National Republican., 1883-12-11
Tho CoIorcd Man To-Day.

Tho current number of Harpcrs Weekly
contains thoughtful paper by Hon. Fred
erick Douglass comparing the general, moral,
and physical condition of his race at present
with what it was at the timo slavery was
abolished. His conclusion is that, despite all
drawbacks, the colored people of our country
have made genuine and creditable progress in
tho twenty years that have elapsed since they
were freed. He very graphically says:
The manner in which these people were set free
should never be overlooked. No people were ever
emancipated under conditions more unfavo rable
for good results. The Israelites had spolls of the
Egyptians the serfs Of Russia had three acres of
land given TO each head of a family: tho West
India slave was permitted to remain upon the old
plantation; but the American slave was turned
loose to the open sky without money, land, or
friends and, worst of ALL under the fierce resent
ment of those who owned the land from which he
must )tain his bread These in the heat of mo-
mentary wrath drove him away; and away lie
went, free, but free only to want, hunger. and
pain free to the chilling blasts of winter FREQ to
starve. of he went with his sick and we'll, young
and old, and the infant in arms. Many died, and
the mortality for time ca lsed the belief that the
race would speedily dieout
| Setting against this vivid picture tho fact
that their rising generation is being eagerly
educated wherever the opportunity is
Afforded; that their old, lax notions OF
morality and honesty, inseparable from the
irresponsible conditions of slavery, are
changing to something higher and better, as
the spread Of knowledge enables them 10
know right from wrong; that the institution
circulated among the colored people; that
among them churches, preachers, teachers
Sunday schools, night schools, day schools
singing schools, and other Schools societies
for mutual aid, debating societies, libraries
aud literary clubs, lawyers, doctors, ant
editors have sprung up and have multiplied
with wonderful rapidity, and that they hav,
earned and now own property in all the
states to tho value of many millions there il
no room to doubt the justness of his conclu
sion.
No one who has seen the colored race nortl
and south can fail to be aware Of the fac
that there are great inequalities in this con
dition of progress One who only knows tn
colored man as he Is in the northern cities
whero hardworking, alert to all that inter
ests the public, often hig hly educated, an
conforming to most OF the con ditions Of lif
that govern the whites, can have no adequat
conception Of his state in many Of the south
ern states In many sections there the blac
man is still in mental and moral conditio
, little, if any, in advance of what it was i
slavery times The sharp diff erence betwee
the two classes is itself strlki ngly eloquer
; as to the capacity and anxiety of the race fC
, improvement when the opportunity is offeret
The ignorant black man of the South Caro-
/ lima coast, given tho chance will educate b
| children, and rejoice In their superiorit
/ over him3elf, as quickly as his m ore favore
| brother in the north. In his dul led min
0 stunted by generations of inhuman wron
/ tho immortal spark burns that will push hi
8 children aud his children's children up B
r successive planes until in the elements of us
; full citizenship he will eventually vie wit
his white neighbors.
8 l might we'll be asked by tho thoughtf
= man, called upon TO Wow for the first tin
}. the half barbarism Of the colored people