The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-09
The Negroes.

ran marty had stood IN 'front.' OF the ms
match Office about 8 p. NJ. on Wednesday
they would have heard fne.lookng
black negro making Democratic speech.
or course, then, no Republican who bad
heard such speech as that Of Mr.. CARTER
would have libelcd Virginia In the man.
ner in which so many OF our northern Re-
publican contemporaries have done IL du-
ring the last two or three days. win these
Journals give ear to the statement OF few
factss
The Democrats Of Virginia, in conyen-
ton assembled. offered TO the negroes the
management and control Of all the negro
schools In Virginia, notwithstanding the
fact that the whites contribute nine-tenths
OF the money which pays for the keeping
up Of those schools.
The very best friends OF the negro be-
long TO the Democratic party. When the
negro is in trouble he applies TO these men
for advice; when in need, for assistance (;
when he must have these, for surcties. lie
recognizes the white Democrats as his
friends during 36i days Of the year. On
the remaining day be is Republican,
and votes as his masters tell him
to vote. "Mastersi" Aye. The ne
groes are slaves TO the preiudices of
the leaders Of their race-to the negro
preachers-and TO one another. They are
superstitious and timid. They are never
afraid Of being harmed secretly bya white
man. No negro fears a white man except
rs an open emmy. But he does fear per-
sons OF his own race. MANY of them be-
lieve inconjuration. Others Of them have
a foolish fear OF being poisoned II they Of
fend their own race. Not one Of them fears
any such fate at the hands OF white man.
We .presume that thousands OF negroes
would every year vote the Democratic
ticket II they were not afraid OF offending
persons of African descent.
However, what we desired to do in this
article was only TO assure the northern
people that the white Democrats OF Viz
ginia have the most kindly feelings to-
wards the negroes. The resolution offered
last Monday by General EARLY, and adopt
ed by the Lynchburg meeting, expresses
the feelings OF all the white Democrats in
Virginia. 1t is as follows;
keSOiued, That we are in favor OF grant
ing and securing TO the colored people all
OF their Just rights. and OF treating them
not only with justice, but with kindness
and forbcarance. but they must know that
thev are TO behave themselves and keep In
their proper places.
We well know that the above resolution
has been misconstrued by certain northern
papers. We merely desire to say that it
has no meaning not expressed in words.
There l. nothing between the lines for any
body TO read. 1t means that negroes are
not to be placed in any office in which they
would be the official superiors Of the whites.
II means that negroes are not to be paid
for their votes with offices in which they
would have the power TO control white
schools, or TO elect white teachers, or TO
reprimand white pupils. 1t means that the
whites are the superior and governing race,
and that there are so many negroes In Vir-
ginia that il is necessary for the whites TO
stand up firmly for their rights lest men Of
their own race combine with the negroes
TO administer the Government. 1t means
nothing more nor worse.
The white men OF Virginia have no more
prejudice against the negroes than they
have against children. They employ the
negroes in every capacity. They are too
ready to employ them, some OF our work
ingmen think. They educate the negro
children at their own expense. They aid
the negroes to build churches. They min
lister TO their wants. They sell them houses
and lands IL they are thrifty. In word,
they treat the negroes so kindly that n
wasberwoman or house-servant viii work
in Richmond for half what she knows
her services will command in New
York. Is This an admission that
we pay low prices for such services? So
be IL: but whose is the fault? 1t is mat
ter regulated by the law Of supply and de-
mand; and the negroes are so well treated
in Richmond that the supply OF them eX-
ceeds the demand. Hence the low prices.
In the North the demand exceeds the sup
ply. Hence the higher prices. Why else
will negroes refuse 10 seryei in Philadelphia
for twenty dollars a month, but serve viii
lingly in Richmond for ten or twelve dol
lars month?
The northern people do not know how
30 treat negroes properly. Their sort OF
Al, tc 10
None but southern men can treat negroe:
as they deserve To be treated-as they pre-
fer TO be treatcd-and as Vrginlans IL
treat them. A negro in the North is like
white man in an unsympathetic hotel. Thu
negro IN the South is like white man il
the bosom Of his family. No wonder h
prefers home comforts TO northern high
prices.
The Democrats will show to all the worl'
when the Virginia Legislature meets tina
the bad conduct of the negroes during th
recent campaign has not i'm the slightes
degree changed the purpose Of the white
to be their best friends hereafter, as the,
have always been heretofore. Not even
handed Justice simply will be dealt out t
them, but benefits they could never hay
obtained at the hands OF their allies of tn
white race.
We explain, not apologize. We mea
only what we say. The whites Of Virginl
intend TO rule this State, but they will b
more than kind TO the negroes. All the
demand OF the negroes in return is what
expressed In General EARLY's resolution
They ask nothing more. They will
content with nothing less.