Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-10
WHAT rHB NEGRO HAs NOT DONE.

Heekiy-f0Stdge Jree.
WHAT TIE NEGRO has NOT DONE.
The Northern friends Of the
Southern negro begin to complain
that the man and brother has not
panned out, intellectually SO to
speak, as expected. 1t was asserted
by the old Abolitionists and believed
by many Others North that the
negro was naturally the equal OF
the Anglo-SaxOn in all the attri-
butes of manhood, and only wanted
freedom and opportunities to assert
himself. The war has been over
twelve years, and the colOred chill
dren of 1860 who knew nothing OF
slavery have grown up to full ma
turity under the influences Of free
dom. The fact that they are free
has been impressed upon their
minds from the pulpit, stump and
press. 1t has been rupg in their
ears by lawyers, politicians and
preachers until they must feel
that they are the freest peo-
pie on earth. They are
particularly reminded of the
vast amount of liberty they en-
JOY and their perfect equality before
the law. Here in the South they
ave- had better educational facilities
since tile war than white children
had fifty years ago, before free
schools were established. Yet their
progress has not been as general or
satisfactory as expected by their
special champions. The whites
have taxed themselves heavily in
the South to educate the negroes,
bat without results particularly
gratifying. As a class their char
~acteristics remain the same. Here
and there a mulatto shows bright
ness and perception in some par
tieular line or study. They work
better than they did eight or nine
years ago, when tkey still looked
to the government for forty
acres Of land aud two mules
and a years rations, but it is about
time to give up the idea that they
will ever be elevated much above
what they are now. A State set
tied exclusively by them would 60
into decay and ruin as certain as
the Republic Of Liberia proved a
failure. Even where they are in
the majority and have had white
troops to sustain them, they have
been the victims Of the carpet-bag
ger and their own lack Of appre-
hension. When the North freed
the slaves of the South and made
them voters it was with the distinct
understanding and belief that
Southern whites would never again
succeed to the control of the State
governments. Quite the contrary
has resulted. Here in Tennessee,
where one hundred thousand
white men were disfranchised
by constitutional enactment fol
fifteen years superior intelligence
and will asserted itself and the
odiouS rule was thrown off as a lion
would shake the dew from its name
This process of Acknowledgement hai
gone on steadily until only two
States are held under the rule o
brute force. These two govern.
mOnts will fall like rotten scafOld.
ing whenever the bayonet props ar,
withdrawn and beautiful, symme
,trical structures will appear,proudl,
erect and self-reliant in. the mids
OF the ruins. The South has gained
twenty representatives in congress,
and sooner or later every State vii
pass into the control of the white
and the better class Of colored mel
The time will come when Norther
fanatics will demand a restrictio.
on colored suffrage to diminisI
Southern representation in con
gress. We see it cropping out j
expressions Of great dissatisfactio
at the unexpected turn of afTai,
aud the ascendency of elemen.
thought to be forever crushed. 81
we are all in the Union and ha,
come to stay, whether as a sol
South or not depends upon futu.
developments. There is ne co.
yenient method of disfranchisii
whites or blacks in this Sectio
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