Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-09-19

the intolerant spirit that goes with that
institution Of barbarism. 1t is humil-
iating for a Southern gentleman. even
though a worthless loafer, to recognize
negro as a man and brother. He re-
bells against it and avoids the necessity
as much as possible. And the negro
is made to suffer. This sort of thing
has been going on for years. Itwould
seem as though a feeling of bitterness
had been gaining strength in the mean
time, and the surprise is not that SO
many whites have suffered but that so
few have been victims. If the negroes
could have organized under leaders as
readily as the whites, doubtless there
would have been far more serious diff
culties than have yet arisen. The ev-
ents of the last few weeks, If continued
loager, afford just cause for alarm. II
the negroes gain the upper hand in some
of their riots il will be a sorry time for
the whites in that region. We believe
the negroes can be easily managed, that
they are not specially yindictive, that
they only ask for their rights under the
law. We see no reason why they are
not capable of making just as honest,
upright, patriotic citizens as the whites
among whom they live. If one class
is to be preferred above the other for
the possession of these qualities give us
the negroes. Our high-toned Southern
brother must get over the notion that
there is any government, national, state
or municipal, under the stars and stripes
that can be called white mans gov
ernment or black mans government,
distinctively as such. This is gov
ernment of the people by the people,
without reference to color, and the
sooner the people of the South act in
accordance with this fact the safer and
better will it be for them. They have
the great majority of the negroes of the
country among them. These were born
on Southern soil. There is their prop
er home. The North does not want
them and they do not want the North
to any alarming extent. Our Southern
brethren once held them in bondage, but
they wanted the whole earth and in
their eagerness to grasp it they lost a
good share Of what they already had.
They have the negroes among them in
the condition of citizens and not slaves,
with rights equal to their own, and if
they wish to keep the way open Cor
peace in years to come the sooner they
admit this fact and govern themselves
accordingly the better will it be for
them. The Southern white people
have shown singular want of tact in
their management of the negro. They
have pursued toward them course cal
oulated to irritate and embitter. They
have prepared the way for the scenes Of
violence that have already taken place
and for any Others that may follow. If
the political affiliations of the negro
were ont of joint with their own they
might have conciliated him by proper
treatment so as to gain lar more than
is possible by present practices. Who
knows but they might have been bro't
into political harmony A shotgun
policy may prove to have some Of the
properties of boomerang. A race
war is to be deprecated. No greater
calamity could befall any portion of the
country than to be compelled TO pass
through one. Should such a war fall
to the share of any portion of the South
the whites in provoking it have done
much to weaken Northern sympathy. |
Were it not that in such an emergency
the innocent would suffer more than the
guilty, there would be feeling thai
justice comes around though she often
fingers. There is talk of an attempt
to disfranchise the negro, but this might
precipitate the very calamities sought
to be avoided. We do not believe that
any measures of this kind would stand
for moment that do not treat white
men and black men alike. Certain it
is that the general government would
recognize nothing of the kind. The
negroes are growing more intelligent.
The disposition to maintain Their rights
Il u 4 /