Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-04-09
Mr.. Beechar in the South.

OF all the eccentric movements oil
Mr.. Henry Ward Beecher, none will
pain his old admirers more than his
consent to the educational, social
and political ostracism of the negro,
as negro, by the white people OF
the South. He will be condemn ed
for this position by some partisan
journals, which cannot forgive his
work in the recent campaign, but
there are higher grounds of condem-
nation. 1t is not merely painful, but
it IS discouraging to find man who
has been foremost in the cause of
intellectual and moral freedom,
praising race of prejudiced men
for their unreasoning and slavish
hatred of the black skin. The New
Orleans Timos-Democrat thinks cit
is startling and almost revolutionary
to find the arguments adduced by
Mr.. Gable for us of the South-why,
we should educationally, socially
and otherwise commingle with the
negro-met, controverted and re-
futed by such an arch Abolitionist
as Henry Ward Beecher. Of the
men who agitated for abolition forty
years ago, and who brought about
the war, the freedom of the negro,
few played more prominent part
than Beecher, and he has some right
to speak for the AboIitionists, GER
tainly more so than Mr.. Cable has
to represent us of the South"
1t is startling, certainly, and it is
incomprehensible We have not
seen the text of Mr.. Beecher', re-
marks, but if he has undertaken to
defend the South against the pure
souled, clearminded Cable, for it's
failure to commingle educationally,
socially and otherwise with the
negro, then we must believe that he
has allowed his political prejudices
to overcome his moral judgment.
There may be just grounds for Mr..
Beecher to sympathize with the
Southern whites in their purpose to
prevent the political supremacy of
the negroes, in the light of the OPP
pressions Of the carpet-bag rule
though a moral teacher should be
slow to approve the righting of
wrong by the methods of the South
ern people, who employed the shot
gun and the lash. But even if he
can say that he sympathizes with the
undisciplined ignorance of the
South, he ought to feel bound to
protest against the steadfast opposi-
ton of the Southern whites to the
education of the negro.
This is not a good time for an en-
lightened public teacher to applaud
the South for doubtful deeds and
withhold condemnation for wrong
heartedness. Mr.. Cable has Just en-
deavored to awaken in the Southern
soul sense of narrowness and
shamefullness Of the intellectual
and social ostracism of the black
man as black man. And now
comes a great moral teacher from
the North to quiet the Southern
conscience and remove any impress
ion made by the rebuking tones of
one of its own prophets. Mr.. Beech
err has seemed TO be such "A man as
one might count upon to take
black man to his heart if he possess
ed characterize his table if he
possessed character and manners.
Character is more than color, and
great soul in a black body, a good
mind well disciplined under the
crisp curls of an African head, grace
of manner borne by black man,
should be given their true value
without a thought of the blackness.
That Mr.. Henry Ward Beecher goes
South to refute these noble senti,
meuts which are Mt the bottom of
Mr.. Cables work for the negro, is a
deep humiliation.--NHca1tkee SEN
tHel.