Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-08
SEPARATION OF THE RACES.

Senator Hampton is out for movement
to inspire public sentiment with the belief
that it will be wise thing for the races in
the South TO separate. the negroes going
off by themselves into a distinct section
The Charleston Neus and Courier, a repre-
sentative radical Southern journal, says:
The wise course, alike for the white people
and the colored people of the South is for them
10 separate ana move apart soon as it is
practicable. The country is large enough for
colored people to make their homes in some
part of its unoecupied territory, where they can
acquire land and establish themselves in com
munities of their own, under their own local
government, and where they can develop all
the rights and privileges of American citizen
West will be filed with foreign immigrants
The time for the colored people to move there
fore. is now, and the white people of the South
should devoie their whole attention and energy
to promoting the movement in the best interests
OF both races and of the whole country. The
general Government, too, can help 10 solve the
Southern question" in this way by appropriate
legislation, and 1t is to be hoped that the whole
matter will be pressed on the attention of Con-
gress at its next session by the Southern Repre-
sentatlves and Senators.
The Birmingham Age Herald represents
manufacturing center, and one of great
activity. The paper has been looked Upon
as cool and conservative. 1t says on the
same subject:
To one who looks beyond the present and its
immediate necessities, there is nothing more
evident than that the good of the country de-
mands the, separation OF the races. For fifty
years past the negro has been a disturbing factor
In national politics He will continue to be
such as long as he occupies the same territory
with the white people. The two races will
never amalgamate-no one thinks it desirable
that they should-and SO long as they live to.
gether there will be contention for political
supremacy. and social parallel cannot be
maintained without repeated conflicts and dis
tuTbances. The education and advancement of
the negro only serves to make the situation
worse and TO increase the danger of conflict
The tone OF the negro press indicates extreme
every indication that this feeling has possession
OF the great majority of educated negroes
There are difficulties of course in the way of
seFarating the rsces-great difficulties, constitu-
tional and otherwise. There were also obstacles
in the way OF abolishing slavery, but they were
plotted out, and the slave was not only liberated
but converted into citizen.
We are not prepared to say that the day
may not come when such policy will be
adopted, though we do not believe it pos
sible until there is more calm in the South
than now. The exodus of seven millions
of people from section to which they are
attached by birth, quite as strongly as are
other people to their native places, is a
thing not to be accomplished in moment.
In this country there could be no coercion
IN such matter. The migration would
have to be voluntary. If effected, there
fore, it must be through conviction on the
part of the colored people that they will
be greatly benefited by the change. Prior
to that, they must be considerably ele-
waited by education, and given some more
comprehensive idea of the extent of the
country and its capacities, outside of the
South-all this upon the assumption that
the policy of separation is good thing to
advise, question upon which we are not
as yet prepared to pass, though present be-
lief inclines us to favor it. But what of
the South in this movement How will it
manage if deprived, in mass, of its labor
element? What will be the effect of such
a displacement as is suggested? Again,
where could seven millions of colored peo-
pie lind Judgement in the country, adapted
to theml The extreme rigors of a north
ern cline would repulse them; the south
ern territories are already pretty well peo-
pied with whites, and all of them declare
that they are sufficiently strong to enter
the sisterhood of States. As for inducing
the colored people to leave the continent,
that is absurd they will never consent to
any such suggestion. While favorably
impressed with the benefcence of the plan,
therefore, the friends of the movement
will likely find it impracticable. The
negro is here through no choosing of his
own. He is citizen, invested with all
the rights assured to any other citizen,
and we are bound to treat him as such.
In the meantime, if he chooses to consider
propositions for colonization, there will be
no harm done, nor will it at all iniure the
South to discuss the question-indeed, it
may be means of bringing about very
much better understanding between whites
and blacks at the South, if temperately
debated.