New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-20
The FIXTURE of the CoIored Race,

cai oocHrtv. neiu recently in the chapel
OF the Parker Institute. Brooklvr Mr..
Hoger A. Pryor read paper on The Pres
ent and Future OF the Negro in the South. ~
Ihe Rev: Richard A. Storrs presided, and q
large audience was prese mt. In the course
OF hl8 remarks the lecturer said the fortunes
OF 3,Ooo,0O0 human beings, parcel of the
population and political community of the
nation, can not but. present "a subject of
anxious deloeration to every humane and
intelligent man. Our own welfare is init
mately connected more or less with this i'll
starred people. If not by the impulse of
generous enthusiasm, then at least by sor
did self interest We shall be compelled to
bestoW upon the destinies of the negro some
snare OF wlsttul attention and ccnsidera-
ton Tor just as he ia thrifty and indus
trtous will be contribute to the pros
perlfy OF the country; and just in
proportion as he is enlightened in his under
standing and pure in his morality, in pre-
clseiy the same ratio will he exert an iptiu-
ence on our enlightenment; and just SO far
as he Is idle and impure or blind in his in
teiiect, by even SO much will his improvi-
dence despoil our wealth, his ignorance
eclipse our intelligence, and his depravity
SOIL and debase our virtue. The lecturer
then briefly glanced at the past of the negro
race, and said that never was race so lit
tie behoiden to its past as was the negro OF
oho A'oAiH. AHc Slavery Oh America WAS
undoubtedly better for the negro than the
slavery Of Africa, yet, nevertheless, hi,
condition then was unfortu tunate specifically
IN this, that such a condition was not com
patlble with the enllghtment of his mind,
anu so when emancipation came it found
him idle, improvident, enervnted in charac-
ter, bound In intellect, and PROSTATE in
spirit, and the white people Of the South
were little 1ncllRed to view with cOmpia-
garded as the instruments Of their discom-
flture neither did they receive much sym
patty from the people OF the North. in whom
the prejudice of race was a strong barrier
between themselves and the negro
Under these circumstances there are few
who hoped much for his future. and the ap-
prehension of the world was that as soon rs
tne federal arm was Withdrawn from his
protection the freedman would topp!a down
into Incidence and anarchy, and he would
relapse into barharisn. A few of the more
thoughtful INDUCED in brighter hope for
his future, and the result had proved they
held The current view, for the negro race at
the South had held its own as no other race
had ever done before in the struggle
agans the bet er enlightenment of the DOM
nant race. Thirty years study OF the ne-
gre race, both in slavery and in freedom.
had disclosed to him (Mr Pryor. ro def
hi,
and had Satisfied him that they were alto
gether competent to the highest achieve.
ments of civilization. He alluded to their
falthiuiness to their masters during the
war, and said that they were the guardian
angels of their masters households and
Their sublime appearance would weigh
more than all the glories of the puissant
White race. He spoke of their deep reli-
glous faith and sensibiiitv, which had never
been tainted with scepticism or iutidelitv.
There were some shadows on this picture,
but 1t must be remem bered that while the
virtues OF the negro We're his own his wees
were bis heritage, and the former eutnum.
bered the latter. In 1865 emancipation
came TO him, and it was a noteworthy tact
that the Liberation of 100000 slaves was
attended with as little shock or purturba-
tlon as lady withal lets loose her canary
from It's cage, and then the negro with the
nature which God given him, but which
circumstances had tended so much to mar
The negro addressed himself 10 the mighty
problem OF self government.
Lest the audience might think his picture
OF the negro d partial one and too highly |
colored. The lecturer gave the following
stafIs les: la lSCoshe slave population Was |
). 953 700: il 1870 there were 4, $4,000 color
ed citizens in the South thus refuting tho
prediction Of their decay. There
was also proof OF moral advancement In !
1860 the cotton crop was $3.50, 600 bales Ii |
was lnevlta ble that the waste of the war |
should decrease tins. and in 1866 it was but |
,90O,UUO bales; but the rebound was pronpt !
and pr0dlgious, and in 1872 tho voluntary |
labor OF the freedmen contributed 39n0 coo |
bales. Ia that portion of the South whore
slavery had reduced the negro to his lowest |
level, in Mississippi it Was stated in the
message OF the Governor Of the State that
n thirty-one counties there were issued in
ob5. Dol marriage licenses, and in 1870 there |
were 342I. IN the same counties in 1855 he |
number of colored churches was IO5; in |
1870, 203 In 1865 the number Of coored
schools was IL; in 1870. l48, and in 1872 the
National Freedmens Trust Company, only
me out Of manv similar institutions, held of
deposits over s., ,000,V0 OF the saying IS fthe
slave.
Gratifying as these statements were, thev
ave but faint idea of the physical, men
al, and moral improvement of the negro of
he South compared to that which might be !
.a!ned by going among them and contrast
ng their present position with the past.
let there WAS still one drawback TO be sur
nGunted, and that was prejudice of race |
nd color: and this, still strong at the South,
Tas almost equally so at the North. 1t was
tlt iii the hotel, in the theatre, in the
hurch, land" continued the lecturer "even
q the graveyard, for the bones of no negro
est in your beautiful cemetery" It was to |
ndeavor to do something to destroy or at
asst weaken this that was the object of the
3cture.
Abiding to the mistakes in legislation
lade by the negro in those States where he |
III the ascendant, Mr.. Pryor said 1t only
roved that slavery had not been a good
,hool in which to learn political economy,
al after all no negro had been connected
18th Credit MobiIler and the Legislature of
on5h Carolina would compare favorably
it'll the New York Assembly under the
,verrment of the ring. In the futnre he
aemed it inevitable that the black popula.
on should 1orsake the border States and
} South, where the whites of the South
ould come North ard populate the border
.ates. This was the destiny which God
as preparing for this race, aud he ithe lee
lrer) did not doubt that under His divine
lidance everything would be ordered
isely and we'll for the best interest of botn
ees.-Ncso York World
Mrs. Fry's Home in New Orleans.
A correspondent of the st. Louis Globe !
aited npon Mrs. Fry, at her residence in t
ew Orleans, few days since. for the