Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-05
A RACY INTERVIEW.
AN xprroRs TALK WITH GOVERNOR
TIrz LEE.
The Negro as q Citizen and Worker
and es Factor In
Southern Politics

The New York Herald Of yesterday pub
hshes the following special written by Mr..
George IL. Nichols, one OF the editors Of
the paper. who, after spending several days
in E,y6mond, on sunday lett here for CHI.
chgo:
IrcgNoNp, VA, February al called
upon Governor Fitz Lee at the grand but
sniiqua,ed Capitol OF Virginia Yesterday.
"Ah," said he, grssplng my hand irmly.
"Tbe Herald is always with Us, and we are
sways glad 10 welcome its representatives"
The tx -major-generaI OF Confederate caysl-
~ shows 10 better advantage on horseback
nowadays than he does In bis Office When
he bsrassed Sheridan up the Valley OF The
shsnaDdosb and planted "bell fire" In his
front IL yellow Tavern to prevent him from
making biyouac on aristOcratic Franklin
street he was lean looking, fIyalling in that
respect even Sheridan himself Now, how
ever, he has put on q rotundity that makes
him as "tniek as he's long," as tue saying
eoes. IN this again he initiated poor sAcri-
dan, who, during the latter part Of bis life,
often eomplai0ed % his pudgness. AS La
fayeite said, most OF the great men OF the
world haye been small men, and all in ripper
wears fat men. Napoleon l., Grant, sherf>
dan. and Fflz Lee all come into the same
plump category.
with hl. aesbiness, however, General Lee
has put on joyial good nsture. The world
has heen tolcrably kind to him during the
last fifteen years. and be feels apparently IKE
reciproeaiing. Having hung his sword up
10 rest forever, all the old military austerity
was lnng away. too, and instead OF soldier
IN tho executive chair the old Common
wealth has 10 control politician who knows
how 10 pulI all the strings al once without
endanceriug any Of the entities connecting.
Piciure. therefore, a rotund figure, large al
ths girtb. not Fsisiaflisn quite, perhaps, bot
rapidly approaching 1t; fine, full, hand
somc face. clear. benevolent, Iight-o1ue eyes,
with bfows incNncd to shagginess. aud you
see the eK-cayalty chief.
CAPITOL REFLECTIONS.
al can't invite you into very grand Off
ralnusrters." said the Governor, "ior we
have not been able 10 go into Capitol build
inc down here vel, as you nave IN New
York. for instance Gbis with quiet smiie);
bat we shall prObaby some day. From time
totlme the Legissiure has made a move IN
that direction, but always to be met with
vast deal Of opposition from sentiment aroused
hy memories Of TINS Old building, which has
yyithstood the wear and tear Of nearly CEN
iury. some dag we hope 10 have more
comlnodi0os and modern home TO shelter
Washington referring TO Houdon's famous
htffht Nf Tue tiatf VI kut iNDNDit ubWh
in The corridor ana fanre worthy OF that"
pointing to the magnificent Washington
equestrian statue IN the Capiio.Grounds.
And then we gaZed around Us, up the pike
road leading OF to bloody Mechanlcsylle,
70 the grand old house where General Sch0-
field held military court for No. Division,
and TO JEFF Dayiss old square mansion nov
public sc1oO), with its lofty Anglican
porch, and massive Doric pillars. where
General Canby formulated plans for squaring
accounts opened in Libby Prison.
But the Governor was In 4 cbattY mood,
and we seemed naturally to drift into an in-
formal discussion OF the South and southern
policy. / remarked tnat since the election Of
General Harrison the race question seemed
10 have come into prominence, and that
northern people were talking OF II with con-
siderable interest
BLACKS AND WHITES IN VIRGINIA.
"True," said the Governor. "but the dis
cussion OF the matter down here antedates
the election. This question OF races has
. been earnestly canyassed for years but more
especially duriag the lat few months. And
It's a knotty point. Its solution will tax The
best miuds OF the country. III can't he
eolyed by Federal power or authority,
though many colored people imagine Gene
raj Harrison will be able 10 solve 1t. We have
90 anomalous condition OF things. There Is
no othsr oodntry In sho world wherein two
distinct races-races that can never as.
simulate, that can have but few
interests in common-are made po-
lIticaly equal by law. II YOU look
nbroad--in Europe, for instance-you will
lind that similar peoples only come under
one general government Germans are gov
srned by Germans, French by Ffeneemen,
SpanisTds toy spanish, end even Poles by
Polanders, though under pressure OF Rus
sian officials. Ireland may In some measure
he cited as on exception but though British
lawsm msy be unjustly enforced there Is not so
wide difference between the average inteli.
gence OF the two peoples. Imagine spain
again governed by the Noors and 1t will not
,eem so strange as absolute domination OF
the South by the freedmen. TO tax
Of the majority beiog in control
In this respect is TO acrept theory when
cannot be put in practice. Look at the
teeming millions OF blacks IN India. Are
they not In a majority that is overwhelming?
YET they are governed by laws made for
them IN London, In which they have no par
ticlpation. There Is no thought OF putting
the Asiatlcs on par POLITICALLY with The
whites. But here In this great democracy,
and the only place m the universe, the nd
tional Constitution declares whites and blacks
are politically on equal terms"
WHERE THE DANGER rs.
"suppose the colored people should seek
10 have this constitutional privilege carried
out 10 the fullest extent, Governor, what
would happen :"
81 thiuk they won't seek TO do anything
OF the kind II left to themselves. IL they
should, however, there must necessarily be
trouble. Personally l am on good terms
with colored people. Some time ago, on in-
yitNiou, / rode out to review body OF col
ored troops at the Fair-Grouuds. near the
city. and tinaly ended by making them
lit,le speech. The next day a depu,ation
v,yltad on ue, saving the boys were power
fnuv pleased with the speech you made them
from your horseback, and told us 10 tell you
they were gong 10 put you In as Governor
sgin.' l replied, thanking them for their
lind intentions. but intimsied that the State
Constitution prohibited Governor from
holding successive term. fes,' they SAID.
'sotns OF 'em told us so, but the boys SAID
they were gwine TO put you In anyhow
PERPlxxISG PROBLEM.
"But. Goyerpor,u / said, "the colored
man IA here to stay. He Is fact. How do
Jon propose TO trest himY
Questions easily asked, not easily an-
,wered. As he il now, laboripg aud assist
tng 10 the development OF the state, he Is all
night Leave him alone and be VIII tnrive
pFop01tiouately with the rest OF us. Upset
im. Gll bis bead with false and pernicious
notions Of assimilation and social equality,
sad yoe destroy bis usefulness as an inteeer.
COloDlzing schemes asye been proposed
T. send him 10 Liberia, TO put hlm IN tne
Indian Territory. 10 get him to pack up ana
g. 70 The northern States.
A. TO Liberia, You know that the United
sisies representative sent there declared that
b put him hlek In Africa would again re.
due bin 10 ssysgery and beaihenfsm. In
Short tine. YOU Know this representative
sad, Sanbo would be reduced 10 baresskin
Taiaen' with only the African culture clout,
e1iliTsing goats and sweltering In nith ID
nud cabins That wouldn't do.
"Tbey couldn't all live in the indian
Territory IL II were made legal 70 SEND them
there as 10 .eading them Nofth-wel,