Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-08
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 8. 1890
rhe Neproos-Genoral sherman.


Not long ago we reproduced In our
columns from the st. Louis Republic an ex-
tract from a letter concerning the negroes
which II was said General SHERMAN had
written from Atlanta. Ga. in 1864. Having
some doubts as 20 the authenticity OF the
letter we made no comments upon II. The
R.p,sbltc has, however, youched for the
s~nuineness q the letter. and so we PRINT
The extract again. II reads as follows:
81 don't see why we can't have some
sense about negroes. as well as ABOUT
horses. mules iron. cooper. etc.--hut say
sniceer IN the United States. and from
Sumner To Attorney Kelly the whole coun-
try goes crazy. | never thought my negro
letter would get into the papers. but slnco,
il has, | lay low. l Ike niggers wei,
enough Sc niq9Ts. but when fools ana
IDIOTS try TO make mggers better than our
selves. have an opinion"
Certainly that paragraph has General
SnrRMAs's ear-marks. But somebody ex-
pressed doubt as 10 whether he wrote 1T;
and the Republic replies as follows;
"The Eepub'ic yOuches for the anthem
toity Of the lettcr. and is prepared 10 de-
mOns,rate u II it should require further
demonstration than the appearance IN our
editorial columns Of full and literal copy,
from which only tho address was omitted.
This we were entitled 10 withhold. Tor ~ ~
not matter of Importance or OF pubic
interest unless General Sherman should al
tempt 10 deny that he wrote the letter Just
rs we printed 10. In the event OF such
donial-which we do not anticlpatc-we
will convince him that denial Is useless.
We haze some reason TO believe, moreover,
that General Shermsn's real views have
changed In no essential particular
General SHERMAN wrote as lie did con-
corning the negro because he had resided
IN Louisiana for years, and knew just what
sort ~ man the negro is. He was not to
be imposed upon by the crocodile tears OF
northern negrophilists, nor misled by the
rrejudices engendeTod whilst the country
was in state Of war lie recognized the
difference between the negro and the white
man, and did not hesitate to let 1t be
known chat he thought there had been en-
tirely too much ado over the former.
Tho Charleston Naos and Courier asks
what has become of General SHERMAN's
"negro letter" as old TKoUMP himself cha
ractcrizes il. Who has that letter. IT wonld
be interesting TO tho whole country just at
this time. II will be observed that the
General retracts nothing which he said in
his negro letter" though he admits that
he "lay low" whom it got into the papers.
As no Is always ready TO DENY false report
concerning himself. We take it that the At
lanta letter ia genuine. IL so. this letter
establishes the commences of the other.
Whilst upon this subject We will again
call attention TO tho fact that the Rev. Dr.
DLYDrs. the negro preacher from whom we
quoted last week, persists in emphasizing
the difference between the negroes aud the
class whom he styles "colorod people"
lie is in favor of colonizing the negroes in
Africa. but wants no "colored people" TO
lie sent to the land of the Negroes fore
fathers. This is n new complication which
seems to be well calculated to cause the
white Republicans of the Sonth good
deal Of uneasiness. DIR. BLYDEN is
n man Of his own head. lie does
not propose TO do anything ut all
for the "colored people" OF TO interfere
with thom in any way, but to leave them
20 take care of themselves whilst he looks
out for the material interests Of the ne
croes. "colored" preacher writes of
DIR. BLYDES as follows:
1.-The doctor seems to have n feeling
acainst the mulatto. II is "a pity
that Or. Blyden would allow himself 10
be misunderstood or to speak words that
20 damage the present aud prospective
happiness Of the race Ii is damaging aud
damning toraiso the color question within
tho race"
The Charleston Naos and Courier COM
ments as follows:
"Dr. Blyden cannot be blamed for
faising the color question within the race.
The question was raised long ago by the
colored people themselves. In Boston and
Washington the negroes claim that they
ore Disseminated against by the cOlOred
peoplo-in fact the negro has been made
the newer of wood and drawer of water for
both the white aud colored people, and IT
g. ont OF this unhappy condition that DIR.
Blyden would deliver the negroes, by
taking them back To Africa. whore they will
recover the rich inheritance of their fathers.
We can well understand why il is that
the colored people should be unwilling to
let the negroes go. Without the negroes
vote the colored politician would have no
constituency, and without the negro's in
Guence he would speedily lose his position
- racial or social factor i'll the South"
And here we leave for the present this
suggestive subject.