The Hillsborough recorder., 1877-04-25

licy Of the Republican party was belief
that the good Of the country required the
elevation Of the colored voter to he control
Of the reconstructed States. Disguised !,
psrhsps. under cover Of q demand for race
equsiliy. Tor free elections. for the protsc-
tion Of tho wards Of the nation. aud the a-
ti6cstion of the result Of the war. there was
sincere conviction In the mind Of the ave-
rage Northern Republican that Il was es.
ssntisl TO the prosperity OF his party and
the pesce OF the South to make the freed
msu uppermost IN politics; rebels could
not be trusted; the negro woald be re.
manded 10 slavery unless he controlled the
legislatures. the courts. and the executive
Offices So for eight years the carpet-bug
governors and the Administration party in
Congress tried to make the pyramid stand
on its apex.
The result Is before the world. In one
way or another. BY fair nenns or foul. the
svntrol ofssyersl u the States has been So
cured TO the colored race. They have oc-
cupisd the bench and the jury boz. made
the laws. collected the revenue. voted the
appropriation. handled the money--doue
everything except pay the taxes. They
They have had ample opportunity to deve-
lop their own latent capacities, 20 GET an
educsiion. 10 make fortunes. TO sequire
land. 70 riss In society. What have they
done Of sll these things? Oar correspou-
dent In Charleston drew picture Of the
condition Of the rolored people of South
t:aroIins, aud Il Is about the same 10 every
State where The negro has held sway. As
race they are idle. ignoraLt. and vicious.
They neither learn nor save. They were
fond Of their books in the hrst novelty Of
freedom. bat ,he5 care Cor them no longer.
They were eager TO get their little farms.
but they have let them fall to ruin. Why
should man 20 20 school. ssks the usual
type Of South Carolina freedmsn. when Il Is
W much nicer 10 go TO he Legislature or
get elected Justice &C the peace? Why
should man work when he can make liy-
ing by stealing chickens. and sit on the
fence Cor amusement? Let Us face the
truth. Our Southern policy has not only
been curse 70 the whites, bs. il has bern
! curse 10 the freed people for whose bene-
O. Il was adopted. II has not made them
good citizsss. Il bss sotssught them bow
| 20 use the ballot. II has Introduced among
them desoralization more dangerous 10
the country than the violence Of the White
League. ior No republican govsrament can
stand which Is not founded upon the snf-
frsges Of the virtuous and intelligent
Everybody knows that the negro. left to
himself. would not get the mastery until he
had scquirsd some of the qualifications for
Il. Even where be had numericai msjo-
risy of the population aud was psrfectly
free 10 vote Is he nlessed, be would nstu-
rally take subordinate position 50 long rs
he had neither money. nor education. nor
habits VI thrift aud foresight. nor compre-
hension Of the arr of government. Aud it
| L proper that he should. Unissrsal suffrage
would be sn shsardiiy except vpgn the
theory that II generally results IN the adj
vsncemsut of shs Intelligent and re<pects-
BILE. A majority Of tho voters, whether
yirtuaus or not. are supposed 70 understand
that self-inisrest requires them 10 entrust
The Goysrumsnt only Go tbo,s who are able
TO coutrol il. But the Grant policy vas
based upyn different principle. IL assun,-
ed ,hs; the great secret Of reconslructios
vas 20 take ihs negro out Of the cotton Geld
snd put him In The State house. ssnJ him
/. company Of soldiers 70 held him fast W
bis seat. aud trust 10 luck for the rest. The
nsturzl results have followed. The negro
hss learned no,hing good in bis elevation.
and IL no better able 10 carry on . State
government to-day than hs was siz years
ago.
The only way 10 reform Southern society
il 70 stand aside aud leave The voters free
spd uusmbarrasred. Then iftbese commu.
mites are not utterly corrupt. all things
Win soon end their natural level. and the
rvle Of the msjoriiy viii act as 10 acts else
wBsss.--New York Trijuae.