The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-01
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
Henry Ward Beeeher Discusses 1t I'm Ken
tucLy.


LOUISVILLE, Ky, April lon Monday
night Henry Ward Beecher lectured to a
large audience in this city. He was well re-
oeised by his bearers. Tuesday morning Tb;
Courier Journal had the following from the
Plymouth pastor:
Let me state explicitly my views of the
past and present relations of the colored peo-
pie. First The state Of slavery in the south
before the war; with all its sofIening was an
evil, and only an evil; both in its effects
upon the blacks and whites alike, and is on
the whole, bota in morals and in political
economy, exceedingly Tad. A terrible price
was paid for the destruction of the slave sys-
TEN, bnt it was worth TO posterity hundred
| times what it cost.
Second The putting of the vote into the
hands of an ignorant race was an astound-
ing event III political history. 1t came not
from belief in their fitness for suffrage,
but from tine conviction that 1t vas neces-
Sary for Their deien e. The tentative legis-
lation OF some southwestern states, which,
under the form OF the vagrancy laws, seemed
| intended to subject the colored people to
essential slavery again alarmed the north
| AMI led to deiensory legislation. But
| audacious as wa that faith in liberty and
| suffrage which led the west and the north to
| give full citizenship and political power to
the emancipated the result has shown that
| the colored people have not misused their
| power. | must say that colored voting since.
| the war has been fully as wise as white vot-
ing was before the war. The colored people
| Of the south, after becoming citizens, did
| not seek revenge or mischief they intended
| well. 1t was not their fault that many re-
| suits were evil 1t was bad enough for
| white citizens 10 see their late slaves led by
| foreign influence. 1t might be political
| necessity; it was not any the
less thing grievous to be
borne by their white fellow-citizens.
| But where the emaBcipated were largely in
| excess Of white voters 1t amounted in fact to
subject.on of the white people to tine legisla-
| tion of the colored, and in those states where
the legislatures were in the power of the late
| slaves, and where northern men, not always
the wisest, LED them on to foolish and waste
| ful legislation, increasing taxation and
| squandering the results OF it, plunging the
state deeply into debt by the unmerciful is
| sue of bonds, it is not to be wondered at that
| something like revolutionary methods were
| adopted, and that self-defenSe led men to
| violent resi- stence.
Third. When, at little later period, his
| tory no longer under the influence of vio-
lent and heated passions, shall sit in impair
| tial Judgment upon this whole movement OF
the past quarter OF century, two results
| will stand out prominently. |. The admra-
I
| the war; industrious, orderly, humane and
peaceful; their great bravery when the
| north made them part Of the
army; their general good conduct after
peace was established and their thirst for
| education, as an Indispensable condition
of good citizenship. Their. future may not
| lie what theorists predict, lAt il will be aus
picious = The remarkable conduct
| of the white population of the south, hurled
from political power, defeated in war,
wasted i'll all resources, wounded i'll every
| household in the loss of husband, son,
father; all industries subverted and to be re-
founded on new basis; and worse than ALL
to see their late slaves changing places with
their masters and holding the reins of legis
lntion under foreign leadership; is
it wonderful that at such a
evolution-convulsion rather-the south
eTn citizens often m.sfook the way OF
duty; that some rude remedies of violence
were practiced; that some cuunterlnethods
of violence were at.emlte These thing
are not to he justified but it Is now mat.
ter Of trauscendont wonder that the evils
were So few, ami that ths patience and self
control Of the southern pe',ple so soon re
adiustei the wiioie india trial and civil
economy. glory III tie history, which,
with ali its inflrlnit,es ani bleInisheS, yet
presents b. the world the most notable in
stance of the force ot elf-governnent that
has ever occurred in history.
On one or Two point. allow me to be eX-
plicit. / 10 not think the whites and blacks
should mix bio a, yet 1t Is their right ami
liberty to do 50 il they choose. But it Is b.
be discouraged on the grounds OF humanity.
The slaves are free; they must come under
the universal law. As TO their social posi-
ton, no legislation can put ignorance and
knowledge on a level, Incidence and indus
try, virtue and vice, rudenesS and refine
ment The household is to be free
to choose or refuse its company. No OBJ
J struction should be put in the path of educa
ton. All opportunities for development
should be sacredly kept open to every class,
every encouragement given to industry,
wealth, refinement and good citizenship.
After that society must be free, SO far as
5 legislation is concerned, to choose its own
partnerships.
| And now that a new era and read djustment
Of all national questions has been reached,
am for the welfare of an undivided nation
. and belong in detail, to that party which
shall best serve the interests Of the whole
land | am not the slave of either
; Party is my servant am not its slave.
The admin -trRtion. with that strong
and Just man Cleveland ut its head, has my
hearty support and my full confidence; mo-
because it is Democratic, but because i
is national, patriotic, and adapted to the ex
igencies of the hour. Should it fail in it
|, national duty shall still seek the honor anI
welfare of this great nation but by anothe
D road"