The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-04-26
rur uu.ACUs or THE SOUTH.

The Eev. W. L. Harrison OF the Metho-
dist Episcopal church South, stationed
at Atlanta, Georgia. is now In Chicago.
In an interview with Times reporter
Mr.. Harrison made the following state
1ent concerning the condition OF the
blacks OF South:
lie urged the necessity for some
change. the establishment OF some social
ties by which the decrease of the race
could be checked, and the nation saved
the curse Of a gigantic pauperism. "No
nation, said he, lean have heavier
curse than AN expiring race thrown up
Oh its hands. TO that condition will the
blacks of the south be reduced unless
something is done TO stay the waste.
need only go back little way to illus
tratt the point. Between the stoppage
OF the African slave trade, in lS0S, and
the outbreak OF the war. in 1850, the
number of blacks in this country
increased 1000 per cent. In lS0S there
were 400. 900 negroes in the south. In
1870 there were 100000. From 1850 to
1870 there was a loss of 100000. Not an
aggregate loss, but a relative loss. The
Increase Tell that far short of villa,
1t should have been in accordance with
the ratio previously established. The
normal proportion of males over q
years of age in a population is 20 pei
cent. In Massachusetts, where the pop
ulation is, to all intents and purposes, al
white, the proportion Of males over Il
years OF age is 20 per cent. of the whole
That is abnormal yet in the Southern
states, ii is found that the males oyer Il
! years of age constitute from 20 to 40 and
as high as 40 per cent OF the population.
Wherever such state of things Is found
in a country that is settled, and where
the usual laws of civilization and society
are recognized.it is a sign of decadence.
1t shows that the necessary care is not
taken of the young-the children are not
coming forward; that social and
family ties are lax. Gradu.
ally the number of children lessons
and finally the nation is called upon
to support large proportion of the old.
say the nation, because their main
bnence falls upon the resources of the
PEOPLE. Poor houses and charitable in
sututions must increase. 1t becomes us
of the south to stop this decay OF the
blacks. 1t is cur interest and our duty
our interest more clearly than our du-
ty. No sensible man regrets the emanci-
patton of the slaves, and no one wants
slavery re-establishcd. The system was
great curse to the master. But we
must take care of these people. We
have got to be with them, to have them
about us all the time, 10 deal with them
in every usual business relation. Ii will
not do tor us to have half our population
i'm state of semi-barbarism. We must ed
cate and elevate them. We want chance
to do it. II is hard for us to occupy the
position into which the arpet-bagger
has thrust us as relates to the blacks. 1t
has been drilled into their minds that so
soon as the federal army is withdrawn,
or so soon as the Republican party loses
control Of the government, slavery will
at once resume possession Of them. The
matter is an extremely dangerous and
delicate one. The blacks believe and
trust us in everything except that. IL is
hard that our words-the words of gen
tlemen-ar outweighed by the malicious
inventions Of these men from the north.
But the blacks are so easily alarmed
upon that point that all appeals to their
reason and to their experience Of us since
the war is IN vain.