The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-16
Letter from Mr.. Calhoun.
ABBEv1LLE, S. c., October l, 1885

ABBEvILLE, S. c., October l, 1889.
About two months since I gave to
the public through the Augusta Chron-
icle a plan for colonizing the negro on
the public lands in New Mexico. The
article containing my ideas on this
subject has been widely copied and
commented on and I take this plan of
making a general reply. The propo-
siton made by me was, first, to secure
such an amendment to the constitu-
tion of the United States as would
give congress the power to pass such
laws as would enable it to literally
give the government lands in New
Mexico to the negroes, and to pay their
way there, even if it cost billion of
dollars to do so. This deportation OF
the negro race was not, according to
my plan, to take place in short time,
but each State was to be emptied OF
it's negro population in regular order.
This plan does not include the forci-
BILE deportation of the negro, but he is
to be induced to go by the offer of q
free home and free passage to that
home at the expense of the United
States government.
These ideas have been pronounced
Impractical, while some express the
opinion that the South cannot get on
without negro labor, others ease their
consciences by simply exclaiming that
the negro is here to stay, without CIV
ing reasons for such statement.
There is still another class, repre-.
sented by the New Orleans Picayune,
which, while admitting the fact that
something must be- done, reject my
plan and fail to see how any practical
plan can be proposed for deporting the
negro.
Within the. past six months the dis.
cussion as to what is to be done OF
what can be done with the negro has
taken wide scope, and many who six
months ago opposed my position, are
now on my side. The matter is being
discussed in every State, almost, of the
Union and as time flies by, it is gather
ing strength and gradually attracting
the attention of thinking men of tht
land. Day by day the language usee
is becoming more strong and more cel
/ tain. Week by week it is becoming
more plain to those WHO really under
stand the situation, and to those wht
bave given it their attention, that tht
! two races cannot live here together
The white man intends to and viii
rule the South, socially, politically
and in every other way, regardless o
consequences; but how is the white
man to maintain his supremacy whe1
the negroes are growing more aggres
! sive every day and are much inclined
to demand social and political equali
ty? If the negro insists on this il
does not require very brilliant mnit
to figure out what the result will be
He who pins his faith to the belle
That the negro will for ages! to come
remain in the same condition that ht
: now occupies, is simply dreaming
dream from which he will soon bt
awakened to find in reality that i
was indeed a most deceptive dream
The South cannot allow the negro tht
semblance of equality in, any respect
from the fact alone that he is SD infe
rior in everything to the white man
r Morals, he has none. He has no le
spect for his marital relations. III
does not comprehend what true rel;g
r ion is. He is without ambtion,-th'
, true ambition that animates the white
, man, and he is actually in the nids
, of civilization tending toward barbar
J ism, and the fetichism of his ANCESTOR
of Africa is, to-day, more paltable t.
: his inclinations than the religion a.
taught by our Bible.
, Take him all in all he is a differen
being to our race and not capable 0
. reaching or comprehending our higl
state Of civilization, cram him will
all the books learning possible fol
him to attain. When consider al
of this and the many other thing!
which make the negro totally unfit tt
be citizen of the South the question
looms up before me,-can any reason
able man, object to his removal
Can any true patriot, or any man Wht
loves this Southland of ours say tina
he, the negro, is the kind of "a citizer
we want here? EVENT. he was th'
best laborer the South could get, the
question stares us in the face,-can W.
afford to keep him here with all o
his evil, low and degrading qualitie:
which menace the peace, the prosper
ton of the Sonth? Col. II. B. Ed
gington, of Memphis, Tenn, Senator
Wade hampton, Of this State
Governor Fowle, of North Carolina
The Caucasion, of Shreveport, la.
the Age-Herald, of Birmingham, Ala.
the News and Courier, of Charleston
S. c., the Greenville News, of thi,
State, Hon. II. s. FuIkerson, of Vicks
burg, Miss, Hon. G. Frank Ruffen, o.
Richmond, Va, Mr.. Gibbs, q member
of the Georgia Senate and thousand:
upon thousands of others, join in and
cry with me-no!! never !! y. The
daily reports of nameless outrages up
on white women by negroes, the race
conflicts in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Georgia, and other States, an
swer with me, mol! never!!!
Not while the white man keeps hi
blood pure; not while he rules the
world; not while we are continually
disturbed in every respect and in eve
ry relation in life by the negro, cal
that question be answered in the af:
| k<> ~