Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-05
wEDNEspAY. December 8. 1s8s.
Thn Nonro Problem.


"Truth IS harmless when Reason rs left
free TO combat IT," The negro problem y 8
stupendous one. In this issue OF the Dis
patch Professor TEFFT. Of IlArtshOrn Female
College (colored), IN this city, makes his con-
tribution 20 the solution OF this great problem.
We can at least learn from bis letter the no.
lions OF northern man. who IS stranger 10
our prejudices ADD sympathies, and engaged
in indruciiug colorcd persons. We baye no
other purpose than 10 do what Is right and
nre not al all afraid 10 hear all that such men
n. Professor TrFfr have 10 say on the IN
portaut subject which he discusses 10 bis
letter.
/. Professor TErFr writes as II he we're
disciple Of DArwIS. We don't know that ne
believes m the doctrine Of evolution; but we
infer ffom the language Of paragraph No.
Of bis letter that De does. We can't imagine
what else be Cal mean by the phrase "uh-
mate deteiOpmcnt" We can safely say tbst
that phrase is Inconsistent with the teachings
Of TIE scientific cyOluiionls,. Professor
TErFT seems 10 mold that whatever they are
now the negroes viii ultimately oyer,ase
the whites; or, in other words, that
evolution r. 20 be arrested in the
case Of tho whites until the negroes
can oycrtako theml lie holds, too, that
Il the negro race were under present cir
cumstances equal 10 the white race this fact
would prove the superiority OF the former
race. Aud this singular dictum is made In
Q
negro, unlike the Indian, was thou'ands Of
years AGO in immedisic contact with the
blghest civilization OF the age; and, second,
that far TIE most enlightened negroes In the
world-tho.e best qualified 10 take part in
governing a country arc the negroe, whose
ancestors were 50 recently slaves. There
are 30 such good negroes IN Africa,
the home Of the negro, as those
In the southern States Of this Union.
We claim, therefore, that we may turn
Professor TErr's guns upon himself and
say thsl n under the circumstances we have
Just referred TO The only negroes who have
even approached the ciyilztton oi the white
raccare those 900 mi. country, thutfact would
Indicate their permanent iuferioriy.
o. Wc make go objection 70 paragraph
no. .. except That fhe southern NEGROES DO
ln certain sense hold allegiance TO the
northern people. They take no pride what
ever in their states, aud would, We suppose,
be clad 10 see the State governments all
abolished. Professor TfIIT belongs to the
section which commands their admiration
sud allegiance and cannot sympa'hze with
the feelings Of q southern man ia respect Of
this matter
2. We shall net contest the statements In
paragraph so. 3.
4. Asto 80. we would say that the ne
gro seeks social equality with the whites. II
IS passion with him to desire that equality
lie will do anything to bring about that con-
dliion OF things. We need not enlarge upon
th, point
3. Professor TEFrT would find 1t difficult
90 tell in plain language what he means by
paragraph oh without rendering himself
odlous in thi, community. What does be
mean by "Chr,siiau help? What by "de-
erecting perpetual nierority - Axe the ne
groes ia a condition TO be recognized as The
social equals OF the whites? Are they even
qualified TO vote ? They are children. and will
never be anything else. We like them-haye
the kmdest feelings for them. The family ne
gro is TO US still The family negro. We think
with Professor TFFFT that the whitcs ought
10 help the negroes "as the stronger can
help the weaker, az the wise can help the
more ignorant; in other words, treat them
rs children. But when they set up for
equals and rulers OF the whites, We, being a
white mAn, side with our own race. We
would IN this connection remind Professor
TEFFr that it was God who made tue negro
weaker aud more ignorant than the white
man; aud we have better right to charge
him with wishing TO be wise above what is
written by the finger OF the Creator than he
has 20 intimate that we must put ourselves
upon plane Of social equality with
this weak and ignorant race. Professor
TEFFr will stand before the same Judge be
fore whom all men ara % stand Does he IN
church, or OF home in ms social relations, or
In his church relstions-lreat the negro as bis
eQualf II moi, how much better does he ex-
empliiy his "Chrlstisn faith aud immortal
hopes" than we doy Either Christian duty
requires him 10 favor perfect social equality
with the negroes mixed marriages and all
or else It does not require Us to recognize
them as equals, nor as tl to be policemen,
nor rs n 60 be teachers Of white children,
nor a. equals In any other relation OF life.
Whites may teach negro schools make laws
for negroes, and arrest aud punish negroes,
III negroes ought not to be allowed to teach
white schools, nor make laws for whites, nor
as policemen arrest whites, nor as judges
punish tbemg Dare Professor rEFFT TO deny
this last proposition? II not, Il his "Chris-
tisn faith" any better than ours, be being
Iudgcy
A free State exists for the protection OF
children and OF woman, the we'ker sex; but
We do not for that reason allow children aud
women 10 vote nor to assist in making laws.
II We are to have no better "basal sira-
tum" THAI negroe, the temple OF the nation
will surely fall,
Finally, we might endorse all OF Professor
TnFrf's eloquent closing remarks II we knew
Just bow much he means by them. We can
only guess that be means no more than we
would by the same words.
We trust that we have not said a word
which Professor TEPFr will regard as un.
kind.
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A Tame Affair