The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-01

neio 1ol tne especial dement, OF the
coiored race. speak of the mass of them
Or course there are intelligent negroes who
know what congress is, and where IL is and
all ABOUT 1t, but the mass of them have a
tremendous exaggerated idea OF the powers
OF that branch OF the government ana how
il is welded for the esneciaI benefit of the
black race. Among the whites. particularly
In the mountains and back country the
popular ioea OF the civil rights bill is as err
roneous as that entertained by the blacks
In the very exaggeration of the measure we
nave reason for much OF the race haze and
luminosity which has swep. over TIE South-
ern land with the news OF the PASSAGE of the
law. Neither race understands its scope
ana eacn nncs 1t reason for hating the
otner. The result has been irrepzrable evil.
10 Indicate to the Northern mind the intense
antipatby OF the average Southerner to the
negro equality" contemplated in the civil
rights bill, will give few sentences from
tne conversation OF Tennessee lawyer with
me- me- we were standing upon the bank OF
the tennessee river during the recent dis
astrous Hood, and noting the wide spread
havoc. Terrible as this is" said be, dis
astrous as 1T will be to our interests. it is
tnsomsnlng TO the evils which the civil rights
piI VIII bring upon our section.
wouio rather ses the whole South
unoer water six feet deep than to
have that law enforced among us.
1T MEANS THE RUIN OF THE SOUTH.
IL was planned for that purpose. They want
10 degrade us and our children; they want
to humiliate US. They care nothing for the
Cd On Niger, only 10 get bis vote and
steal his money through ireedmen's banks.
but the lower they can sink the Southern
whites into the pit of humiliation and degra-
dstion, the better they are satisfied. II this
thing is not checked, if the tendency OF ALI
things to negro equality is not arrested, the
south Is poisoned as with the breath of "A
poisonous gale. We will become q nation
OF mopgrels, like Mexico, lost to decency, to
mankind, to self-respect, to everything that
bold dearest Among tbo1 psUpdis
and tens of thousands of intel
ligent thinking men in The South this
IDEA prevails. Often hear them say "Well
we mad as well make stand here as any,
wnere. LII we submit to the civil rights bill
the next thing will be something else still
more humiliating and repugnant. They
have loaded tie cancels back with the last
leather IL can support. Let us resist the civil
rights bill and save, If possible our children
from the degradation Of negro equality.v
Northerhers, as class have little idea of
the intense antipathy of the people of the
South to what they term NEGRO equality"
lhey ike the negroes when they "keep their
R nseriortv that is acknowledge their
what is supposed to be their proper
sphere, and undertake to assume airs and
crowd themselves forward as "eouals" the
whites hate them with an intensity and
| 1eroclty not surpassed by any example of
hate in the history of mankind on earth.
personally have contempt for the absurd
prejudice which prevails in the South on
this question, the ludicrous idea holding that
IL one eats at table with negro be is SIDE
graded" But the prejudice here, which is
so intense and so much injury to all, is oc-
casioned by the attempt to break Il down bv
laws, pains and penalties, that there seems
no way to do but to respect these preiudces
and ancient customs, and leave time to cor
rect them, If they ever can be corrected.
Every interference by law with these preiu-
dices brings turmoil and
CONFUSION AND CERTAIN DISASTER
TO the blacks. The terrible Gibson county
massacre, the most deliberate and unpro-
voked slaughter of the blacks that has taken
plaza in the South in half century, was due
to the disastrous agitation of the civil rights
question. Not long ago was reading the
official paper of the Federal commander az
Humbolds, near Trenton. the place of the
massacre. 60 General Mcdowell, and he
makes this striking and, alas too true re-
mark ''The troubles in Gibson county be-
tween the races began when the civil rights
agitation commenced, at the time Of
the passage of the bill by the
Senate" i quote from memory. The idea
impressed me deeply, for il was confirma-
tlon OF my own observations. Not only the
tVupIo III oipSon county, out IN hundred
other localities, is owing to the agitation of
the most unfortunate civil rights bill. And
what good has come from il? How many
negroes have been admitted To front seats in
theaters, and to hotel accommodation, and
10 eatlng-houses in consequence? For
every negro who has been admitted to the
enjoyment of these privileges under the bill,
half dozen have been killed, owing di-
reetly to the agitation of the subject. Itdoes
not pay. 1 would like 10 every man,
w Qnx nd and
same rights for the same money, but to run
violently against the prejudices of eight mil
lions OF people to carry out the theory, is
more dangerous than it is troublesome to.
have separate hotels, eating houses and
graveysrds.