The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-06-20
Longstreet on the Race Issue.

Longstreet on the Race Issue
General Longstreet is known as the
one Of Lse's chief lieutenants who b.
came a pronounced Republican soon
after the war, and has since then uni
formily acted with that party. He was
appointed Naval Off ser OF New o ilelns
by President Grant iu 1869 aud was
United States MARSHAL in Georgia un-
der two Republican Presidents. He
attended the recent ceremonies of uu-
yelling the Richmond statute of General
Lee, and there interviewed on the poll
tical situation in the South by CORES
pondent of the st. Louis Globe Demo
crat, the leading Republican organ
west of the Mississippi Speaking of
the negro in the S)uth, Gsneral Long
street said:
He is getting along quite well, and
would do much better if it was not for
the politicians, 1t does not follow
that because a man is black that he is
Republican. A negro is like most
any other man, he will vote to the a1-
vancement of his own interests. He
will vote against negro who has gone
to the front simply as a politician in
favor of a respectable Southerau white
man any time. He will vote for a
Southern white msu that he knows
ag ,inst politician from the North
every tims. Schools are working out
the problem of the colored man in the
South. The developm ant of the country
is giving him new avenues of employ
ment. What he is gradually getting
is better wages, and what he need, is
less politics and medileing from politi-
clans.
The statements made by Genera
Longstreet were so sosquarely at variauce
with the declarations of Northerau
agitatois on the race issue that the
correspondent suggested to him that
he "was beginning to talk like Demo
crat," to which the frank old soldier
said-"No, I talk as I always did. like
friend of the South" There can be nc
doubt In the mind of any intelligent
citizen of either section, that Genera
Longstreet presents the race proble EN-
in the South just as it is. He sums III
the whole issue in the single decl ara
ton that "what he the negrol need
is less politics and meddling from poli.i
clans"
The experience of the past yer
| clearly proves that the colored peopl
of the South have no more deadly foe
than the demagogio agitators of tn
North-the men who never allow th
negro of their section to rise above tn
menial Office of spittoon cleaner q
messenger in politics, but who insis
that the colored people shall rule tn
whites of the South whether they vot
or refuse to vote, or whether they vot
Republican or Democratic. The colo
ed people had ten years of carpet-ba
and scallawag rule and ended in utt'
decentralization aud abject povert,
They we're then compelled to go bac
to the whites, who owned the desola
ed lands, to get corn and bacon, an
since then they have never polled
solid vote or anything like solid vo
for the Republican party. All wi
} have acquired property want it protec
, ed, and they uniformity vote again
) a restoration of Republican rule
, their States. They have no trust
such demagogues as Malone, Chi
mers, and it is not surprising that tn
e refuse to follow the disreputable par
Y leaders of that section.
The colored people of the South ha
had tn experience of freedom frc
the disturbance of political demago
! ues under three Administrations. Pre-
dent Hayes let the negro alone, and
: at once began to prosper and to enj
J. his rights. The same policy was &C
}, tinued under President Arthur a
later under President Cleveland, a
l. during those twelve years there W
II political tranquility in the South a
y wonderful industrial progress. NJ
J. the Mahones, the Chalmers, the M
10 ellis of the South are on top and tn
J, only hope of regaining political pow
~ is in riotous race war in the Sou
le they appeal to the ignorance, the CT
u idity and the ambition of the wo
d negro elements and they have succ
u ed TO the extent of dri, ing all reputa
s. white Republicans either from
X party or from all participation in po
ics, and old race antagonisms have b'
~ rekindled solely to give political 5
IN cess to the worst political elements
IS the South. The only people who m
" suffer by this race conflict are
al negroes, but the carpet-bagger and
?, scallawag oare nothing for the ne
ie beyond using him to revive sectio
Ih asperities. As General Longstr
% says, what the Southeran negro m
y, needs sis less politics and meddle
~ from politicians. Give the black n
ap a chance; rescue him from the pc
10 ferrous political adventurer; let
III alonel-Timss.