The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-01-11
A Philosophical View Of the Prejudice against
Negroes.

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Negroes.
That the blacks are generally ignorant, but
that they need not remain so, and ought not To
be al1oaosd to remain, SO, is certainly true The
whites should do something more than co-ope.
rate with them for purposes Of feducation-they
should take the matter in hand, shape it. and
direct It The sentimental suggestion about
stamping out ga mean prejudice considered
in matter way, is pure fal lal; and the
patronizing manner with which we are urged
to consider the colered people as "human be-
ingsn recalls the admonition of the cynic IN
Mofiere's comedy, who thinks the world would
get on much! better if people would only un-
derstand that there IS nothing in nature so
cool asa cucumber" To be sure, it :is: the
whites, and not the blacks, who set up distlnc-
tions Of race and color and this is in perfect ct
harmony with the reason and the experience OF
all mankind The Tribune might as well argue
that it is sinful to discriminate against extreme
poverty or degradation. Of course it is sinful
Yet the world goes on discriminating not alone
against the Ignorant, the poor, and the vicious
2psoyiding aims houses instead OF homes, ard
prisons instead of asylnms and reformatories =
but against classes and sects, according to; ITS
preiudicss.A The Tribune itself wants to do
what the entire Catholic Church regards as abb
solute prescription ;2ahd for eighteen hundred
wears all Christendom, enlightened and unen-
lightshed, has been persecuting, and that WITH
out fhsl least discrimination, the whole race OF
Hebfews. Bearing these things in mind, the
sentimental standard which Mr. Greeley iltfs
up, lin, behalf: of the blacks-no matter how
kindly and well intended it may be and isis
q romance as visionary and impossible as the
most gushing of the Christmas stories OF Charles
Dickens or Hans Anderson. It does not reach
much less.coYeS the easel ajJ&.9 EC
If we would really benefit the blacks-sub-
stanhslly and permanently must CONSIDER
their exceptional situation and characteristics.
They are slaves no longer. They are citizena
They possess civil rights and suffrage, and are
protected; in these. by ample constitutions
guarantees which mo class-barring handful
ofsmere demagogues and huddle of needless
followers-propose to question. In word,
the dblacks are legally secure. But they are
prescribed; and the point aimed at by Mr.
Greeley is their emancipation from the ban
which society-not much less IN one part OF the
world than in another-has put upon them. In
certain quarters, where there are few biack
people, and those few of higher type than the
common lot, this ban is less oppressive. 1t is
most marked at tie South, because the South
is full of black people, who have just emerged
fYom q, state of slavery, and are, from the ma
tpre off. the case, grossly ignorant and vicious
as class. Nevertheless they are regarded with
kindness all over the South; and, where indl-
yidual examples of superior quality appear, are
treated with distinguished consideration We
have many such in Kentucky. But they grow
fewer as the old slave lines deepen'into the cot
ton region. This, however, is undoubtedly
true; that the harsh usage of any portion OF
them proceeds from the proyocation OF the
General Government and not from any deep
seated orineradicable hatred against the race
The revolution, with gigantic losses, which war
forced upon the Southern people, was enough
to let loose an overflow of bad Ibioods But 1t
did not That which the South resistsIand u! IN
this it is supported by reason and by the ordis
1ary. instincts of prudence-is the sudden ele-
vstion Of degraded class into places of the
largest responsibility, power, and favor, and
this at the cost of the whites, who are ostraclsed
oyef.awed, and plundered by the agency OF
their own slaves. ..si.,. ~. -
This policy Of revenge-for such it is--can
work but one of two possible results. 1t may
Dahomeyize the Southern States, or it may
overthrow our constitutional system We do
not think the former is so probable as the lat
ter of these dangers. The South is too rich
it is too populous-it is too contiguous to the
outer world-to be turned over to waste ana
rlin.r But our republican fabric has been al
ready shocked, and the; force which, uses the
negroes as ministers and -pretexts for crimes
against Liberty, passing under, the e. name q
EQUALITY, may, and We think will ultimately :be
able 10 push enterprises that were originally
corrupt and vengetul merely into the stature OF
that imperialism which has never failed to
oyertake the republics Of the world This,
whilst it will do the whites whatever harm the
Iosss, of, popular government may rinfiict on q
free people, viii do the blacks no good. In
deed; its realization, so far from bringing them
nearer to the social millennium, sketched by
saieh ssntinentalists as Mr. Greeley, will place
them in serious danger of a subsection claimed
to.be necessary to the imperial peace and or
der, wherein there viii be no longer any OF the
old abolition and patriotic rhetoric TO stand In
the3WagtoJ 5!bGit 10 81 i Ill w
Mr.. Greeley's party has done. much to array
the whites of the South against the blacks;
We readilv acduit MI! Greeley himself of
sharing the folly or. bad temper of his party {;
but in reaching his conclusions he should con-
s;der the evil that has been done and the un-
.hsnny conditions which exist, and should take
snany .things-and from Southern men, Con-
;feaerates and Democrats trust. We are
as anxious as he can be to elevate the blacks,
not because we have any special love for them,
more than for masses Of other people, but be-
cause our domestic system hangs by black
cord which we cannot break or remove. There
"a az little likelihood Of our smothering or
'tolerating brutalism in the midst of us as there
fwwould be of Mr. Gresley's doing the like were
he in our place. He is not in our place, and
therefore, being but distant locker on, he is
mt a competent Judge or witness. We say re-
move W . the bayonets., The Constitution is suffi-
.c;snt, Let it enforce itself through its legiti-
mate mate channels. Leave society to regulate
itself according to its needs. If it goes too
SLOW. it will suffer. If il is forced to 60 too
fast, all will suffer. We are governed oompch.
We have too many laws, both local and gene
.dest;ry, and leave the work to natural agencies,
hoping and believing that there is, after all, q
Cod in heaven that has something to do with
these things-a God whose blessing and grace
are as likely to fall upon the toilers after an
- - . II. a;az,a acl the folloxers