The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1874-08-15
Fred. Douglass Advice to tSae
Negroes.
T Vash:ngton lelegron. TO Chicago II,

IWash;ngton Telegram to Chicago IImeY.]
Fred. Douglass, in his paper, eonpaffs OF
outrages against the negroes in the Sou. 1ler1
States. He suggests as Z complete remedy for
those oppressed in States having Democratic
majorities, emigration. He adUSes the coto1'ed
leoyle to leare those States IN rhich then are q
minority, and go into those States ,chcre MeY
: hare majority.
The above extract was taken from the Lou
isyille Cou7iey-Journal and contains a warning
of our fate should We fail to heed it. Fred.
douglass Is unquestionably the ablest negro
III the United States, and the acknowledged
leader of his race. If they follow his advice,
is it not possible to Atricanize permanently,
! at least three if not more of the Southern
! Statesf Is it not probable that they will fol-
low it2 That the scheme is practicable does
not admit of question, and if SO, why may its
! execution not be probable! Wemay say that
Douglass is long way off, and that his advice
cannot reach the thousands necessary to ac-
complish such an object. This, and all other
suggestions of this character, which are based
upon the ignorance of the negro, are mere de-
iusions. Doug ass knows, and we know, that
owing to their former condition of slavery to
the white man, the negro instinctively dis
trusts him i'll all that relates to his freedom
and his imaginary rights.
He is nore jealous of his liberty now than
we are, and he will not believe it assured un-
der the rule of the white race, and especially
the Southerner who formerly held hiut as a
slave. Being jealous and iistrustful, he will
readily seize any remedy suggested for his
safety in this matter. Besides, their leaders
can read and will have no difficulty in moving
him to any desired point where his rights may
be placed beyond a pcradventure. They are
like "dumb driven CATTLE" and will follow
wherever led or go wherever told. By con-
cert of action among their leaders, a smulta
ncous exodus of negroes could be started from
Virginia or North Carolina to South Carolina.
from Georgia and Alabama to Mississippi, aud
from Texas or any other convenient point to
Louisiana.
Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Arkan-
sas and Texas have been released from the
grasp of the negro, and Florida. South Caro-
lima, Mississippi and Louisiana alone remain
under their heels. The emigration of less than
one-half of the negroes from the former five
States to the four latter would permanently
Africanize them and compel the removal of
the whites. They do not feel sure of their
control in Louisiana yet, because of the small
excess of their population, and because they
have not So far been able to throw off their
carpct-bag friends, whose superior intelli-
gence they still need. But that they desire To
throw the carpet basger of cannot be Doubt
ed; for they fear and distrust him only little
less than they do US, and when they do get
rid of him, it will be to put themselves in Office
and to secure the control of the State e.r
themselves as o race.
Douglass plainly intimates that their only
safety lies in their having negro majority,
and he only intimates what they already be-
ieve. Believing it, can any one reasonably
doubt that they could be easily moved to pur-
sue such course as will secure the desire of
their heartsl Does not their very ignorance
Of the duties and responsibilities of citizenship
combined with their fears and ambition as a
race render Douglass advice doubly more
feasible and easy Of execution than it might |
otherwise be? He is blind who does not see |
and cannot realize that We have much to fear |
from such pernicious advice as this to the !
Why does not Douglass advise the negroes
to go to ns white republican friends in the
North, or where republicans have q majority !
without regard to race3 1t must be because
even he, is not willing to trust them. IN ad
vising them to go where negroes have ma
jority he shows the cloven foot and demons
trates his desire for majority of his race
purely and simply. He says nothing of his
party or IFS principles, but bases his suggest
ions on distinction of race whose ascendancy
Is necessary, in his estimation, for its protec-
ton. ..
If he should continue to advocate this course
which we do not doubt, failure of the
white people to carry this election must event
nate, before the election of 1876, in giving
them entire control of Louisiana. 49,
To save our State from such doom as this
IS surely above and beyond all party consider
ations, and he is an exceedingly small indi
itual who will not go earnestly into the
struggle because his party does not command
Dur forces.
That party that clings to it's name at any
,ost, will deserve, as it will receive the con-
iemnation of all good men.