The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-30

parties. If the purpose was to advance the
social and material interests Of the negroes
In the South, 1t was equally unfortunate and
unnecessary, He found the condition Of his
people, In all respects, happier and more con-
tented than that Of the laboring classes In any
Northern community, and he saw no good
that could come Of introducing between them
and their employers source Of irritation en-
tirely extraneous.
II these are the real sentiments Of the sable
Senator from Mississippi he has certainly
taken very sensible and common sense view
Of the situation OF affairs, as well as OF the
course he should pursue as the representa-
tive Of his race-K he chooses to regard that
as bis sole constituency-in the Senate. AS
between the white and colored men Of the
South, the race question is already settled,
and, by common consent, will be allowed to
disappear entirely from politics unless 1t
is again revived by an extraneous in
fiuence that has no right to intrude for
purely partisan purposes, into our local
affairs. The race question has never
disturbed the social or economical relations
Of our people. The two races have all along
dwelt together as neighbors and members Of
I'm theft relative capacities of employers or
employees, as the case might be; yet, with
but an exceptional instance here and there,
no one has desired or sought to disturb these
relations. That this Is 30 Is not due to the
forbearance Of the very people who are seek
ing to perpetuate the race antagonlsm as an
element Of American politics. In almost
every Southern State, and in Congress itself,
efforts have been made, by the passage Of So
cial equality laws, to intrude this question,
In its most repulsive shape, into every phase
OF Southern life. These efforts have, however,
failed, and for very obvious reasons, and the
laws by which they were sought. to be en-
forced remain to-day q dead letter on the
statute books.
In view Of these facts, why should this
source of irritation be revived and kept alive
in politics? Wesee no good that comes OF It
In fact, nothing but harm, and we are very
glad to see that Bruce, as representative of
the negro Republicans Of the South. refuses
to lend himself to the project Of embittering
the two races of the South against each
other In order to advance Blaines designs On
the Presidency.
The most conspicuous misfortune and
wrong Of the reconstruction era was the Ina
preston its methods left upon the negroes, a
race entirely ignorant OF the simplest princi-
pies OF constitutional government, that there
was power outside Of the States which ex-
ercised an arbitrary supervision over them.
and could, II it desired, alter, modify and
even reverse the relations Of the two races.
This was the doctrine and the practice Of the |
Radical party, and the testimony is that the |
negroes have relinquished 1t with less
reluctance than that party itself. |
The negroes have already realized. |
ut least the masses Of them have, that their |
proper relation to the communities In which |
they live, and to the governments that are
above them, La In the character Of citizens and |
not as members Of a race To disturb this |
and revive the old, devllish race |
feeling as the basis of our political divisions
Is barbarity no worthy ambition would |
avail itself Of, and which can but meet with
condemnation from good people, North or
South, white or black.