The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-14
The Colored People.

TIE Coloreu FeOpies
On another page OF this paper we present
che views Of many representative colored
men In both the North and the South as to
che present condition and future prospects
Of their race In this country.
A. whole their feeling lie not hopeful.
After moro than twenty-five years OF free
dom the color limo Is still drawn sharply.
Socially they are no less n people apart
from the rest Of the community than they
wore in the Days Of slavery: and, OF course.
their admission to citizenship has tended
20 mako them more keenly sensitive as to
tho separation. Freedom has proved dis
appointing to them 40 far as concerns their
position relatively to tho whites. Political
liberty hns not brought with 1t social equal
/, ity. and 1t has not molliiied race prejudice.
Hence some OF the colored men whose
,opinions we have obtained are discouraged
"a 70 the future. They do not see how It is
spossiblo for them to get ahead here. and
: they eau discover no hope for their ad-
vancement except in emigration to Africa
Or to soma other country where they will
: b. dominant by reason OF their vast nu-
merical superiority. But the great major
ity OF their representatives are Of very
different opinion. II the colored people
cannot get ahead here. ask these observers.
how can they expect to progress elsewhere !?
II they must endure the competition Of the
whites in the United States. they will be
obliged to meet It no less wherever else
there is chance for prosperity. AS the
Hon. FREDERICK DOUGLASS says. the one
race cannot 60 beyond the reach OF tho
other. Africa itself is no refuge for tho
negro" for 1.-The white man Is there and will
be there increasing in numbers and power"
ia region Of the earth invites negro i'm
migration, it attracts white capital and
enterprise also.
Obviously. therefore. tho negroes will
remain in this country and work out their
race problem here. They are an important
and q valuable part Of the population. and
In the long run they will win all the pros
perity they deserve. Considering tho short
time since their emancipation their ma
terial progress already has really been won
derful. As slaves and the descendants Of
slaves very few OF them. Of course.
Inherited any capacity for thrift and
self-dependence. Consequently rapid nd
vancemept was not to be expected
OF .thonl when suddenly they were
tutOWu VI lucIT own TeeouIceS Only. luey
began quarter Of century ago where the
white racc started ages before. and 1t was
not possible for them to be equal in the
competition. They fell in an inferior place
necessarily. and there they must remain
for long time to come. They must accu-
mulate property and gain the power and
consideration which go with it before they
can rise to the consequence they crave.
They are poor people. and as such they
must suffer the disadvantages inseparable
from poverty. whatever the race it aillcts.
Undoubtedly. too. they are handicapped.
atleast socially, by their race and color
Nature itself has marked them OF as peo-
pie by themselves. and such people always
suffers from race prejudice. Whether its
color be black. white. or yellow. it feels the
discrimination so long as it Is easily dis
tinguishable and separable from tho pre-
vailinG rnce. Some OF the colored men
whose views We give to-day are SO much
impressed by this fact that they would
bleach out the African color by ANAL
gamation, and Obiternte the tistinc-
ton. 1t is possible. it may even be
probable. that ut some remote period Of the
future. thousands OF years hence, such va
r1ations will disappear from the world by
the ad'nixture of the races generally: but
at present that Is merely subject for fan
ciful speculation. So far. the commingling
has not occurred on any large scale,
except as to people between whom
there is no radical difference in color.
Tho Africans remain distinct because
white prejudices compel them to marry
among themselves. In this country ANAL
- ms ~ Ac tHnn roll t.
less frequent than it was under the license
of slavery. Tho colored race is getting
dhrknr raCher than lighter. though DR..
CHARLfs B. PURvIs. the chief physician at
the Freedmens Hospital Mt Washington.
says as tho result Of his observations. that
the race type Is improving under tho
influences Of civilizations: There are
fewer receding craniums and protruding
under jaws and lips; their noses are not SD
dat and their carriage aud gait nre more
decided and digniiied." Yet they do not
get any lighter. and therefore, when he says
that they ought not to be considered or
classed " as colored people. he talks in vain
Being colored 30 Enthusiastically. Of course
thcy caunot escape the distinction.
The only thing for them to do then is to
be sufficient for themselves socially. They
can got along without meeting tho whites
on equal social terms. and they need all
their ambition and all their energy for i'm
proving their own condition. They have
mono to waste In vain ambitions. In
view Of the disadvantages under which
they suffer In competition with the
dominant race. they ought to be tho
more Industrious. honest. trustworthy
and prudent. AS they are SO far behind
hand In the contest. they must work the
harder Already. so far as material comfort
goes. we question whether the negro popl-
lstion OF New York are not as well Off as
the run Of the rest Of the poor.
Tho College Population.
Ali.