The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-02-13

the whole power of the Union, with its
unlimited forces and untold treasure,
at bay for four long years, could easi-
ly, with the aid of the great border
States, overcome seven millions of
negroes. Then there would be q solu-
tion of the negro problem that would
stay solved.
But q great mistake is made by
those who assume that the whites ex-
ercise no influence over the negroes
except by force OF fraud. The black
man is attached to the South and to
the great body of its people. The be-
havior of the blacks since their free
dom has in the main been good and
gentle.
- All things considered, il has been
wonderful. l believe can say with
truth that have no personal knowl-
edge Of the occurrence of any riot or
public disturbance anywhere in the
South between the races that was not
at the iDstigation of some white scoun-
drel; and in every case the blacks
have got the worst of the fray, being
deserted invaribly by their cowardly
white allies when the bullets began to
fly. ~
The negroes know this, and are we'll
aware that the interference of outside
friends has always Injured to their dis
advantage. They know, too, that
however arbitrary and determined to
rule his own country the white man
has been to them, that he has yet new
er deceived them by lying to them and
making promises which he neither
could perform nor intended to per-
form, whilst from the days of recon
struction they have been the victims
alike of Northern scnundrels for the
personal profit. and of politicel dema-
gouges for their own aggrandisement.
From the selling of Yankee unguents
to make their hair straight, or painted
pegs with which to secure land, as was
said thew did in our Pedea country,
where some of the finest bottom lands
were staked off at dollar peg,guar-
anteed by the United States govern
ment TO hold forty acres for every four
pegs against any rebel in the South;
to the passage Of civil rights bills for
the purpose of hoisting them into po-
sitions of social equality with the
whites. They know, too, that when
they are in any kind of trouble they
do not send North to a professional
friend or philarthropist for help, but
they search at once for old master and
mistress, or some one of old masters
children. There, I thank God, ia
nineteen cases out Of twenty, they find
the help they ask.
As among the white people there are
good and bad, it is 80 among the col
ored. Naturally the proportion of bad
among the latter is greater than in the
former, but still there is large per-
centage indeed who would scorn to
wage a barberous warfare against their
white friends, even should the white
man get off the safety valve. [ ven
ture the prophecy that should the
South ever be engaged in another war
her colored citizens would crowd into
ranks of her armies in numbers fully
proportional to the black population.
RI think our Northern friends who 90
glibly undertake to settle the negro
question have yet to make the &C
quaintanoe of the negro himself. Their
Judgment of him is formed manifestly
by the class that swarm around this
capital city, and whose inconvenient
presence caused the suppression of the
suffrage of this District. You listen
| to the few who come here to make
traffic of their wrongs, and in turn you
endeavor to make profit for your par
ty by legislation. directed towards
those supposed wrongs.
| You acknowledge yourselves mis-
taken as to the results of recOnstruc
ton. Many Of your people now favor
the withdrawal of the representation
in Congress which their numbers have
given the South. Is it not possible that
you are again mistaken as to the ma
ture of the evils which affect then
and what would be best for them.
When you assume that because they
mostly profess your politics and vote
your tickets that. therefore, they ART
in a state of discomfort that threaten,
any moment to break forth in
bloody uprising, may you not be mis-
taken in the extent Of your inaueDc.
over themi Are you not aware of th'
4 difficulty. the CONSTANT tutelAge, ant
the vast amount of money you Ar
compelled to employ to keep them il
subsection to party whose active ant
resIectable cN poration is a. far dis
tant from them as its promises ar,
from its performance; whilst the Dem
ocratic party, compos d of the whil'
men Of the South, are thei neighbors
landlords and employers. s,asT
4 Mr.. President what is the 90 callet
negro problem? As understand it, i
| is one that cannot he solved by specu
lation or legislation; but it is quea
tion that will be settled by natqr
herself, if her laws are not interfere,
With BY the folly aud passion of men
i Nature will solve it - she does vast.
| deetfuction aud all incongruities.
may be thus stated: Given q hiRl
spirited. liberty loving, cultivated an,
dominating race. occupying . fire.
state of their own establishment, un
der institutions of their own creation
I full Of activity, energy and progress
with them, under the same laws, poa
IIssised of absolute legal equality dwell
J m inferior race, manumitted slaves q
. | recently barbaric origin, with no rae
traditions, with no history of progresl
but lately invested with these nnac