Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-25
rbe ADVICE Of n Northern journal.

The Advice of a Northern Journal.
The New York Times, in discussing the
testimony brought out in the Danyille and
COpiah county investigations, says: AS
we have pointed out before, 1t Is SHY
notion that negro who makes faces at
white man or calls him names deVolVes
upon the white man the duty of assault
inc. and in extreme cases of numbering,
him. The sooner the people Of Virginia
get over that notion the more desirable
will Virginia be as a place Of resi-
dence for both races. But upon the
main question, whether the intelligent,
industrious and well-tO-dO part of COM
munity shall be ruled or not by the igno-
rant, shiftless and improvident part we
must at least admit that the problem they
have TO settle is a very trying one and
that as legislation can do no good in the
present stage Of it. advice from outsiders
who have not experienced life in such
community is apt to be not only worth
less but irritating"
The Times seems TO be getting
better understanding Of affairs IN the
South. but apparently does not under
stand them well enough to be entirely
fair in its criticisms. The white people
in the south do not want TO murder ne
oroes aDv more than white people in the
North want to murder them. Impu-
dent. overbearing and outrageous conduct
on the part of a negro eXcites about the
same feeling i'm one section that it does in
the other In the North the negroes are
few compared with the white people, ana
they are awed into conducting them
selves properly. They are more IN
telligent than the negroes at the south,
and are not. therefore, 50 inclined TO com
nit acts that excite the resentment Of the
white people The point may be Illus
trated by something that happened on a
street car in this city yesterday. The car
was Of the summer pattern, with seats at
/ right angles with the line of travel. The
passengers comprised ten or a dozen ne
croes and. perhaps, half as many white
/ people At junction for chang
/ ing cars a lady and gentleman
/ arose to pass out. \ negro man occupied
I the end of the seat towards the car they
wished to take. The gentleman requested
/ the negro TO move little so as to allow
/ the lady to pass. He impudently refused
| and persisted in blocking the way. The
I gentleman and lady were forced to pass
out the other side and 90 entirely round
/ the car they left TO reach the car they de-
] sired TO enter The act Of the negro Was
| greeted with loud laughter and approving
! expressions by the other negroes in
I the car. Does the Times think that a
/ Northern man would not have felt
/ like assaulting the negro with his cane
/ or his boot: The gentleman in this case
undoubtedly felt like resenting such con-
duct. He could not, Of course, under the
/ circumstances. If he had a street dis
/ turbance Of greater or less proportions
/ would have been the result. The Times
/ may say that instances of such conduct
! are rare. They are not, by any means
/ Every day or two in this city
/ cases of outrageous conduct
/ on the part Of negroes towards white
men and women are reported. The great
number of the negroes makes them bolG
in giving expression to their brutality
/ The majority Of negroes are. well-behaveC
and law-abiding, but there is a good bis
minority who delight in being insolent
and ugly. This element Will grow smaller
as the condition of the negroes improves
/ The Times makes a mistake in thinking
that the Northern people could get along
better with the negroes than the South
ern people do. Those Northerners who
have come in contact with this great
black mass of ignorance wonder that thu
Southerners are so patient.
On the main question, whether the IN
telligent part of the community shall b'
ruled by the shiftless, ignorant and i'm
provident part the Times is beginning t.
see daylight. Under intelligent rule thu
South is growing rich and prosperous. Th'
Southern States are becoming great in
dustrial States. Put the ignorant anC
shiftless on top and this prosperity would
be checked at once. The mills, mines anC
plantations would be seized with a sor
of paralysis. The ignorant and sbIftles'
will never be allowed to get on top.