The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-01-23
A Prominent Colored Minister Speaks.

editorially.
A Prominent ColOred Minister Speaks.
To the Editor of the Statesman.
We are pleased to see in the columns
OF this good newspaper accounts of
race conflicts and race questions as
argued by friend and foe. Your occa-
sional comments are wise and of q
pacific nature, leaving your intelligent
readers room to form their own opin-
ions and arrive at conclusions after
reasoning from their own standpoint.
The late conflict at West Point, Ga,
and the one at st. Augustine, Fla,
are true induces to most troubles be
tween the two races, called in modern
parlance "negro uprisings." We would
say there has not been anywhere in
the South negro uprising, and there
never will be, for there is no reason
for it. There has been, and likely will
be conflicts, altogether local in extent,
between bad men who have neither
the good of the state or community at
heart.
One thing we sincerity deprecate is,
that these bad men have been too sue
cessful in gaining the aid of the state
authorities to help them make their
might right. We could recite instances
where much evil has resulted from
such aid. Bad men will always abuse
delegated powers. Meddlesome per-
sons scarcely ever have anything to
loose, not even character; but the
law-abiding, industrious people have
everything at stake, their country,
wives and children, and all that makes
life desirable. We are no prophet nor
the son OF prophet, but mark the
assertion that out of all this high
sounding Grace trouble" negro up
rising, and negro problem matter,
will be fabricated ponderous cam
paign documents for future use
by political demagogues, who are
troubled about places for them
selves more than all else, if they can
work "white supremacy, or niger
domination" or any kind of national
racket, they seem in duty bound to
work it for all it is worth. This we
do see clearly is the work of idlers
who have succeeded too we'll in filch-
inga livelihood out of all of this. We
have heard it remarked that "some
people are born in Storm" that,
however, need not disturb any one,
the main thing to do is to keep
them straight after birth should they
live long enough. We are not sur
prised nor alarmed at the utterances
of Prof. Edward w. Boyden, of Libe-
ria, Africa, of his growing conviction
that the white and black races could
not live in harmony" We ask in all
candor, why should they not?
They have lived in harmony to-
gether in the past, their identical
interests must lead them to do so
in the future, even more so, for many
of the past difficulties and problems
have found adjustment and solution.
They have studied each other for more
than eight generations, allowing
thirty-five years to the generation. All
this, while the contact has had the
effect of driving out and away
all foreign ideas or methods
of government which required
no effort beyond staying here.
We are here, professor and we mean
to stay, or go as our interests lead, or
we may elect. He was in, favor of a
return of negroes to Africa. 1t is a
great pity the professor didn't speak
out on this subject two hundred and
eighty-one years ago; though he and
other gentlemen of eminence may
speak, and speak loud enough to
awake from their long slumbers our
early dead, we agree in that event to
let them go, but we sons of America
will go, or stay as we elect.
We are glad to hear well OF Lii
IBERIA, Gas being the garden spot of
Western Africa, and the negroes who
Had gone from America were exerting
great influence" To this we utter a
healthy Methodist amen Let the
good work go on, Rev. Mr.. Daniel
Ware, q native African, occupied seat
near us during the session of the gen.
eral conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal church at Philadelphia, Pa, in
1884. We were both members of that
legislative body. We served nearly a
month on two committees together.
We often spoke of such matters during
recess, and he had thoughts like those
of Prof. Boyden. DR.. Blyden, an en-
inent Presbyterian divine, has such
thoughts also. 1t seems to us most
reasonable that they should have.
If this colonization society has car
ried out its purposes from 1920 on
ward, possibly there would have been
no outbreak in 1861, or the enamel
patton of 100000 negroes wouldn't
have followed that outbreak. The
wounds made by great war are being
healed up very fast, healing balm
pours in from every quarter of our
fair land; and the starved can find
garden spots under the stars and
stripes just as winsome as any to be
found elsewhere. Now let us have
peace, and agree in unity to have a
flood of peace, bound on the north by
the aurora borealis, on the east by the
rising sun, on the west by the setting
sun and on the south by the judg-
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