National Republican., 1875-12-02
FUTUREOF THE NEGRORAcE
Icentinues froa IslIh gsgs.I

FUTUREOF THE NEGRO RACE
Ic0nffaueS .fron 6fLh Page.l
resiIT admit since he uses this rather remarkable
languaRe tSlaYery made the negro inyolunta-
1ily INDUSTRIAL perhaps in process of time is
not be that slavery could have added to the powers
m elements of our souls This cannot be.clainned.
All surely, that can be meant is that enforced
service might have produced the result Indicated
This result would certainly be moro easily at
tanned under the influence of free and Intelligent
labor even in the case of the negro. i use the
: word Intelligent. Imean thus to deny the absurd
sentiment that schooling makes the individual
white non-industrial.- false education may
lead a white man. as L may colored one, to shun
and despise labor. But n sound education, one
which imparts that knowledge of life and the dig
Hon essential to all real wisdom begets differ
ent, nobler feeling and determination, and,
therefore, where education has been cultivated
labor has been dignied and Industrial enterprises
of private and public character have been inau-
surated and perfected. Otherwise education and
labor would be inlmical, and We should find the
gTandest Industrial achievements among tho most
nnterate and intellectually degraded. No one
other than person who has the vulgar and mis-
taken conception of labor and laborers the equally
false and pcrniciOuS opinion Of the master class,
engendered and fostered by slavery, would ad-
vance and pretend TO support by positive asseyer-
ation such unjust and uniounded declarations.
OUR PHYSICAL CONDITION.
Underlying the statements Of the writer upon
whose words dwell are these two glaring absurd
people they become non on-industrial, and being non-
Industrial die. If this be true, then deaths among
in excess even of like number of negroes since
the whites are much more generally educated, aud
The number Of idle and worthless persons among
The whites should greatly exceed the number OF
the same class among the blacks. Can this writer
f.. make such admissions!
In the second place, it may be true that educa-
zion takes many persons from the merely manual
occupations Of life to literary artistic, scientific
and professional; but that the interests of human
lat aa1 1frNer
be cultivated And fortunately for the poor white,
even the Door black boy, in our country and under
our law no aristOcratic class may fix limits to tho
raIlings TO which malice cultivated taste, inter
est or consideration of humanity, patriotism or
religion lead us.
such Statements as to our dying out. There are,
however, certain facts connected with our physical
condition which we as wise meu will do well to
consider. AS showing what mean, and as show
ing q condition Of things which must be improved,
beg TO submit the following fLets and figures as
respects death rate in the cities OF Philadel-
Phis, Baltimore, and Richmond, and tho District
Of Columbia:
the white is 775, CO. the coOred q, ,00O The total
number OF deaths for twelve months ending Sep
tember so, 1875, is l7,Ioz-l6,7l4 white, and 9ss
white, and 245 Of colored persons Deaths per
loo inhabitants, 2l.5T white, and 2450 colored
The eptirc population OF BIItiInore is IS 1000
The white is sos, ,0O0 and the c0iored IS ,0)2. rhe
total number OF deaths for the twelve months
iANHA1AA
a.d I549 cOlored persons. Percentage of deaths,
los white and 8 a cnlOred persons. Deaths per
LOO inhs oitEnts, 19 50 white and $40 coiored
persons. Here, again, is a showing against US.
The entire population Of Richmond IA -, 500
the white is Al ,4c0 and the c0lored 8, 100. The
total number OF deaths for twelve mORtns ending
September go 1879, is l6S2-I-1 white Snd 93l col
ored persons. Percentage Of deaths, Lee white
habitants, Is95 white and 299i colored parsons.
And here Is y showing adverse to us.
The population of the District Of Columbia,
III nd y NH Nd
5000 cOlored persons. The total number of
deaths for twelve months ending September 30
ISIS, is 4352-2,2I0 white and 2l42 colored per.
sons. Percentage of deaths, l92 white and i.7s
eolored persons. Deaths per 1000 Inhabitants,
1s % white and 47.Go eolored persona Still the
n We extend our examination we shall find that |
fhe number Of births reported for the time
named. white and colOrcd, in the District of Co
lurnbia is of the first class 25IS and of the
Ond. l.3g7; total, S9l5 The percentage of births
is Of the white, 2la, OF the cOlored $40. Births
per 1000 inhabitants are. white 2lS9, and colored
l.O4 There is an increase Of white births over
deaths per 1000 Inhabitants Of 2e9; but decrease
of eolored births over deaths per 1000 inhabitants
of 1855 As We extend our examination facts and |
figures seem to stand against US.
As cOnfirmatOry Of the statements made in
reference to the District of Columbia, and as in
dicating the cause Of our very great death rate,
md the remedy therefor, in the fewest possible l
words offer the following letter from Dr. ID. W. |
Bliss one of the most skilful physicians, and at
1he same time. one Of the most earnest and labo-
Iious sanitarians of our country, friend Of our
tried character He is at present member ofthe
Board of Health Of the District of Columbia, and
registrar of vital statistics of the same board.
His letter, addressed.tO me, reads as follows:
WASHINGTON, November l6, 1S75.
Prof. John NJ. LdRgsfOH, Washington, d. C.: |
Sir; In reply to your letter OF the 18th instant
requesting certain Information from the records \
Of this office, have the honor to submit the fol- |
lowing, viz:
1umbia is estimated at $500.
The number of colored births reported during Il
the twelve months ending September 30, 1875, /
was 1887, of which number 73S were males, and /
90 were females.
The number Of deaths of the same class during |
the same period was 49, l4l native and tor
giRn or the whole number l,020 were males,
and l,Il3 were females.
The mortality of the same class was at the rate |
Of 5.e0 per 900 per snnum, while the mortality
Of the white population was at the rate Of 1921
per 900 per annum, showing that the death rate
one thousandths Of per cent. of being one and
enc half times greater than the mortality of the
white; in other words the deaths were atthe rate
Of 247 colored TO 100 white.
In reply TO your interrogatoEy, as TO the "dls- |
with which this class seems specially afiIct-
ing table which contains 81 of the most prominent
Of total OF 22 causes Of DEATH affecting this class
The humber Of marriages reported OF this class
Ser the same time was 81.
The number Of nIegitimate colored births re- |
ported during the same period was go or 1851 |
per cent OF the entire colored births reported.
The number of colored still births reported for /
1he same period was q, On winch NUMBER Ii were
males and 100 females.
In reply TO the question asking my opinion as Il
10 the of the large death rate of the cOlored
population in this District, would respectfully
refer you to my opinion this subject, expressed
IN my annual reports to the Board of Health for /
1878 and 1874. 1t is not surprising that the NOR
fality Of the eolored population is so very great
II we consider the great influx Of this class into
the District duRng and since the late war, bring
ing with them the filthy and careless habits of |
the plantation, occupying, from necessity, insult
able habitatiOns located in the alleys, in the |
lowest and most unhealthy portions Of the city.
subjected TO all the unWhOlesome influences of i
evercrowdRg and poverty combined with abso- /
lutte ignorance of the laws Of health.
These, the most patent causes affecting the Il
sanitary condition of this class Of inhabitants of
the District, operate in very great degree to pro-
dnee the result shown in our statistical tables
The data for the present year will afford me ad-
dtiOnal evidence TO the cause Of the great NOR
tality Of this class, which shall present to the
Board of Health in my next annual report. now Il
IN course of preparation.
Very respectfully
D. W. Bliss. NJ D.,
Registrar Vital Statistics.
TADLK showing thirty-one of the most promI- /
nent, Of q total Of two buudred aud twelve Il
causes Of deaths, Of the colored population Of Il
the Dhtriet Of Coi1mbia during the year ending /
September 20, 1873