Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-30
mr.. senator Ahermas.

trcfcTff1 10 sunoThluils nlN mlgNinlUthy
=. A soldier 10 his hatred OF rebellion M
1itIzcp, and his uiteranccs were less in The
Interests Of the public good than oi inti-
vidual narrowness and sectional bitterness.
I, /. not the first time that great military
Genius has mpdc great blunder in matters
- civil policy. and will lessen. rather than
a,,omeni, the Generals reputation at
The Ter OF future generations. Really
msgnauimous men who yesterday con-
tended for mastery can to-day cor
di.Ily shake hands and 20 forward rs CO.
workers on The opening field Of future
6,;v, TO such men a these the animoii'
tie. Of The past, II they be recalled ~ ai''
viii serve as incentives TO generous bear
mo toynrd one another. ! have seldom
bccu more pleasantly imp es'ed than when'
1uting the great fire Of 1865 at Richmond,
/ saw the Blue and Gray, obIyious OF the
rsst. united together in trying to arrest
The flames which were consuming the Guy.
n vas TO me most refreshing sight, and
will never fade from my memory.
Al the time OF nv honorable mention OF
General sherman | was scarcely aware that
orr lsrge-heartcd senator was brother OF
bis. and much less did suppose that the
senator would outStrip the General IN hl'
war against rebellion. But the Seniors
mov,mcn,s in the matter OF the DlnYiilc
;nvcstipation are alone sufficient proofs OF
his care and sagacity, and VIII give TO The
revt ace a jrIstrr notion OF his claim
mon IFS favorable consideration. The
senator would be thought irienh
of the colored man. aud yet tnc
methods OF his neutrality-suspicious.
northern men being iudgcs-wiii Gam
age rather than help the interests OF MS
client. And seemingly, without being aware
Of IL, he IL establishing precedent wh'ch
some day NAV send an investigating con-
mittee bcyond the Ohio, or west OF the
Rocky mountains. Indeed. when our
American bird shall have reached the ma
turity of his strength, IL bir. senator ohcr-
nan is still living. he may fluid II conyc'
rieut 10 90 back upon the past and InVcsu-
cate bismarck in the matter OF the Lssktr
business.
Asa yjrginian. | am not afraid Of Dan
VILE investigations, for the more such in
yostigsiiops 90 forward the more 1t will
become manifest 10 all reasonable people
that lbc great mass OF the Vlrginians take
counsel OF their reason and conscience in
dealing with their colOred fellow-citlZcns.
There is another thing which will be made
more manifest, also. and that Is that the
worst enemy Of the c0lOrcd man Is the
wretch who. under a pretencc OF friend
shin for his race, j. only using him
AS sn instrument OF his own greed
and malignity. As an American, | am
afraid OF precedent the full results OF
which If is difficult now to foresce. But
Mr.. sherman may rest assured. il he has
not thought OF the fact, that IL virginia Is
TO be approached by an investigating com
mittce every time it suits the malignity or
the interests Of some demagogue, the great
States Of New York aud Ohio will soon
find themselves the objects OF similar at
tention.
wish ,hst Mr.. Sherman, and men OF
similar instincts, could see the color ques-
ton as II will be seen by and by. IL Is by
much. unless | very greatly deceive myself.
the grayest question with which we have
10 deal: and it is 4 question which can
never be solved by paItisanry and sectional
bitterness. II, indeed, we would aid In the
elevation Of the cOlOrcd race, we must leave
our politics and our prcjudices behind,
md come as quiet and unsel6sh bene-
factor, Of mankind. A sudden change in
the social and political relations OF A large
number Of persons Is at all times difficult
problem. and requires disinterested ana
conservative iistrumentglitieS to solve.
And il would not be amiSS for reasonable
persons to remember that the color OF our
1mancipsted brethren, and the great temp
iation afforded to interested whites, very
much enhances the inherent difficulty OF
the case. Let us see what history teaches
on this question before us.
At Rome, where slaves came by install
10, ha M thpPp
no need for concern To- the State. A R0-
man having slaves, II overcome by gem
ero,s impulse, might free them. and they
would soon he lost in the rest OF the COM
m,mity. They were of the same color as
their master. and in the matter of ap-
precautions were often his superior.
But when the Hebrews came IN =
body out Of Egypt, either by Divine
appointment. or by the sagacity OF Moses,
they were kept in the wilderness until a
generation OF bondmen had gwen place
10 generation Of frcemen, breathing the
proud cir OF liberty and full OF the inspira-
lions Of hope. How well from that day I'M
Ill now the better sort OF Hebrews have
justified the wisdom OF their great law
giyer, 1t is not for me to tell. for the story
j. interviewer with the history Of every ma
ton.
Is there 10 significance in the case OF the
Hebrews? II is fact OF history. and they
tell lis that history is philosophy teaching
by examples. II race which has given
us such men as Nehemiah and Judas Mae
cabeus. and whose ancient literature Is still
the JOY and admiration OF the world. re-
Quire forty years OF discipline before ASST
ming civil responsibilities, how long will it
take for our cOlored friends, admitting the
intelligence Of many OF them, 10 be proof
against the Establishments oil the dema-
gogues who are ever at their elbows and
who care for nothing bu: their own greed
and ma!ignity.
Unfortunately the lessons OF history and
the dictates OF common sense are alike over
looked by the recent advocates Of our CO.
lored friends. AMI they seem TO suppose
thai the best lesson they can teach their
client il one Of undying hate for his former
master. A very small share OF common
sense. 10 say nothing Of reason and con-
science, would suggest that in the South
the interests Of the two races are so mixed
aad blended that the prosperity OF the black
i necessarily dependent on the prosperity
of the white. and that for his own sake the
best lesson for the c0lOred man to learn Is
one OF DIIllOUlOUS IfItilDil> Win us Mullc
neighbors, on whom he ia mainly depen-
dent, not only for his daily employments,
hut for those aids from which bis own ele-
vaiion j. 10 grow. IL Is easy to free the
bodies of men by proclamation; but the
mind and heart can Onlv be- elevated by the
slow methods OF iudiciou, training.
The truth is, the plans which have been
invented, and the silly things which have
been spoken under pretence OF friend
ship for the colOrcd man, have been really
designed TO provoke collisions between the
races and il they have not been more sue
ceSsful than the authors wished. II Is be-
cause the whites OF the South are kindly
disposed toward the cOlOred people. The
affair at Danyille was one 10 be deplored by
oil rieht-feeling people; yet it might have
happened in any community, and perhaps
no community could have regretted
an event OF the kind more than the people
Of Danyille regretted this. But when the
event is made the occasion OF charges OF
premeditated brutality and murder against
one Of the rost peaceable communities in
the world. We NAV readily suppose that
these charges have very little reference 10
the public good, but proceed solely from
motives Of seiiishness and lll-will.
These facts and circumstances are be-
coming clear to many northern people. and
the more they are made known and are
appreciated, the more it will help the cause
OF national repose, as well as promote the
best interests OF the cOlored people-whom