The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-08-09
THE NEGRO.
An Anglo-Texan Correspondent to a British
Paper Gives the Negro Of Texas
a Very Rough Deal.
The Burden of His Complaint is That
He Always Votes ON the Re
publican Ticket.

MI. IL. J. henual, ioImetly newspaper
man in this city, now attached to the Gov
emor's Office in Austin, writes to the Ponty-
pool Free Press, a small weekly paper in
Wales, under his nom de plume Of "Free
Lance" and thus gives the negroes Of the
State OF Texas a rough deal:
circumstances alter cases. is a well worn
maxiom, and it is equally true that they alter
opinions. have had an other conversion, or
another change Of opinion. This time II is
on the negro, and, somewhat, on the merits
Of the American civil war. When that war
was raging | was lad in my teens at school,
but, like the masses Of the English people, I
took sides with the North because the North
were fighting to free the slave, and, like most
Britons, had no sympathy with slavery or
Shareholders. Another reason-I was born
Of the people, not Of the aristocracy, and as
the arstocracy of England took one side l,
Of course, took the other; for was politician
even when a boy. then believed that politics
were principles, now believe they are good
deal jockeying. The main body, possibly the
rank and file Of al! political parties are honest,
but dare not assert the same OF the leaders.
However, to return, when first came to the
States, in 1867, lived in the North, and ii
being just after the war, |, Of course, imbibed
more OF the Northern spirit, becoming con-
vinced that the North was right. Now, on
reading the Constitution OF the United States
little more strictly and critically, l am as
firmly converted to the opinion that the Con-
stitution Of the United States there upheld
negro slavery and that its abolition was a
violation of the principles Of the constitution.
Secondly, that II they chose the Southern
States had an undoubted right to secede. l,
however, doubt the wisdom Of doing so, and
looking generally at the results OF the war,
think that perhaps, on the whole, it was best
all around that the North won. Slavery was
an incubus on the South which they are now
actually glad to have got rid Of, although they
suffered severely in the getting rid Of it, The
question of secession has also been settled
against them, and the nationality Of the United
| States has been cemented hrmly.
The United States is not a nation as is
Great Britain, or France, or Germany. The
governments Of these countries are supreme.
The powers of the United States Government
are delegated powers-what they are express
ly stated in the constitution-and Estate
|
was, Notwithstanding the war and its results.
The Government of the United States cannot
do Just what it likes. Within the
powers delegated to ii the United States Gov
eminent is supreme, but no further. Each
State has Its own local government. 1t can
make its own laws, civil and criminal, and the
Supreme court Of each State is the final court
Of appeal on purely local matters. The
Supreme court of the United States is the
| al
even to the United States Government itself.
For instance, supposing the Congress Of the
United States was TO pass a law as to how
marriage should be solemnized, and declare
this to be the law of the United States, the
Supreme court would, on appeal, step in and
declare such law unconstitutional and null
and void, and tell Congress it was meddling
with matters that did not concern it or come
within its jurisdiction and scope. To illus
trate better: II the United States Congress
were to commit such a violation of the law
and the constitution as the British Parliament
has Just done in the exclusion of Mr.. Brad
laugh from the House Of Commons, Mr..
Bradlaugh could have appealed his case on its
merits to the Supreme court which would, Of
course, have declared the law, and
Congress would have had to submit
and allow the duly elected candi;
date to take his seat. In England Parliament
| u
law, even If it directly conflicts with the COM
mon law of the country. A good deal is
talked about 'the glorious British constitu-
tion," but actually there is no British constu-
ton except the principles of the common law
or the statute law 1.-THE latter being merely a
series Of enactments). In this particular the
United States and the separate States lat least
such of them as work under a code and a
written constitution) are different. The prin-
ciples OF the constitution, and constitutions,
are especially and clearly laid down, and
nothing short of vote of the whole people at
the ballot box can alter these principles. The
people are the supreme power when we get
down to ''bed rock" and the day may not be
far distant when this will be demonstrated as
surely in England as in democratic America.
At present "the people" down South are
composed of considerable percentage oil
negroes. In Texas there are, according to the
1880 census, I,Io723o whites, 394,5I2 col
ored, oo2 Indians, and 1876 Chinese. 1t is not
necessary for me to give the population of the
United States or the percentage OF negroes
the above is quite good enough, or more
properly speaking bad enough, for my sub
ject. The negroes constitute about
one-fourth Of the population. The negroes
. have now the right to vote. At the present
: time am a voter, and shall cast a ballot Al
the election in November. l have always
said, and say now, that 1t is wrong that l.
living only one year in Texas, should be able
! to check the vote OF man who has lived her,
I all his life-one who knows the country ant
! its wants. My worst enemy, however, will
not deny that have decent amount Of edu
cation. / can read the newspapers-l think
> do so pretty thoroughly-and my face is get
ting familiar in all the book stores in town, Sc
|, that do make some kind OF step toward
political education. The negro, however
v holds me in check, and soon as or the Chic
y Justice of the Supreme court have deposited
J. our respective ballots, two negroes can steI
up and offset our votes. This is, to write !
: mildly, an outrage, for the negro is no NOR
fit to vote than-whatf don't want to writ,
!, too strongly, or could put i plain enough
G The North forced negro suffrage on beatei
South, and they did terrible injustice. Nor
than that-it is peril, for the negroes are ig
-.. .s.ant--sa,.cs. I'D .......L