Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-01-02
The Southern Conflict.

The news from Georgia is grave,
but not astonishing, hardly unex-
pected The strained relation Of
the races long have excited appre-
hensiou. 1t is but few days ago
that the lamented Henry w. Grady
had a long talk with Senator Bout
well and the Inter Oceaa's Wash
ington correspondent, who, in part,
reported him thus:
MIR Grady seemed deeply impressed with his
responsibility rs public man in the south. He
said that he sometimes felt overwhelmed with
rhe responsibility of his duties on this account.
ne manifested deep Christian spirit and said
that he always desired to be guided Alright ia
the exercise OF this great responsibility. He
spoke in this conversation more than he ever
has in any of his public utterances as TO the
present condition of the two races in the south.
He expressed the fear that everything was not
right even in Georgia, and referred with much
feeling 10 confidential statement which WAS
made to him by an old family servant not very
many weeks ago 10 the effect that there was
danger that something might happen between
the races in the south. MIR. Grady alluded
particularly 20 the fact that some negroes had
been whipped by lot of young white men,
and that the white men were being tried on this
account. HI said that among this number was
4 member OF his OfiCe force at home; that he
Mr.. Grady lad taken what steps he could 10
secure his punishment aud that be was deter
mined that these white men should be punished
tor these outrages. This incident was cited as
one illustration of the excited condition OF
feeling between the Two races. He said that It
might happen at any time that careless word
spoken in the street by one white man 70
negro or the reverse, might light a spark that
would create disturbance which might shake
the entire south.
The spark which this enlightened
and humane publicist dreaded has
been lighted, and the terrors of i
riot, which almost is of the magni-
tude of war, have been developed.
The immediate result is not matter
of doubt. The negroes will be
crushed. The discipline and wealth
and numbers of the whites will pre-
vail. There will be more graves in
Jessup than formerly, and most of
them will hold the corpses of
negroes. But will the Jessup out
break be a tinality? Will 1t make
an end of race troubles in the
southern tier?
We fear not. There is no mean
between absolute slavery and abso
lutte freedom. There can not be.
"Negro supremacy" caucasian
superiority" these and like phrases
are but impertinent catchwords
clumsily placed to direct attention
from the main question, which Is
this: Can you endow five millions
Of people with certain legal rights
and then steadily and of set purpose
prevent them from exercising those
rights without provoking violent
resistance? The answer is that no
such considerable body of people
ever was endowed with such rights
and prevented from enjoying them
without provoking violent resist
auce. Jack Cakes rebellion, Wat
Tyler's riot, Runnymede, Cromwel,'s
Irousides, the French revolution, the
American War of Independence all
make answer in the same tone. The
nature Of man is the same IN all.
ases and among all races. Despot-
i,ms have been endured, absolute
slavery has been endured, without
resistance. But content with "a
nominal title 70 and actual deoar.
ment from the privileges of citizen
ship never has endured. There Is
no partlsanshlp IN THIS statement; II
i 4 most colorless and unlmpas.
stoned statement Of dry fact We
could not change the drift of south
ern affairs if we would. The south
ern whites alone can do II; they
must either procure the repeal OF the