The Brookhaven leader., 1890-01-23
THE RACE PROBLEM.
THE SOLUTION PROPOSED BY GEN.
A. VI. WEST.

Memorial to the Congress OF tue Cu'eu
| States by the legislature of the State
Mississippi upon the fifteenth amendent
of tho federal constitution.
Twenty years have now elapsed
since the negro was enfranchlsed.
The act was viewd, and will ever stand
one of the most notable and profound
in the history of the government,
without precedent or parallel. The
end sought first required that a re-
cognized Jurisdiction of the States,
that of suffrage, should be appropria-
ted by the federal power, which end
was so revolutionary and far-reaching
that it was regarded with doubt so
grave that it would not have been at
tempted except at time Immediate
" succeeding n great civil war. 1t
could not have been accomplished by
any usual and ordinary course of leg
islation. 1t was i'll direct opposition
to the united white sentiment of the
Southern States, and it is believed
contrary to the Judgment of the
philosoplic craftsmanship of the
North. Originating in such circum-
stances and with such attendants, the
results of the act would be most wOr-
thy of consideration and declaration
after fair tests, even were these ordi-
nary. But the conditions produced,
the future impending, the discussion
evoked, imperatively demand candid
expression from those entrusted with
the public good. The discussions
of the negro in politics have so alb
sorbed and enlightened the public
mind of the whole country that detail
ed statement is unnecessary. 1t is
only incumbent upon US to sum up
the conclusion fairly and justly deriv-
able from the lessons of the past. Upon
these, all agree that negro suffrage
has failed in the theory and practice !;
that all efforts to cOrrellate the races
as equals in citizenship is utterly vain
and mischievous to the last degree
1t has been attended, along its whole
course, with strife, blood and mani
fold ills both material and moral. So
far from endowing the weaker race
with protection against the stronger,
the ballot has provoked discOrd and
conflict in which he is ever the suffer
or. Estranging the races it has taken
from the blacks something strong and
certain on which to lean and depend );
it has hardened and turned away the
whites from the duty of protecting
the blacks from wrong and rendered
inc ffectual appeals to their manhood
which, in the olden time, were never
disregarded save in exceptional cases.
In all his manifold history the negro
has never shown moral progress ex-
cept by kindly association with
whites. This destroyed and his retro
gression involving ruin to the country
is most probable. 1t has kept alive
and intensified sectional i'll will which
saps patriotism, fosters corruption,
makes easy the sway of oppression
and wrong. 1t is working to state
of decentralization and has produced
methods of political practice which
will surely drive and keep good men
out of the South and prevent the free
and unrestrained intercourse which
should ever exist between brethren
of one common country and national
destiny. Weighed against these dire
effects and fearful portents is the sin
gle consideration to the south of a
certain increase of federal and nation
al representation. This is of absolute
ly no comparative consequence and is
freely offered in surrender. AS en-
reimbursement of the negro has prov
ed the main cause of race discOrd, we
may reasonably expect it abrogation
to lead to at least a partial restora-
ton of the old time race concord :;
therefore be it
Resolred, BY the legislature of the
state of Mississippi, that it is the de-
liberate opinion of the said legisla-
ture that the fifteenth amendment to
the constitution of the United States
should be annulled, and said legisla-
ture doth hereby petition ''the con-
gress to take the necessary steps to
that end"
I'd. BE it further resolved, That
our senators in congress be, and they
are hereby instructed, and our repre-
sentatives in congress be, and they
are hereby requested to present this
application and petition to their re-
spcctive bodies for their considera-
ton and action.
3rd. BE it further resolved, That the
secretary of state forward certified
copies of the above preamble and res
OlutiOn to each of our senators and
representatives in the congress of the
United States, and certified copy to
the governor of each state in the I'm
ion with the request to have them
read to their respective legislatures.
The Mississippi Enterprise has this
10 &c