Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-27
, The Future of the Negro.

perry I0lleSe,iot that state, last tuesday
night. discussed at considerable length
the future or the negro In the Southern
States. IL
This race question is attracting great
deal Of attention in the South. IL Is be-
ing discussed in the newspapers, at pub
lie gatherings, and even In the home cir
Gle. 1t is not regarded as question with
which the present generation will have
much to do, and is, therefore, considered
calmly and with desire only 70 discover
4 the truth.
/ The agitation Of the question was started
by writer's who insist that the time is
coming when the negroes will control,
absolutely, several Of the Southern States,
and that amslgamation, in all probability,
is the solution of the negro problem.
To careful observers anu thinkers the
! arguments Of these writers appear to be
sensational rather than reasonable. They
are too ready to accept statements which
| support their theories, and too quick to
reject facts which are hostile to the con-
clusions they seek to reach.
A few days ago we published an inter-
view with Gen. Brinkerhoff, Of Ohio, who
had gust returned to his home after a long
visit to several of the Southern
States, where he made careful
inquiries relative to the negro.
In this interview Ger. Brinberhof
said that he was satisfied that there would
never be a fusion of the white and black
races in the South. He was confident, he
said, that a negro who showed the pos
CO eli g
alton or two, be an unusual sight in the
South. He gave reasons for thinking that
white blood will wholly disappear from
the negro race which writer's on the other
side of the question viii hardly attempt
to controvert.
Mr.. Benet, in his Newberry address,
gave many very strong reasons why there
can be no fusion of the black and white
races in the South. '9The negro race" he
said, ''can claim no kindred with the
Anglo-Saxon race. In our splendid in
heritance of tradition, history, language,
literature. glory and renown the negro
has no share; nor will he in the future
history of our race, as it works out it's
destiny in this Western hemisphere. have
part or lot in the triumphs that surely
await us. The seven millions of the
African race now living in these South
ern States may by natural increase
grow to be people of seventy millions,
but they will be negroes still, as
distinct nom the white race as they
are to-day. And 1t is well that it should
be so; it is best for them and best for us.
The Creator, who made the black man and
the white man, the sallow Mongol and the
red Indian, established those race lines
for wise and beneficent purposes. And
he is bold man who will say that the
progress and elevation ofone race or of all
races are to be brought about by race fu-
sion and obliteration of the lines which
now divide them. Such doctrine is OPP
posed to the lessons taught by the history
of races. Religion, morality and pride of
race all cry out against it,"
Mr.. Benet said that the negro must
work out his own future, and that it
would be pretty much as he elected to
make it's The obstacles in the way of his
progress must te removed by himself.
He has no particular reason for expect
ing help from the white man. "The two.
parallel lines of progress, never meeting,
never crossing, but moving on IN har-
monY. The same laws will protect each
in the enjoyment of life and liberty and
in the pursuit of happiness, but they will
live under well defined, distinct and diff
ferent social organizations. Only thus
may the negro hope 10 rise in the scale of
civilizations mot by imitation of the white
man-and thus far his civilization seems
to consist solely in that-but in evolv-
ing for himself and by himself a
civilization suited to his race peculiari-
ties and characteristics. True, he has
no past to be proud Of, no history to set
his patriotism aglow, no language, no
literature he can call his own. But he
has that in some small measure which, if
encouraged and increased, will open for
him the gates that bar the path to progress.
He has pride of race, not very strongly
developed, but even in its embryo stage
it is the promise of African civilization.
have his own churches, his own schools,
with negro preachers and teachers"
The fusion of the two races does not
mean the production of a race superior to
either. 1t means the degradation, and
perhaps, the ruin of both. So improbable
is IL that there will ever be anything
approaching amalgamation In the South
that 1t is hardly worth while TO notice the
arguments OF those who insist that such
a condition of affairs is probable.
What the future Of the negro in this
country Is to be no one can predict with
any degree of certainty. That
there will be improvement in his
intellectual, moral and material
condition there is no room for doubt, but
the improvement will be slow-so slow,
in fact, that there may be doubt that there
lie any improvement at all. The history
OF civilization, however, shows that a
race does not progress rapidly, and that
its development from barbarism TO COM
paratiyely high state Of civilization is the
work OF centuries.
II is stated that delegation Of Phila-
delphia Mugwumps went TO Washington
the other day and made an earnest ap-