The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-13
THE RACE QUESTION.


THE RACE QUESTION.
Manifest Destiny of the White, Black and
Bronze Races.
Rev. Joseph Cooks Monday Lecture.
In careful study of this question, am con-
WINGED that the question of climate is surely to
play most important part in determining the
future We cannot get away from it. When
the wind blows from the south in New Orleans,
the brisk New England step is impossible. See
how the races now stand in the matter of rela-
tive growth. In the seven States where the
blacks are chiefly found, we find that in the de-
cade ending with 1880 the blacks increased 30
per cent while the whites increased but 20 per
cent Looking forward to 1920, time when
many of us will be alive. we may expect that
there will be 30, OOO 600 of blacks in this country
What will become of theml Will they spread
throughout the North2 That was the opinion at
the close Of the war, but it did not prove So
and l do not believe it will ever occur. Will
they migrate and go back to their native andl
Henry Clay spoke of the bridge of ships reach
ing from here to Africa but that bridge would
not be wide enough to take the negroes over as
fast as they would be born. There is no proba-
blity of their migration, for the climate in our
Southern States is congenial to them. Will
they amalganate2 1t has been suggested that
the blacks may be lost by absorption into the
whites. This is the philosophy of some doc
trinaries, but it has no general favor. Certainly
the doctrine OF amalgamation has no foundation
in the expectation of the blacks. The mulatto
is dying out, thank God They furnished the
highest OF their race, no doubt, but the black
man, pure and simple, is the coming type 1t
may not be the best as found about the gulf.
The average type OF the black man in the South
ern States is heavier spiritually, more lethargic,
perhaps more sensual than his Northern brother.
But we find generally that the negro spiritual
sentiment grows deeper as it grows darker
The black race will concentrate in one region
of this country, and the white race will die out.
Now, as to the relations of the races, We find
the black man so incompetent for the perform
ance of political duties that he is practically dis
franchised in States where he is in the large ma
jority.
Some of the Southerners are frank enough
to declare that the negro will not be allowed to
exercise his political rights. l thank God for
giving the ballot to the blacks. l am proud of
the Republican party for what it did in eeyating
to citizenship that race, but am not greatly
proud Of its more recent acts in failing to secure
and defend the civil rights of the black man in
the South. We are told that there is no such
thing as 1.-The shotgun policy" in intimidatng the
negro from exercising his rights 1t is a
fact, however, that the conduct in Copiah
county is an illustration of system.
Those acts have been initiated in every rural
district of the South whenever necessary. The
respectable Southerners do not object to this vi
olent deprivation of the blacks mans rights.
There Is no conscience at the South on this topic
of the negro's rights, and it is not likely to
by the creation of resistless sentiment | am
sorry to say that there is no hope that the negro
will assert his own rights. He is too low down
in the social status, too ignorant to do it. One
white man Will tyrannize over a black man, a
dozen black men will see it and not interfere.
My story of an outrage upon black man did not
fire his brethren in the least to redress his
wrongs. The lack of self assertion among the
blacks OF the South impressed me profoundly.
The negro must do something for himself. He
cannot be carried and coddled along indefinitely.
| expect that one day under the leadership of
their best minds the blacks will arise and assert
themselves, but not yet, 1t may be twenty or
twenty five years before that day will come; but
it will doubtless come, and the blacks will prove
their right to assert their rights. Without the
aid Of the Northern whites, it will be long
time before the votes of the blacks will be
counted.
One thing learned at the South, and that is
that Democracy is respectable and Republicansm
isn't. AT the North it has been rather the other
way. Here in the North, if you should range all
the Republicans side of the street, and all
the Democrats, including their main strength in
the great cities, on the other side, man who be-
lonCed to neither, but who was somewhat con-
siderate of himself, would be apt 30 go over to
the Republican sidewalk Now at the South
that man would surely go over to the Democratic
sidewalk If two most excellent ladies were
walking on the street. with very long trains be-
draggled in all nastness, and should stand
to see only the others train, each would have
very poor opinion of the others apparel. Now,
the Democratic party of the North is
only the dirty trail of the Demo
cratic party of the South, and the
Republican party of the South, white and
black, is the the trail of the Republican party of
the North. AS have no axes to grind, l can
be exceeding frank and grind the axes of all
other men. The recent course of the blacks of
the South cannot be wholly commended. The
uneducated portion of the negro race is taking
the wrong side on tho temperance question and
other questions of Importance. We may hope
that the better element white and black, will one
day lock hands to elevate both of these trails
out of the gutter. Where are our millionairesl
Let them help to educate these poor blacks;
thousands of them are begging to be educated
we must multiply our enterprises for abolish
ing illiteracy. Congress has been appealed to-
but Congress refuses. For the present, we
must rely upon private benevolence and the
church. The Republican party is necessary as
an opposition party, but we must remember
that the Republican party on paper, is very
different thing from that party as Mr.. Hoar
declares its doctrines, sounding forth as a
trumpet the duty of the hour. He would have
the party be as thunderbot for the righting of
the wrongs of the blacks. Congress ought to
disfranchise every district by keeping out of his
seat every Representative who applies, whore
that district has DISTINGUISHED its black voters
There is hope in another direction. Victor Hugo
said that This century has made of the African
man. The twentieth century will make out of
Africa world The black man is to be re-
deemed in the great Congo state. Africa will
be feeced by white traders, but may we not hope
that some of the hest of the race will there lead
the negro into the promised landa From this
climatic fringe of our country there may yet go
forth Moses and an Aaron, and a whole race
of prophets. who shall bless all Africa and lift
up its people.
The Wrongs of the Deaf
Elizabeth w. Denison, in New York INDEPENDENT