Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-27
IGaR.fz BROWN
HIS views IN relation to- the Coiored
VOte-HOw TO Prevent Antagonism

Herald Reporter--Ln our previous con-
versation, Governor, did not clearly uA-
| derstand You upon one point. You were, |
| believe, the original promulgator of the idea
that the safety of colored suffrage con-
sisted in division of the colored vote. We,
here at the North, canlsot realize fully the
| force of your idea. . ses,fs I,aA
Sitting back in bis easy, chair and drop
ping upon his knees the copy of the Herald
in which he had been reading the report Of
his previous interview, the Governor said:
swell, / win endeavor to explain my views
of the matter in question. Is it not evil
dent that If the colored men of North Car
DINA, for instance, are intending to. dwell in
harmony with their white neighbors they
can do so only by having common interests,
common pursuits and by exercising COM
mon freedom in their political as well as
social action? 1t is evident that it
THE CoLoRED VOTERS BAND
themselves together against the white pop
ulation, intent upon regarding the whites as
enemies, the latter will soon, through that
very action, become hostile. Thus the first
step towards consolidating the colored vote
makes for emancipation aud suffrage pres
ent and permanent enemy at the homes of
an issue between the races, which would
then grow to be duel. the millions of
white men at the North would eventually
sYmpathize with their own race at the
South, and it may be that public senti-
ment may be thus generated, national in
its influence and leading to results, not now
dreamed of, inimical to the welfare of the
colored people. f
II - 0xidaT1f that nh a..
colored vote is arrayed solidly against the
white vote, with policy compromising
the punishment, by Acknowledgement or
other means, of the white race, while the
colored race grasps at ascendency, there will
occur conflict perilous even on the issue
of single election to the freedmen and
their newborn right of suffrage. Now, do
you not suppose that the colored men are
far better satisfied with the three great uni
ties of their deliverance-freedom, suffrage
and protectien-held under the guarantees
of the constitution and resting there without
hostile or threatening antaeonism from any
quarter, than to peril them ia the interest
ofany Radical campaigning9 Such l know
to be the feeling of the most
INTELLIGENT CoLoRED MEN
of my own section, and l have very good
reason to believe it will prevail elsewhere.
As | before remarked, men arrive at argu-
ments of self preservation instinctively, and
no political sophistry can divert them"
The representative of the Herald asked
Gov. Brown if he had seen much of the col
ored men of his own State.
eyes," said the Governor, ga good deal.
do not obtrude upon them or strive to di-
rect them in any way, but many of them
come to see me for consultation. | notice
all Of them as being deeply conscious that
it becomes their race to act wisely al the
present juncture if they would escape a
great peril-perhaps all the perils of the fu-
ture. | am TOO, as you are prehaps aware,
the President of the Board of the Colored
College of the State of Missouri, one of the |
most flourishing institutions of the Western
country, and one which received its annual
endowment last year from Democratic |
Legislature. My long Identification with |
freedom in Missouri, my support of their !
suffrage in my own State and in the Senate.
when every one Of those now bold in their |
assumed leadership was voting against it, |
gives me claim to their confidence. 1t |
would not enable me, however, to
CONTROL THEIR VOTES,
though do not quarrel with that fact, for |
L love freedom for its own sake"
The Herald reporter pondered moment |
and then said, at is scarcely a fair cues |
ton, Governor, but nevertheless one i'm |
portant in its bearing upon the question
you are discussing, and would like you to
give me such information as you possess in
regard to the present condition of the color
ed men in the State of Missouri under your
liberal administration"
The Governor, without hesitation, repled:
~ do not feel any personal delicacy in an
swering, for the question is one that relates
to my own State. In Missouri there was
as much hostility of races, if not more, than
in any other State, because the relations
that had been sundered, those of household
and domestic service, were closer. There
resulted from these on the part of the for
ner masters a sensitiyeness at the action of
the freedmen, their late servants, who were
often accused of ingratitude. Ku KIux was
in vogue, oVtrages abounded, preachers
were harried, and the labor of colored men
was so seriously interfered with as to drive
many of them to the cities. With the ad-
vent of
THE LIBERAL POLICY,
all this was changed as by miracle. That
which had put the greatest bitterness in the
cup, sense of degradation on the part of
$4,000 whites denied the rights OF human
beings, was obliterated at one fell swoOp.
The feeling that ths white degradation
stood enforced by consolidated negro suff-
rage in the State was entirely negatived by
the fact that one-half of the colored vote
was cast for the Liberal candidates, and the
result was most perfect Gbdndon of good
feeling and good will among all clgssos VINO |
claSped hands on old issues, agreed to 90 |
into the future with new questions, as they
might arise, and have ever since given the
political organizer and party drill segeants a
considerable deal of trouble to get them
into any regular formation.n
In answer to a query rom the Herald
as to whether or not Missouri
was now quiet so far as the co!ored people
were concerned, Gov. Brown said: "Yes.
perfectly quiet-indeed, more than quiet,
Our colored people now have not
AN ENEMY IN TUE STATE.
They have schools in almost all the counties
and many fine ones in the cities. They |
have intermediate high schools, and, as /
said before, a State University, that would
do credit to any community, and where
heard a few weeks since resitations, dia-
log1es, determinations and music that we're
most creditable to all concerned"
In regard to the political rights of the col
pred people in Missouri, the Governor, in
aquestion, said: "When / was elee-
ted we voted them ell into the State consti-
tuition by al ALMOST unanimous vote, Since
then no one has raised voice in Missouri
to question their suffrage, They divide their
vote as judgment dictates. Each party
strives to get it, and each party respects it
accordingly. With us they now scorn as
much to be considered unit, or 10 be re-
garded as the slave of any party, or the
property Of any one organization, as would !