The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-04-26
rms u,.acxs OF THE SOUTH.


The Rev. w. p. Harrison OF the Methc-
dist Episcopal church South. stationed
at Atlanta, Georgia. is now In Chicago
In an interview with q Times reporter
Mr.. Harrison made the following state-
u,ent concerning the condition OF the
blacks Of South:
He urged the necessity for some
change. the establishment OF some social
ties nv which the decrease of the race
could he checked, and the nation saved
the curse of a gigantic pauperism. NO
nation, said he, "can have heavier
curse than an expiring race thrown up
on its hands. TO that condition Will the
blacks of the south be reduced unless
something is done TO stay the waste
need only 90 back little way 70 Illus
| trate the point. Between the stoppaRe
OF the African slave trade, IN lSOS, ana
the outbreak OF the war;, In lS6O, the
| number of blacks In this country
increased 1000 per cent. In lSoS there
were 400.0 900 negroes In tue soutn; co IN
ls70 there was a loss of 100000. Not an
aggregate loss, but a relative loss. The
| increase tell that far short Of what
| IL should have been In accordance with
the ratio previously established. The
normal proportion OF males over Il
wears of age in population Is ~ per
cent, In Massachusetts, where the pop
ulation Is, to all intents and purposes, all
white, the proportion of males over II
wears of aye Is 20 per cent. vf the whole.
That is abnormal yet In the Southern
states, it is found that the males over II
wears OF age constitute from ~ TO Az anu
az high as 45 per cent Of the population.
| Wherever such state of things Is found
in a country that is settled, ana wheIe
the usual laws of civilization and society
| are recognized.it is 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.
| 1 say the nation, because their main
tenence falls upon the resources OF the
people. Poor houses and charitable in.
stitutions must increase. 1t becomes us
of the south to stop this decay OF the
blacks. 1t Is cur interest aud 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 rc-eStaOIlsneQ. ne system Wae
a 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, TO deal with them
in every usual business relation. 1t will
not do for us to have half our population
in state of semi-barbarism. We must ed
cate and elevate them. We want chance
to do it. 1t is hard tor US to occupy the
position into which the carpet-bagger
has thrust us as relates to the blacks. II
has been drilled into their minds that 81
soon as the federal army is withdrawn
or so soon as the Republican party lose
control Of the government, slavery vii
at once resume possession OF them. III
matter is an extremely dangerous an
: delicate one. The blacks believe an
, trust us in everything except that. 1t
| hard that our words-the words OF ger
tlemen-are outweighed by the maliciOu
inventions Of these men from the nortl
But the blacks are so easily alarme
4 upon that point that all appeals to the
reason and to their experience OF US sin
. the war is in vain.