Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-28
For the Dispstch.l


Governor Cameron and she Negroes.
The Djspatch of Wednesday says:
"Goyernor Cameron in his speech Of the
previous evening st Columbuss Hall Gu
logged the negroes for their conduct in
the late war in protecting homes while
the men we're in the war, and declared
the race need not be feared" But the
question is not what the negroes did
then, but what they are doing now aud
what man, and, moro particularly, what
woman, looks on them "a race that
need not be feared, or rather that can be
trusted?
1t is undeniable that the negroes did
aid in protecting our homes during tho
war, generally under the orders Of the
mistress OF the house or some senior
male Of the family. But subsequent
events prove that this fidelity was as
much due 10 discipline as to attachment
OF the slave to his master and his family
For great as that attachment undoubted-
ly WAS. and mutual too, to the credit OF
master and slave alike. il is yet true, and
natural enough, that every, or nearly
every, slave demred his freedom, as was
proved by the alacrity with which tue
whole race accepted it when they felt
they could take II without risk, and also
by the readiness with which they left
the homes they had so lately protected
and where they had spent their lives.
This sudden transition from fidelity to
desertion could have been due to nothing
but the removal of the constraint which
enforced submission. l think an illus
tration will make this quite clear. One
morning, few years ago, walking down
Main street passed horse hitched to
carriage, standing perfectly still. though
he was not tied-of course, very COM
mon sight. My business kept me down
town two hours. and when L returned L
was in company with an acquaintance.
IT so happened that some recent miscon-
duct of negroes was the subject of our
conversation, and just as my friend said
he could not understand how race once
80 faithful should so soon have become
faithless in every relation, we came
upon the horse, still standing pa
tiently and quietly where | had passed
him on my way down. As far as l could
see he had not moved or changed his po-
sition. "Do you see that horse ?" !
said. " He has been IN that position for
two whole hours, and will remain still
longer, or until his driver arrives. Why?
Because he is in harness and hltched up
10 the carriage and has been trained to
stand" But suppose you unhitch him
and take of the harness and the bride
and turn him loose, how long would he
stand there ? Would he not run OF or
stragole off and resist the effort to catch
him until he gets hungry? Don't you
see how much is due to training, as We
call it in the case OF horse, discipline
in the case Of a man
Harnessed and hitched up the horse
would have stood for hours III planta-
ton road with a cOTn-held on each side
OF him without thought of touching an
ear Released he would have invaded
the field Ia a minute just as negro
will invade o pasture, or a hog pen,
or hen-house, or any store IN
Richmond bnt for the police. 1t
is hardly worth while to protest that l
do not mean to put the negro on the
horses level. l merely use the lllustra-
ton tiu{liDe SiDliie est fdem. But L
think il expresses, more clearly perhaps
than would a more lengthy explanation,
the idea wish TO convey. But whether
il does or not think Governor Cameron
is unjust to his reasoning powers when
ha bases his confidence in negroes upon
q characteristic which they once showed
in a very remarkable degree, and for a
very long period of time, and then lost
forever In single day. think he VIII
find few other white men and no white
women who, with the experience OF
Quarter OF century, would put the
same unlimited confidence in the freed.
man that they put In the slave. Indeed
I donbt IL Governor Cameron with his
fine perceptions would have or express
such an opinion unless warped by politi-
cal bias.
am the more persuaded to this con-
cIusion when 1 remember, as do per-
factlv well. that in 1874 Governor Came
ron. then a Democrat, and other Demo
cratic citizens of Petersburg were
endeayoring to have the charter OF that
city amended 50 as TO take 1t ont OF
neSro control, and he spoke very con-
temptuously of the negro character and
;ntellect. calling or comparing them to
monkeys. As their fidelity during the
war was as we'll known to him then as 1t
ia now. but does not seem to have in
chped him to trnst them with political
power then, 1t must have been some
thing else that has since given him this
disposition. And j do not suppose 1t to
have been the fact that the negroes gave
him I40. 600 votes when he was elected
Governor. SIS he says they did, for he
Knows that that was done 10y the order
~ General Malone and he is wisely, l
think. very unwilling TO trust him.