The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-11

eN"'y "SSoiUnk W INV hch thV
hour OF manumission arrived the more
than 100000 negroes in the South were
in dense condition Of illiteracy, most OF
them indeed only one remove from savage
ignorance. They were field hands. Crate
iul to the North fortheir freedom, believing
tho great boon due to the Union armies,
they fell into the hands OF designing lknaves
during the reconstruction period, and
their former masters forgetting, under the
morbidity bred Of defeat and oppression,
their noble and single.hearted devotion TO
their interests during the war, drew and
grew away from them and took up prcju-
dices against them, many Of which, as in
the case OF our correspondent, linger with
them still. He gave an unwilling con
sent TO their education, did little or moth
ing for their moral restraint by the instru-
mentality OF Christian teaching, and left
him joined TO his idols. But in spite Of
the unhappy environments thus made for
them by the Freedman's Bureau and by
their old masters, the negroes so far prof
tied by the limited advantages hold out 10
them for education that in the twenty years
following upon the opening Of the
first negro school at Hilton Head in 1862
they had wiped oil more that 30 per cent.
OF the illiteracy with which they were
charged on the national ledger. In the
face Of this fact 10 encouraging as TO the
future OF the negroes, there are not wanting
men 10 denounce them for the "boastly"
condition OF ignorance in which one-hali
of them still gropc aud the immortality
that is n consequence OF II, when In truth
these conditions are largely ohargcablo 10
tho white race, whose obodicnt servants
they were and still are. All this time
they have been wage earners aud have
helped TO make for tho South what
Of prosperity those States enjoy today.
As to their exercise Of the suffrage, that
was regarded in law rs iorcgone conclu.
sion more than generation before their
manumission. Judge CASTOR, Of North
Carolina, In decision, memorable and
historic, rendered In ls30.32, declared that
there were but two conditions then known
TO the law-iroo and slave and that the
freeman could not be denied or restrained
Of any OF the rights Of ireomon such as
the ballot aud holding Office. Free ne
groos then voted in this state ~ well rs in
North Carolina, and in the Constitutional
Convention held In this State In 1884 IL
was confessed that tho one great barrier
between tho negro aud his
freedom was, that, once no was made
free, he could not bo iorcibly de-
ported; that freedom would mako him
master Of his own actions, aud hc could 20
and come as he thought best. The Con.
stiiutional Convention Of 1870, over.
whelmingly Democratic, took this view
aud refused TO attach any conditions TO
the exercise Of the suffrage by the negroes
and thus voluntarily and willingly con.
hrmcd the act Of the Union men who, In
1867, conferred the right Of suffrage upon
the negroes, not out Of love for them. but
In order 10 secure a majority Of voters
whereby they might pcrpctuaie themselves
In office TO override all justice and
right by tho Acknowledgement OF
most Of tho intelligent mon In
tho State. That the negroes vote with
the Republican party Is beside the qucs.
ton. This Ia a free country and they arc
free men. As such they owe no cxpana.
ton 10 any one for their votes, nor are
they 10 be punished for casting them n.
they will. UnioNard events have made
them Republican,, and unioward events
driiiod them from the white race. This I.
great misfortune, but II is not one that IL
rmcdylcsa II Is n result Of sectional
division and will pass away when the great
political parties put scclionalism away.
This is work Of time and cannot
be accomplished in a day. hut II /,
inevitable, Just m the extinction OF
the negro race Is inevitable 40 soon ~ II D.
confronted In Africa with the forces Of mod.
cm civilization, before which the Sandwich
Islanders and theMaoris otlusiplia, strong.
CT races, have almost disappeared Mean.
while, the duty OF the white people Of the
South toward The negroes Ia plain. They
must be educated and Chrisiianizcd, aud "a
be fitted for hcduiics Of life. and We must,
in the spirit Of nolioss oliigS, bear with
them, because Of what they were In tho
pas, to our iorcialhon and wha, our fore.
fathers were TO them.
!
FnoN The Ndr rort Murine Journal We
learn that Mr.. William T.. CLYDE. of the