The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-12-26
Prof. scomp's Views.
EMORY COLLEGE, OXFORD, Ga.

Prof. Scomp's Views.
EMORY COLLEGE, OXFORD, Ga.
December Z, 1889.
DR.. Edward W. Blyden-Dear Sir:
Your favor of the 3rd 10 hand and read
with interest. I am grati6ed at the
interest in my Forum article which
prompted you to write to me.
| have felt from my childhood very
great interest in the SUCCESS of Liberia,
aud even then I thought that one day
Liberia might be the ultimate solution
of the slavery problem. Since then the
slave has, become a freedman, and now
the question rests in his own yolition as
/ to whether or not Africa is to be his
future home.
have in late years felt much discour-
aged as to Liberals future, since from
the best accounts which I have had, the
colonies, instead of progressing, were
actually fast retrogradipg. This I have
attributed chiefly to the contact into
which the uneducated negroes were
brought with the heathenism of the
natives.
AZ I expressed in the Forum, have
thought that if large influx of the most
intelligent and industrious American
negroes could be poured into Liberia,
and thereby exert an overpowering inAu.
ence in favor of the civilization, the tide
might be turned into the other direction.
But the great difficulty in getting that
class to go. and in getting them settled
after their arrival has been to my mind
an almost insuperable obstacle to the
! scheme.
Then, the American negroes do not
seem to be turning their eyes toward
Africa at all. Generally, their attention
seems to be fixed upon the Southwestern
States, or the countries to the southwark.
It is clear that the negros mind must be
turned towards Africa, if the Liberian
Republic is to be built up. The removal
of nations across the ocean is mighty
task, even with all our modern facilities.
Yet ] regard it as bv no means impossi-
BILE. First of all the negro must be con
vinced that it is to his interest to emf.
CRATE thither. Then the best of the race
must be the pioneers of the movement
for on the success of the frat emigrants
will depend largely the future success Of
the effort.
Besides long course of training and
character building is necessary to fit the
masses of the negroes for any indepen.
| dent national existence. As yet, they
are not prepared for such condition.
Looking at present conditions and
ultimate aims I have very strongly
favored the Blair educational bill as
measure likely to greatly assist the negro
for future independent citizenship.
That the separation Of the races must
eventually take place is to my mind
fcregone conclusion. How it may be
affected with the best results for both ia
the problem.
In an article of mine in the October
number of the Magazine of american
History have traced from the old MSS
the story of the coming of the negro to
Georgia, and much of the narrative
applies to the other colonies.
As before said, only the best negroes
should be the pioneers in any emigration
enterprise. The lazy and thriftless
would send back doleful accounts from
FL Dorado and Paradise even, we're it
possible, and 80 discourage future emil
grafton.
I believe in Government aid to the
enterprise, furnished annually and under
the strictest Limitations, until the work
shall be accomplished, or at least shall
reach an independent footing. Many
years must be required for the task.
One feature which I regard as ominous
to the future of most of the Southern
negroes is the steady and rapid improve.
ment in machinery in all departments of
the cotton plantation industry-e. G.,
less than two months ago there was
exhibited at the Georgia State Fair, at
Macon, machine for cbopping cotton
by which one man, upon kind of buggy
plough, could in one day do the work by
horse power of more than q dozen ordi.
nary choppers. Such machinery gener>
ally introduced must, for the most part,
put an end to the plantation negro's
summer work and his means ct subsist.
ence.
Many efforts too are making at the
invention of o proper cotton picking
machine and though this has not yet
succeeded to any degree, yet American
ingenuity will undou ubtedly prove equal
to the task of invention. When that day
comes the mass of Southern negroes will
be practically out of an occupation and
without livelihood. They should look
to the future with reference to the good
OF their race. I fear they will not see
their true interest until too late to avail
themselves of the advantages offered in
advance.
Most unfortunately, Southern negroes
are almost wholly in the power of dirty
politicians and debauching saloon keep.
ers. Their votes and political influence
have a market value, which party plat
! forms gauge and low politicians calculate
upon. A negro should learn, above all
things, that every doggery keeper is, to
all intents, his natural enemy. While
this debaucher may drag the white man,
he prevents, at the same time, tho negro
from getting up. The negro ought to be
the sworn aud eternal enemy of the sa'
loon.
Personally, I am ready to do all that ]
can to bring about what regard as tn the
Il l.,l. <,E -,