New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-10
THE BLACK BELT.
A STUDY OF THE EX-SLAvE.,

London Times" The author was sent out by tha'
journal as a special correspondent to investigate
the negro problem at the South. His WORK has
been done with praiseworthy candor and Impair
TALLY upon the whole. He has looked al oovn
sides, and has evidently taken pains TO arrive a.
the truth No prepossessions are apparent III LIS
representations. His object has been 10 geU a' 'ne
actual situation and in pursuit OF THIS emu lac "'
Intercepted the best authorities, North ana oouOn
accessible to him. In so complex question: ~ 10
Of course possible to reach more than one cohciu-
sion. A plausible showing may DC inaoe iO'
theories which are in themselves quite nr.0
cilable The general view formed by MI Olo"e'
is indeed not original in the main III Is W OH.
effect that the problem Of the future OF Vne
race at the South is not tending toward d o""'-
factory solution, but is becoming more reir"oVoi9
and threatening continually; that such eApti'" ny
rs has been had warrants the belief that Une
ern whites will never permit the negro 10 enyOs
the franchise or any degree OF social equai'S
in fact a race antagonism has peeh ue'e"P7
ever since the abolition of slavery; thaO 'no iel'
t;ons between the races are becoming more anu
more strained that crimes ana ABUSES arc 0HO' :.
;nr,, trsoucnt on both sides that the advance OF
the negro toward material prosperity n%' ooid
discoumeingly slow; that the same may De Sai,'
- - 10Th in intelligence; that the North
n
shares with the South that face prejudice winch
,ordors assimilation an idle dream; and thai tnere
;s M ground for thinking that these conaluons
will change for the better. $500
All these conclusions are supported by eViuen0e
81 the kind with which every careful reauer VI Oi0
revsnaners is familiar. Much II not moso Vi oi'
o,,;dence is taken from newspapers, In fact' ME
Cloves concludes that the existing sltuauon 10
,,arv had and that Il can only proceed 10 WoIse ;
and he Gets himself to find possible remedy 'oi
il. Such a remedy, he holds, canhoo NC sOuenO
in any adjustment of the present reia'io"e
tween the two races There is no nope thsC TIC
Southern whites will at any time yleIu Ju'0
share in the government to the cOiorcu 'V'eio,
nor would the state Of the case be lnpro'eu II
they did. as the history Of the ReconsuucVion
neriod shows The social ostracism OF the coloreu
race aQain. is as much a Northern as southern
tenet and it's persistence seems to de1y all eioI 70
az modification The methods employed DS 'Cue
Southern whites TO maintain their supremacy are
90 brutal, lawless and outrageous thaO tneS
necessarily rouse feelings of hatred and revenge III
the victims Hence a steady exacerbatlon OF tile
deep-rooted color-p prejudice and consequent uIilO
toward some great catastrophe the nature Of WHICH
is suggested by the facts. From such general
situation there can be, Mr.. Cloves thinks, but
ono way Oh TtlltI. anu tileVV ID ~ WV
the chief disturbing agency; the removal OF une
negro altogether, in short.
1t is not the first time that this plan has been
orc.posed. and probably it will not be the last.
It is not to be supposed that Mr. Cloves is in favor
of killing of the colored people-though that
method also has BEEN suggested. What he con-
tends is that if the problem is let alone, and the
prevailing conditions and influences are allowed
TO continue indefinitely. time will come when all
compromises and shifts must break down, and
when recourse must be had to the final arbitra-
ment of the sword as in the case of slavery. 10
avoid this is the duty of the American people, but
there is only one way Of avoiding it, and that Is
by removing the negro from the country. SUCH
removal, however, is clearly conditioned. In the
first place, it must be voluntary. In the second
place il must be assisted. In the third place, 1t
must involve no loss injury TO the emgrants, but
on the contrary must give them assurance OF
greater prosperity elsewhere. The region naturally
pointed out as the goal of the migration, Mr..
Cloves thinks, is the Congo Free State But it
is essential that there shall be no further expert
ments in negro self-govemment. The experiences
of Liberia and Hayti have settled that question.
The negro must be governed in order to do the
best for himself. Any other plan will result in
simple Anarchy AS to the expense of the exodus
it would have to be borne-or at least the bulk
of it-by the country; and it would cost great
deal But whatever it cost would only be a
partial repayment of the immense debt which the
United States owes to the negro; debt scarcely
any fraction of which has thus far been discharged
practical difficulties in the way of this plan and
some of them are fully recognized by the author
To gain the consent of the whole colored people OF
the South would be scarcely possible. nor would il
be necessary If few thousand were persuaded
10 try the experiment. and if their success were
such as to warrant enthusiastic reports of the
country-or rather of the return to the old county
no doubt a great emigration TO Africa might soor
be established But that first step it is that al
ways costs so much and many obstacles have u
be sumounted. If the pioneers found themselves
at war with the natives surrounding the Congo
Free State; If it appears that they have cease(
to share the immunity of the aboriginal Africans
from the climatic dangers which assail white mel
on the Dark Continent; if they were homesict
and dispirited by the measureless forests of tha
strange land; we may be certain that the desir
to follow them would soon die out and that tn
problem would confront with added compiled
TONS 1t is scarcely doubtful that the settlement
the Congo Free State by Southern negroes would
were il practicable, come nearer than any methot
yet suggested to solving the problem of Contra
Africa. But TO get such movement started i
exceedingly difficult and the securing of th
necessary means from the National Treasury woul,
not be one of the least of the difficulties to be en-
countered. Mr.. Cloves thinks it possible TO SHOW
that the plan would be worth carrying out as
poetical measure. and he essays the demonstration
but the American politician is canny and caution
and hard 20 convince when the question is Of de
porting available voters.
If everything in Mr.. Clowes's report of tn
situation had to be taken at the foot of the let
ter" no doubt the gravity of the case would urg
the warmest friends of the colored race TO approx
some scheme of emigration, as the sole alternatlv
with something very much worse. But there j
good deal to be said and experienced before tn
American people generally will he ready to agre
that things really so bad, and the demand for