National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-02-04
THE PROPOSED NEGRO STATE.
Interview with Rev. MIR. Conway, Late SUI
perintendent of Public Instruction In Lou
al

L
|
Interview with Rev. MIR. Conway, Late SUI
| perintendent of Public Instruction In Lou
Newark IN. ~ Advertiserl
| An Advertiser reporter, learning that Rev.
Mr.. Conway, Mr.. Lincoln's Commissioner OF
Freedmen for the Gulf States during the war,
aud State Superintendent of Public Education
In Louisiana for five years since, is In our
city, the guest Of Rev. DIR. Swan, of the South
Baptist Church, called on him for tho pur-
pose of ascertaining his views in regard to the
proposition to set apart ono of the Territories
for the Freedmen of the South. Mr. Conway
was found very ready to communicate his
views on the subject, and when it is considered
that he has resided eleven years in the South,
with more than ordinary facilities for know
ing whereof he atiirms, and that he has been
engaged for sixteen years In writing up THE
| History of American Emancipation" which Is
soon to be published by one Of our great pub
fishing houses, II will be seen that his opinions
on such an important matter are entitled to
serious attention.
| THE INTERVIEW.
Reporter-Mr. Conway, you have good OPP
| portunites for Judging the situation of the
black race in tho South. aud the probable fu.
ture of that race. VIII you state for the bere-
| fit of the readers of the advertiser what your
|
Mr.. Conway-Yes, my opportunities for
knowing something of tho condition of the
Southern blacks their needs and prospects,
have been good. was General Superinten-
dent of Freedmen for the Department of the
Gulf during the war, under Banks, Hurlbut
Candy, aud Sheridan, and was Commissioner of
| Freedmen for the Slate OF Louisiana under the
Freedmens Bureau, and then, after the war,
| was Superintendent of Public Education for
about five years. | have probably had more of
the practical work of emancipation to do than
any other man living in this country, and the
negro problem" so called has had in me a
hard and anxious student.
| / foresaw, rs soon as Lincoln was assassnuted,
all the evils which have befallen the emnn-
cipated race, and did all that could to per-
suade Congress to avert those evils by suitable
legislation. Even when Republicans werc tho
rulers in the South tho negroes were robbed
by their employers murdered by their en-
emies, and denied rights which are among the
first guaranteed by the law to every citizen.
There was, even then, but very slight pros
poet Of getting justice done by the courts, so
| great was the prejudice Of the ruling race
against the oppressed Que. If this was true in
the green tree, when the party most friendly
to the negro was in power, what was to be ex-
pected in the dry, when the old slave aristoc-
racy again seized the reius? The situation
was bad enough when the Republicans had
power it is simply horrible now with every
office in the hands of Southern Democrats
The truth Is this, and 1t Is undoniable-eman
cpation is a solemn farce and slavery is u stu
pendous fact not the slavery that bought and
sold men, but slavery of robbery, cruelty,
and death.
Reportcr-Why do the Southern whites in
/ iiict such cruelty upon the negroes-what
have the poor creatures done that they should
be so wronged?
Mr. C.-,rhey have done nothing worthy OF
. | hay yvas u
natural that they should be Republicans, but
it is because they are and have been so thai
their old masters entertain such luminosity
, toward them. With the Southern blacks to
, day it is colonization slavery or death.
Roporter-Will the blacks always submit t.
the crueties inflicted upon them2
Mr. CT fought with black soldiers at Por
Hudson, under Banks, and at Mobile, under
the gallant Candy, and | know that, though
very patient and forbearing, the descendants
: of the slaves whom we stole from Africa ART
capable Of such spirited and courageous resent
, ment as will make their oppression q worry
t costly business for their Oppressors. 1t may
0 be slow in coming, as the wheels of eterna
Justice are sometimes very slow in rolling, but
that it is certain to come is as true as that tn,
last war was the certain, natural result of tn,
u state of things which the nation tolerated TO
nearly a century, Like causes produce lIk,
: results. History repeats itself. Human ma
ture under the skin of the Ethiopian is tn
o same as human nature under the skin of TIL,
Anglo-SaXon. Nine tenths of the blacks o
h tho South who arc under twenty-five years o
# age are now able to read and history gives u
t no account of an intelligent people who GER
II tury after century quietly submitted to inhu
g manity.
q Reportcr-Then you think that the black
It would, some time, rise up in their own do
q Tense?
c Mr. C.-Yes, most certainly; and not onl.
It think it but know it.
/. Reportor-Now that you have given mo you
t. idea of the present condition of things in TIN
e South respecting the blacks and their situation
: and temper, will you tell me whether yol
v know anything of the proposition of Senate
# Window looking to the exodus of tho negroe
= from the South ard into a territory by them
|. selves, and if you do, what is your idea of it
n wisdom and practicabilityf
o Mr.. CT know all about the project which
5. Senator Window has in view. l advocated i
! after the war, when johnson did such mischie
Il in arresting the tide which, under Lincoln
0 was sweeping the nation on to real liberty ant
equality Many practical friend of tn
freedmen said that they could not get alon,
IS with their old masters, other than a
j. slaves, In some way or other, and tina
c they would not consent to be slave
# again, but would die first and hence tina
@ there was certain trouble ahead, which no maj
N or set of men could prevent in any other wa,
If than by one race destroying the other, or els
/. by one going away from the other Thes
d two alternatives stare us in tho face tO-da,
It in every State of the late so-caled Confed
d eracy. To send the blacks back to Afric
t, would BIO unwise, inhuman, and impracticable
!, The only thing that can be done is to Civ
?. them portion Of the public domain, all t
themselves. l think the proposition exceed
ingly statesmanlke and sound, aud sncerel
i think that every intelligent Christian ma
y and woman in the country wOull rpiOiCn n
n it successfully contaminated.
d Reportor-What do you think the black
d themselves will say about it2
1T Mr.. CT think they will gladly fall in wit
10 the idea
m Reporter-What will become of the whit
g people Of the South if the negroes leave them
A. Mr.. CAS- Horace Greeley once said, "RoO
3. hog or die !" they would have to work @
le starvc,