The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-30
INSTINCTS OF RACE.

vt supreme law. In its individual prompting
y it is very far from being an infallible guide
i In lands civilized and law governed the in
g stincts of good men are sometimes wrong ant
IS ought not to be followed, while the instincts
d of the bad are very likely to be bad. Men o.
9 base proclivities often excuse themselves by
= saying that they act according to their nature,
9 and that they do what they do because "God
/ made them So" Whether they are wrong in
8 their premises or not, whether they are made
as they are, prone to evil. by God or whether
. they are made SO by the Devil, matters not in
its bearing upon society. They act from an
! evil instinct and society in self-defense has
the absolute right to restrain such action.
But in an entirely different sense instinct
becomes law of nature and is paramount to
all other laws whatsoever. Instincts which
are universal are superior to all the rules OF
society and to all the constitutions of States.
The instinct Of self-preservation is such that
it will justify to himself any means man
may use to save his own life short of homi-
eide, and 60 far toward palliating any offense
man may commit while trying to shun
death. The instinct of parentege will prompt
fathers and mothers to 60 any length in de-
tense OF their offspring, and if, while fighting
for the lives of children, they necessarily vio-
late any mere written law, it can be no crime;
the real offender in the case being him
who violates a law of nature and
sins against DEGREES issued to the human
race by divine authority. So is the marital
instinct beyond the pale Of statute books
and justifies anything which husband and wife
may needfully do in protecting one another
against wrongful aggression. The instinct
which prompts honorable men to defend their
names, protect their rights and vindicate
their honor is in like manner a law unto il
self, which all chivalric men read clearly |
however much it may be misapplied or mis-
understood by men who are merely pugna-
cious and vindictive, a law vi ich towards and |
buliies can not comprehend or appreciate.
But the instinct to which we now refer is
that which keeps the various races of man
kind separate and distinct each from the
others. 1t begins in the senseless world Of
minerals and vegetables, and is very distinct
throughout the whole animal realm. Nature
abhors hybridity, miscegenation, mixture,
crossing and confusion. In higher stage Of
created beings the human family is divided
by marked lines and distinct characteristics
The line OF division is not of color only, for a
change OF climate may change color; it is
rather a difference in mental and moral or
more deeply and distinctly marked
than difference of features and complex ion
are ever found to be- 1t is difference so
clearly and strongly made by nature as to
make association between members of our
race and those Of another wholly unbearable,
1t is difference SO marked and SO efficient
that the different currents of blood will not :
flow together, the offspring of the union being {
doomed to degeneracy, decay and extinction, 6
In view of this inherent, Unborn, natural
md instictive antagonism and anti pathy.
What must welldisposed members of races
which are thus brought together by force or
'ccident, do =? How must they demean them.
elves towards each other so that each may do
ne other the least harm during their period
y unnatural and compulsory union? This is
he problem which the whites on one side and )
ne Africans on the other are called upon to
olive, here in Louisiana, and in other States.
he question can no. be pretermitted. 1t is
issue OF this day, and an issue which will ,
olde just as long as whites and negroes live
ogether in the same republic or under the
anne government. What must We all do to
9 saved from strife and its attendant cruel
nd bloody evils F? O.
10 us the answer is plain enough. We "
lust respect one another's rights most scru. u
ulously, for even common honesty requires 10
J much. We must do more. We must let al
lch other religiously alone. We must iso- al
to ourselves, race from race, with the utmost h,
re. Some intercourse is necessary because H
9 are governed by the same laws, till the vi
me soil, breathe the same atmosphere, buy "
I'd sell in the same markets, are ruled by
% same magistrates, pay our tribute to Fl
mmon government, appeal to the same W.
urts, vote in the same ballot-boxss, and ~
Ve suit and service to single flag. This
aount of intercourse is necessary, and as ga
we can tolerate it with patience. WI
1t there is other inter course which is in
holly unnecessary, and because it is SO,
revolving. There is nowhere a necessity tn
: whites and blacks to mingle socially, and "a ~
3 instincts of both races rebel against such fe,
ngling. Negroes do not willingly leave pa
cir kin and color to get into the society of
> whites, and none but the baser sort of an an
lites seek companionship among negroes. Wi
is best to obey the manifest law of Provi- tn,
nee and keep the races separate. Do not fro
'ermeddle with each other Raise your a.,
ildren in separate schools. Abandon towns the
d cities to the dominant race in each in
nee. Avoid contact as much as possible ex'
lonize if necessary to keep the peace Let a ma
} admonition to ''mind your own business few
your own way" be to each race as solemn
one Of the commandments Let them Dc
~ this and the result will be an enduring s s,