Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-23
THURSDAY. OCTOBER %. 1890
Retroeneot Of Slavery.

England hnlp-masteIs chiho coiouy hOii
the coast OF Guinea, whittier they were as
sembled from the interior by native
rulers who trapped thom in the jungles
or bought them from parents or owners.
They were then naked savages just
astheir ancestors ever had been just as
their descendants in the heart Of Africa
are today. Many Of the men and
women whom STANLEY met in his recent
travels are exact types OF those brought
70 Virginia soon after the settlement at
jamestown.
Landed in tho colony OF Virginia and
put upon the plantations the negro was
for tue first time brought into contact
with civilization, and the difference be-
tween one who to-day resides in the
United States and one who lives in Afri-
ca represents the gain the race made
In exchanging slavery at home for slave
nv in America. Yet the orators OF this
people are forever maligning the old
elaye-owners OF the South, as il our peo-
pie had reduced the negro from a
high 10 q low estate. This talk goes
on and on until actually there are
adult whites who do not know but that
their yirginian ancestors were guilty OF
some great atrocity in buying and hold
ing slaves.
All nations have held slaves. 1t has
not been such very long time since
Great Britain abolished the practice.
The northern States held them until it
was no longer profitable to do 80.
Now comes FREDERICK DOUGLASS with
a fve-column speech made in Washing
ton deploring the wrongs of his race,
but he never once stops to think what
would be the condition of the millions
OF negroes who find happy homes in the
United States were they back in the wilds
of Africa. They would certainly be no
better of than their brethren. 1t is
equally sure they could not have gotten
here except as slaves.
DOUGLASS, who is about to depart for
his post of duty as Minister to Hnyti
The is very successful Office
getter), made this address Tuesday
night at the Metropolitan African
Methodist Episcopal church in Washing
ton in which he discussed the race
problem and deplored the failure OF
Congress to pass the BLAIR educational
and Federal election bills. He seems to
be as ungrateful to the North for freeing
the slaves as he is to the New England
ship-masters for bringing them to this
country, for he said:
al object to characterizing the relation
subsisting between the white and colored
people of this country AS the negro pro-
blem, as il the negro had precipitated
that problem, and as il he were In any
way responsible for the problem. Though
a rose by any other name may smell as
sweet, 1t is not in good taste to give it q
name that suggests offensive associations.
There are, ON the other hand, things
that are in themselves revolving and
should not be given fair-seeming names.
The shareholders understood this princi-
pie well enough. Slavery lost some
thing OF its offensive aspect when il
was called domestic institution or
social system and other like
names. Emancipation was made to
look dangerous when it got itself called
an experiment. although slavery itself
was an experiment, and liberty is the
normal condition of man. 'The me-
groes were the cause OF the war, said
Mr.. Lincoln, and straightway the loyal
soldiers of the republic began TO kick
and beat the poor negroes on the banks
OF the Potomac, and the Irish began tc
hang, stab, aud murder the negroes IL
New York. 1t is dangerous even TO d
dog TO be given a bad name. l am
therefore, in favor of employing the
truest and most agreeable names to de
scribe the relation which at present sub
sists between ourselves and the othel
people Of the country"
Give it any name you please it is {
race problem wherever there is appre'
hension that the whites will be sub
jected to the rule Of those who were
once their slaves
DOUGLASS says the true problem is no,
the negro, "but the white men" Of the
South, "who by fraud, violence, and
persecution are breaking the law
trampling on the Constitution, corrupt
ing the baliot-box, and defeating the ends
of Justice"
Then he proceeds TO declare that The
true problem is whether "these white
ruifians shall be allowed by the nation tc
so on in their lswless and neiarioui
career" OF US he speaks as "the re
bellious and slayeholding South.
where the bsllot-box is tainted "by
fraud and red-shirted intimidation" AM
a the men who "led the nation in {
dance Of blood during four long years
and who now have the impudence to as
sumo TO control the destiny Of this 70
public as well as the destiny of th,
negro"
So he goes on through columns and
columns, as bis address is reported il
the Washington Post Of yesterday. HI
is most assuredly not appreciative OF til,
fact that slavery saved those Of his peo-
pie who are now in America from barba'
rism. Nor il he any more sppreciativt
OF the North for freeing them. Indeed
Judging by the speeches made here on
Emancipation-dAy the time is not fsl
distant when the negroes will imagine
that they rose up and freed themselves
On the subject OF intermarriage
DouazAss IL rather diplomatic, bnt he
holds out 70 bis people that hope.
LAxosroH and DouoLAss are not
friends but rivals and enemies but they
m types Of The ssme race /; types, in
lid, Of tho most advanced and learned
~>uo<fan ~ a va fhe foxmer hsa re-