The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-27
A New Southern State.

The Tennessee and Mississippi papers
are talking of the project of detaching the
nothern counties of Mississippi, and
either attaching them to Tennessee or
organizing them into separate State.
The whites living in Northern Mississippi
are said to be favorable to it ; and the ne
gro IN ajorty in the Southern part of the
State not opposed TO it. The former are
weary Of a negro domination which gives
no promise of speedy end, and they seek
relief from it by the separation proposed.
The subject suggests possible move
ment for the adjustment of the still urre-
conciled and perhaps irreconcilable ques-.
tiou between the white and black races of
the South-a segregation of the blacks
into pure negro States on the low-lands
of the gulf, Alabama, Mississippi, F1ori-
da, Louisiana and Texas are the States
where the contest for it is nothing less
| than contest between the two races--is
sharpest and most stubborn and it is to
| be noted that, Notwithstanding the SUI
perior Intelligence, address and skill of
the whites, these qualities seem to
avail little against the resistance OF the
great inert mass of 100000 negroes aid
ed by Federal favor, and supported by
Federal power. 1t is true the white popu-
lation of these five States is greater than
their black population, the exact figures
being: Whites l 1927 OF blacks G29,-
O55 but it is a fact also, that the relations
between the two races in these States, since
the war, have been those of strife for the
mastery. Had there been no interference
from the outside, the superior intelligence
of the whites would easily have asserted
and maintained an ascendancy, and the
more numerous but less intelligent blacks
would have subsidized into an admission
of it,. But the intelligence of the whites
has been more than neutralized by the
reinforcement of Federal authority ex-
tended to the blacks, and thus the whites
1. - Il ITO
dition, which is all the more irksome and
CALLING because it could be remedied, il
the opportunity were afforded. In South
Carolina the strife has been settled by the
absolute triumph of the negroes in Lou
isiana, the recent compact, together with
like a proclamation of similar victory;
in Mississippi and Florida the black su.
premacy is scarcely less rigid, aud in AL.
/ ALBANIA the whites have gained no advan-
tage after eight years of effort. In
> Georgia and Texas the whites have tri-
IMPLIED, and Georgia's position and ex-
ample might, under different admins
, tration at Washington, provoke a recon.
. sideration and readjustment of the South
a Carolina settlement, and force a retire.
ment of the blacks into the warm gulf re.
gion, which seems to be indicated as the
future home of the race. The movements
necessary to produce this segregation are
, simpler than some might imagine a with
a drawal of the whites from Florida and
I the lower part of Alabama, Mississippi
{ and Louisiana, and the withdrawal of the
r blacks from the upper parts of these
; States-a movement which is even nov
h slowly going on-would accomplish it
= Of course all the cclored people in thu
n United States would not migrate to thu
r new Dahomey nor would all the white
+ persons emigrate from it; but it would b'
/ the only community in which the black
y would enjoy perfect equality, and II
which they would reach whatever devel
opment they are capable of. 1t is certain
;. that the present irritating struggle be
A tween the two races cannot go on forever
a and it seems apparent that it can end only
a by the submission OF one to the other
a or by their separation.-iSt Louis RepWbH
a can.