The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1889-01-05
THE RACE QUESTION.


private correspondence from a distin
gdished gentleman of Chattanooga, Tenn.
to aprominent citizen of our parish.
ny Dear J.: In politics finC
!, our minds are running in the samt
|. lines OF thought; and, considering how
! much we sometimes differ on mino,
partisan matters, it is remarkable how
4, nearly alike We think and feel on the
questions that are now dominating all
Others IN the political outlook. This
terrible race question, j, is the
question all that is dear and sacred in
your life and mine 1t is not settled:
nor III your life nor mine will it be
1t Is uF for settlement-but how? l
don t. know. a quarter OF century
or IegislatIon-s0metimes earnest and
honest, sometimes partisan and villain
ous-fnds the question as far from
settlement as when at Appomatox the
surrender Of the immortal Chieftain's
good sword left the negro free. That
surrender was the natal day of the
race question there it was born. Its
conception was when the negro.
through the cupidity of the white. was
taken from the jungles Of Africa and
subjected to the civilizing tute lage of (
slavery. When the tuteIare ended
the conflict began. How long? Oh.
Lord! how long will it continue, and
where will it end? Long and philan-
thropic dissertations on law and ius-
tice interest benevolent assemblies and
legislative bodies. Long and beauti-
tul theories on civil rights and social
privileges fill the magazines and write
cut the peaceable and happy settle
ment of the question; and vet, it is
rot settled. The ghost will not down
at the bidding. ,
''lt Is condition, and not theory.
that confronts U.s."
When, soon after the close of the
war, Republican, statesman said to
Aleck Stephens; The negro question {
$ settled" Mr.. Stephens said: The |
of the bondsmen and the t
masters will have to settle the negro C
question" Mr.. Ingalls,, Speaker of
he Senate, the bitteres: Of partisans,
as he expressed it 'the most aggres-
i've of Republicans, y is reported to F
ave said the other day in an inter
lew: mo two races so heterogeneous t,
5 to forbid amalgamation by inter al
1arriage ever lived together, or ever re
1ll live together, in the same territo- " "
in anything like equal numbers; Z r
ne or the other must go to the wall"
his Is the recognition Of the "condi-
on" a recognition by man, too.
no takes it doubtless as wormwood o.
nd gall, bat who with all his bitter n
ess Is honest enough 20 see the "con-
ltion." Mr.. Cables theories, (and
ou know how fond | am of Mr.. Ca 4.
e, and how much | believe in the Of
lstice of his theories; and how adj 70
irably the "theory" would work if wi
ere were no conflicting condition" re-
lnterfere,) in his article on "a NJ
mpler Southern Question: in the re-,
ecember Forum, says: '.But the ne fl,
o question, which appeals to the no
alton, TO the laws and to legislation NJ,
only, and is bound to be only, the STR
estion OF public, civil and political the
gh!s." . X "And we here chal- tbt
age him." (Mr. EastiS, or any writ H.
Of bis way Of thinking, to show me
I'M the pen Of any negro OF nation din
reputation, = Douglass, Lynch, ino
uce, x < or any other, anything rec
{ their reputation of this-bIind, ME
us believe, rather than willful- tba
empt to make a 'Siamese Union,' saw
Mr.. Gladstone would say, between be
ase two distinct issues. Z x = x no;
at is beautiful in theory, and moth tox
to mar its practice but the ugly me
of fact. Has not the
y first individual Of his list ssSiam- A.
d. the ''two distinct issues" in the
st offensive manner by marrying, :
he very face Of Washington socie-
a white wife? s wra
t we were all, both white and black. on. oie
'ure and just and upright that we m 'lon
ded not the restraint of law or "aS
,e, then we would conform to the @ snol
ruj y;nolv tho civil ,;,,ht.. - ''n' pap
would never ask the social priyi- ha,' D's'
81 And then the race question ). nc
Id be settled; and then the mil aI :. =
alum. But the "condition7 is and n
-, ~ -, siS;oSa u VIC "iii'e plum
10y s-' w 4l's' me vicious fnlle
social privileges. The Just and o.e ~.
2 - G ee Ill III i"Ia D. o.iuenin tue Free
es, between the vicious elements;
what? The just of both are A
IN into the strife, and zone or the has
T must go to the wall" ihe
e must, my dear j., stand as lies !
,sophers and watch the sol,,f;an of the S
question. Not idly stand; no
has a right to do that in this M
d Of action Turn current here.
N, ,r-<y aAoAe