antagOnstic but rather CONDUCIVE 70 eoou anu
stable republican government.
"Ccrtan II H. that since the restoration OF civu gov
eminent in State wo have enjoyed degree OF peace
and good order Of obedience to law and respect Tor a
tory, cquaed Ivy few and cxcced by none OF our sis-
ter states While is true that this Is duo In very
rharnn fAP nd or
moral sentiment OF people 1t cannot be denied that
TO certain extent duc to the foct that every clifton
OF the State matter what his race or present or pre-
yios condition H. or may have BEEN has been fully
trrcd In all the rights aud mmunities Of citizenship"
And yet Gov. Walker is forced by the preju-
dices of Mr.. Blairs Southern people" to
stultify himself as follows:
"The Colorcd people OF State equally with the
White clothed with the elective franchise In order that
thcy may Inelgcntly exercise that right tho opporu
nifty for education should and under our Constitution
must. I've Afforded them. This cannot, however. be
accomplished by any system OF mixed schools Edeh
race must be prorided for separately have In years
past aud under tho most favorable circumstances wit
messed and impartial trial Of the experiment. and
1t proved failure The true interests OF the Col
orcd people themselves demand that they should DO pro-
yided with separate schools"
Now, we have not shadow OF OBJ
lection to Separate schools" in cities
and wherever dense population rem
ders their support practicable; bnt nine
lenths of the area of Virginia is unable,
and must for II long period remain unable, to
support two sets of Common Schools. To re-
qure "Southcrn people" of such counties as
Giles, Bland. and forty more that have hardly
so many inhabitants as square miles, to sup
port adequate common schools for White, and
then another set for Colored children, who
is to require what they will not cannot do:
the cost would be too great We, then, hay
ing attended the same school with COlOred
children. sat Oh the same bench, studied from
the same books, and recitcd i'll tho same
classes, without receiving n particle of dam
age, protest against tho assumption that
schools mast incxOrably be separate, az inhu-
man, unChristinn, and q disgrace to the
XIXth Century. 1t amounts in effect to
ths--a large portion of the poorer children,
and especially of the Blacks, shall have no
education at all.
Mr.. Blair! we want to help arrest and pun
ish the iniquities and rcbbcrics Of carpet-bag
prcdOminancc at the South. 1t Is full of rot
tenness and rascality. But the inevitable first
step to this end is Peace between the mansion
and the cottage. The honest landholders and
the honest CultivatOrs of the South must
strike hands in a candid, hearty union
against rapacity and fraud. You,
Mr. Blair, ought not to stand in
the way of this; but you do. Tell those
you can influence to make peace with the
Blacks-to denounce and execrate all Ku-Klux
outrages, no longer affecting to discredit and
deny them-in short, tell the Whites to treat
the Blacks as fellow-citizens and fellow
Christians, and the rule of dishonesty and
disorder at the South will very soon have
passed away!