New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-04
THE NEGRO QUESTION.
BY GEORGE W. CABLE
a VAST PROBLEM AND IT'S ONLY SOLUTION
THE FACTS AND THEIR RELAT1oNs-wnn,rr, n
: WAR DID AND LEFT UNDoNE-INhE &C
MIscoNCEPTION AND GRoUNDLESS


THE FACTS AND THEIR RELAT1oNs-WhAr me
: WAR DID AND LEFT UNDoNE-INhiEn.sasID
MISCONCEPTIONS AND GRouND1 nS
FEAR-SALvATIcN IN THE hAND
OF TIE SOUTH.
nation ,,., "a Inc subject of this paper is not
., a,v ho ,ocst nromincc: but It rs the gra'cs' :"
American affairs II is ole upon WINCH VI a'e III, ,a
NC might say much natenton mas oeen Cav" W. aa
slowed. It has become dreaoea su ..,.o,sIv
not polltically fndolent We are deahns eo.''e $50,
-, -. ,s...,s orobemA We admit that no nal'on
hos ~, :, shsLen wrong and oppression from It's .
that Z, may ssfsly or honoraoy s't uo"n ~
mercantile and sesthe.icsi preoccul@uon. anu '.' sns
,,., that eiyes us daily the profoundest unrest soe
All, nv default The Nations bitter experiences WIN Z"
q, o,rs mast the battling complications that men more
cunning than wise ha sc woven around H. us prohe'.'
swallow up all questions and the erupuons Oh ran
90, ana strife that attend every least sign OF It's spon
,aneors reopcnng have made IL such wearness ahe OIL
,ncs IN the great majority and especially to our COM
rerca impotence. that the public mind In isree ps'
eagerly accepts dangerous comfort OF postpo"ee~
What is this question: superGcaly 1t is whether
certain seven millions Of the people, one-nnth OF inc
whole dwelling In and natives TO the Southern States OF
the Union and by law undnerentisted part OF the
Nation have have not the same full measure Oh inc
American citizens rights that they would have wee cy
entirely Of European instead Of wholly or parity hi'a"
descent The seven millions concerning whom the ouee
ton IS asked answer as with that they have not
Millions in Northern States. ard thousands ~ t
Southern, Of whites make the Same reply "
9th m
40 often with fat contradiction. as with DECLARATION
"a, more disconcerting For the "Southerner speaks
truly when he that nowhere In the en'io onO'
either North S,,th, are the disadvahages oi o's
black or partly black man confined enurey 70 inc roc
films Of domestic life and private society; but '""' !"
every art thsre is portion least OF the community
that does claim fer or even willingly yeid 70 o no
vro tho whole calendar Of American fiehs IN .o 'n0
amplitude and sacredness that 'hey oo LUZ VI
N tse whlts man. The Southern white man points 10
Nor ham nd
rooms schools hotels churches and guilds and these az
test the OF his countercharge Nowhere an .e
United States is there whole community from wheh 'o
black man. after pbys AL mental and moral character
have been duly weighed they be weighed t. ALL Is nov
liable TO suffer an unexplained discount for mere color anu
race which would have to suffer publicly IN no o.ne
country Of the enlightened world TINS oeing V law
then in varying degrees according to locality whae uo
a. nroye Only this cannot be the real point OF Issue
between North South and that this superea' oenh
ton not the true one
Putting aside differences OF degree the Question
Is not Are these things so but Ought they 20 10 w
To this large majority in the Northern States ro" on
classes with small minority OF The Southern WHITES also
,ro, all ranks OF life and the whole million bachs
irrespective OF party leanngs. answer NO. oh tne o
hand large majority OF the whites IN inc 0ou'"
ststes-large as 70 tho white population OF those S'"V
lint way sm, mlnorl,y In the Nation al lafec-as"eI
: nooon, . vos. these things should and shall be So
But how does this small minority maintain itseff III
docs 90 owing TO tho familiar fact that aho"En pS %
scheme OF royernm there Is constant appear !" '0
majority OF the people the same scheme provinces a
o., ,,e dence of local interests against rash actions OF
National nsorities by parallel counter appear tcosa'
through It's and at times III other ways 70 '
majority Of the people en- massc but OF the S'.S ~
their corporate capacity. Now. very large minority III
the Northern States whose private declaration "ouu
he against difference between wbitc mems rights ana
other mems rights nevertheless refuse now as they re-
fused before the Civil War. answer with PLAIN Yes OF
No but alntan with Southern white rule party that
r,,uht m %
that every State must be allowed to answer for ana 70
itself alone; thus altering the voice OF the aon'
when IL speaks States virtually to nuly t"' os
live answer which would De given by majority vi 'o
- oonlo In the Civil Rights bill the verdict OF the
States was once given against all race discrimination "
all matters public rights whatsoever ana ioi co''"s
A. within that true domanof private choce-to "oh III"
iudcm mt Of othr CkIistn nations tonsgns It, ba' Uo
Civil Rights bill practically elective IN 'he Vo
,unites whose upper ranks hostile TO It, mas a'ey
persisted in the National Supreme Court ana 'ne oe"'
majority that passed IL long ago lost by revolutions III
the Southern States Thus by fundapental pro'i''o
IN the National Government intended for the very pur
rose Of protecting the weak from the strong shaii
National minority enabled to Withstand the pressure o
an immense majority.
Whether this is by right or wrong use OF the prov7
ION is an nscparable part Of the open question: tn'
weak are protected from the strong but the su" "ue
are delivered into the hands Of the strong Seven mos
NJ the Nation mostly poor enp,an ard degrdueu' are
,, for the definition and enjoyment Of rights worth more
than safety or property tho judgment OF some ten o
millions Of unquesoned intelligence and virtue ou' "ho
intelligence and virtue were not ma'er'aiiy lee,
with courage prcwess surpassed they
their own land with their blood to kecp thesc
millions in slavery. However be use OF an aou "
the Nations OF order be II right or wrong Wv"
IL POLITICALLY the stronghold OF the conservative parry III
the Southern States; and 1t is made stronger SUM- s'ee
c,ad and turreted as IL werc with the tremendous advs
tare Of the status Quothat established ofoer OF "k
which good or bad, until II becomes intoierdoe 70 'n'
selves men will never attack Win ah eneie' 'N ~
that with which It IL defended
But political strength is little by itself The military
maxim that no defcnces strong without force enough
A., ,ha 90 occurv their line is true civil affairs En-
,renchment in the letter OF constitution avails NIUE WIN
the people at large either side OF QUESTION uh ~
line OF that entrenchment is occupied by H'ins '"
tion Of being In the right The most ultra southern DO
si,jon on the negro question has an ei'ment Oh sene
,osc akin IN this To right IL the only real necessity
but where is community that VIII not MAKE anu ue
fend with treasure and blood the assumption tnst w "
necessary is right in the political sense
q, he term may sometimes lack Gear, erm 'ounded Dc
lief that they arc right they have no more thah
restless confidence that others are as wrong as they put
they have at least profound co. vicuon hs1 "eS a
moved BY an imminent unremit,ing. imperative necessity
Not that this is all hundreds OF thousands OF tei "0'
ea,ea nv this very conviction from falling Into syinpa
thy with the modern thought have been tsngh' anu
are learning and teaching not only OH the hus'ss' o
in school, In college ~ the hcSide through 'he "'is
pres In the social circle and in church. that I'D ther az
t,uoe on the negro question they aro legally m'ay anu
entirely right.
AN Ac1TAI GRIEVANCE, by WAY OF EXAMPLE
Now specifically. what arc these things that the ma
,i,v az free nation says ought not to be- while sec
tonal majority triumphantly maintains they must win,
ouclt TO end shall bel Give an example OF an ac'ua'
ov,nce one commonly esteemed the very least on inc
lis, is this Suppose his wife and their chio, oc
cont IN norscn dress and department. but vsiniy o.
African OF mixed tiood. to take passage on railway s'
frou eity Of the Eastern states as Do''O " -
wos,eyn az chicago They will be thrown publicly Int
.omnanv with many others for ordinary American ran
way passenger coach seats 0fy persons ana seepiY
car accommodates twenyfve; and they VIII receive Inc
same treatment railway employees and passengers ~
81 being otherwise just what they they were Oh pue
Furonesn descent Only, they viii be mu III loss likely
than white persons seek be offered new acquaintance
,blns Arriving IN New. York. philadelphia or any o'he