, 1889-12-19

MIR. GRADY'S SPEECH.


MIR. GRADY'S SPEECH.
Henry w. Grady has, perhaps,
the brightest mind in the South.
Yet sectional unfairness has clouded
his perceptions of the negro prob
lem. One almost despairs Of a 30
luton. of this menacing question
when he reads of a man of Grady's
genius rising Mt banquet in q
Northern city and calmly asserting
that "the negro has learned that the
ballot-box, which promised him the
most, has yielded him the least"
and then, with surprising candor,
informing his hearers that "never
again will a single state be delivered
over to the control of an ignorant
and inferior race.' Seldom has the
position of the democratic party of
the South been stated with such
audacious unrescrve. Coming as 1t
does from city that stood as the
leader of the nbolitionist movement,
1t bears tone of defiance, and is cer-
tain to challenge the attention of
every thoughtful man in the North.
MIR. Grady, i'm substance, says,
without the faintest qualification,
that the republican party will not
be permitted to carry single South
ern state; that the negro will not be
allowed to vote as he wishes, and
that elections in the South will con-
tinue to be a formality, into which
no element of fairness or uncer-
tainty will he permitted to enter.
The animus of this remarkable
ard defiant uttcrance is quickly de-
tected. 1t Is the threatening voice
of the South boldly proclaiming Its
displeasurc at the proposed federal
election law, measure which would
guarantee to the freedman the high
protection Of the law i'm the exercise
of the elective franchise. In fact,
Mr.. Grady makes no attempt to
mask his motive. "Force bills" he
proclaims, twill not avail.o This,
If 1t mean anything, means that
the spirit of notification was not
entirely buried when the earth fell
upon the coffin of jefferson Davis.
If the negro has not enjoyed the
advantages that necessarily follow
the exercise of the elective fran
chise, whcrin lies the blame, and
who shall carry the responsibility?
How Is he to gather the fruits of the
ballot when he is not permitted to
cast that ballot for the men or the
party Of his choice?
IT is not polite for Mr.. Grady to
taunt the North with assertions of
this character. The spirit of '61 Is
not entirely extinct, and tone of
defiance Is not likely to have a
wholesome effect. 1t Is certainly
not the proper spirit TO solve this
perplexing problem, almost the sole
remaining cause of contention be-
tween the two sections.
The effect of such utterances upon
the minds of the lawless and ignor-
ant can well he imagined. They
have been common throughout the
South, but seldom has a Southron
displayed the tenlerity of uttering
them upon Northern soil.
Mr.. Grady, i'm the same speech,
laments the fact that 'since 1850 the
immigration of Northerncrs to tho
South has been Decreasing" and in
another sentence he asks that we
give them our "sons as hostages,
that they may help to swell the
Anglo-Saxon current until 1t can
carry, without danger, this black
infusion" This has a pretty and
traternal tone, but for all that 1t is
rhetorical rot. If the South Is de-
sirous of attracting the young men
of the North, she can pursue no
better policy than the protection of
every man, black as well as white,
in the casting of his ballot. Tho
day when human beings could he
delivered, as chattels, from
one section to another has
forever passed. If our sons of the
North are to sever the ties Of home
and kindred, they naturally prefer
to seek a land where their political
views will meet with respect and
toleratlon. And just so long as the
tone of public sentiment throughout
the South is so dominated by race
hatred that this assurance can not
be given, MIR. Grady may expect
the current of Immigration to flow
in another direction, despite the
rich resources and inviting opportu-
mites Of many of the Southern