New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-07
THE OLD AND THE NEW SOUTH.
THE NEGRO QUESTION AGAIN.

TIE OLD sOt'TH. ESSAYS SOCIAL AND PoLITI
CAL. BY Thomas Nelson Page l"mo. pp 344
Charles Scribners SOns.1
These essays the Old South. by a Southerner. are
intended 10 clear what the author declares to lie
misrepresentation but his efforts somewhat inter
Nred with by the too exhibition Of Views and theo
res TO Southern politics before the war when can
I'm way be accepted as sound north q Mason and
DixOns line. Mr. Pages pictures Of domestic ana Social
life at the old South doubt charming. The
patarcha system Of the better class OF plantations
lends itself 10 highly picturesque and attractive descrp
ton. Eut though the author frankly admits th'
slavery fearful evil and that IT proved the run
Of the old South he Is not prepared to coneede th' tc
lot Of the saves other than happy nav he boioy
asserts that so far ms the negro concerned slavery
was blessing and that II gave him what Mr. Page is
pleased 10 denoInate "a civilization" OF course this
term Is often employed loosely, but IT. I'm this in
stance is nothing less than grotesque what knd OF
civilization can be evolved from system which CON
verts human beings into property which degrades them
TO the level OF cattle which deprvcS them Of all OPP
porunitlee Of intellectual development which puts
family life under the which places them In every
phase and relation of life absolutely at the mercy OF
men Of another who maybe treat them well. but
who also may make their existence miserable
Mr.. Page has shown the old plantation life at its
tstl There are Legrees in his optimistic sketches
Everything Is aristocntic placid. and Kindly.
And II NAV BE- freely admitted that there such
life at the South and that when they found good
masters the negroes being light hearted, were com
Portable and contented. But-what Mr.. Page seems
TO forget-even in these cases there was never any
security for the continuance Of such hacyon condi.
lions The old planters n rule were needless ana
an extravagant people. They gambled on cards and
horseraces. They quite commonly lived beyond Their
Income The Inevitable results OF these habits
occurred Not seldom did bankruptcy bring their
LOspitable to end ana then what was the
condition OF their saves1 Tie poor creatures we're
I. thn hnnp
vanished In day. Families broken up. Parents
saw their children sold far away from them and they
were separated themselves This grevous late more
over continually hung over them when their mne'
diate conditions Of the best The crash was
always possible and when 1t came 1t blasted their
lives.
That they were faithful and grateful for kind treat
nent under such circumstances speaks much for their
potience and their inherent goodness OF heart. tut
little for their masters. They who enSlave human
beings cannot take credit to themselves because they
have not added to the first outrage the second Of Ill
treatment. Mr. Pages logic however Is often pecu-
liar. Tins he to think that because the North
tn the beginnings Of the Republic was equally guilty
with the South IN accepting slavery. therefore ue
south was Justified in extending and systematizng
the peculiar institution Nor does it help his ease
to show that England the first 20 establish the
slaveArade. For both England and the North came
TO see the error of their ways-but the south did
not Mr. Page insists that Southern politics before
The wor was strictly defensive and that all the
aggression the part OF the North Truly tAis
is new reading OF history In another part OF this
volume the author laments that the history OF the
South has not yet been written but II II Is to be
written from such point of view sober-minded people
Will be apt TO conclude that little has been lost by
the failure to do the work hitherto.
One Of the longest papers in the book Is devOtcd ID
the negro question. and In his handling OF this dlhcut
subject Mr. Page certainly shows himself u oe Il
true scion OF the old South. For he takes thoroughly
planter-Mkc view of the question. In his opinion
tile negroes an inferior race, Incapable OF CIVIL
Eation; and one proof of this is that two centuries OF
enslavement failed TO civilize them, while quarter
OF century of freedom has not suiced TO pat the'h
ON level with the white men who have en,oyeu
civil and political liberty Il thousand years. IL IS 10
him conclusive proof OF their infeTionty thht III
years they have not produced any great
men no artists, writer's or inventors, or s'a"s
men for example. Surely tbs Is narrow way OF
looking at the situation. Did Mr.. Page ever consuef
how long il took his and our own ancestors 10 aaiu
20 such civilization as We now possess IL = 10.
very surprising that this time consideration shouid
have teen given less weight than II Is enuued TO-
Tor even Northern writers have often fallen into the
same error But take the OF white race when
has gone through a parallel experience III many
respects to that Southern freedmen the Russian
serfs were emandpated in 1894 little earlier ah he
negroes Of the South. Now what have the Russian
They have produced fruits of civilization than
have the negroes Nay, they have done far less than
the latter; for the negroes have considerable cap'a
have earned and saved three score millions oil doiafs
have bought paid for large tracts Of hand ana nave
for the most part showed their ability 10 support
themselves.
What have the Russian mouths saved' Where arc
their deposits of roubles What signs Of progress have
they exhibited The answer must be that none are
apparent but who ventures TO assert That the heia
are an inferior race? Can say how many ages
were required for the evolution Of man: or Tor the
passage from savagsm TO barbarism? We know that
many centuries needed for the advance from bar
barfsm TO what we call civilization. and we also
know how partial and imperfect that civilization Is.
Yet we are asked TO form conclusions upon the inft'
rioty OF the negro after cxper Of tweDVseveh
years, and upon this snapiudgmcnt Mr.. Page bases an
argument to the effect that white domination at the
South IS necessity. Let II be rcmemDered that
Progress like Mature does not advance By leaps and
bounds Even iH civilized societies all such REFORMS
require much time for development 1t took fifty
years TO evolve In the Northern states Of this Union
the spirit and sentiment which led TO The abolition Of
slavery Even In the most enlightened and progressive
communities how long and severe are the struggles
necessary to the removal Of hOsry abuses. How many
years we're required to secure the abolition OF mprison
ment for debt How. the south has the barbaIOns
"code resisted all civiAzing infuenccs When there
FORE forward movements difficult In civilized
kodeties how can Ii he nationally expected that
but Just emerged from two hundred years of slavery
should exhibit equal energy and adaptability with
people who have had such dwarlns and paraly zng
influence 70 contend against
No, Mr. Page. Your argument OH the supposititious
race inferory Of the negro unsound and IT will not
serve 10 Justify the pctence that the southern whites
must necessarily dominate the region politically
II they have to wres the colorcd voter his polu
cal rights. The negro question can DO settled in no
such way. II Will have 10 be settled the basis Of
tho Constitution. and that equal rights at the
ballot box and elsewhere