The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-10-08

i KNOW very sensible cOiOfeO men, VINO
have the Interests of their race sincerely
at heart. and who, looking over the
whole field, and recognizing facts as facts,
are not willing to pay the price of
their poor children's education for
their rich mems convenience and pleasure
THE CoLORED MAN WOULD BE INJURED.
But in still other respects the enact
ment of such law would not be benefi-
cient to the colored man. Their situation
as freedmen was surrounded with extra
ordinary difficulties and dangers from the
beginning. They were confronted by an
inveterate prejudice and by that spirit of
reckless violence which is doing so much
harm to the Southern people. Their
false friends in the South, using them for
selfish and ubiquitous ends, have succeed
ed in increasing again the difficulties
which the influence Of time and habit was
calculated to diminish. 1t would be a
dangerous venture; dangerous to the col
ored people, If their social position were
made the objective point of new strife,
under circumstances so unfavorable. Now
that they have the political rights Of citi-
zenship it is much wiser and safer for
possess to make themselves respected,
and to leave all to the gradual progress
of public opinion, which has already out
grown many prejudice that few years
ago still seemed invincible. As their
sincere friend, / should certainly not con-
slider it favor to them to preeipitate
them headlong into numberless and end
less personal conflicts, in which they in
evitablv would be the sufferers.
But the National Government and the
dominant party can do something far
better for the colored man than pass laws
of doubtful constitutionality or send
troops for their protection. Let them
openly and severely discountenance those
corrupt partisans in the South who have
misled the colored people into an organ
lied support of robbery and misgovern-
ment, and done all they could to make
them believe that in the matured opinion
of white men the science of politics consists
in stealing as much of the public money
as Won can lay your hands on. Let them
punish, at least with removal, those office
holders who have prostituded the authori-
ty of the republic by using their official
power to work into the hands of the
plunderers Let in their place be put
men of wisdom, conscience and honor,
who will set them an example of high
official integrity and public spirit, and
disahuse them of the idea that whatever
they may do as partisans of those in power,
the aid of the National Government will
always stand behind them.
THE WAY OF SAFETY.
Still more can the colored people them
selves do for their own projections; and
here, I think, is the way to solve the
most difficult part of the problem They
cannot too soon give up the delusion that
they will be safe only so long as they
remain together in the same political
organization. Instead of exercising over
one another a system of terrorism, in
order to enforce party discipline, they
should encourage among themselves indi-
vidual independence. Not in union is
their safety. in division. They have
before them~the example of another body
of mep, who, although from the beginning
far stronger in their social position and
influence, were also, under certain cir
cumstances, threatened with an invasion
of their political rights; | mean the adop-
ted citizens As long as they, in an
almost solid body, stood together on the
side of one party, the other thought Of
taking their rights from them; but no
sooner did they break their ranks, and
divide, than both parties stood up for
them with equal zeal. 1t is lesson easily
As soon as the colored citizens
in the South shake off the odium which
arises from their having, as solid, or
ganized mass, been the main support of
the worst kind of partisan rule, as soon
rs every one of them casts his vote on
this side or the other, as his opinions or
inclinations may dictate, each party will
make their protection a special object, in
order to attract a majority of those votes;
and | am rejoiced to learn that the mum
Der of colored citizens who emancipate
themselves from the serfdom of party
and who counsel with their
white neighbors on their political action,
in order to secure good government, is
growing larger from year to year. When
it will have grown SO large that the coll /
ored voters become an important element, /
not only in one, but in both, parties, |
under natural impulse Of seIf-interest, |
will rival in afforiing them the fullest |
measure of protection. That will do |
more to stop bloody excuses in the South |
than any military interference, and more
to establish just and beneicient relations
between the two races than any other /
legislation. This view of |
the case may not be palatable to the /
of the party which so far has |
had the almost unanimous support of the |
colored vote. Gov. Kellogg Of Louisiana,
and Gov. Noses of South Carolina, l
may not like it. They will |
call this the advice Of dangerous disor-
ganizer, as | am accustomed to be called |
a dangerous disorganzer whenever | adj
vocate Il policy which crosses the selfish |
schemes Of politicians, Well, the advice
[ give may not be good for the Kelloggs
md Moses, but maintain that it Is good /
tor the safety and future welfare of the
,olored people, as well as for the cause of
honest government in the South.
Miss Mary Louisa Hurlburt belonged !
% the choir of her fathers Grew. Victor |
Hurlburt) church at Stone Ridge, n. Y. I
On Sunday lately she sang with unus-
IaI clearness and precision the first hymn, !
md her S0ui went ont in the last notes of /