Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-01-30
The RACE QUESTION.
Extracts from the Speech Of Senator
ingalls, on the Democratic Negro
Expectation Bill.


rica. being under consideration in the
Senate, Senator ingalls,, of Kansas, ad
, dressed the Senate. The following art
extracts from his speech:
On the threshold of our second centu
~. he said, we are confronted with the
most formidable and portentiouS prob
!. lem ever submitted to a free people fol
solution complex, unprecedented-in-
vOlving social, moral and political con-
siderations, party supremacy, and, in the
estimation of many Though not in my
own. the existence of our system OF
government. Its solution will demand
all the resources and craftsmanship OF
1.-The present and the future, to prevent a
}crisis that may become a catastrophe. II
; should be approached with eandor, with
solemnity, with patriotic purpose, with
fearless scrunity, without subterfuge and
without reserve.
Let me state it in the language of one
of the most brilliant, the most impas-
stoned and powerful of all orators of the
SSouth-now unfortunately no more
when Henry w. Grady died, a luminous
meteor disappeared from the Southern
armament
Mr.. Ingalls, thereupon sent to the
Clerks deck and had read an extract
from Mr.. Grady's Grafton before the
Boston Chamber of Commerce, and then
went on to say:
Let me state the arithmetic of this
problem. In 1860 there were in the
United States 4, 100000 negroes slaves
and free. In 1870 there were 4, 4,480,000;
in 1880, 6,6S0,000-an increase Il say IN
passing) can only be accounted for on
the principle of premeditated and inten-
tional fraud on the census. At the Gloss
of the century probably there will not
be less than 15,000,000 of the black and
colored race on this continent.
The problem is still further complica-
ted by the fact that they are grega-
rious. They instinctively separate them
selves into their own habits, their GUS
toms, their own methods of life. They
worship separately. They are taught
separately The line of cleavage between
whites and blacks is becoming constant
" more distinct and perceptible. There
| ID uGltlltl duidlS SdludOlOu, uOl dooOI p'iOh,
nor assimilation. Politically they are
affiliated with the victors in the late civ
il war. Socially and by locality and
residence they are associated with the
vanquished. Will the experiment that
has failed elsewhere succeed here? Can
the black race exist as citizens of the
United States on terms of political equal
ity with the Caucasian race? And if
not, why not?
| Fred Douglass, the most illuStriOuS
living representative of the negro race,
greater, | think, by his Caucasian rein
forcement than by his African bloOd),
once said to me that he thought, as pref
udice and social and political antagon
ism disappeared, the races would blend,
cOaleSce, and become homogeneous. | do
not agree with him. There is no natural
affinity between the races. This solu-
ton of the problem is impossible. The
relations between the sexes in the time
of slavery was compulsory. The hybrid
was the product of white fathe and
black mothers, and never betwet
black fathers and white mothers. And
the inference from that result (ethnO-
graphically is the conclusion of that
question. Such solution, in my judg
ment, would perpetuate the vices of
both races and the virtues of neither.
There is no blood poison so fatal as
adulteration of race.
The colored people (he cOntinued) are
here. They are natives. They are cit
izens. Man for man, they are our
political equals. They came here
involuntarily, as prisoners of war, cap
tured in fight. They are of ancient lin
genuine F. F. VS.. Laughter.
After praising the colored people for
their fidelity to the South during the
war, he said: 1t seems incredible that
gratitude should not have defended and
shielded them from the hideous and in
describable wrongs and crimes of which
they have been for quarter of cent?
~ the guiltless and unresisting victims.
The same impulse which made them
loyal to their masters throughout the
war has made them faithful to their de-
liverers since. Their allegiance to the
party of Lincoln and Grant is persistent
and answering. Their instincts were
voted with their friends.
MIR. ingalls, went on to speak of the
determination of the South to eliminate
the negro from its political and social
history, and quoted evidence on that
point from the Democratic newspapers
and Democratic politicians. He sent to
the Clerks desk and had read extracts
from the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion, just
before the election, seventeen days ago,
in which the interrogation, "WhO cares?
the Bolton boys will he here Monday;
there will be fair election was re-
peated dozen times, the only difference
being the name of the companies to be
there was changed. When the last in
terrogatory was read, Mr.. ingalls, said,
They were all there" amid much laugh
ter. Mr.. Ingalls, then read the state
ment of correspondent that the elect
ion at Jackson was the most outrageous
he had ever seen and that the town had
been taken possession of by "toughs,
with Winchester rifles and held
throughout the day. In this extract it
was said that senator Georges son was
one of the rifemen.
Resuming, Mr.. ingalls, said: The pre-
texts for this condition of things have
been many, but all rest upon the inferi
ority of the African race, upon the fear
of negro supremacy. confess with hu-
initiation that to this notification of the
constitution, to the breach of plighted
faith, this violation of the natural rights
of man, the people of the North have
apparently consented. Practically Q
say it with shame and remorse) the ne
groes have been abandoned to their fate.
There are undoubtedly some thoughtful
men in the South who apprehend com
ing events, and would willingly relin-
quish the right to representation if the
States could be permitted to impose the
race condition upon suffrage. But this
is impossible. 1t would shock the sense
of mankind. The gods cannot recall
I