The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-03-10
rANArIc1sm Y. REALITY


at Charleston. South Carolina, by
colored men, reaches the conclusion,
after dispassiOnGte survey of the
situation, that "only through the aid
of the white men of the South can
the Africo-American make-advanee-
ment commensurate with his needs"
Mr.. Edward Atkinson said in, his
late Boston lecture on the "SoIid
South" which was reproduced with
ont comment in the International
Rerieso, that, because Of the moral
and mental degradation of the
Southern whites, the end of the war
between the sections found the ne
gro in the best condition Of the two
races for advancement. The differ
enee in opinion between these intel
ligeut Southern negro men, conduct
ing the NeD Era, and, Mr.. Akin
son, is, that the first are honest in
what they say, and are deeply inter-
OshCO III tht hofuhCCihOhb VI nun
race, while the latter is still blinded
by fanaticism, that has prevailed in
the minds of some people for more
than a generation, leading them 10
conclude, as some of these fanatics
have openly avowed. that the
presence of the African race in
this country was intended by
Providence as means through
which amalganation of bloods could
give birth to "A new race of people,
the like of whom, for grandeur of
mind and body, must sink the An
glo-Saxon race into insigpifieance.
Certainly Mr.. Atkinson must go as
/ fur as his fellow fanatical theorists
do, for his words would lead one TO
understand, il there be anything
in blood, that from the white pop,l-
lation OF the South nothing good
affecting humanity could possibly
arise. His theory is, that the in
creased production, of the South
is attributable alone to those
whites, who have moved. into
the South since the war, and mainly
to the advancement and the indus
try ans economy of lately enfran-
chised negroes. But we had as well
pass from the fanatical foibles OF
MIR. Atkinson, who ought not, from
his standpoint, to be considered fully
responsible, and come down 70 the
reasonable declarations of these
Col0red men,swho arc undertaking
to educate their race, through cor
rect conclusions and reasonable
modes, partially into that con-
dition where fanaticiSm has al
ready placed them. Assuming
that what Mr.. Atkinson says of the
Southern whites Is not true, and
that they have advanced beyond the
degrading position in which he
places them, we may he permitted
to say that they have attained n civ
ilization, which has been reached
only with great sacrifices and by
long education and training. The
Ncc Era is not led by Mr..
Atkinson's opinions, VIII Ell il
says that the colored man
cannot "reach the highest point OF
human attainment without n strug-
GLE" lie has been advanced to very
high and responsible positions i'll the
government since he was clothed
with citizenship, and, sin nearly all,
failure to show fitness has demon
strated that the bestowal was too
rapidly, and therefore is unable to
appreciate the unparalleled advan-
togo hn nnyV possesses" The prob
lem of his future in the South must
be worked out by the Southern
white man, who will develop him
into a worthy citizen and give him
every right that no is entitled to,
because it will be to the interest of
the white man so to do. Assisted
by those who know his wants
and his capacity, they will
supply the one by not over
crowding the other" After show
ing that the prosperity of the
country, can only be ensured by ''the
concert of labor with capital" the
Ne,e Era says: "As the white man
possesses the intelligence and cap
ital, the Africo-American must yield
to these powerful factors and CO.
operate with him in order to obtain
his proper share of prosperity" The
obstacles in the way of this happy
result are the false teachings of the
would be-leadcrs of the colored
people, who seek TO inflame their
minds and control their votes for
their own personal benefit. But,
says the Nesc Era: s. 5...
"The hitherto. Africo- American
leaders, particularly in this state,
have got TO stand aside, and hence
forth white men must lead; they are
! the only ones who can obtain for the
Africo- Americans the rights guar
anteed by the amended constitution
of the United States. The South
ern white man is as determined that
the former burlesque on govern
ment shall never again exist as any
people can be, and, while they are
not disposed to attempt to resist the
United States, they will never sur
| render the government to the same
power which formerly held it. This
is rs certain rs anything can be.
They deprecate. as much as any PEG.
pie can, unfair methods 10 keep con-
troll of the government of their
states, but they consider that, of two
evils, the least should be chosen, and
as they regard the keeping control
as the least of evils to all the inhab-
itants thereof, they win not surren-
der the government save TO the
United States. Whether this de-
termination is right or wrong need
not be discussed; it is n fact. and
must be looked at as one.T
A DISPATCH from the City OF
Mexico, SAYS that Gen. Ord is to be-
como permanent resident of Next