The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-04-18
SOCIAL EQUALITY BAD TASTE

aNfS
sunday School concert, in placing a
negro boy in a central position in a
group of white girls, a week ago. AS
our local item '.In Bad Taste" was
not, as the writer would seem to think,
merely .'thoughtless words" we give
place to his argument-if 1.-THE little,
virtucls, peace-makiag particle IF,
which he places liz h FROM of his
array may be called argument.
future discussion the legal
p;lase of the equality question, We
propose now to deal with it only from
i social standpoint. Philanthropy,
kindness and benevofence are COM
inendable Christian virtues; but these,
like forbearance, may exceed the
bounds of virtue, for there is no apho-
risIn more true than that ''charity be-
gins at home" Whenever a warm
hearted enthusiast. or any number OF
break down the barriers of social or
der and flood society with the rlffraff
and of the earth, they not only
weaken the sources of philanthropy.
but undermine the very foundation OF
kindness and deaden the s~enslbilltieS
of benevolence. The removal of the
legal barriers long existing against
one class OF the lower races Is but the
prelude to the removal of all others.
If the philanthropic mania should not
meet with a check from 1.-THE sober
second thought of the people; but
once break down the social barriers
erected for the preservation of society,
aud there is no halting place on the
downward march of progress until
utter decentralization shall have been
reached. Admit the negro to social
equality on the plea of philanthropy
and benevolence, and the same argu-
ment rises up, only with double force,
III favor of the Chinaman, the Indian
and every other degraded class of
mankind.
For the vast amount of truth en-
bodied in the following eloquent i'm
age. We give it place in this connec-
ton:
God made the eagle and the owl
He gave to both plumage and wings.
In the same class of large birds OF the
air ranged He them. The same at
mosphere and the various seasons
were common to both. God created
the Caucasian and the African. With
brain, muscle and nerve endowed lie
them. With blood and soul and the
erect posture they are dlstlngulShable
as members OF Il general 1an1ifN.
There was for both the same earth to
Weld its tillage; the same sunshine
and rains; the same seas upon which
to spread commerce; the same ele-
u,ents for science to extract benefits
for man. As the eagle to the owl, so
the white man to the black, stand III
the same relative positions as they
we're found i'll the twilight OF history.
Let the eagle but attempt TO take the
owl to its eyrieS and its habits. and
both fall to the earth together. Let
the white E4an u to make the
neg his equal. and the vain effort to
erase the lines drawn by the finger of
God, assures the certain downfall OF
the invaders of the majesty of His work
of creation; the eagle IS ruined with
the owl-and a fitting symbol OF this
Is the vain effort the American people
are now making.
Our correspondent speaks of "our
constant boast of a free country He
has a poor idea of freedom if he thinks
we can subserve its ends by scattering
social order to the winds. We do not
propose to '~'close,' but to separate
1.-THE sources of intelligence" No one
denies the negro or even the Chinese
..,he benefits of educational facIiItles;'
but every man not afflicted with ne
g%rophobia will deny them the right to
break down the barriers which Coo
has erected and clearly marked, II
push themselves into social equality
with a class of persons distinguished
by common characteristics to which
:hey have been aliens since the earliest
history of mankind. rs TO making
negro children feel the ostracism OF
race and Color" there is no way better
calculated than hat which b pro
poses, that is, to place them among
whites, for what could make them feel
their inferiority more keeDly than
their constant association with classic,
historical and typical superiors?
..0rder is Heavens first law; and, this
confessed,
Some are. and must be, greater than
the rest"
As is seen throughout the broad do
main of animate nature. Ill Sunday
School teachers, who. from worthy
and d~isinterested motives, give their
time, labor and means to lnculcate
early and wholesome lessons Of good