Evening journal., 1891-12-21
Tne NEGRO PROBLEM.
Professor James Bryce Gays That Event
Rave Proved That the Republican
Erred.

Professor Sames Bryce Gays That Event
Rave Proved That the Republican
Erred.
The opinion of no foreigner upon al
American political question could b
more friendly aud Intelligent than tha
Of James Bryce, 10 whom we owe til
American Commonwealth. He Is s.
heartily In sympathy with the trues
American spirit and tendency and is s.
familiar with our political system an,
the movement Of American public opin
/ ion. that bis Views cannot fail OF de
elded Influence Many readers Of Re
publican political sympbtbies, we ar
sure. Will agree With us that there ha
been no more thoughtful and wise treat
ment Of the negro problsm in this coun
try than Mr.. Bryce's recent article iii thi
North American Review. sae states tn.
familiar situation aud the gravity Of tn,
que ition with entire cnndor, and he ii
naturally tree from the unconscious bent
Of party prediction.
After stating fairly the alleged party
purpose Ia the Force bill, Mr. Bryce says
tUndar the Constitution the negro has
the suffrage. He is-this nobody denies
lin many districts practically excluded
from the enjoyment Of 1t. Two couraes
are open. II the law cannot be enforced
it ought to be repealed. If &c cannot BE-
repealed. II ought to be enforced Nc
one snpposes it can be repealed. Those,
there FORE who advocate its enforcement
BY that very authority which made il
have a weighty prima facie case. What
ever may be their secret motives. they
come forward as the protectors and vindi.
Gators Of Law, u orderly government, OF
Democratic principles.
He mentions the constitutional OBJ
iec ion, bnt he thinks that most lawyers
would hold that the letter of the Consti-
tuition covers the proposed legislation.
But the practical obi sctions, he thinks
are OF the greatest weight Having
described che actual social separation be-
tHesn the races which exists everywhere
and OF which George T. Downing a
eolored man, recently spoke Ia these
columns with the utmost feeling-ana
after 3 survey Of tho whole field, which no
Democrat or Republican would condemn
ss unjust or unreasonable. Mr.. Bryce
proceeds to his conclusion:
Assuming as one may safely assume,
that neither the commlxture of the two
recess nor the elimination OF the negro by
removal to Africa can be carried out. the
question remains whether the Federal
power must intervene or whether 10 will
DO better to let things take their natural
course lt is from no blindness to the
evils OF the situation as 1t stands, nor
from any want of sympathy with the
negro, that | conceive the latter policy to
be the safer one The maxim that the
physician who doubts whether to ad-
minister drug or not had better refrsin.
is applicable to legislative interference.
Where the reasons for and against such
Interference are nearly balanced, where
success, though possible, is quite uucer.
tain. non-interference is TO be preferred,
because in politics, as IN the human body.
there is tendency similar to shat which
nsed to be called the Wis medic trix nat
uf@- Things find their level and read
just themselves according to their natural
and the balance of actual
forces, not, perhaps. In the best way but
IN way which has elements OF stability.
The reconstructors after the war disre
garded ihe balance Of local forces thew
found 10 the South, too readily believing
that Federal law would prevail against
the purposes or passions Of the whites
Events have proved that they erred: ana
another error Of the same kind might
turn out as M"
This Is precisely the ground Of the In.
telligent and wholly bipartisan opposi
tion IN this country to the Force bill 1t
ls really an effort to accomplish by law
what law cannot accomplish, and it is in
the Interest Of the colored race, OF the
white race, Of respect for law, and re
gard for the true welfare OF the Union
that the Force bill Is opposed as futile
legislation. Should it appear again for
no better comment upon IL
could be presented to the country than
Waaklv