Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-07-07
HON. JASPER BLACKB URN'S
ADVICE.

Well, Bro Simkens, if it is your taste aad
YOU so desire, go ahead and teach your peo-
pie to wade into politics knee-deep or up
to the chin if they choose. 1t is their right
in one sense to do SO, and may be best; but
seeing we do how politics and the greed
and scramble for office have demOralZed the
white race and disgraced II not lmperiled
the colored race might demoralize them.
selves still worse and quite finish the job Of
destruction, we thought it our duty to sug-
II since we have labored and suffered SO
much for their freedom, and would there
fore now naturally like to see them Live
and do WELL" Though perhaps you are all
better and smarter than the white race,
and know best and eau do best. We could
truly hope so-but must doubt 1t. AT any
rate. as q friend to the colored man when
he truly needed friends in the South, we
would candidly admonish him that when
he concludes to clay down the shovel and
the hoe" and assume the affairs of State, he
should also conclude to go slow and "watch
and pray" at every turn.-[Free South.
We do not propose to teach our people to
clay down the shovel and the hoe,' to
"wade knee-deep or chin-high in politics."
or in any way by ridiculous and extrava-
giant toVer.indulgence in one thing to work
out their own ruin or detriment. We con-
ceive it to be possible for man to take
dose of medicine without at the same time
swallowing the bottle and cork. The Free
South's good intentions and wishes, and
even the past honorable record OF its edi-
tor, are by no means sure guarantees that
we should accept as conclusive logic that
makes no discrimination between modera-
tion and excess-none between the duty
which every citizen owes to his country
and the conduct which loafers and vaga-
bonds dignity with the name Ofpolitics.
We are no advocates of that kind OF poll
tics; and when we advise our race to lay
down the shovel, it shall be for the purpose
of taking up the spelling-book and
newspaper. The Free South is mainly
political paper; how would 1t work for Its
colored patrons to commence having as
little to do with politics as possible by stop
ping their paper, in order that the subject
should not be continually brought to their
attention. We wish the men of our race
to become useful and intelligent citizens,
to understand the principles of civil gov
ernment, and to acquire the knowledge
which will enable them to use politics for
their own benefit, and not for the aggran-
disement OF the rabble-rOusers and shys-
ters, who have so often misled and be-
trayed them. We know of no way Of their
doing this without taking an interest in
politics. In order to learn to- swim, one
must go into the water. The colsred men
misled in many instances.by crafty leaders,
both white and black, have committed
many blunders and suffered much detri-
ment, In some respects, by wading into
politics, but if the Free South will read
Macallley, it will learn that I'm every res
pect they have done better and are in
better social condition than the mass Of
the English nation were in 1888. (See
Macauley's History of England, chapter
Ill.,
If the Free South deems it a desirable
condition of things, for so large fraction
of the population to be so stupid as to have
no care whether the country prospers, or
the reverse, whether it is governed wisely
and honestly, or ignorantly and knsvishly.
The Mansion would candidly admonish it
that when such Is the case, the Free South
should not go slow, but flee to the noun
tains, watching and praying at every turn.