Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-14
ITnr tho Disnaich.l
the Negro Problem a. viewed by
Thomas Jefferson IA Hundred yenrs

Thomas Jefferson IA Hundred yenrs
ago.
From the comments Of the northern
press on Governor Lees remarks before
the Southern Society in New York
last month it might be supposed that
these journalists imagine that orr Gov
ernOr was giving utterance TO some very
novel sentiments on the negro question,
especially as TO the lmpOssiblllty OF the
white and negro races living and getting
along together rs tqUGNy Jrec under the
same government. So far from this
being a novel and unheard-of opinion. 1t
has been held and often expressed before
10y our wisest statesmen, such as MIR.
Jefferson, who, although a stakeholder,
was not partial TO the institution, and
once offered bill in the General AS
sembly of Virginia which prohibited the
importation OF slaves, and looked to the
gradual emancipation OF such as were
then here. He seems to have had some
fears from the beginning that serious
trouble would grow ont of the attempt
to bring the two races into immediate
contact with each other, when both
should he equally free. In his auto
biography, as found in the first volume
OF "Jenerson's Complete Works." on
page 40 he uses the following prophetic
language, which must be regarded as the
mature and well-considered opinions OF
his long life:
"Nothing Is more certainly written IN the
book Of fate than that these people the negroes
srs 10 be free nor IS 10 less certain that the Two
races equally free, cannot live In the ss me gov
eminent. Nature, habit opinion, have drawn
an indelibls line OF distinction between them"
This is substantially, if not identi-
cally, the same idea and opinion ex-
pressed by Governor Lee in his address
recently made in New York. Ii this
was 80 in Mr. Jeifersons day, when the
proportion of negroes to the whites was
comparatively small, it is much more
true now, when in some of the southern
States there is such an immense
preponderance Of the colored race
and all are equally free. How they
became equally free is another
question, and thereby hangs tale-a
tale of political crime, the most atrocious
in all our history. if not in the history
Ol lut NOIti. 4llb iitpb cAtp III NllNt
crime was Abraham Lincoln's proclama-
ton. by which. on the LIST day of Jsnu-
ary, 1863, three millions of slaves were
declared to be free. For issuing this
proclamation Mr.. Lincoln openly and
expressly admitted that he had no right
under the Constitution OF the United
States, but put in the plea OF military
necessity" This plea was as falss a. 1t
was fimsy. False because no military
advantage was gained by il, for it did
not add numbers or strength 10 the Fede-
raj army nor did it diminish the numbers
or weaken the power of resistance ON the
Confederate side. 1t was fiimsy be-
cause subsequent events showed
that the real purpose of the anti
slavery party, who had elected Mr.. Lin
coin President, Uds to eccite serUiLe IN
sUJvection, and IN this diabolical way,
the very suggestion of which is enough
to curdle ones blood with horror, TO OBJ
tain freedom for the slaves by butcher
ing their masters. IL this was their OBJ
ject they were completely foiled in it,
thanks to q kind Providence and TO the
fidelity of the colored people TO their
truest and best friends. But all the same
we were conquered. aud in 1866 the en-
tire South was put under military rule.
None of the southern States were then
represented in Congress, and the anti
slavery party had it all their own way.
The thirteenth amendment, which total
ly abolished slavery, was made part OF
the Constitution. The fourteenth amend
ment soon followed, which disfran-
chised large number OF our citizens,
and endowed the late slaves with
certain "civil rights which put them
on footing OF full equality with the
whites. If the anti-slavery party NOV
known and recognized as the Republic
can party had stopped here, the south
ern whites would have submitted to the
changed relations between them and
their former slaves, not because they
were content 10 have 1t 80, but because
they were poweriess TO help themselves.
But now comes the browning infamy
and crime against civilization. The
fifteenth amendment which conferred
the right OF suffrage on our former
slaves was the most dagant wrong