The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-04-15


The following Is an open letter
from leading Louisiana colured man
heartily commencing Senator jones
speech on the Chiuese question 81
TsRnEBoNNE STATION. La,
March "a, 1852.
Hon. j. p. Jones, u s. Senator from Ma
vada, Washington, d. e:
Dear Sir-Aithough personally un-
known to you, II at ,nis Jnnctnre be-
comes my duty to congralulate and
lndorse you. as a representative cnl-
"red man, upon Your speech upon
the Chinese question. which elDb."iI
ed 50 many nbst valuable truths Tor
tue cltizeus of my race. ~ nf
Since emancipation, l, to whom III
preference To many, the benefit IT n
hunted education has been vouci-
sailed, have seriously conSliered aud
studied The question resulting FROM
emanc'p patton anu Degro suffrage
While both these measures are the
inevitable deductions of nnprescrip-
tible rights, have fully appreciated
the drawbacks consequent upon the
induction into the duties of citizen
ship, actual sovereignty of a million
of electors, whom education had no
chance to tit aud mould for SUCH FRAN
cbises. pf' i.ai.i.H
1t is not reasonable to suppose that
less than a tenth OF population.
owning less than one per cent OF the
landed property, aud with such nm
upavoidably low standard of educa-
tlonal intelligence, should ever sue
coed in obtaining controlling share
of influence, without cuun Ing tue
accession of numbers. equa,t,ng our
entire muster roll, within ten years,
by immigration.
tbs not reasonable either TO prog
nosticate that race taken from bar
barianism aud kept III slavery until ~
years ago. can succeed in equallIng,
IN any near future, race having to
back it a thousand years of progress,
which still continues. t Is contend
ed that large portion of the eau
cassian race Is still very ignorant and
| will not prove superior ID intellect To
our colrred laboring class, lhis only
hold, good IN the South, where the
slave-holding ar,stocracy has efectu
all, prev. n,ed the instruction Of the
poor Cadian" in ante bellum times.
| do fully endorse your views in
regard to actual facts.
| 1t is far better to look the future
squarely in the face and to know that
II will take onr utmost efforts TO evt q
follow at distance race which has
so many advantages. There is nc
blame or Disgrace in such superiority
which is caused by circumstanc, 6
over which we had no coutrol. Oui
utmost efforts, instead Of persuadlng
ourselves that We have already ac.
complished al intellectual equality tC
the Caucasian, should be directed t.
striving for it. / am trying my best
to inculcate into my children loyal
friendship for the r white friends and
an earnest desire TO emulate them III
their studies. leo
To SUN up, fully and Truthful,
acknowledge that what you say in re-
gard to my race liz founded Oh sqnart
and actual facts. Aud l do not only
acknowledge tins folly. bat Also youI
clear purpose to beueit the race
which have needed aud received 8,
much of the fostering care Of the
general government for the past q
years. / also gratefully acknowledge
your kind expressions of sympathy
and assurances Of future assistance
We surely need it. But IN all situa
tons in human hfe it is also best +.
Look the actual situation squarely il
the face You have shown that t,
rs. and thereby benefited us, Will.
people who tiatter the negro to OBJ
tain his vote, and try to make hin
believe that he has already attained
the very pinnacle of exceleDcs. are
doing him grieveons and irreparabls
injury Men who are weak enough
to deny the Justice of yonr argument
and to paDp-r the imagination q
poor people already contaminated b,
unscrupulous demagogues. cerlalnl,
are the very worst traitors to n rucs
which surely needs ali the sssisiancs
which can he possibly afforded by 4
free and philan'hropicial nation.
| Yours, very truly,
OSCAR CRosIFR,