Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-09-25
m Tha nnminnnt Rnoa. y

"The Dominant Race.
II tis about time that Southern Democrats
stop talking about their being "the legitimate
representatives Of the dominant race on earth"
II they are, the world will discover Il soon
enough without calling upon them to blow their
own trumpeis. We have 40 exalted idea Of the
white ace in general, and some branches Of IL
in particular, but we see on every hand some
lazy, good for. nothing, bigoted, and raScallV
pals-faces that we find our faith sadly shaken
in the color Of the skin as an index Of superior
merit or wsldoveioped manhood. There Is
time 10 the earlier history Of the nation when
the plausible doctrine preached by Southern
Democracy that the Caucasian branch Of tie hu-
man race was created by kind Of Providence
to ride on the shoulders Of the rest Of ma pkind,
and with whip aud spur forced them to do their
bidding, but that time has departed, and the
world has at last opened its sleepy eyes to the
fact that all men have eqaal rights in the race Of
life, and that no one branch has right to sad
die the other on the grounds Of a legal and di.
vine right To d. so. Merit, in this age Of prog
ress, must be the iandarl superiority, and ii
Southern Democrats ignore this standard they
will fnd, to their sorrow, that tue color Of their
skin can not keep them in the vanguard of civ
ilizaiion.
We are led to these remarks BY reading the
speech Of the President OF the Conservative
Convention which recently met at Baton Rouge.
His name is Il. II. Mari, and his sentiments in
cline us to believe that he is the same individ-
ual who in the palmy days Of slavery tried 10
onvuce the Christian world that the trade in
human flesh was sanctioned by the Almgh
commanded by His holy word, and was the
divinely appointed system for the elevation and
ChristaniEation Of the African race. In his
eyes every STAKEHOLDER was a missionary, and
every crack Of the lash the essence Of gospel
truth. II Is sad comment on the doctors
philosophy that when Abraham Lincoln,
through his proola nation, closed this beneVo-
lent system Of missionary work, after more than
hundred years trial among thu negroes Of the
South, but few of its converts could read or
write, or who had been elevated single degree
| above their original state OF ignorance aud bar
| barism. Yet Mr.. Mari in his speech satisfies
his hearers by the following offering OF white
wash and soap:
You know that before the emancipation Of the
| colnred race we occupied toward them pnter
| nal relation, The negro should still receive
| the protecting care Of those who were formerly
his masters. | tell YOU, my counrymcn, the
truest and best friend the negrn ever had or
ever will have, were once their masters and
| ~1nfSt,. The duty that we have to perform
we are responsible is ss say, one for which
wish to impress this seriously upon "YB9try l
yOu leave hero il has oppressed me IL has
weighed upon me with heavy sense Of respon
ia In nj liz. krts4 art. A Z.
| negro race. Left 10 himself he will become
! savage, an idolAtor. Wherever he has been al.
| lowed to exercise his natural Tendencies and de
| sires, unrestrHined, he has become a savage and
anidolator. God in his providence has Intrusted
| his elevation to you. Do not doubt it: do not
shrink from it do not attempt tn shirk the re.
sPonsibility. Gid in his providence has intrust-
ed to you the elevation, education, aad the
training Of this race. "
We suggest in all kindness to this "represen-
tative Of the dominant race" and specimen OF
enlighted Democracy that il is about time thai
he and his friends allowed the negro to work
out his own social and political salvation. II
their foImer masters and owners are, indeed
ttheir truest and best friends, as Mr.. MNrr as
serts, the colored people will not De long 10 find
ing it out. But We insist that the negro rae,
has a right to look elsewhere for the means &c
elevate and Christianize itself. A century's ex
perience with ''the dominant race" has some
what shaken its contid nee in the friendship ex
pressed by its former masters aud owners, ant
the benevolent work Of the White Leag ues anC
the charitable visits of the Kuklux are not over
calculated to restore confidence in these self
proclaimed "trusst and best friends the negro
ever had" IL Southern Democracy ear nestly
seeks to elevate and Christiauize the negro rae,
ii must stop the discipline which held it in bond
age. 1t must call of its blood hounds and senC
out teachers competent to instruct Instead o
driving negroes away by the riff, and the knife
it should attract them by the Bible and th'
school book. Instead of burning cooreC
churches and school houses it should build 9th
ers and stock them with the agencies of eac,
; and civilization. Iuatead of prosecuting an,
, ostracizng Northern teachers who wou Id glad
ly instru,t the colored people in the best meth
Sds Of education and industry Il should wei
come them to their cities and towns and bi,
> God speed in their efforts to elevate aud Chris
tiauiLe u race whose abOr the South must de
! pend upon for large share Of its future pros
periy. Let Democracy pursue this plan anC
write over its cOGrts OF justice equal punish
ment TO the white and black offender" 4" and tn,
nation will rejoice over Democratic majuritie
because they will mean protection to the hum
blest citizen aud the blessings of liberty to all
This, and this only Is tue path which leads L
Southern peace and prosperity. Will Democ IA
cy follow 1t, aud thus securS its own redemp
iion 10 the elevation OF n race that 1t now Op
presses or will it iu the future, as IN the paGt
cling to its blind prejudices until it encomp pa sss
its own destruction This path OF peace whicl
we have indi Gated the Republican party is iol
lowing TO day. Democracy can iorestall IL
action aud earn the reward, or il can hinder il
progress by placing obstacles in the way. Blu
tho result, sOOuer or later, must be tue same
II the representative Of ''the dominant race
would reap the & glOry tLey must hasten to dc
the work.-Ths Republic.