The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-09-20
Tms soupssns slsess

The negro has been . haitul source w
l-otible and COS, 10 the south ever sine
New Hnglsnd turned him over 70 IA a.
slave. For hundfd yssrss slave, igno.
rant and vicious. 10 he suddenly entrusted
with the ballot and oonstitu,ed q citizen
OF the government. II was no, surprising
that all previous trouble and annoyance
from him become q bundred.fo'd greater
within the ten years immediately succeed-
10y the years Of the c. III conflict In this
country. It long and bitter
struggle between the races TO teach the
blacks since the war that In their present
social and intellectual conditions they could
not nationally hope 10 dominate or rival
the white race, but the truth partly by
coercion and partly by purruasion has at
last been forced into the recognition Of The
msjority of tne southern negroes and the re-
lations and prospects Of both whites and
blacks In the south are far better than they
have before been for twenty-five years.
TWAS very fortunate for the country that
such representative planter and southern
man as Mr.. JOHN G. CALHOUN, OF Arkai :
sas, was called before the senate sub-com-
mittee in New York, to testify touching the
condition and prospects of the southern
negroes. It was fortunate from the fact
that the illustrious name he bears would
naturally and extensively attract attention
to his testimony; and secondly, because be
was intelligent and unprecedented enough
| to present Q correct picture to the COM
mi.tee. His testimony has been corrobt :
rated by that of prominent negro, and is
ia keeping with all the recent authentic
accounts of the condition of the negro race
Ia the southern states. The trouble has
been two-lold one, the negro's desire 10
figure In politics, ana his dependence and
trust upor the north to assist him In every
trouble in the first place, and his ignorance
in the secsnd place. After twenty
years of freedom and fifteen
years exercise OF the right of suffrage the
novelty has worn off and the bread and
meat problem is forcing itself more vigor.
ously upon his attention. Then the south
has established everywhere for him
throughout its whole extent good con
mon schools. and the younger generation is
growing in knowledge and exerting a
| beneficial influence upon the elders. As q
| result OF these changes the southern blacks
are getting to own property, are dropping
politics and reaching out after homes and
education. The prosperity of the race
now, therefore, is ten.fold greater and more
perceptibIe than 1t was five years ago, AID
If left alone, if agitators and schemers and
northern fanatics will keep out of the
field, in another ten years the southern
negro will be much better fixed, happier
and more progressive and prosperous cti'
gen and factor in the commercial and
political circles of the country than
the thousands of ignorant, vicious and
hopelessly enslaved day laborers in the pop
ulation centers'of the east. Here the negro
can look forward to home, independence
and an education with but little exertion,
while there daily toll for a life time at poor
wages is the only hope Of the poorer whites.
But to accomplish anything the negro must
let politics alone and go energetically to
work. He has at last got good start in
the race of life. according to the testimony
of Mr.. Calhoun, and in the knowledge of all
southern nen who have given the subjec, II
thought.
1t is TO be hoped that such direct testi
mony from such source will have coed
effect upon northern political sentiment
and cause the eastern people to recognize
the fact that the only salvation Of the
blacks is to be, let hone by fanatics who
know nothing about them and be permitted
to work out their own destiny and succe ss
among the people who best know how to
manage and assist. them, and who of late
have given every evidence of the fact that
they mean to do so.