New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-24
MITIGATION.
IT'S MEANING AND PURPOSES.


To the Edftor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Gen. Beauregard's proposition to take
the colored people Of Louisiana into an honest political
coparnership has been needlessly misunderstood and
foolishly misrepresenod. His plan IL explained In
sentence: He proposes % treat the coOred people OF
Louisiana exactly the members OF other natonates
are treated In this he ia bold, conservative. and wiser
than his generation. He courageous, but it may
we'll be sand also that it would have been better for the
South had he been follower instead Of leader in his
present attitude II has Deen universally admitted that
the negro is docile, industrious and lover Of home
Had the whites OF the South made him friend from the
very hour of his Acknowledgement he would long
have voted and acted with Them instead OF voting and
acting with strangers who have proved themselves in
thousand nsncere in their professions. But herein
the Southern people have allowed themselves TO fail
They have permitted the uniform OF Federal soldier to
outweigh, In the coored mans estimation the ties and
associations OF lifetime simply because the Southern
too proud to stoOp to adjust the balances IL
ought to have been long ago that the Southern
whites left the negro in his ignorance the rapac0us and
INSCRIPTIONS Northern adventrer would find him that
II the colored man off from Southern sympathy
Southern interests andl Southern confidence. he would
look abroad to find them in some one else
Beauregard has the acknowledge these
mistakes and the energy OF character to seek their cor
rectiOn. Let how the whites would be affected
upon the realization OF his plans.
II is claimed by the opponents OF Gen. Beauregard
that his scheme contempaes social equality and this
bugbear drives otherwise sensible people into
hopeless confusion Of ideas in discussing the subject
The experience OF mankind is uniform TO social
equality. II did exist and 1t never will IN
such is sought TO be conveyed by Gen. Beare
CARDS opponents. There is wide difference between
public rghts-the rights OF travel, of public lodging,
public amusements. and the like and social relations
The most fasdious SOutherners readily share public
rights with negroes in the Northern States and in
Europe because do otherwise would subject them not
only great inconvenience but to unmeasured rdicule
But such people though the yeres slaves OF custom when
abroad, become the worst tyrans OF prescription when
at home. Observation among such people is limited
they would have long noticed that where the col
ored people enjoy the largest degree OF public rights
their social relations with the whites are the most lin
ited Still though there be danger of making the
col0red man social companion by granting political
equality and public accommodation, there is one phase
Of his prejudice which deserves to be treated with some
leniency.
fair and full recognition Of the coored mans poit
zeal and public rights will inevitably involve his eeya
tlon in many cases. to high official positions, and should
many o! the dgntares OF the State become voluntary
exies from society because they woud not be welcome
I'm It, society must suffer curtaimen OF its enjoy
ments. For the colored Governor and Secretary of
State could not give parties, their wives hold recep
tons II prescription prevented them from receiving
invitations to such among their neghbors. But after
all Is it not that the carpetbagger Is gener-
ally excluded from the society of the coolest aud the
best in the South Do not many perhaps the most of
the Southern families all social alliances with most
OF the present dignares of the reconstructed States
Is there not fair and honorable way out of these
dflcultiesl The cOored man is the tier Of Southern
SOIL and the best way for the to bend him to it IL
to encourage him to become an owner OF land He would
then be sure Of steady work by the same hands from
year to year. and community Of interest be-
tween himself and his employees. Tue colOred man Is a
voter and the only control his ballot to get his
confidence and that be got only by fair treatment
The colored mans present alliance with the carpet
ba gger upon mutual loyalty TO the Federal Gov
eminent. Loyalty 10 that goes before all else
free and gave him the ballot He does
not look desire social relations with the families
OF the carpetbaggers and even where ne mas the SUI
preme control south Carolina and Mississippi, he
does not exact the best offices. On the contrary, he
gives the lions share 10 the carpet-Dagger lie gains
but little ADVANTAGE pecuniariy or p3nticaly by ms
vote for the carpebagger Is without anI, ana there
fore without work TO give ana II ne oers tne negro ANY
compensation for his vote 1t consists OF some petty Office
in which the negros official head is always at his mercy
why, then, is il that the negro cngS 10 the carpet.
bagger with such desperate tenaclty ana upon terms OF
such constant humiliation Simply because the carpet
Dagger il the protested champion or every right the
black enjoys pledged 10 secure every privilege
he desires the future Carpetbag rule means to him
schoohouses and churches offices ana ,em3umeehts,
public rights and personal liberty But all these have
been conceded by the Souherners 1t may be said rms
may he so but the has been made slowly and
with apparent reluctance, and each new concession de-
over this very scheme of Gen. Beauregard there is
a keen and constant wTaIge among southern men
which arOuses the suspicious OF the GOOreu hdh rs 70
the sincerity even Of its champions what Is needed Is
a frank and manly acceptance OF the colored mans
rights and frank and manly response may be cOnh-
IDENTIFY looked for. There never was more suspicious
dressed themselves the task and never have coored
men shown themselves so impressDle on the subject;
parceng out OF few Offices among the native whites
and the blacks 1t means reyoution-qulet, may DC.
A., IN nm M /
legacy OF a great man; 1t Is yet to be the GROWING
glory OF great party When me southern WHITES mites
were parties of the most striking deeds OF his
torv In is true that the cOlorcd people at that time
initiated the Israetes in the ungateu that they
wCt not who this man" was, but sense OF ngratude
nce of Mr. tjreeey in its commanding and far
reaching influence is every day arousng the thoughtful
1 when they rejected the great apostle OF unifcation.
In the Northern states, where the cOOred populations
are sparse the unifcatOn movement Is either looked
mon with Indifference or violently denOunced but at
tile south the solution Of the cOlored problem urgent
the regeneration OF the south A cheap valuation OF
human life is of the bloody requests OF slavery III
began in the dehumanzatlon OF tle Nero IL as gpVWn
10 be such 10 the wnte man that whole families
are decmated by sanguinary feuds Inc negro oo,oa
was once IA badge OF his condition which furnished
title to any white mans right TO destroy him who could
pay for him; he is now regarded as trophy OF federa
victory over the South ana MS NE Is even css saceu
than when money was invested III 1t. But now the
too, can shoot and cut ana euo ana what WIN
and revenge among the blacks many sections Oh our
land kept III constant
oud soon soften these asperities lead 10 higher est
mate OF human existence secure greater quet III our
community, produce friendships at the Dolls winch
would aid in sweetenng all the other relations OF me-
The negro once an unpaid laDorer VINO could pe
compelled to labor when and where his master elected
lie h now a citizen, and lab0rs when and where he
likes He refuse TO come in the sorest need OF plant
ing and refuse amid the hardest pressure or
Gathering the crops Political differences often drive
him away from neghb0rhOods where the owner OF the
soil has no more control him than over the poor
whites who drive him away Designing demagOgues
entice the coored into towns under promise OF
office which they mean to give, simply 10 SVEN
the municipal vote In their own favor IhlheatOh
,roud remove all temptation toward wandering habits
and moor white coercion good labOrer would make
inc he