Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-03-13


RULE THE SOUTH, AND RECOMMENDS
THEIR EDUCATION.
The Washington correspondent of the
Pittsburg Dispatch recently interviewed
Mr.. Fred Douglas on the Gillian
Tourgee theory that the colored people
will soon predominant in the South.
The recent article upon the AFRICAN in
the United States" by Professor Gil
liam, published in the Popular Science
Monthly, occasions considerable COM
ment among the thinking colored PEG"
pie. The writer of that article ex-
presses the opinion that within half a
century the colored race will be in the
majority in every Southern State, and
that before 1880 the race will vastly
preponderate. Judge Tourgee, in re
cent issue of his publication, comedies
to certain extent with Professor Gill
| liam, and upon some points even goes
| further. He believes that the colored
people will be in power in a shorter
| time than that predicted by the learned
Professor Fred Douglass, the most
distinguished man of his race, of the
present time, years ago pFOphesied that
one day his people would rule in the
| South, and he does not claim to have
| irst made such statement. In giving
his opinion on Professor Gilliam's arti
Gle, Mr.. Douglass said: THE colored
people are prospecting in the South, yet
| I see no occasion for this causing any
alarm. Before many, years they will
| predominant. We are prolific people
Already we have majority in several
States. In Mississippi there are 80, 900
more negroes than white people; in
South Carolina Is, 200 more, and in
| Louisiana about fifteen or twenty thou
sand. Two hundred and fifty years ago
| the whites and the blacks were distinct
| ly separate. There were no conference.-the
races as is the case to-day. Two hun
dred and fifty years from now I believe
but few real blacks will be found. 1t
would be impossible for me to say when
my people will predominant in the
South, but the time will come It is
not numbers that rule. The few dis
| ciplined minds have the power. The
people of the North think they rule.
| That is not so. A few educated leaders
| do the ruling. Put small number OF
| disincipliEed men together and they
will tear down or build up a man or
| community. To make the colored peo-
| pie rulers of the South, we must have
| education. Governor Brown, of GeOr-
| gia, is in favor of this. and has so eX-
pressed himself In case the Demo-
cratic party is successful the next few
years, national education will not re-
| ceive support: If the Republicans sue
| coed some means for bringing hisabout
| will be the result. Our people are lgno
| rant, as every body knows, yet there are
many white persons in the same condl-
ton. The statement that 40 per cent.
| # the whites in the South cannot read
| s a very liberal estimate. The govern
ment will aid in this work by making
| appropriations, but that will not suffice.
| Instructions must be furnished by
churches, by missionaries, by individu-
zig, by the colored people themselves.
| AS soon as the negroes have succeeded
| IN securing wealth they will find means
| for educating the ignorant of the race;
| If this change that is spoken of should
ce made it would be poetic justice. The
race that for years was bound down
| With the bond of slavery would rule in
| he land where those outrages were
committed. The negroes would be-
| come masters of the soil that their tears
| have Watered and their 6iood has en-
\ riched."
| The above, which we extract frof1a TIC
Baltimore american, presents cheer
full prospect, does it not, to the white
race in the South. According to the
predictions of Gillian, Tourgee, and
| Douglass, the whites are to be s4pplant-
| I'd in the homes OF their fathers by tbs
/ coIored race. Douglass bases his opin-
ion on the fact that the negroes are "a
| prolific people," and he thinks thRt
| niscegenation and education will do
he rest. We cannot say what the rule
IF educated negroes would be. nor how
H rolerable it would be to live in State
| governed by such. Doubtless, if edu-
k cat d, they woHiG learn to see through
| the arts of unscrupGiGsg demagogues.
| and to discern between the tTue and
the false, between right and wrong
"a faculty in which they are for the
| most part totally lacking now. There
| fore, and for other haQane reasons, we
are in favor of their education. But
while we do not know from soy eSpe-
Renee what the rule of educated re
groes would be. we here in Virginia are
enduring the bitter woes of govern
nent which is founded on, and sus
tanned by, the almost unanimous vote
of ignorant negroes, and which without
their support could not exist for day.
A vast majority, threa fGurths at least,
of the whites of the State, representing
at least that proportion of its property,
and far more than that proportion of its
intelligence, are virtually governed to
day by the negro race; hence thS 2tig
ma of Reputation which has been fas-
tened on US hence partisan Judiciary !;
hence the vilest spoils system inst ever
iepraved the public service; hence the
and mum berless other ills which are
daily growing and fastening themselves
on the vitals of CUR State government
In the saturnalia which now prevails
The whites are paying the Riger, while
Malone and his myrmidons ais eniOy
ing the expensive dance. Malone caEee
40 more for the negroes than Judas
the Apostate cared for the poor. The
only question in either case being what
could be made out of chem
For this disgraceful and FQipous state
Of things the Republican party is Faain-
iy responsible, and their responsibility
consists not chiefly in their having in
vested the ignorant and irresponsible
negro race with the right of suffrage,
but in having impelied them by all the
weight of the Federal Administration,
and against the judgment of the better
class of Virginia Republicans. to the
support of Mahoneism and all which
hat iRyolves.
Whatever we may think of the pre-
lictions of Douglass & Co. as regards