The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-11
NEGRO RULE In MISSISSIPPI
WHENCE A NECESSITY FOR MILL
T1RY INTERFERENCE.

President Lincoln's Plans for the Freedmen
why the Negroes are Dirsatis What
the Carpet BsgGers and Negroes nre Doing.
GRENADA, Miss, Sept. 5.-President Lin
coin one Of the first, possibly the only one,
In the Republican party, before or during the
war, who clearly fOresaw the troubles that must
arise from negro freed ON In It's unlimited sense
While he was preparing for emancipation, his
mind was busy also In devising means that
should make this emancipation a blessing to
both whites and blacks. In his quiet home In
Illinois he had been a student Of history, and
had learned therefrom the danger Of suddenly
ioosng the bonds of scrfdom or slavery without
simultaneously providing new field Of exer-
tion or action for the turbulent spirits who rule
and direct the masses Of the more quiet, or even
indoent, freedmen TO their own ruin, involving
In that ruin the destruction OF multitudes OF
innocent lives and millions Of property, II left
without incentive in the old one. lie foresaw
there could be no such adequate incentive here,
where "equ lity" however much Wanted In
the halls Of Congress, could have no practical
existence when brought to an exact test. De-
ducine from his conclusions the now necessities
for safety and prosperity, he looked to the wide
and certain principle upon which an oppressed
race had always depended and from which they
had only In few instances ever failed to draw
their permanent establishment and lasting nap
piness-COlOnization. President Lincoln did not
contemplate the forcing OF colonization upon
the negro, but he ID determined 90 open that
resource TO their posterity, and In his address TO
large delegation VI colored people In 1862 this
was clearly set forth.
Had President Lincoln's theories been put In
practice the country might have Cscaued the eX-
pense and trouble Of sending United states
troops tn Mississippi IN ACCORDANCE with the ur-
gent request Of Adelbert Amcs. That state,
alas, Is IN most pitt ble condition owing TO
bis misrule. Instead Of his worKing tn the cause
been brought IN play by his mismanagement.
His hatred oftbe law-abdiog and hard working
people of Mississippi Ia well known. Here shall
rehearse small part of the history Of this state.
Mississippi went to war With great power,
and was conquered. A military government
Judge Shafkey as military Governor. An cleo
ton was held about the 2Oth OF August 1865.
THIS Convention declared the negroes free.
and reorganzed the State Government:
AID adapted II 20 the new state OF
than twenty months after the freedom of the
negro. the reconstruction act was passed. over
eaf ized and placing Il under the sway OF the
United States. with the emphatic declaration II
should so remain until a new government Is
cstahl shed by all the people, without regard to
race, color, or previous condition. he negroes
being in the decided majority. and large mum
ber of white voters being disfranchised, made
Just such a government as the carpet. baggers
desired. They expected 10 monopolze all the
Offices. They sad to the negroes. You know
nothing about these mattere. We freed you, md
we are here TO help YOU" taking special pains
at the same tins TO remind tue negroes tnAt
their Ignorance ana barparism must be at
tubuted entirely to the institution of slavery;
that instead of affirming through this institu-
tion lho little citlliz tiun they mad. the polish
and high state Of culture with which their an
cestors started had been entirely lost
As a matter OF course such Inducements have
controlled the negroes. Many of the whites
feel keenly, no doubt. the loss of their capital
by he freeing Of the negroes. | heard an old
tlanter say as one OF his former slaves passed
him, "When see my twelve hundred dollars
walking around that way. not even deiening to
90 mn ~ N A 10
and clothes, feel as II | can never grow recon-
ciled to the present state OF Affairs" The
negroes are not srttsned with their freedom.
" DE Guvcrnmcnt freed us, but never guy
anyting," T. > common expression of those who
eity. The carpet haggers are IN the same coun-
Try and on the same nj sion, and hence. having
Sympathy, and the white people owning the
Lands are the class marked out for both ven
| gcanci ior the past and robbery for the future.
Iuis la few words has been the working of the
State Goyernment OF Mississippi ANA such has
| been the effect that when we come To estimate
| the losses under peace ana the destruction Of
property under the rdNages OF war, the state OF
| dred millions Of dollars poorer than she was
on the day Of the surrender. Property has no
| rdIue. The land owners are taxed 10 death upon
| hctitious valuation lvalu tiOn made purposely
| to compel the sale OF lands at tax Q lesI The
negroes under ten years Of freedom are In the
main worse of than they were In slavery. We
Thousands OF them Hooking TO political
meetings dressed In the best they have, literally
mass Of nlth and rags-such dress as no re-
u
on his place.
Republican government, administered as 1t is
to day In Mississippi, Is utter failure cOrrup-
tion has possession Of every department, and
that cOrruDtion Is fastened through an ignorant
and barbarOus majority. The negro Is Initiative
he w.nts property, but Will not work for Il.
Politics h become his Tod. Through the ballot
box he expects t. make such laws 10y his over
whelmng majority IA finally To force the whites
who own the Land to seek other homes.
If such Is the case, would IL not be far wiser
to let the negroes of the South, who are SO
sorely discontinued with their condition, have q
country OF their own, such, In fact, as President
Lincoln had projected for theml Had they
been coloniZed soon alter the war, the Sou hern
States to-day would have been prosperous, with
their fertile lands settled by thousands of hard
working emigrants from Europe, who preferred
the cold Northwestern Territories to living
among negroes. Are we of the South to realize
the workings OF such governments a. those OF
Mexico and South American
When MIR. Webster drew the distinction be-
tween our North American governments as they
then existed, originating in and administered
through the enlightened suffrage OF the white
race, and the stormy governments Of South
America, originating with the mongrel aud
pauper race OF that country" nttle did he
dream that before thirty wears rolled away he
could draw from existing facts Just such a gov
ernment IN more than one Of the old original
thirteen states.