The Portland daily press., 1890-01-24
SITTING ON THE SAFETY VALVE.
Mr.. ingalls, Speaks OF the South and
the Race Problem.
The Bank of EngIand's Propos sed
Issue of Silver Certificates.
Why American Steamship Lines are
Not Paying Investments.

WASHINGTON, January 23.-After a num-
Der of bills were reported and placed on the
calendar, the Senate today took up the bill
introduced by Mr.. Butler to provide for the
emigration Of persons of color from South
ern States, and Mr.. ingalls, addressed the
Senate. He said: son the threshold of
our second century, we are confronted with
the most formidable and portentous prob
lem ever submitted to a free people for solu-
tion. 1t is complex and unprecedented, in
volving social, moral and political consider
ations, party supremacy and. in the estima-
tion OF many, though not in my own, the eX-
istence of our system of government Its So
luton demand all the resources and
craftsmanship of the present and future to
prevent a crisis that may become catastro-
phe. Let me state it in the language of one
the most brilliant, most impassioned and
powerful of all the orators of the South, now
unfortunately no more. When Henry W:
Grady died, luminous meteor disappeared
from the Southern armament"
Mr.. Ingalls, had the clerk read an extract
from Mr.. Grady's Grafton before the Boston
Chamber of Commerce and then went ON to
say: "Let me state the arithmetic Of this
pre- blem In 1860 there were in the United
States 4,440.000 ne. .roes in 1870, 4,4S0,0OO: in
1880, 6, $50, 900, an increase wich can only be
accounted for on the principle Of premedi.
tated and Intentional fraud on the census.
At the close of this century there will prob
ably not be less than 100000 of the black
and colOred race in this continent The
problem is still further complicated by the
fact that the are gregarious. They id
stinctively separate themselves into their
own communities, with their own habits,
their own customs and their own methods of
life. They worship separately, and are
taught separately. The line of cleavage be-
tween the whites and blacks is becoming
constantly more distinct and perceptible.
or assimilation. Politically they are affi-
lated with the yictors in the late civil war
Socially, and by locality and residence, they
are associated with the yanquished. Will
the experiment which has failed elsewhere
succeed here? Cannot the black race exist,
as citizens of the United States, on terms of
political equality with the Caucasian race?
If not, why not?
Erred Douglass, the most illustrious living
representative of the negro race. greater
think by his Caucasian reinforcement than
by his African blood, once said to me that he
thought as prejudice and social and political
antagonism disappeared, the races would
blend, c0alesce and become homogeneous |
do not agree with him. There is no natural
affinity between the races, and this solution
of the problem is impossible. The relations
between the sexes in the time of slavery,
were compulsory. hybrid was the pro-
duct of relations between white fathers and
black mothers. The inference from that re-
suit is a conclusion of that question. Such
solution in my Judgment would perpetuate
the vices of both races aud the virtues of
neither. No blood poison is so fatal as the
adulteration of races. The colored people
are here; they are natives they are citizens;
man for man, they are our political equals;
they came here involuntarily, as prisoners of
war, captured in fight; they are of ancient
lineage, genuine +. F. Y. s."
After praising the colored people for their
fidelity to the South during the war, Mr.. In
gals said: ut seems incredible that graf
itude should not have defended and shielded
them from the hideous, iDdescribable wrongs
aud crimes of which they have BEEN, for
quarter of century, the guiltess and unre-
sisting victims. The same impulse which
made them loyal to their masters throughout
the war has made them faithful to their de-
liverers and has been persistent and unswerv.
ing; their instincts are more iDfallible than
their reason; they have voted with their
friends"
Mr.. Ingalls, went on to speak of the deter
mination of the South to eliminate the negro
as factor from its political and social his
tory and quoted evidence on that point from
Democratic newspapers and Democratic pol
iticians. He had read extracts from the
Jackson, miss, )Clarion just before the elec-
tiOn II days ago, in which the interrogation:
''Who cares? Bolton bows will be here Mon
day there will be a fair election" was re-
peated dozen times.
MIR, ingalls, read statement from cor
respondent that the election at jackson was
the most outrageous that the correspondent
had ever seen. The town was taken posses
and held throughout the day. This extract
said that Senator Georges son was one Of the
riflemen. Resuming, Mr.. ingalls, said: 'The
protests for this condition of things have
been many, but all rest upon the inferioritv
of the African race and upon the fear of
negro supremacy. / confess with humii-
alton, that, to this notification of the consti-
tuition, this breach of plighted faith. this
violation of the natural rights of man, the
people of the North have apparently coh-
sented. Practically, / say it with shame and
remorse, the negroes have been abandoned
to their fate. There are undoubtedly some
thoughtful men in the South who apprehend
coming events and would willingly re-
states could be permitted to impose race
condition upon the suffrage. This is i'm
possible and would shock the sense of man.
kind. Educational qualifications and other
qualifications would only postpone the
generation, it may be. precipitated
In the next Presidential election
but warn those perpetrating these wrongs
upon the suffrage that the North and West
and Northwest will not consent to have their
institutions, their industries, their wealth
| and their civilization changed, modified or
| destroyed by government resting upon the
| deliberate and habitual suppression of the
| colored vote or any other vote, by force or
| fraud. Sooner or later there would be an
| armed collision between the races. The
| South is standing upon volcano. The
| South is sitting on the safety valve. They are
| breeding iinnumerable John Browns and Nat
| Turner'S"
In conclusion, Mr. Ingalls, said that race
| antagonism applied only to the coored man
| when he desired to vote the Republican
| ticket. If the colored men there were all
Democrats the race question would be over.
| There were four solutions to the problem
| suggested: Emigration, determination, alb
| sorption, and disfranchisemeHt; but there
| was fifth solution which was never tried,
| justice. Il appeal to the South to try the
| experiment of justice. Stack your guns,
open your ballot boxes and register your vot-
ers, black and white. If, after the expert
the African race Is incapable of civilization,
1 will pledge myself to consult with you
about some measure of solving the race
problem, but until then, nothing can be DONE
| The citizenship of the negro must be abso-
lutely recognized. His right to vote must be
| admitted The ballots he casts must be hon.
estly counted. These are essential prelim.
| inaries of the conditions precedent to any
| consideration Of Interior and fundamental
questions of race supremacy or race equality
| in the United States, north or south"
Without attempting any other business
the Senate at O'Clock adjourned until Mon
| day.
NOTES SECURED BY SILVER.
The New Issue Which the Bank Of
England MAY make.