Huntsville gazette. [volume] (Huntsville, Ala.) 1879-1894, 1891-08-15
SATURDAY, AUGUST lot 1891
ANOTH:R VIEW.
Senator Bruce Speaks OF the
Progress Of Blacks in the
South.

WAsHINroN, Aug. 12-Ihe star
publishes an interview with ex-Sena
tor Bruce, Of Mississippi. relative to
the movement now on foot to induce
the colored people of the South to
emigrate to Liberia. Mr.. Bruce con-
dennis the movement utterly and
predicts its failure, just as four pre-
vious attempts of the same kind have
failed. He says:
1.-The colored people are not IN
sympathy with it. In fact, Bishop
n NJ. Turner, of the African Meth
odist CT urch, is the only prominent
man in this country who favors the
scheme and believes that the negro
will only reach his highest develop
mant in the Dark Continent. The
Bishop is man of recognized abili-
ty and intelligence. but he has failed
to impress his peculiar views in this
respect upon bis race. The black
race in this country is not African
except in color; in all the elements
of civilized manhood they are Ameri-
can. and there is no more reason why
thew should abandon the land of their
birth and 60 to the Dark Continent
because their forefathers lived there
than that the IIish or German or any
other class of our heterogeneous pop
ul on should return to the Old
World because their forefa hers
lived there.
zone Of the most potent arguments
made by the friends of the move :
ment is that the conditions OF life
are easier in Liberia than in the
United States, that vast sums OF
money can be realized from the ma
hoganv. cotton and other trOpial
products They seem to forget that
-4AA- 70 has today a monopoly OF
producing nearly all the cotton, rice
and sugar of that section If the pro
gress made by the colored people OF
the South since their emancipation
was less satisfactory, the colonial
tons might find some ground upon
which to stand. ] speak of the South
because fifteen sixteenth of the col
ored reside south of Mason and DIX
on's line, and it is in this section that
all efforts are made in this direction.
Bruce quoted facts shown by the
recent census to demonstrate his as
sertion that the advance ment of the
colored race was simply amazing, and
then speaking particularly of the in
dus.rial growth of the race, went on
to say:
''As slaves, expanding their physi-
cal energies under the direction and
tor the benefit of others they prcduc-
ed great volumes of values and con,
tinually upheld the industries of one
entire section of the country As
free men, acting upon their own
judgment and sustained by consider
ations of their own interests, they
are producing greater results than
ever before. The cotton crop of 1890
was the greatest ever produced in
this country. and the crop of 1891
promises to be even larger Any
general and widespread movements
among the popu alton would par
alyze the industries of at least
eight great States of this Union,
and seriously affect the business of
many more. Heretofore we have
contemplated the negro simply as a
field hand, but under the stimulating
influence of education, this state Of
things is rapidly changing, and he is
now pushing himself into every field
of activity, and becoming an artisan,
mechanic, merchant, banker, manu>
facturer, lawyer, doctor, teacher and
preacher