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

punished to day. 1t Was but yester-
day that we were told in this Senate
Chamber the story Of how q great
criminal in behalf of the Republican
party had been shielded from justice
by the connivance of his party friends,
for the offense of debauching and at
tempting to debauch the purity of the
ballot box. He is yet at large and de-
fiant. The condition of the Southern
people with regard to crime is ample
proof If this. In criminal statistics
we do not fear to compare records
With any pc pie. In the category Of
personal violence admit that some Of
our communities are open to severe
criticism; but I contend that the re
cords will show that in the more
odious, baser, and less manly crimes
many of the Northern States are as
far ahead of anything known in the
South.
Be that as it m,y, however, the ne
gro question has again come forward
to vex the people Of the South, and
has to be met. Whether or not they
are treated with injustice xnd oppres-
sion, it does not matter to those men
or that party who expect to profit by
the agitation; nor does it matter wheth-
er the veal of the negro or the public
generally is to be advanced thereby;
that is not their object.
The real motive is that some men
may have horse to ride who would
otherwise perhaps have to walk. The
negro and his wrongs u rights will
never be quiet 90 long a. there is .
white man to ride him. 1t has often
been asserted that q superior and an
inferior race which win not amalga.
mate can not live together under the
same government with equal rights and
laws. This may or may not be true.
1t is natural to suppose, if they can
not agree, that the stronger will have
its way and dominate the weaker; but
there is one proposition, Mr.. President,
of which you may rest rssufed, there
is no kind Of doubt; the stronger will
never submit to the domination Of the
weaker. This might - we'll be set
down as res dJudicata.
There Is another fact that may be
noted now in connection with it. The
Senator from Kansas let fall an ex
preston which regretted exceeding
Iy to hear. Prefacing his utterance
that he had never known a people to
endure such wrongs without revolu-
ton and blood, he said:
"The South. Mr. President, 10 stand
ing upon a volcano, the South is sit
ting upon a safety-valve. They are
breeding innumerable John Browns
and Nat Turner's. Already mutter-
-ings of discomfort by hostile crganiza-
ti,ns are heard. The use of the torch
and the dagger is advised"
This is reasonably construed as an
incitation to the work of murder and
arson, and although he says that he
"deplores it," yet as the excuse and
justification for such course irnme-
diately follows, it is open to the con-
struction that it is an indirect invita-
tiun to these people to lay our homes
in ashes while we sleep, and murder
unsuspecting people.
| The supposition that they are capa
bic of such atrocities, it seems to me,
is proof positive of their incapacity for
civilized government, and the extra
ordinary idea of justice and humanity
of him who suggests it. Heesurely
does not know anything cf the infam.
mable nature of the negro in the South
or he would not have ventured on the
expres sion of such q threat. He futh
ermore told Us in this connection thai
in case such q calamity came upon
the Southern people as q servile war
attended with whatever horrors il
might be waged, We need look for nc
help from the people Of our blood il
the North; that We must ::'tread the
wine press alone.
If he speaks truly in this, he passe'
the blnckest and vilest judgment up
on his own people that ever politician
dared utter.
But, Mr.. President, do not believs
one word of it. As the negro race tha
was born and reared among ~ die
not rise up to do US harm in the houi
of our EXTREMIST adversity, even fol
, the great boon Of liberty and amids
the most tempting indictments, bu
} continued faithful to their masters and
their families even within hearing d
the guns that were rearing to set then
free, 20 / do not believe that they CO
be thus incited to attempt il now.
They have morc of state aud sec
tional pride and of neighborly affec
tion for the people among whom the,
live than the Senator is willing 4
give them credit for. Nor do I bsIiev'
that what he has said about the feel
ing Of the North 10 true; on the con
, trary, believe a. firmly % 1 believ
in the gallaDtry, the courage, and al
3 of the noble qualities Of the great rae
to which belong. that hundreds o
thousands of stout hearts would com
/; to our assistance on the wings If steam
, preceded By the messenger Of light
ming. should We unhappify ever nee
/, such help. 2
It might be that they would mcetl
t be composed Of what he calls th
"oowardly aud degraded elements-
the same elements that fllled your u
9 mics for the defense Of the Union an,
which filltd the ranks of the defender
: Of the Constitution when the Union ~
l r..