The Jasper weekly courier., 1877-08-17

An Interview with "a Prominent Nississ3r-
~ Republican The Idncafed Whilf :
combined 10 Keep the Ignorant Negro
Out ~ foIific--The Hest CoIored Men
OPp0sed 10 Political Prnininence.

InlfHQu
bune.
NEW foRk. July IA met yesterday an
old friend Of mine from Mississippi, gerfle-
man who held high position III the Union
army during the War, and whom ! knew 10
be a staunch Republican. had the curiosi-
W, therefore, % interview him somewhat a.
70 the political situation i'm that state.
man of his standing and intelligence, with his
opportunities, knew could not fail 70 be
wei informed n 10 the sentiments of the
better class Of citizens of that State. The
Information he gave me was ~ such nature
That think is publication will contribute
something 10 correct understanding of the
southern situation. In reply 70 my question.
4" How are things political IN your siatcs'
ne replied, well, the Blacks won't vote
this fall any way"
~ Why mott" asked.
We'll" he replied, 1.-THE fact l. they will
refrain from voting, because they think II
good policy 70 do so al present. The whites
-Democrats and Republicans unit as
this time in opposition 10 negro rule. The
white men are the property-0wnerS of the
State, and also constitute the educated and
refined portion of the population. II rs un-
natural that this element should be con-
troiied ~ the ignorant, the improyidcnt and
the reckless class. For some years the me-
groes had the upper hand, supported BY the
Federal Government and Northern sympa-
thizcrs, but they very naturally made bad
mcnt affairs. A. a consequence, the whites,
representing all shades OF political sentiment,
have combined with the determination that
intelligence and ability shall control State
affairs rather than Ignorance and incapacity.
Upon this one point the whites are subsfar-
italy unit, and they are 80 earnest In the
matter that all other issues are apparently
forgotten. The more intelligent OF the coll
ored people appreciate the situation, and
are free 70 admit that they have been placed
in q false light heretofore, by being
pushed forward into politics and into
public offices where their ignorance and in
capacity We're paraded cons spicuously. Wait
awhile, they say. till we get a little more
education and little more property: wc'ye
been trying 10 walk before we could creep.
II Il their policy now 10 keep out OF politics
for time, waiting for dissensOns Ia develop,
a. they are SIRE ~ do, among the white peo-
pie. when the negroes Will take sides and be
made much Of by the contestants By sim.
PLY laying low for time they disarm the
aggressive antaeonism Of the whites, who.
having nothing % contend with. gradually
dflft apart, antag0nlzing each other upon
other issues. Some Of these issues are al
ready dimly seen, hut have not yet become
prominent enough 10 OyershadOw the race
issue. tell you, my friend. II you had seen
The evil effects Of negro supremacy. you
would sympathize with the white people
that l.. with Intelligence against ignorance.
The negroes see that so long a. they are
prominent in politics 20 long will the whites
keep up this war Of races. therefore II be-
comes the policy Of the negro 10 step aside
for time till the superior race splits up on
some other question:
:. How j. ID about bulldozing. about which
we have heard 20 much" ] asked.
:. II by bulldozing," replied my friend,
syou mean the exercise If physical force 10
prevent he negroes voting, why reply
there L rery it'll. bulldozing in Mississippi.
That j. 10 say, there |, no organized yio-
lence. There are occasional ciect0n- day
fracases between our rowdies and the
negroes, Just a. there l. between respecta-
BILE citizens and rowdieS al the North. and
A. the negro has no spirit 10 tight against the
whites he generally gets the worst ~ IL. At
the same time there il no doubt but the ne
groc- are restrained from voting by a force
that j. more powerful than physical force,
and that l. self-interest. The whites are the
property -owners, the money-holdcrs, and
the employers. The negro i the laborer,
who must look 70 the white man for means
Of earning living. lie J. Shrewd and sharp,
l. the darkey. and he argues that If the man
who gives him bread and meat l. opposed 10
his voting the Republican ticket the best
way for him TO insure the contini-
ance cf the bread and meat supply
i 10 keep away from the polls. Therefore
he abstains from voting. or else votes the
conservative white mans ticket. Then, too,
a strong conservative influence l. exercised
over the more ignorant negroes by the more
intelligent among them. II j. "A singular
fact that when colored man begins 10 gct
ahead little IN the world. acquiring little
property, he begins 10 grow conservative.
He begins 10 crave business and social
recognition: he likes 10 be pattcd on the
back by his white ncighbor and called a
good fellow, he likes to have business trans
actions with the whites, 10 buy and sell, and
70 be recognized and spoken of by them
mill -.
found that nearly every colorcd merchant,
trader, barber, or mechanic Of any Kind who
H. in business for himself, j. conservative in
his politics, voting the white mans ticket,
and deprecating the efforts ~ the radical
darkies 10 make themselves prominent. And
80 they will continue. unless some issue l.
raised affecting their Interests a. a race,
when, of course, they would become united
again. But this j. not likely 70 occur.
The negro question Il 4 dead issue. and no
party can ever hope ~ revive II. The dark
les have all their rights, the same a. the same
relative classes have ai the North--thc right
TO work for themselves; to make all they
can. % take al the comfort they can: 70 vote
IL they choose 10 do s0 but they Will never
again be permitted 10 ride rough -hod over
the educated classes and the property inter-
esfs a. they did a few years after the War"
Then you regard the Republican party
a. dead in Missi-sippiw
Yes, | may say that do--sleeping ccr-
tainly, and probably dead. The Republican
and Democratic parties in the south have
heretofore divided upon the race question.
and in Mississippi that viii moi be allowed
70 come up again Al present. owing 70 the
fact that Republicans and Democrats have
united 10 keep the negro ont ~ politics.
.......For twenty years, the people of this
country have been divided on lhr race qtie~-
tion: the negroes are now free. and are slow
" but surely demonstrating their right 10
4ff nxIf MI trl va
race Of lah0rers. contributing largely
TO our agricultural wealth but the
man who shall seek to again prccipitate the
negro into our politics. digs his own politi-
cal grave. The extreme Radicals of the
North, who still regard the negro a. 50
much political capital. % be used 10 promote
their own selfish political ambitions, have
their countcrparts in few extreme fire.
eaters of the South, who fail 10 sec how COM