The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-25
uRw ORLEANS, AUGUST Is, usgs.
THE NEGRO RACE.

Hi NhN1o A$11ht
I'LL y recent number Of FFa2et's 6uguetse
there il d curious article on the negro, from
dhes pen Of Z. w. Blyden, himself colored
man The article in question Is in all re-
speetts an able and manly one, and is the first
attempt we have seen by q negro to handle In
d philosophic way the destlnies OF that race
THE dominant thought Of the article is that
the race must find it's Developments nd reach
fts destiny In Africa, whence 1t originally
came For this reason the writer favors
stexodus associations" in the United States,
the object of which will be the gradual re-
gnoval of the negro population to Africa
where 1t belongs and where 1t can alone nope
for b future as people. This migration he
regards as necessary, and "those who ignore
III and fight against It," says he, will De
baffied and thwarted in all their attempts at
elevation In the land Of their former oppres-
sors, II not crushed by the odds 80 over
whelmipgly against them. This Is the teach
ing of history"
In favor OF this migration the writer
urges that during the fifteen years which
have elapsed since the emancipation OF the
slaves in the South more has been learned OF
Africa by the civilized world than was ever
known before and the Africannow returning
ID his native home will not be going to q land
of which he necessarily possesses no knoWl-
edge whatever. 1t is as yet to q great extent
a terrG aBcoqnitd. Still, enough is known OF
it's climate. resources and general pecuharlties
10 enable those Of the race returning there TO
form some Intelligent idea Of the experiences
they are a. out 10 encounter.
Yet, Mr. Byden complains that the eK-
plorations of the African continent have not
served to elicit much Information In regard
to- the man OF Africa. anatomically, he mas
been accurately described, but his human ma
tllre has not been studied as thoroughly as 1t
might have been. In regard to the peculiar
tiles of his race, Mr.. Blyden lays down two pro-
positions in quite @ positive manner. [, lie
ID ''irrepressible and inextingulshahle," and
does not disappear before the white man. as
The Indian or Australian. g. He cannot be
ignored In any plan or speculation looking to
the DEVELOPMENT or material advancement Oh
Africa. He intimates that the destinies OF
that continent are committed to the negro,
and, IL it is ever to become the home OF
civilized men, those men are to be In the main
OF the negro race. Mr.. Blyden has great con
fidenco in the capacity OF the better
types of his race to attain to a
civilized life. He resents with warmth
the usual deductions to the contrary
drawn from the examples Of Haytf, Liberia
and Sierra Leone.
There are tribal variations, he urges
among the black men not less pronounced
than those which exist in the Caucasian
race. The negroes who have made these ex
periments, he contends, belong originally te
the very poorest of the African tribes, anC
besides being Of the lowest types of the race
they we're greatly deterorated rather thai
improved by their experiences in slavery
They. therefore, present no fair criterion o
the capabilities Of the race. There would b.
n vast difference between the destlnies Of {
colony Of Englishmen, and another Of South
ern Italians, and another of Spaniards anf
corresponding tribal and family varieties
exist among the negroes.
There il one remarkable observation in ne
gard to the religious auspices under which
this African civilization is to be developed
The writer with a mournful candor, con
Resses that he despairs of Christianity exert
ing the influences it might bring to bear 70
the elevation OF his race, and he looks wit
more hopefulness to the Mahomedans. ''wh
will give to the negro the hand of a brother
and perhaps, outstripping their Christian
brethren in liberality, accord him an equa
share in political and social privileges-a Lit
erality in dealing with weaker race whic
some Europeans confess themselves unable t
exercise
In an article, by this same writer, whicl
appeared in Fraeer'8 number of years age
and which attracted great attention at tn
time, this view was presented at create
length From the New York Times we tax
the following reference to this article:
In that paper it was shown that for on
negro converted to Christianity, thousand
were becoming Mohammedans That it wa
the merest fringe of Africans on the coast VIII
felt in some degree the influence of American
OF European missionaries, while whole coun
cries were embracing the faith Of Islam. Dis
tinctions OF color, and their effects on the negr
race, were presented in q novel and striking
light. Mr.. Blyden proved quite conclusivel,
that it was only among the followers of Mo
manned that true religious and social equal
ity existed. In all white races protesting Chris
tianfty the author insisted that the man o
color was always made feel his degradation
St0 oil ai!ellt vel ohioilSi5 pau NdSo Sollc
what as follows: How was it possible for the
negro to assume Christianity without feeling
humiliation? White was ever held as a sym
BIOL OF virginia., purity. black as one Of de
PRAYED corruption. A black man must wor
ship white Christ. The Mohammedan hae
an his creed no such distinction of shades
The instant the negro accepted the Koran be
might marry an Arab woman. and there Was
no social degradation, for IL was told to him
as guarantee Of his rights. that when tht