The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-06-18
Let Us Have Wisdom in the South.

Let Us Have Wisdom in the South.
We took occasion, few days since, to COM
ment upon an article in the Raleigh IN. c.
Crescent, opposing what the editor called "ne-
groism," and to advise that journal and all who
feel with it that "the contest in the South is
not between races, but between honesty and
dishonesty, between patriotism and crime"
To this the Crescent answers that we misunder-
stood its meaning that it does not advise
war of races; that it recognizes the political
power of the negro; that North Carolina is
in fine condition, "blessed" with a good gov
ernment, but that danger will come from the
passage of the Civil Rights bill-the danger of
'negroism," or "negroi9ing the South T. that
ern Atlantic and Gulf States become the resi-
dence "of mongrel population of about the
stamina of the Mexican Peons." "Would the
Herald" asks the Crescent, "willingly see race
of American heroes and statesmen eXtinguished
by amalgamaton with the African7" Certain
" not, we answer, nor do we have any such fear.
We regard "negroism" or "negroizing the
South" as purely sentimental, impossible is
sue like the celebrated question that used to
haunt our earlier election canvasses as to
whether republican candidates for Congress
really reioiced in the hope that their sisters
would one day "marry a nigger." All such
controversy belongs to the rbaldry and badin-
age of the canvass, and has no place in serious,
calm discussion of public affairs.
We are profoundly convinced that if any.
thing could make defeat of the Civil Rights bill
impossible it would be the tone of many of the
Southern journals in discussing it. The Shell
byville Commercial assures US that "the passage
of the Civil Rights bill means Capitalization or
revolution. One or the other will follow"
The Macon Telegraph inform us "that some
men in the South, wearied of the fight for or
der and honest, intelligent government with
the dominant black legions of radcalism, had
rather take the chances of absolutism and one
man power than continue the struggle" The
Nashville Republican Banner utters warning
cry" that "the enactment Of this Civil Rights
bill portends the gravest consequences in the
way of engendering bad blood and melting to
war of races" We have appeals to that
'instinct which forbids whites to mingle with
the blacks on terms Of intimacy" for "those
whom God has parted asunder let no man join
together" "The sooner" says the Charleston
Neaos, "the madness ofparty fanaticlsm drives the
white race to the wall the sooner will the freed
man find his natural level, above which the
necessities and ambition of unscrupulous dema-
gogues have temporarily raised him." This,
rbaldry and passion of controversy. 1t can
only result in arraying one race against the
other in the South. Nothing is clearer than
that no law can be made to compel whites and
blacks to "amalgamate" unless they choose so
to do, Just as no law can prevent them if they
are so disposed. The whole question is not one
of law, but of taste and custom. The men of
both races have common interest In honest
government and it should be the aim of white
men in the South to appeal to the negros pa
triotism and pride to assist in the work of re.
FORM and not to drive him, from an instinct OF
fear or self-preservation, to make an alliance
with the "carpet-baggers" and adventures, who
hold power over the whites only by the help OF
the blacks For it is natural and not surprising
that the blacks should prefer the thief who
treats them with friendship to the honest white
man who regards them as an inferior, degraded
and usurping race.
Above all, and here is the ground that should
never be forgotten in this discussion, and
especially by prudent men in the South who
wish to defeat the Civil Rights bill and other
attempts at extravagant and impossible legis-
lation-there are two races in these United
States, North and South, though mainly in the
South, and here they must remain. We can
not exterminate the African as we are extermi-
mating the Indian. We must accept him as
entitled to the earth, the air and the sunshine
to freedom and the right to pursue his hap
piness.
What the South wants is peace between the
races and not war For chat reason we well
come any sign of regeneration in its politics,
not only among republicans, but democrats.
Here, for instance, is an appeal to the repub-
licans of Alabama from the Daily State Journal,
which, if only sincere, has pleasant sound.
The republicans of Alabama, this journal says,
"seek to restore the credit of the State so Sc
riously beclouded under democratic rule, Ito
restore balance to the Treasury" to lift the
State "out of the slough of despond into which
democracy has plunged it." If the republicans
in Alabama are in earnest in these assurances
they can do a blessed work. 1t will be the first
Southern State in which they have done any
thing but legslate upon recognized principles
of hi ghway robbery. South Carolina and
Louisiana are sad trophies of this republican
supremacy, and if that party in Alabama will
really reform itself and insure good government
it will be the beginning of reconstruction.
More than this, what we want in the South is
the heawakening ola generous, manly, self asserting
patriotism among the oouthern people them-
selves-a new manifestation of those qualities
of endurance and fortitude which gave the
Confederacy renown that will last through
ages We cannot feel that all these noble
qualities craftsmanship, the self-denial,
the perseverance which marked the Confeder-
ate course during the war-were surrendered
at Appomattox with the armies of General
Lee. And vet we sometimes fear such was
really the case, especially when we see all that
is left of the manhood of that puissant Confed-
eracy is some poor foolish gasconading Bob
Toombs or Ben Hill; when we read in the
columns of the journal Is these frenzics about
another revolution; when we hear statesmen
and thinkers crying like children over some
fancied "negroizing" of the South or in dread
that they may become a mongrel population,
like the "Peons of Mexico" This is unwor-
thy and should altogether be avoided. Let