The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-17
> 1sLATFSf or ri PAsl A. on
THE PneSDNT. q 81

n. Co.. Mortons IN J06b, AppeeFs " nav
7 lead views entirely different from those
/. ehich he pasades with sach malignant
.vigor IN 1876. aSp II
I Ia his great speech on the policy Of
I the Rspsblieas zpsrsy end the politicsa'
\ condition. Of the 6outh.i secsnly 3 dee
livered in the House of Representatives.
by Mr.. Lamar, that gentleman quotes
Gov. Morton against senator Morton.
Speaking Of the, then recently ceIQanoi-
pated negroes. Mr.. Morton observed sdi
rG :ry |. III, simSs saSe i
s srtn.. tss lof .aspSss
politieX power h 70 MAKE the strongest pro !
S.ISsss SsSss 's'5 g slsd 5s :s s1t
Now, this opinion on the part Of Mr.,
Morton was unquestlonably sincere. and
when he and his friends subsequently,
concluded to add enfranchisement TO
emancipation, they did indeed pay q
compliment to the trsining which had
been given to the negroes while IN a
state OF bondage, Let us consider for y
moment what that training was. n
In their, native jungles the Africans
had, from time .immemorial, been the
most, degraded Of ,idolators and pro-
nounced OF ,oannibals.t The few were
tyrants and tho many slaves, When
brought to this country against their
will, and forced upon the Southern
people against the prevailing Southern
sentiment. their condition was actually
improved. But for this Improvements
no thanks are due to the sharp Old
England aud New England traders,
who bought and sold them for their owH
special benefit. .,.4., ..,.,....,, ". -tL,.
What afterwards followed? u, The
idolatrous cannibals from the jungles
were gradually taught to work. to wear
clothing and to eat cooked food. In
short, they we're. after no little
OF trouble, inducted into that civilian
ton, of which labor Is the prime min
lister. And while they were thus OWL
| fized they were also Christianized. True,
they were not admitted to . position of
social equality with their masters and
instructors. and were not educated in
the lore OF schools: but the bOndsmen
OF 1869 were as much superior to their
\ cannibal ancestors as the refined people
OF England in our times are to the
painted Britons OF the past. or the sons
of united Germany to the barbarians
who fought under Hermann, the
Deliverer. ailU3 rtI=i-ts#"Y t ,t
With habits OF obedience, the negroes
Of the South were taught the arts OF
productive industry. They were not
only effective cultivators Of the soil.
but a. oarpenters. blacksmiths. brick
layers and builders. they acquired. to a
large extent, the current skill which
prevailed throughout their section. For
all this, the much maligned domestic
institution of the South must be cred
tied. Its fruits were unquesticnRbly
bitter In some respects, but they were,
nevertheless substantial and valuable.
IA q school for the conversion OF de-
graded savages into useful and indus
trious human beings, its merits cannot
be disputed. 1t is. therefore, "a Mr.
Morton once held. . high compliment
to slavery that It achieved 80 much !;
and still higher compliment Is found
In the fact that between tho master and
the slave. In the normal relations OF the
two, there was no hostility. aa a
Such, then, was the slavery OF the
past throughout the South. It per
formed great civilizing and missionary
work; 1t carried tho negro up to the
point at which emancipation found him,
and then handed him over to the tender
mercies Of those who claimed to be his
deliverers and special friends. s
For all that has followed since, party
Republicanism must be held accounta-
BILE. II it made the negro, a voter
before he was At for the proper exer-
else OF political functions, it did 80 for
the double purpose. Of reducing him,
through his own grateful instincts, into
. condition Of political and party bond
age, aud Of humillating the Southern
whites, by depriving them, through the
force OF ignorant numbers, Of the main
essentials OF self government. aftsa
But though the slavery OF industrial
seryitude has passed away, its fruits yet
remain. The negroes who to-day are
workers in the fields acquired their
habits of industry while In bondage.
Will the new generation, schooled as it
has been by Radicalism In all the arts
Of political trickery, prove as worthy as
citizens aud men? rt7a..+ .t4 =
The fruits OF the new dispensation are
not yet ripe. We have seen how the ne
groes as voters havs been controlled by
their party taskmasters FOR the oppres-
sion OF their white neighbors; will they
when they assume their own control, by
throwing off the yoke OF political bond
age, rise up to the height Of the argu-
ment before them, and join their white.
neighbors In the work Of redemp-
tion Will they, moreover, abandon
the habits OF vagrancy, which the teach.
ings Of their Radical instructors have
Il doua an much tn aatahlish amOnuuf