The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-09
Mr. Harris and the Northern Press.

Mr. Harris and the Northern Press.
The northern press, save = very few, arc
oenancaeosy OF Mr.. HARRIS, OF Virginia
They pronounce him ill-manpered and over
bearing, and declare that ELLiorr, the co
iored man, made a better speech on the fool
Of the House Of Representatives than Mr
HARRIS did. These declarations are merel,
the carnations Of prejudice and hate. Dir
HARRIs was rudeiy interrupted by negro
who abruptly denied the proposition thai
the white race was superior to the b'acS
raee-a proposition which no white man III
Congress dared to deny. Mr. HARRIS, )usti:
inaisnan: a. the interruption, told the III
,ruder that he would not be interrupted
and that his proposition was addressed to
white members. There was nothing I'M
proper in this, judged according to tht
n:eest rules Of civility. The offence vas
committed by the negro. Mr.. HARRIS acted
as any honorable gentleman would have
acted with just sense Of what was due to
himself personally and to bis representative
capacity. He has the unanimous applause
OF bis wbie fcl]ow-citizens Of Virginia for
his conduct.
No: conteat with calling him rude, his
ii!.beral and malignant critics, to wound his
sepsibilities. declare that ELLIOTT was more
;han match for him in debate. The truth
is. Mr. HARRIS made speech that was
marked for its intellectual force and truth
fitness, while ELLroT1's was poor and c2m-
yuonplace, with here and there those traces
OF sanctimoniousness and pious complaints
which characterize Puritanism, SO celebrated
for its "reminiscences and cruelty. But for
its utter lack Of argument we could well
credit the statement that it was written for
ELLIOTT by HoAR of Massachusctts-th that
source of both the slave trade and abolition
ism, and of nearly al the evil isms which
have afflicted this land.
Upona fair contras; Of the speeches in ques-
ton no honest and impartial judge can say
that ELLloTT's effort showed higher mental
Character than that of HARRIS; bat these
northern critics, in their prejudice and in
their despicable trick Of putting the negro
against the southern white man, pronounce
tue negro in this instance superior. And
suppose that this were true, would that
Prove Mr.. HARRJs's assertion of the supe-
Tiority of the white man over the negro I'm.
tue? No white man can say so without
t,lIing lie that bis own heart will rebuke
HIN for.
This mean spirit leads those who cherish
it % treachery to their own race. There isa
greater treason, but on earth there is none
otner SO mean, SO very vulgar aud grovel-
Ing.
Is it that the South is never to be fol given
Is il that descendants of the men who cap.
tured negroes in Africa and brought them in
feet between decks, where |
the captiyes could never stand up-across
the Atlantic and sold them into slavery are
never TO forgivs the South for having slaves:
Are they our proper judges? Is that land
which furnished slavc-shirs and sailors to
man them until very late in the present cen.
fury to anathamatize Us, who never owned
ShYe-sliip and who never kidnapped Afri.
Cabs from their own land and forced them
into slavery? Is that land to be the judge
or the South and to cast imputation and in
>IlI upon her rs being less holy than itsefiS
History will tell a different story. But
u ~ we are remembered only for insult and
depreciation. Although not white man in
Congress dared, in reply TO Mr.. HARRIS, to
le:lare that the white man was not superior
% the negro, our northern depreciators set
&c negro ~ to say as much, and themselves
lsinuate that he Is superior to the southern
Waite man. Do they entertain more aver
ion for us on account Of the rebellion, so
allied, than they do for the negro on account
If his rice? Do they hope more from
he negro for the honor and power and
;iory 0, thcc Union than they do from the
outhcrn white people?
These are questions which they may we'll
ddress to themselves, and they may well
oasider how far they should sacrifice truth
nj honor and sympatbr of blood to base
lrejudiee and Sectional hate. disgraceful alike
o civilization and humanity.
One would think that in the bitterness of
aolthern prejudice we white people are al
most ignored In the preference given the
negro. Even the New York Tribune knows
not what State Mr.. HARRIS represents, but
speaks of him as from kentucky.
These things are not like summer clouds,
hat soon dispense. They stick. For our
selves we have been sincere and frank. We
desire to be at peace; and, furthermore, we
desire to aid in promoting the welfare Of the
through the just administration Of
The laws according to the Constitution. We
desire this Notwithstanding that our north
era rulers have-under the lying pretext
that they must give the negro the vote for
his Observation-Disclosures several of the
States to the rule Of barbarIsm.
Aud We desire 1t in sincerity and In hope
endeavoring to make things better
for the whole Union, and ardently hoping
that measures may be adopted for rescuips
the fairest part of this Union from barbarisnl.
But if We are still to be the objects of in.
suit and oppression-if we are to be still
further degraded in the scale of human dig
nifty and honor-why, our good purposes
and desires have but poor recompense, and
we behold instead Of that policy which
would heal national dissensions and restore
national harmony The progress of hate and
the accumulation Of wrongs that are but