Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-25

The speeches at the New York negro
mass meeting last Sunday night, and at
the Washington mass meeting on the fol-
lowing Monday night, denouncing the re-
cent civil rights decision Of the Supreme
Court. do not seem to meet with any re-
Spouse. There doesn't appear to be any
where feeling that the negroes
are in any danger Of losing
any Of their rights, and nowhere
is there apparent any marked sentiment
in favor of legislation like that which mas
inst been declared unconstitutional. III
gprsoll. Douglass, Langston and all that
class of agitators may continue to make
sneecbes. demanding a constitutional
amendment embodying the idea contained
in the civil rights bill, but they
will not succeed in rallying to their sup
port the Republican party, or any con-
siderable faction OF it. The truth is, the
common sense of the people is against
snch legislation. Whatever prejudice
there exists against the negro must wear
away: it cannot be legislated away.
Legislation only keeps it alive and makes
it aggressive. There is DISPOSE
the negro fairly. This disposition
is even more marked in the South than IN
the North. IL the demagogues can be
kent quiet the negro problem will solve
itself. The negroes enjoy the same edu-
cational facilities i'm every part of the
country now that the white people do.
The schools are separate, but no amount
of legislation could make mixed schools
successful. Ifmixed schools were desira-
bic. and their establishment ultimately ln-
tended, the way to reach that end would
not he by legislation. That would pro-
duce agitation, and agitation would put
OIL the accomplishment of the object ann
ed at. As the negroes improve their con-
dition and prepare themselves for
higher place in society, they VIII
have less and less to complain of.
They ignore the fact that less than
generation ago their condition was that
of dense ignorance and semi-barbarlsm'
and that the condition of the majority Of
them is not greatly improved. They
want every privilege enjoyed by the
white race without first preparing them
selves to appreciate those privileges, or to
assume the responsibilities which accom-
panv them. This is their mistake, and
they have been encouraged in this mis-
take by Federal legislation. They
have depended upon the govern
ment instead of depending upon
themselves. They have looked to the
laws to give them what they can obtain
only 10y the cultivation of qualities ana
virtues which distinguish a higher clvl-
lization. Their future now is absolutely
in their own hands. They can make 1t
what they please. They will prosper II
they have the qualities necessary to
achieve prosperity. 1t will be folly for
them to waste time in seeking legislation
in their interest. They will never be able
to obtain it, and it would be drawback
To them if they did obtain it. The Re
publican party will never commit the
mistake of making such legislation an
issue. 1t would only be the revival of a
dead issue. The people OF the country are
apparently satisfied to let race questions
adjust themselves. No doubt there will
he an effort made to incorporate III the
Republican national platform a plank
favoring a civil rights amendment to the
Constitution, and negroes in the Southern
states may be urged to send delegates to the
National Convention who will insist upon
a nominee who fayOrs such an amend
ment, but it is more than probable that
the promoters of such a scheme will be
50 largely in the minority that they will
not be able to obtain hearing. The
wisest course for the negroes to pursue is
to depend upon themselves and time to
adjust their relations with the white
npoDlp