The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-06-19
The Future Of the Negro.

In the North american Rerie1u Tor July
there ia symposium on 1.-THE Future Of
the Negro" conducted by Prof. Gardiner,
Prof. Greener, Frederick Douglass, Sena.
tors Morgan and Vance, and others. The
Senators, both OF them Southern men, see
in the occasion apood opportunity to drive
at the Republican party, and they do not
let the chance slip. But their partisan
view robs their contributions of the greater
part Of their value for the purpose Of the
symposium.
Prof. Gardiner finds that In the South
the races are amalgamating, slowly but
surely, and ia OF opinion that this will con-
tinue and increase in degree as the colored
race acquires wealth and education and
comes nearer to the social level Of the
whites. Frederick Douglass thinks the
negro will not "become more distinct as
class;;" that is 10 say, the races will mix,
aud be refers to the very Considerable mix.
ing OF blood that went on in slavery times
when the negro was Ignorant, degraded
and repulsive." Prof. Greener. on the other
hand, declares that "!the tendency in the
South will be toward The predominence OF
pure blacks. In only isolated cases will the
negro seek to mary with white people.
Few negroes who have any real pride Of
race ever do" Mr.. Douglass will doubt
less construe this rs caustic criticism on
himself as the husband Of white vile.
Oliver johnson coincdes with Mr.. Doug
lass' view. J. A. Emerfon, himself COL
ored man, saya:- Negroes have settled
antipathy 10 intermarriageu with whites"
Greener, Emerson and those who think
with them hold to the more rational and
probable view.
As the negro race becomes more in
telliSent, the more it accumulates wealth,
the stronger will be the ties to bind it to.
gcther by marriage, and the less the in.
ducemeut to seek alliance with the while
race. An intelligent and well.to.do colored
man or woman will be able to msrly
wealth and intelligence Of his or her own
color. =
On one point tho writers are agreed:
That the colored man has come to stay;
that he will Tor the most part remain where
he is, in The seven Atlantic and Gull
States where he has taken root, where the
climate suits him, where the coil needs
him and where he is already becoming
moro and more land.holder. Senator
Morgan agrees with this view, but thinks
Africa-the Free States OF the Congo
offers fine opportunity to the American
negro. 1t is significant that Prof.. Greener,
a colored man, also looks to Africa as a
land Of brilliant promise fur adventurous
colored Americana.
There arc now in the Atlantic and Gulf
States 3,Sl4. s95 negroes. The census 10.
turns show that in the decade ending with
1850 the negroes increased a little over a
third, the whites filth. At this rate the
whites Of the South will double in thirty
five years. the negroes in twenty years.
The seven Southern States in which nearly
four millions Of negroes live IRE but slight
ly touched by foreign immigration. Olthe
400, 900 foreigners who came to tho United
States in lss2.s3 only 7S6 made their
homes in those Southern States.
The rate Of increase shows that BY 1910
there will be nearly 100000 Of blacks in
the South, nearly twice as many as there
will DO whites ten years later. In hun
dred years from now the blacks Of the
South will number lls,4OO,OOO, the whites
$4,000, 600 ~ nearly four blacks to one
white. &. " ~: III .s fs$. Il,
Since the negroes arc to stay, what is to
DO done with them7 II they are not goo d
citizens they will be bad citizens and
neighbors. How shall they be made or
make themselves wha! they ought to be?
They must be educated, and they will solve
their own problem. The Southern States |
either cannot or will not educate them at
their own expense. The National Govern.
ment can do 1t and ought to do 1t, -'77.ts'G97