Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-03-02
The Southern Colored People,

Thoughtful men in the Southern
States arc again discussing, and very
earnestly, what is termed the Negro
Question. There arc no more thai
six millions of negroes in the South.
most OF whom are i!l~iterate, unskill'
full. improvement and poor.
la some of the States, where the
, proportion Of black people is largest
they are not improving much, he
cause little has been done toward af.
fordins them the means Of education,
In other States, where they have q
better chance, numbers OF them have
acquired knowledge, property. gOod
habits and self-respset. II must be
ow ned, however. that 8 large proper.
ton Of these who have improved
Themselves have more or less white
blood in their veins.
This last fact leads us 10 the point
now so seriously discussed ut the
South: Can the two races ever learn
10 live together on tsrms Of equality I
Has not nature herself made II impossi.
bic ? Is not alleged sntipathy between
the races a thing TO be respe ctsd and
acted uponi
The majority OF the Southern PEG.
pie seem at present disposed to answer
these questions with al emphatic AZ
frmative. They think that nature
made aud intended the negro TO labor
with his hands, with . white man oyer
him to tell him what to do.
They point to his history. II is
four hundred year,, they say, since
nsgross began to be euslaved by
whites in great numbers. and, during
tina, long period, hundreds OF mil.
lions Of black people have lived close
10 and among whites. Many of these
have been set tree, have had access to
books, to art. TO science, have made
some acquirments in knowledge. have
been what 10 called educated, but not
one of pure negro blood has shown
eminent supcririoty Of talent.
There 10 not now in the world ono
fine picture. M great book, one ex.
cellent piece OF music, u specimen
Of beautiful architecture, one good
speech, Quo important invention.
which is the work Of . purs.blooded
negro. No negro has won . great
battle. founded . State, planted . COL
ony... conducted . great business, or
originated = valuable measure.
This may be truo, bu, the same can
be said OF other races during periods
OF four centuries, while they were
dominated by . superior race or class
the Romano. and Frenc..,, the Ger.
mans, the Anglo. Saxons, the ancient
Briton, s,d others.
Happily, there is now q considcra.
bic number Of public men in the South
who arc advocating with great abili-
~ and force the policy of afording
the negro a fair chance TO show the
world what he can do and what he
can become. They are urging their
iel!ow.ciiizens TO educate his children,
and 10 make all his rights A. sacred
and safe as those II the white man.
They think if this is done tho negro
question will not have 10 be solved.
because 10 three or four generations
it will gradually and peacefully solve
itself.
Let no Northern person presume TO
make light Of this problem, 40 II il
did not concern us. II concerns ne
nearly. 1t is our question as much as
it il that Of the people who live in the
Southern States. The social prejudice
against the man Of color is as decided
and as general in the North ~ it Is in
the South. This very winter a young
r~nulatto, very good-lookiug, perfectly
clean, and polite in his behavior, went
round toIevery white barber shop iu
New England city of fifteen thousand
inhabitants. md because Of his color
was refused professional assistance in
them all.
Southern people are taking these
things over in q spirit far more dis
passionate and reasonable than evei
before. II 10 = subject too important
for passion 10 be allowed TO mingls
with:its cousideration.-Youth . Com
paniOn, Boston.