The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-16


to them by the blood OF slam brothers and chill
drenS" Truly SO, and far be II from me
to profans so holy thought as that
which would honor them. But am answering the
question propounded some time since as TO how II Is
that she Southern whites have never succeeded IN
dividing the coored vote TO give the States good
government They have driven the negro away. In
Georgia when they gained power they have
practically DISTINGUISHED him. But for the inter-
ference Of the federal Congress they would have forbid
den hts appearance in their legislatures. ! do not
think any frank Georgian will deny that this result
largely due TO Intimidation and force In State
with 54S liz negroes In 1870 20 63s 926 whites they
have virtually stamped out a republican party. Tho
negro is afraid To vote, ID not In many places
allowed on the jury, Ia punished severely for
trivial crimes and Mr.. Nordhor has told you
that al least 900 of them have left the State in the
last Ave or six years. and yet in Georgia they pay
taxes on large property. The negro in
South Carolina what has been done
across the line and he knows. or naturally
fears that should the white rule here, the
results will follow. AS consequence, therefore,
the negro is In the hands Of the adventurer He fears
that his master will make him slave or reduce him
TO a condition akin TO slavery The result is there-
FORE that not Of them will vote the democratic
ticket I have heard Of democratic negroes, but
havo seen none. have spoken this subject
with Southern men in Florida, Georgia, North
and South Carolina, and there Is only one story
81 have negroes here" said one eminent
gentleman "who my slaves In the old time
They hang around my house They will fight for me,
work for me and bring me their money to keep They
take my advice all things and all trustworthy
and devoted They viii not vote for me. Ny coach
man there will vote against me and in favor OF
the meanest republican in the county" The
negro thus far nothing In politics
but his own freedom He votes for Grant
all tho time His political education embraces SEN
tment and fact The sentiment is Lincoln, the fact
is Grant was talking to woolly-headed vagaoond
the other day, who had learned that was Northern
man. and wanted TO go home with me as an attendant
BE was worthless, ragged shining darby as black as
night and earned his living, he told me, by dancing
the uba gentlemen the sidewalk when the pohce
was not looking During the war he was a slave lad
'Did you know you free said, 'before the war
was over ?" He told me that the news came very
quickly; that they all kept mighy shady never pre-
tending know until 'NIassa Sherman came with the
soldiers" But they knew it all the time, and there
never gh that his sold mammie didn't pray to Massa
Lincoln" This the thought that has burned deep into
the negro mind. You cannot erase it You cannot
take it from him He has heard the savers' horn He
has worn the yoke and carried the of the lash into
furrow and swamp. He has seen father and mother,
perhaps, taken to the block and sold into slavery.
That memory ever lives, as it would live with you
and l. If such career darkened our lives. So Moses
may steal and Whipper may administer justice;"
to him they freedom. Coming out of the night
they find hand to grasp but the hand of the adven-
turer Is any wonder then, that they follow him
blind men or those who see darklyS
BETTER SIGNS
cannot resist the conclusion, and II grows upon me
every day in the South that for much OF the wrong
that has boon done in these States the old Southern
ers are to blame l say this in sorrow and with no
harshness of feeling toward them, and not without
making allowance for feeling which, after ALL is one
OF human nature, feeling OF hatred of the men who
defeated their hopes OF empire and Of contempt for the
negro, VINO is to-day a Senator but who yesterday
could have been sent 10 the whipping post.
1t is not easy for planter who has hardly enough
to eat TO rejoice the fact that the servant who
washed his beard Is ruler OF the State But
whatever the motive the feeling the negro In South
Carolina the feet of Moses and Whpper because
he was driven there The old master has yet mado
no sign of sympathy or friendship. profoundly
convinced that II, instead OF mourning over tho
lost cause, in the past they wont to
buster about the Yankees and slavery, these people
had dealt wisely with the negro and generously with
the Northern immigrant these States, and South
Carolina especially would be free and powerful. I
hail the Chamberlain movement in one of its aspects
the opening of era The support which that Off
Ger receives from the leading journal in the State and
of tho leading journals in the Souththe Necs and
Courier-shows the awakening of new spirit This
paper thoroughly democratic, Its editors gentlemen
who werc In the Confederacy through the whole war
and firm in their devotion TO the lost that
the only hope for South Carolina is In supporting the
honest intelligent Now England Governor, who says
that he is republican from conviction and never
be a democrat; that he has no sympathy for the
democracy desire to be in it's councils, but that
Governor he means to give tho State an honest
government The Netos and Courier takes the Cover
nor at his word and cheers him on while newspapers
over the border in Georgia, mock and derde II
chamberlain succeeds he will divide the colored vote
and for the first time array parties upon other
dividing line than that laid down by Jefferson Davis
when be founded his Confederacy
But whether he succeeds not the movement which
he began year ago, and which is almost national
in its extent must go There is way for South
Carolina TO win good governments except on this
basis Here the negroes are and in large majority.
They cannot be driven away, they cannot be slain,
they cannot be DISTINGUISHED Thcy must be asked 10
tako part in government to unto with hon
est men in Furnishing crime. Education max es
this more and more easy, and amid
all this sorrow and strife and tumult the
work OF education goes on The negro pants
for the primer and the speller the
hart for the water brooks. have taken pains
in some bookstore lounging, to inquire about
this / learned in nearly every case that the ne
groes were constant purchasers, and almost in
varably Of school books-elementary and advanced
I am told that the negro is as anxious
TO read and write he used 70 DO to
own yellow cravaL do not suppose this
education goes far but Il rs something. 1t is there
see day-there, and nowhere elsa This old feeling
must die out These memories Of the Southern Con-
federacy must be put away with the family laces and
erandmother's samplers Leaders like roombs and
Hill must be superseded These negroes must be taught
that freedom means responsibility and that honesty is