Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-23
PROBLEM OF THE RACES.
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF
THE COLORED PEOPLE.

facts MGAC uNNtADpNA NNh0NA htii2 luH
negro race. Gen. r. Brinkerhof, of this
city is one of our acutest observers, and
being anxious to gain some information
nnon what will be in the near future one
ofthe great questions of the day, Herald
man called upon MIN and got the follow
ing facts that are of great interest:
in the reports of your Southern trip 1
notice YOU have not said anything about
the race problem Can't you give us
some information about our fellow-citi-
zeus OF African descentY"
"Tbe race problem my dear friend -
replied the General, sis too big to dispose
Of in a newspaper paragraph. ] could
write a book about it and tnen not exhaust
the subject. 1t is the all absorbing ques-
tiou i'm The South, aud ] heard it discussed
and rediscussed by day and by night in
balf a dozen different States, until am
I'm and running over with views and
oplnlOns about our cOlOred brother and his
future. Do you want delugeY
We mOdestly suggested that few con-
clusions would be acceptable and doubt
less useful for newspaper purposes.
81 have no conclusions" said the Gem
eral. except that the negro question is
a great big one, and so big thai God AL
f0lgUIA dlOLE eau 6OlN6 iLs NbItalQlN we
people of the North ought to be modest
about rushing in where angels fear to
tread However, l have no objection to
giving you few pointers.
First Of all, let it be distinctly under
stood that the people of the North as a
whole do not and cannot know very much
about the negro and his character sites ::
that, IN the nature OF things, the white
people of the South have thousand times
more knowledge OF the subject than we
have. and that they are a thousand times
more interested in its successful solution
than we can be, and consequently that
the best thing we can do Is to give them
charitable encouragement and all the
money we can spare for educational pur-
poses and for religious and Industrial mis-
sionary work.
second. Do not expect large results
in the present generation. A people just
out OF a century of bondage, and, back Of
that, out of untold centuries of African
sayagery, cannot be expected to attain
the heights Of civilization in a day. In
short, be patient; be hopeful; have
faith in God; be charitable to both
races, and, last of all, pray without ceas-
ing and work without fainting.
"Tbe cOlored people are doing fairly
well in material way. They are the
Ntbl W vi hCl . Z are III bu6 OONbHs GSllt-
cally the eX-slaves, and, although they
are very improvident, yet here and
there are some who are accommodating
property.
"The ugliest feature in the whole prob
lem is the low state of morals among the
cOlored people. Upon this point all opIn-
ions concur.
"A colored man is convicted of a crime
and is sent to the penitentiary, serves his
term and returns, and at once takes his
old place in the society of his fellows
without any impairment Of his social
standing.
"a negro girl is a street-walker and
makes money and dresses finer than her
sisters. She does not lose social standing,
but gains rather.
"a negro preacher (that is the average
preacher rObs hen roOsts and breaks the
seventh commandment, but 1t does not al
feet his position or acceptability as a reli-
gous teacher. Character is one thing,
religion is another, and the two do not
necessarily go together.
"These facts and they are fearful facts
point TO one paramount necessity for the
civilization and Characterization OF the
negro, viz, the two races must work to-
gether. Left alone and the negro race
will gravitate to barbarism with unerring
vi e0AuN IL 10 OnAJ ny L4G EAaui PIC anu
guidance Of the higher race that there is
hope in the future for the negro.
THE cOlored people are like children,
and initiate those who are near them, and
especially those they recognize as supe-
rlor to them. Where the old masters were
good men, their slaves as freedmen are
better citizens. This fact is especially
noticeable in South Carolina. There the
white people in ante-bellum times were
Well-to-do planters and were well edu-
Gated and cultured people. The result is
the colored people are more advanced
Than in other States. You see it in their
houses, in their churches, in their man.
ners, and in everything there is better
understanding between the races than
elsewhere.
AT Charleston there's colored church
with membership of 1000, and they are
as orderly and as elegant as their white
brethren are in their churches. TheEhave
a lne organ and a tirst-class choir, and
Ihey have white man for their pastor.
Iney do not propose to be second-class
IN anything, and they insist upon white
preacher.V
us there not danger that occupancy by
OOIl races will result in amalgamation
and degratiOn Of bothP'
Not bit of it. That was the danger
ol slavery, but not of freedom. On the con-
lIaIy, what white blood there is in the ne
gro race is fading away. What may hap
Pen centuries hence no one can tell, but
sle tendencies at present are against the
oommingling Of races.
The relations between the old masters
aug freedmen are uniformly cordial. The
WHY antAgonism ! could discover comes
tum the poor white trash and disreputa-
We carpet-baggers.
20 FAR as could discover, the dominant
sguument Of the South Is in favor of the
suueation OF the cOlOred people, and they
~ taxing themselves in proportion TO
'NoH means as fully as we do.
., orange as IL may seem, the civiliza-
XVI Oh the South is more Christian than
,Ias OF the North. The Sabbath is every
"ueie more fully observed and a much
!, a'Eef proportion OF the white people 90
y church. Not TO have prayers in the
T,u and grace at the table is the eNcep-
FsS ana not the rule in the South. The
gt law OF divorce is almost universal
so .ne south, and in the Carolinas II is abb
hue This Righteousness initiated by
ori uiacks, but, unfortunately, it reaches
Fne2 inc emotions, and stops short Of con-
mo' ana character. 10 is very evident
e-,' We cannot expect the two races to
ilngle either socially or by blood, and
io.., noes not follow that they cannot live
I'm ntr IN harmony and happiness. jews
NJ Htutiles do not cOmmlngle at the
,ni w. and vet we live together in peace
esn comfort and with entire respect for
sLu Other Time, | trust, viii bring
ul similar result in the south