Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-04-07
THE NEGRO PROBLEM

In the course of his remarks in the Sen
ate on Saturday on the Blair education bill
Mr. Morgan said:
'In speaking Of the results Of suffrage in
the South the fact that it had not resulted
in so vitiating and demoralizing the ballot
as to sweep away the foundations Of civil
liberty was due in the providence OF God to
the other fact that the tutelage of the ne
groes had been in the hands of men who
had conscientious regard for their oblga
tions. In the midst of poverty and discour-
agements of every kind, the Southern peo-
pie had calmly marched on in the line OF
duty until they convinced the negroes that
the people Of the South were upright and
honest citizens, and that the purpose was
to do good aud not harm TO the negroes.
Through the moral heroism that pervaded
all classes in the South, men and women
alike, they had been enabled to give direc-
tion to political affairs, 20 that instead Of
barbarism and ignorance capturing the
country aud destroying it, new light had
sprung up and new strength had come, and
there was no community in the civilized
world where law and order were so well
administered aud the peace of society so
we'll maintained. AS 10 the future Of the
negroes MIR. Morgan said there was less to
be expected from the young negro popula-
ton of the United States in contributing to
the moral, social and political institutions
of the country than was to be expected
from the Arabs in the desert of Egypt. This
was not spoken reproachfully, but rather as
one who despaired of finding a remedy for
the trouble. He was not sure that the NOR.
atty of the negroes had been one particle
improved since their emancipation. He
was almost beginning to believe that book
learning was not the essential cure for the
troubles of that race. The condition of the
negro as man could be improved; he
could be qualified to take care of himself,
and in Gods name let Us teach him to do
that"
Upon Mr.. Morgan's mentioning the fact
that negroes were not even employed as
conductors by street car companies in
Washington, Mr.. Blair remarked that the
negroes went into the cars in more digni-
fed capacity-they went as passengers.
Mr.. Morgan replied: "And ride by their
side with more ease and freedom than the
Senator from New Hampshire, for I have
been raised among them, and know that
they are good people in their hearts and
have good Instincts. I have no jealousy to
ward them such as crops out in the District
of Columbia. would not be afraid to invite
negro to my house for fear he would come
to nv parlor instead of to the kitchen, as is
the case with some Of the republican poll
ticians of the country" The negro'strouble
was a race trouble-a race afhiction from
which he could never recover. No Congress
could get the women Of this country to rec
ognize the negroes "a persons with whom
they and their daughters should associate;
Congress was not strong enough to do that
and never would be. MIR. Morgan said he
would rather see Que million dollars appro-
priated to establish steam communication
from Charleston to the mouth of the Congo
river than to see this appropriation OF $780,
100000.