New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-01-08
Place the Blame " Is ere IL b. Tong.

Inc mlSctaDlc ottetIPL Vi VIC NC" VI n
Tribune, aided by troop Of penny-a.line
correspondents, to lay at tho door Of the
negro the blame for the lack of material pro-
gress in certain of tho late slave States, Is
made in the interest, and after the fashion,
of ne2ro-haters; men whose only claim to
superiority is based on the color of their
skins. A writer in fridays issue Of the 7ri-
bune draws distressing picture of the condi-
ton of Mississippi with its negligently culti-
waited plantations, its worn out dwellings, its
rickety barns, gin-houses, &c. This condi-
ton Of things is charged to the inferiority
and laziness of the negro, to his inability to
comprehend his duty as free man.
We distinctly remember reading book
written by North Carclinian some fourteen
or fifteen years ago in the ralmy days of
slavery, and known as Helpers Impending
Crisis, wherein pretty much the same CON-
plants as to the condition Of plantations In the
South, and the general iliteracy Of its people
were made. Then the blame was laid upon
slavery and its effect upon the white people
of that section, which, in our opinion, was
the proper place to lay it. The effect of
slavery still fingers in the South, and the
white people there are no less under its con-
troll to-day than the black people; en- the
contrary, it appears that the negro is more
rapidly outgrowing the evil influence OF
slavery than the whites. While on a trip
through Mississippi year or two ago We
n oticed that in all the fields where any work
was being done black men were perf,rn,i.ig
it, and that all the bar-rooms and loafing
places were fillei with ahle.bndied. tobacco
chewing. wbisky-drinkng, unreconstructe,i
white men. with bands in their pockets q
picture of indc'grce AID lack Of enterprise
the most woe-'e-ut.. rhi, INDECENT clas-
furnishes the information upon which The
negro-ha.ina correspondents Of the Tribune
base their charges against the negro. The
negro, comprchending tina, The necessities oi
freedom required Intelligence to understand
them< set to work raly to acquire knowl-
edge the white ace as early gave themselves
uN to the fiendsh attempt t. conquer the
desire Of tie negro 'cr knowledge BY killing
Their teachers aud destroying their school
houses, and, instead Of cultivatng a good
feeling between tie tw" RACES by trea'ir z
the negro justly, /. demoniac spirit ii hate
and revenge, born of slavery and treason
dove the ~ 2r from the plantations to crowd
the cities for p ot.c'ion, resulting iu seriously
affecting the interests Of beth races.
Corruption can. 10 doubt, be found in the
late slave States. lut It does not follow that
il comes iitm tic regro being allowed to
vote any more than it would be fair to argue
against the white people of the State Of New
York being allowed the elective franchise
because of the corruption Of its rings in State
and city. New York is On the high road to
relieve iiselffr, m the unsc upalous politicians
who have robbed and disgraced the State.
IT. people have reached this height by their
own efforts the same can be done In the
South. Let there be full acquiescence on the
mart of the ex-slaveholdcrs and leaders In
the freedom and citizenship Of the negro,
make him know BY cessation Of all petty
that His rights will be respected
In everything that he can justly claim, and
the effect will be To elevate him to height
from which lie viii take a more extensive
view Of his duty than he does from where he
now stands in an attitude Oh fear that his OLD
master may come into power and sweep away
he protection tha: he already enjoys.