The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-01-11


land recruiting the republic from its
sturdy loins, shaking from its over
crowded hivee new swarms of workers
and touching this land with its energy
and its courage. And yet-whlle in
the Eldorado OF which have told you
but Is per cent. of lands are cultivated,
its mines scarcely touched, and its pop
ulation so scant that, were ii equidis-
tant, the sound of the human voice
could not be heard from Virginia to
Texas-whle on the threshold OF nearly
every house in New England stands a
son, seeking with troubled eyes some
new land in which to carry his modest
patrimony. and the homeIy training
that is better than gold-the strange
fact remains that in 1880 the south
had fewer northern born citizens than
she had In 1S70-iewer in 20 than in
go. Why IL this2 Whv is it,, sir,
though the sectional line be now but II
mist that the breath may dispel. fewer
men of the north have crossed il over
to the south than when it was crimson
with the best blood of the rel ublic, or
even when the slave holder stood guard
every inch of its way?
THE HIDDEN KEY.
There can be but one answer. Ii is
the very problem we are now TO con-
slider. The key that opens that prob
lem will unlock to the world the fairesi
half of this republic, and free the halted
feet of thousands whose eyes are
already kindling with its beauty
Better than this, it will open the hearts
of brothers for 80 years estraHged, anC
clasp in lasting comradeshIp u million
hands now withheld in doubt. Moth
ing, sir, but this problem and the sus-
picions it breeds, hinders a cleai
understanding and perfect union
Nothing else stands between us ant
such love 40 bound Georgia and Mas
sachusetts at Valley Forge and York
town. chastened by the sacrifices O
Manassas and Gettysburg, and illum'
ined with the coming OF better worl
and nobler destiny than was eve
wrought with the sword or sought a
the cannon's mouth.
II this does not invite your patien
hearing to- night-hear one thing more
My people, your brothers in the soutl
brothers In blood, in destiny, in al
that Is best In our past and future
are 80 beset with this problem tina
their very existence depends on ii
right solution Nor are they wholly L
blame for its presence. The slaveship
of the republic sailed from your port
the slaves worked in our fields
You will not defend the traffic nor
the institution. But do here declar
that In its wise and humane admins
trstion, i'm lifting the Sslave to th
heights OF which he bad not dreame
r In his savage home, and giving him
happiness he has not yet found in fret
! dom-her fathers lett their sons saw
= Ing aud excellent heritage. In Il
storm oil war this institution was los
> I thank God as heartily as you do III,
, human slavery Is gone forever fro
4. American soil. But the freed ma
= remains, and with him problem wit
{; out precedent or parallel. Note
= appalling conditions. Two utter
J., dissimilar races on the same soil-wi
G equal political and civil rights-aliDo
h equal In numbers, but terribly unequ
= in Intelligence and responsibility-ea'
o pledged against iuslon--one for Gel
tury IN servitude to the other and ire,
. Ut last by desolating war--the expeI
v rnent sought by neither, but approach
O by both with doubt-these are Il
n conditions. Under these, adverse
b every point, we are required TO car
= these two races In peace and hon
{, to the end.
AN UNPARALLELED TASK.
II Never, sir, has such task be
q given TO mortal stewardship. New
Z. before in this republic has the VIII
u race divided on the rights OF an ali
j. race. The red man was cut down Al
- weed, because he hindered the way
r. the American citizen. The yellow III
Y vas shut ont of this republic becau
rs he Is an alien and inferior. The r
u, man was owner of the land-the yellC
II. man highly civilized and assimilsble
at but they hindered both sections a
D. are gonel But the black man, cloth
IN with every privilege OF governme
a affecting but one section, is pinned
We The soil, and my people commanded
al make good at any hazard, and at q
lei cost, his full and equal heirshlp
n American privilege and prosperity.
nd matters not that every other race
NJ been routed or excluded, with
of rhyme or reason. 1t matters not /
wherever the whites and blacks h,
ne touched, In any era or cline, there
he been irreconcilable violence. Ii IN
nd tore not that no two races howe
3 ! similar have ever lived anywhere
| any time, on the same soil with CO
IL rights In peace! In spite of Ii
ily things we are commanded TO IN
lai good this change of American po
,ch which has not, perhaps, changed An
ice icsn prejudico-to make certain
w. what has elsewhere been impOss
by between whites and blacks-and
by reverse, under the very worst col
of tions, the universal verdict of rs
me history. Aud driven, sir, to the
the perhuman task with an impatit
nv that brooks no delay-a rigor that
of cepts no excuse-Rnd a suspicion
of discoursges trsnkness and since
22 We do not shrink from this trial.
re- ia so interviewer with our indus
ave fabric that we cannot disentaDgle
,ast we would-so bound up in our |
one orable obligation to the world, that
ZEN. would not II we could. Can we s
the it? The God who gave 1t into
ity. hands, He alone eau know. But
roic the weakest and wisest of us do KIN
.lbc we can not solve II with less than
tolerant and patient sympathy
less than the knowledge that the b
that runs in your veins is our bio
eP- and that, when we have done our
'hoe whether the issue be lost or won
'noo shall feel your strong arms abou
o"' anu hear the beating of your appro
hearts.
ot The resOlute, clear-headed, br
ave- minded men of the sOuth-the
zen. whose genius made glorious G
'pei page OF the first 20 years of Ame
rove history-whose courage and fort
ia" you tested in five years OF the fie
'"e' war-whose energy has made
tens without straw and spread sple
.he amid the ashes OF their war WI
'ueu homes-these men wear this pro
oVei in their hearts and their brains by
anu and by night. They realize as
'he cannot, what this problem meS
Dreu what they owe to this kindly ano
Vas' pendent race-the measure of
'lihe debt to the world In whose de
sea they defended and maintained sla
III And though their feet are hindert
'"a' its underground. and their march
'h'" bered with it's burdens, they havi
su- nathan tho nstience from w hich q
pply cIearness nor the faith from y
ured cnn,.s corrave Nor air when i,
sinst sinnsI, ,nomcnts ia discIosod to
long ,h., vsvme and awful shadow wi
stem Inr;d o6y.ses aud ito crimson -
hu- Into which / nrav God ,bev u,,v
,ilal, go are ibev sirurk with more of a
lpesl hension than is needed 10 con
wine their consecra,iouI
and
bleak THE RACE PROBLEM.