Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-06
THE RACE QUESTION FROM THE RADI-
CAL SOUTHERN STANDPOINT.

CAL SOUTHERN STANDPOINT.
We have never denied that there is a
strong negative side to the 'rAce" or NEGRO
question" That side has not been recently
SO concisely and ably presented as by SEN
ator John T. Morgan. The intelligent
reader wants both sides of every such ques-
ton presented to him, and we therefore
give in this form fair and full statement
of the position occupied by Mr.. Morgan,
who may be said to represent the radical
or extremist class upon the negative, hold
ing that the negro and the white races
cannot, because of their natures, live ami
cably under the same government, but that
there should be and will bea negro exodus,
which the individual and the State and
Federal Governments ought to encourage
and aid financially and morally.
The major premise of his argument as
presented in elaborate detail in the Arena
for September, is that the Thirteenth
Amendment. providing against the effect
of "race, color and previous condition of
servitude," was based upon the supposed
capacity of the negro to rise to social as
well as political equality with the whites,
but the amendment comedies by its pro-
lection that the negro needed aid to lift
him up to the full enjoyment of his lib
erty.
The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments were intended to give higher and
more definite security to the liberties of
the negro, to prevent their natural decay
resulting from natural inability of the
negro to preserve and enjoy them. But if
they were intended to protect the negro
from the white race, in either case race
question is recognized by the amendments.
1t was expected that the conferment of po-
litical rights would convey with it equal
ity of social privileges with the whites.
But this has not proved prophetic, because
there is behind the law an irrevocable race
question. The law has constantly invited
the negro to seek social as well as
political equality; this has been resisted
by the whites, and because there is a
natural race question or division between
the two forbidding homogeneity.
This question is dependent upon and re-
Istes to essential differences between the
races, as arranged by the hand of the
Creator. The color is one, but the least
important. Mental differences, differing
traits, faculty of governing. forecast, en-
terprise, and achievement in the wide
field of the arts and sciences, are others.
The negro in the United States is de-
scended from people who enslaged and
sold their own into foreign bondage, and
are still engaged in the same traffic. But
if he we're not, and had been invited to
come here and become citizen and by
his talents and virtues add to the common
veal, the race question would be an issue,
as unavoidable and important as it is to-
day.
If the 100000 negroes were not here
there would be peace and harmony among
our people. There is not harmony be-
cause of the aversion of the white race for
the negro race. There is such an aversion
by the whites for the Indian who has
never submitted to enslavement. The
difference in color and social traits ac-
counts for it, though the red man by his
bravery and independence inspires us with
respect. Now it is not slavery that caused
or causes this aversion, nor lack of manli-
ness. nor fortitude. In the history of the
Indians is the proof that no race inferior
in capacity and intelligence can cc-exist
with the white race in the same govern
ment and preserve its distinctive traits of
social organization. If the two races can
not comingie in blood the inferior race will
be crushed.
The Indian race is the only one that has
never enslayed its own people. In Amer
lea and the West Indies the Indian races
have perished because of stubborn resist
ance to the dominance Of races of superior
knowledge and power. If they had
yielded as did the negroes, they would
have taken similar places. The Senator
makes copious historical references in
support of these latter positions, and to
prove that as slave the Indian has al
ways perished; that in all other races ex-
cept the negro, the slave has, at last
worked out his own deliverance. But
neither here nor in Africa has he made
even an effort to do So. Slavery continues
without modification or abatement IN
Afriea-it is the common law of the negro
race in Africa.
The experience Of all nations is that