The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-03-13
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
THOMAS NELSON PAGE ON THE
SHADOW THREATENING THE
NATION.

NATION.
From His Speech at the Southern So
ciety Banquet-the North Must
Know the Truth and the Sections
Understand One Another.
TRichmond Dispatch.
Among the many after-dinner
speeches made at the recent banquet
of the Southern Society in New York,
that of DR.. Thomas Nelson Page, of
this city, on The Original Thirteen"
was a thoughtful presentation OF our
country's greatness and of the dangers
which threaten her, and especially OF
the shadows which menace the nation
in the shape of the negro problem.
Owing to the great size of the hall, its
peculiar construction, and the unavoid-
able noise incident to such occasions,
few of the speeches were heard by
Others than those who crowded around
the speakers table. DR.. Pages was
not of the exceptions, and we cannot
refrain from publishing at least his
words of wisdom on the negro prob
lem:
Think not that the mission of the
old Original Thirteen is accomplished
far from t-their mission will never
be ended until the story Of the work
they have performed shall be forgotten
and the traditions which enhalo them
shall be destroyed. By their geograph-
ical position, by all their arduous train
ing, by all their splendid selfsacrifce,
by all their glorious memories, the Old
Thirteen must and will continue the
conservative, and therefore the most
important, element in this nation.
They stand no less in virtue of the in
spiration of their past than of their ge-
ographical location-a a wall of defence
between invasion and this nation-a
pillar of cloud by day, of fire by night
No enemy can set foot upon our soil
that does not trample upon their bod
les. But they also stand a steadfas'
bulwark against all
PERILs FROM WITHIN.
Are these perils nothing? Can one
who comes from the South say thai
they are naught? AS grave questions
confront us to-day as ever faced peo
pie; perils which threaten not only the
welfare, but the existence-nay, the
future salvation-of our race and ma.
ton. Let me recount a few of them
One is a peril to which Rome fell q
victim-the danger that the Govern
ment which our fathers fought to es
tablish may become the open subjec
of barter and sale. The necessary
concomitant of this is the debauChlne
of the public mind and the dishonor o
our people. Another is the danger
from the vast accumulation of wealth
in individual hands and corporate
bodies. One half of the property val
ues of this country is in the hands o
not more than twenty five thousand
people. Another peril is that which
results from the vile system Of party
reward, in which public service ano
public freedom are criminally sacrificed
to the claims of partisanry and success
full political trickery, in which every
Office of the Government is laid upor
the table as an open slate for politica
gamblers and the shameless reward o
professional infamy. Yet another dan
ger is that which places burdens OF
the many for the individual benefit o
the few. Of these l need not speak
for they have been treated with ia
more ability than l can command, bu
to us of the South there is one thing
in the momentous shadow of which al
others are for the time obliterated.
A TRIBUTE TO GRADY.
This is the danger which confront
us-more awful, more terrible, thar
the "Pestilence which walketh in dark
ness and the Destruction which vast
eth at MONDAY" The ablest. mos
eloquent, and most brilliant expounde
of this, as Of other questions which af
feet the South, has but just passed
away. | do not mourn for him; 70
him no tears need be shed. He passet
| from US, though still almost a boy il
years, yet was his lifework done hi
fame intrusted to his country. H
stood in the glory of his dazzling bril-
lance as in the affection of his peopl
without a rival, until the summon
came, and his high destiny fully ac
complished, the Angel of Death pu
forth his hand and led him ss smilin!
into sleep" What more fitting end
ing could anyone desire-with tn
words Brotherhood and Peace" still
on his lips! 1t was almost an apoth
costs.
FALSE CHARGE.
Yet he mad scarcely gone from US
the echoes of the cheers which greete'
his courageous and loyal words hat
hardly died away-when his memor
was asSailed, and from the city il
which he breathed his last service c
amity; from the pulpit, which shoul'
be consecrated to the gospel Of peac
and good will, came Il am glad t
know it was but one voice-the Charg
of treason. 1t is not the first tim
that the charge of treason has bee
made against the utterance of youn
Southerner who spoke the truth.
notable instance occurred hundre,
years ago when an impassioned votar
of liberty, inspired by the DANCE
which threatened the people of Ma:
sachusetts, as we'll as the people {
Virginia, was called to order by tn
cry of &c Treason Treason !"
| JUSTICE DONE.
The son of the President of tn