The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-01-09
ARE EXCHANGING PLACES AND
RELATIONS TO THE NEGRO.

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private letters, through the few South
ern papers that reach the North,
through those who soj,urn and travel
here and through those who, unlike
Bishop Haven, have access to the peo-
pie of the South-tErough all these
sources of opinion the North has
learned, as meyer before, the relations
of blacks and whites. The AorFeHdum
rulgus Of the North believed, until re-
Gently. that whenever negro was
knocked on the head in II vulgar bar
room, in drunken debauch or at
some obscure voting place, that
the rebellion was recognized and
that negro's blood wrought
madness everywhere and was
significant of some frightful
Southern revolt. The Northern mob
was persuaded by Blaine and the Inter-
Ocean that draft of the militia was
imminent, that armies were required,
that a negro's overthrow was the
Unions death kuell. But this course
of Northern opinion has been thorough
ly changed. 1t is finally agreed, as
President Hayes has suggested. that
the relation of races has no reference
to that of either race or of States to
the Union. II the negro were exter-
minated tonight the perpetuity of the
Union would be proclaimed even by
Cuffee's destroyers tomorrow. With
this apprehension of facts finally ac-
cepted the bloody shirt becomes a very
useless banner. 1t fails to arouse the
Northern multitudes. In fact, the
press, in many portions of the North,
begins to ascribe the ruin of Southern
municipalities to the potency of the
ignorant, incapable raDble unworthi-
ly invested with the privilege of suf-
frage. Enormous losses from this
cause have befallen banks and capital
lists. They groan and are disguised.
They look about for the reason for this
practical reputation of public indebt-
edness by States, cities and counties.
They ask why pestilence ravaged
places. now desolate and bankrupt.
The answer is, "knaves have plumber
ed and ignorance and filth destroyed,
and knaves were crowned and ignor-
snce honored by Senegambian stupid
ity." Blaine and Bishop Haven may
worship but common sense and
capital damn the dirty, mob,
white and black, that achieves
such disasters and widespread
rum. Philanthropy and generos-
ity to ignorance are proper enough,
and Southern people were once famed
for generosity, but the virtue, even in
Northern eyes, became vice when it
resulted in the concession of suprem-
acy In local and State governments to
helpless, hopeless, incurable barbar-
ism. The necessary end was this
widespread municipal bankruptcy, and
worse than bankruptcy, even, in mon
ey-lenders' eyes, was this ghostly, hid
eous plague that befel cities and towns
of wide districts of the South, because
stupidity had been invested with su-
preme local power by polluted ballot
boxes. Northern opinion undergoes,
therefore, sure and speedy transfol
nation. Not only is New England
unwilling to have the negro retain his
representative power in Congress,
but New England confesses the
necessity for the restriction oi
the right to exercise the privilege
of suffrage to intelligence, and IN mu.
inequalities to taxpayers. Blaine, see'
ing how his adherents blundered il
clothing Africa with power to govern
in America, seeks TO assign false rea
son for his palpable purpose to dis
franchise the negro. lie would de
prive the negro of representation il
Congress, and simply for the reason
that only six of forty congressman t.
which the negro population is entitled
on the floor of the House are Republi
cans. But the Constitution will hard
ly be changed. The South may insis
that the Federal organic code remain
as 1t is and Southern power in Wash
ington undiminished. The only chang,
probable may occur in local laws ex
empting corporations from tramp ant
savage domination.
The South in any event is to be con
graduated that the purpose and orIgil
of race conflicts is finally comprehend
ed by the President and masses o.
Northern people. Our relations to tn
negro have not the remotest connec
ton with our relations to the Union
The black deity, preferred by Bishop
Haven and worshiped more sanctimo
niously and more earnestly than Ha
ven's everything God, has been thrus
from countless altars everywhere II
the North, and there is every reason
to believe that the South must assume
at an early day, the position of tn
negro's special defender and champion
and even then the Union will b
neither more nor less endangered.
WHAT THE LEGTSLATURE