The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-11-28
THE RACE QUESTION.
4 STRIKING VIEW BY A REPRESEN
TATlVE COLORED sOUTHERNE@

STRIKING VIEW BY A REPRESEN
TATIVE COLORED SOUTHERNE3
What the Colored Man Shonld DO for Hi
Own Advnucemepts.-.The Need Of Better
Educational Opportunities, with Little
Less Of Political Agitation.
To the Editor of the World: While
the situltion at the South may not be al
together such as We would wish, there
is nothing in it that could possibly justify
any reta;a,ory measures advised by
a,herilg of colorcd preachers at Wash
iugton, b. c., on October Goth. There
are always two sides to question, and
un,il the colored race learns by hard and
-.sad experience where their true Interests
here will be unnecessary local trouble
Esturbances in every Southern State
- D the two races. and no power
~ &c suu Can by force prevent 1t.
uation down here needs no So
fr it is not a problem. There is
r. $wrapped up in mystery, nor Is
"a unknown something to be found
l6er to olive the question of our
Fcsent .rouudings. The most igno-
- cant, : Icll AZ the N ,st intelli gent, un-
.i.r.' d The situation perfectly, and
GA, clement seems determined to pursue
i ,wu line of policy as the surest means
keeping up disturbed condition of
affurs in these States.
There are three distinct causes Of ir.
rtation and disturbance al the South.
These are political, social and moral,
and the first is greater source of evil,
than all the others combined. There can
be no satisfactory adjustment, no per-
maneat peace between the races at the
South, until the negro abandons politics
and bids farewell to political glory in
these States.
A persistent effort on the part Of the
negro to attain that which he never can
attain will inevitably lead to 8 conflict
the horrors of which are unimaginable.
It is foregone conclusion that the COL
ored element can never become ruling
class in any of these Southern States, no
matter how much they may predominant
In numbers 10 white communities. Every
political leader Of the race knows this to
be an undeniable fact. 1t is this relent-
less persistency on the part of the one
race to be, and the relentless persistency
on The part of the other to prevent 1t
from beiug-and prevent it they will at
all cost-that causes all the trouble. 1t
ie no use to deny these facts; it would
rather be wise If we would recognize
them in time to avert the evils that must
follow every futile attempt in that direc-
tion.
Is is unreasonable for the people Of the
North to expect that of the people of the
South which they themselves do not ac-
cord the negro. say it is unreasonable
for any people to expect the wealth, in
telligence and refinement OF community
to yield passive obedience and become
submissive 10 the domination OF its ig-
norant and more i!literate class, and 80
long as there is a persistency in this di-
rection, encouraged by unprincipled poll.
ticians for sinister motives, 80 long will
there be serious conflicts between the
two elements. l repeat again as my hon
conviction that the negro must abandon
politics for time and strip himself OF
all delusive and visionary ideas of politi-
Cal nursr and perferment in these States
and turn his attention to those industri-
al pursuits that mark the prosperity and
progressiveness of every otner race
around him.
There is no prejudice here against
the negro in pursuing his own substan-
tial Happiness in any legitimate calling.
There is no avenue or industry shut
against him in the South. There is no
desire on the part of the people to keep
him down, but they have rather, in every
.ns,ance, shown sympathy and feeling
that ought to be commended. Those
fanatical leaders pretended preachers and
politicians up North who are trying to
incite a conflict between the races by
advising retalatory measures against
ou,rages in the South are Of all men the
greatest enemies of the colored race.
For the few crumbs that fall from the
administration table they seem to be will
ling to damn the whole negro race. 1t
is one thing to sit up North and howl
for blood and attempt to incite crime
and murder. but it is quite another thing
to come down here and inaugurate the
proceedings they advise.
Whatever may be the Disadvantages
under which the negroes labor in these
Southern States they are brought about
by natural causes, and can never, NO,
never, he remedied by force. These dis
advantages, so often spoken Of. are in
fact more imaginary than real. would
venture to say there are fifty advantages
in favor Of the race becoming prosperous
and happy where there is one to their
detriment. Outside of politics disadvan-
tsge does the colored man labor under
in these States? Idefy any man to show
me a single unreasonable disadvantage
he is subjected to throughout the broad
extent of this Southern land that any
other people would not be subjected to
who keeps themselves poor and depen-
dent upon more progressive and thrifty
race. Show me honest, upright. indus
trious celored man in any Southern COM
munity and will show you man who
has no complaints to make as to his
treat lent in that community. No colored
man can say truthfully that he is preven-
ted and debarred from entering into any