New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-16
THE AMERICAN NEGRO.
WHAT ARE Ills RIGHTS AND WHAT MUST
BE DONE TO SECURE THEM.
JUDGE TOURGEE DESCRIBES TIE PROGRESS or
THE CoLoRED RACE SINCE THE WAR AND
ESSAYS TO ANSWER THE PRESENT
QUESTION ARISING FROM ITS
POLITICAL SUPPRESSION.
Copyright, loJO. By The Ne,r York Tribune
FIRST PAPER

FIRST PAPER.
have been requested 10 give my views upon
three distinct propositions connected with this
subject: Firs;-What is the character and status
Of the negro race in the United States? second
| How viii they be- affected by progress in wealth.
education. and refinement? Tmrd-liow can they
really Dee cuffanchiscd and given representation
IN Congress?
To answer either of these inquiries with any
thing like reasonable fullncss would occupy all
OF the space assigned me. At best it viii be
possible only 10 indicate in somewhat orderly
manner the line of thought 10 be pursued IN
arriving al a conclusion upon that most important
question of modern civilization, II not OF all
history. tie race problem in America. Before
proceeding 10 tlcir consideration, 1t Is desirable
that the reader should have clearly IN mind
certain fundamental facts, which show the Ina
portoucc Of these inquiries not only 10 the people
of the Republic but 10 the future OF civilization.
The American negroes probably number at this
time something more than e,OOp00O, or one
eighth of the entire population OF, the United
States They constitute about one-fourih Of the
people Of Delaware, N.ryland. Kentucky, ar
kansas, Tennessee and Texas; two-ilihs OF tie
population of Virginia and North Carolina; very
nearly, if not quite half that of Georgia. Alabama
and Florida and considerably more than half
OF the whole territory south of the line Of the
Ohio east of Kansas and west Of New-Jcrscy, they
constitute oue-tLird Of the population. In the
eight eastward States between Maryland and
Texas known us the Black Belt there
is one colored face confronting each white
face Eleven twelfths OF the entire negro
population are found in the Southern States,
ninc-tcuths Of them are in tie late Confederate
States, and fourhiths OF them III the states
Of the Black Belt
Ninc-tentl.s Of the coorcd population Of the
United States were slaves until 1868, or arc tie
children of freedmen born since tnat time. Only
oue-si >tcenth Of the colorcd population Of tie
Southern states In 1850 were free. In Alabama.
Arkansas Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
and South Carolina, there were all told but
81 900 free people OF coor-css than onc-iifticta
of their col0red population, and not per cent Of
their entire population. In Arkansas there were
but IA free negroes IN 1850, IN Florida but
932. in Mississippi only 1913, being but ore out
of every $40 colorcd, or one ont OF every 600
Of tie entire population. II il needfu % r'men4-
bcr that their ancestors, materially al least. had
been in slavery for $50 years. During that time
they had not been allowed 10 contract marriage.
I hold property have family name, defend them
selves from ASSAULT learn % read or Wrtc, appeal
10 the law for protection redress, testify u.s.
10 any wrong done themselves or their fellows
by white person, travel without pass cug,,c
i'm business ioc tAcmecl,cs, transmit or
inherit property, or even meet to wor-
ship tod without tAc presence Of
white man A. "a result Of these conditions. when
emaucipated ~ tie close of the rebellion. nine
tcuths of the colorcd people of The United States.
numbering about 5000 600. distributed rs already
indicated were literally without earthly posses
sious, except The clothes which covered their
uakclucss They bad neither houses, lands.
stock tools nor anything Of apprcca5ic value.
There was not a married woman nor legitimate
child among them. There was no such thing as
surname in the whole vast array
of unchria,cncd Chrstlings. Not three out
Of thousand could read or write The
hcad-gcor Of an equal number Of the people Of the
North, taken 40 random, was worth more than
this subject race received as the dowry Of free
don-Lq payment for two centuries and half
Of labor
IT IS THE SAME OLD QUESTION REVIVED.
Three years ofterward. in 1865. the ballot was
first given TO those among them hay-
ing the ordinary qualifications Of age
and residence. Up TO ls7G, eight years
after, they exercised the riaht Of suffrage with
more or less freedom. Since that period they
have been practically disfranchscd by the con
ccrtcd action Of Il majority OF tie white voters
OF those States.
1t Is important also to the growth of tho race
In this country and IFS capacity for self
pcrpetuation. The gain Of the coorcd popula-
ton of the United States from 1890 until 1850
was s75 per cent; Of the white population 400
per cent. White immigration has Lecn con-
btanty increasing, both relatively and numeri-
cally, during this period The importation Of slaves
wab prohibited however, in ISOs, and foreign ac-
ccssions 10 the coorei population practically
ceased with the third census decade. Yet, in the
eight States, in which four hfths OF the coiored
population are found the whites have gained
3l3 per cent and the blacks 5Gi per cent since
1890 OF the white population Of these States,
practically the whole were thoroughly indoctrn-
atcd with the political and economic theories u
slavery. In 1850, only per cent of the whites
or 3 per cent Of the entire population Of the
Southern States was OF Northern birth. In tie
States Of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisi-
ana constituting the Black Belt this proportion
was much smaller, the whole number Of persons
Of Northern birth residing therein being but
%, 2G7 or less than thrcc-ifths Of l per cent of
the entire population ana little more than / per
cent Of the white population alone. The entire
white inhabitants Of these States therefore, may
De said 10 he affected with the inherited bias Of
slavery toward The negro, the main Gle
ments Of which were, belief in his in
herent and essential inferiorty; that his sub
ordination TO the white man was divEcly or
dained. and thnt the measure of privilege he
has a right 10 enjoy is simply what the white
people OF the State i'm which be lives see III 10
accord him. SO devoted were the white people
of eleven Of these States TO the institution Of