Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27
RACE IN CONGRESS.
Ex-Chief Clerk Lloyd Tells How the
First Negroes We're Received.
ROBERT BROWN ELLIOT'S0RATORY.
The First State to Rebel Had the First
Black Representative.
CHANGES IN SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS
WRITTEN FOB THE p1sPATcH.1

both sexes seated on the iron settees in the
East Park in the quiet enjoyment of the
day; their faces beaming with evident salts
faction over the situation. There was an
old negro man whose head was whitened
DER with the frosts of many years, with his
hands resting on the top of the picket fence,
which then surrounded the park, and his
chin resting on his hands, and indulging in
an audible soliloquy. Curious to know
what was the subject of his meditations, 1
approached cautiously behind him and
heard him murmur: "Good Lawd, how
times is changed"
"What is the matter with the times?" I
inquired.
| "Why," said he, 'T kin remember when
dey wouldn't let no culled pussons go into
dat yard, and now dem cheers is all full of
| en-"
The times had indeed changed. From the
auction block, on which in the very shadow
of the Capitol of nation based upon the
| doctrine, as its fundamental principle, of
the equality of all men, but which, in ap-
| parent insensibility to the strange inconsis-
tency, doomed race to perpetual servitude,
to the Legislative halls of the same nation,
nails of mankind had perhaps never re-
| corded.
THE BLACK RACE IN CONGRESS-.
It was but few years before that the
nation, by the lips of the Chief Justice, had
declared that there were slave races, and
| already, as if in mockery of the declaration,
Summers wish, expressed on the floor of
the Senate, that he might live to see repre-
fafi of Tel hrfI,
Halls of Congress, had been realized, so
far as the one branch was concerned, and if
he had lived about a year longer would
have been fully realized by the admission of
one of them to the Senate.
The appearance of the colOred members in
the House of course created a good deal of
a sensation and caused some of the old moss
backs doubtless to shiver with apprehension;
as did the Ephesian worshipers of Diana
nearly 1000 years before, lest the world
should be turned upside down. But the
earth continued to revolve on its axis as be-
fore, and the seasons to come and go as was
their wont. All the same it was novel
sight-a negro in Congress! Not altogether
agreeable, even to some at least of the Rep
resentatives from the Northern States, at
time when the white citizens of the Quaker
City had not yet conquered the bad habit of
throwing street car off the track if o re-
spectacle colored woman was allowed to ride
in it. The race prejudice is difficult if not
impossible wholly to eradicate, whether it
be natural or acquired, as the small progress
made in this direction since the emancipa-
tion of the negro abundantly proves. The
problem has not yet been solved, and he
will be wise man who can find its proper
solution.
THE THEORY AND THE PRACTICE
Of course it is easy to settle it on abstract
theory. There was no difficulty about the
theory as regards the government, but it
was grossly disregarded in practice during
the first three-quarters of century of our
organized existence, and it was only on the
occasion of which 1 write that the nation
was made for the first time absolutely true
to the declared purpose of its origin and the
gross inconsistency that had Heretofore
marred the symmetry of our political system
forever abrogated. The theory was well
stated by Fred Douglass in speech some
years ago, in which he said: 'People are
everlastingly asking what is to be done
with the negro. I answer simply nothing.
Just let him alone. If you find him on the
way to school let him alone. If you find
him on his way to church let him alone If
you find him advancing on the high way of
progress let him alone. If you find me on
my way to Congress let me alone. 1 guess
il can stand Congress, Congress can stand |
me- Let the negro alone to work out his |
own destiny, whether he goes up or goes |
down, Gods will is done.
This seems to be correct view of the |
matter, and yet somehow it doesn't work so |
smoothly as we could wish. There is still |
the repugnance on the part of the white |
race to the social equality which is q con-
comitant of civil and political equality, and |
i- io ip
tions. The repugnance to riding in public |
conveyance with a negro does not prevent |
riding in pretty close proximity to him in a
carriage of which he is the driver. The re-
pugnance to having q negro woman in our
company does not obtain when she Is the |
nurse of our children.
MARRIAGE OF THE RACES.
Very recently in this city there was q
case of young white man of excellent
character and good family falling desper-
ately in love with young quadroon girl in
the Census Office, who was regarded as one
of the most beautiful girls in Washington;
indeed so attractive was she that the young J
men, as perhaps even some of the old bald
heads, gathered in rows along the sidewalk
to drink in her loveliness as she passed to
and fro from the Office. The young mans
parents were, of course, shocked at the idea
|
against it, pointing out to him
that his family would never admit his wife
into their circle; that he would be debarred
from society, and that she would be dead
weight to him all his life. But
love laughs prudence to scorn. He
married her and emigrated to one of
he new States of the Far West in the hope |
hat they might live there free from social
,stracism, which they can only do just so
ong as the African taint in her blood re-
mains undiscovered. Recognizing this
it was in his pre-nuptial plan,
f it should occur, to remove from the West
o France, where there is no such preiu- J
ice.
There is one point at which Fred Doug /
ass theory breaks down. Although a
rhite man may occasionally become so in .
as in the instance Just mentioned,
he time has not arrived, and it is doubtful
it ever will, when refined white man s
ill voluntarily give hisassent to his daugh- /
er's marrying black man, no matter how ]
cultivated ard refined he may be. At this
oint nature seems to rebel, and evinces 6
hat in such case at least "blOod is stronger s
nan water. {
THE POLITICAL DIFFICULTY
Politically the only serious race trouble
emaining is in those States in which =
ne negroes constitute an actual majority of
ne population, and are entitled bv the ;
principles of our Government
, hold the offices both State and national, =
nd run the Government machinery, and
lis trouble grows out of the born conyic-
on on the part of the white race that it
ever was intended that negro should