The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-06-06

capacity and reaches this condition,
will the Southern man lay down hi.
prejudices, SO far as TO freely accord
him his civil rights
Both OF these questions ] unhasitat-
ingly answer in the affirmative. As to
the first there can now be no question
as to the ability OF the colored men.
Or. Livingstone, the famous explorer,
stated that he nowhere found any evil
dence that the African belonged TO
different species from the rest OF the
human race. In the second place, the
colored man is witty, and wit is every.
where recognized as a characteristic Of
brain power.
Il Third-He is in the midst Of the
highest civilization and culture and has
only to lit himself to the level OF his
environments, while the Anglo-Saxon
race was compelled to lift itself TO hith-
erto unknown attitudes.
Fourth-The best and the unanswer-
able argument consists OF the achieve
ments already accomplished. The col
ored people have demonstrated that
they have capacity for the highest
scholarship and the most honorable
and responsible positions in civilized
life They are eager for the knowledge
II the books, and as an actual fact IL
Ifliteracy among them is decreasing more
rapidly than among the white people OF
all sections.
Fifth-The fact that they are citizens
gives them powerful stimulus to Gull
sixth-They have also an esprit de
corps, that through newspapers con-
Quoted by themselves and through the
ministry OF all denominations, through
their orators and in the fibre Of their
conversation, stimulates wonderfully
their application to books and their
appropriation OF educational advarl-
,tages.
seyenth-They have made themselves
indispensable to the south in all cali
ings. They are becoming property
owners; having started with nothing
thirty years ago, they have supported
themselves and acquired two hundred
million dollars worth OF property. The
plantation formerly owned by Jefferson
Davis is said to now belong to two en-
terprising colored men.
|ibHighth-The South comedies the ca
pacity OF the negroes.
As to the second question / argue
that the South-will concede the South
erp man his rights, just as soon as he Is
prepared TO assume citizenship. First,
because OF the innate fairness in hu-
manity; second, because the South is
doing nobly in the work OF educating
the colored people. 1t is spending
about twenty-five millions Of dollars on
the public school systems OF the sew.
oral Southern states, q large portion OF
which is devoted to the education Of
the colored children. Third: Public
sentiment in the South is changing
very rapidly, and our Anglo-saxon
brothers are demonstrating their ca
paelty for education as rapidly as our
African brothers. Fifth: The South
ern people have more kindly personal
feeling for the negro than have the
Northern people.
Before this state Of affairs, which by
manyminds is still regarded as Utopian,
can. be reached, much patient, faithful
labor must be performed. Much has
been accomplished, but very much re-
mains to be done. This IL the most in
viting field for the efforts Of Christian
philanthropists, patriots and statesmen:
AS for the illiterate white people OF
the south, their condition is, fear,
more hopeless than that OF the colored
people. They are inaccessible. have a
pride Of race, and no advocate from
their ranks appealing for sympathy and
help, as do the representatives OF the
other race. The only solution Of this
problem is to educate and elevate these
masses Of illiterate, superstitious peo-
pie of both classes. Until this can be
done, unless there can be constitu-
tional amendment, providing for an
educational qualification for the fran
chise, and representation in congress,
baSediupon the count OF the voters thus
cohstituted, the state of affairs in the
South, deplorable as it is, should be
permitted to continue, until, in the
language OF Henry Watterson, time
and that Providence who doeth all
things we'll, shall work the necessary
remedy.
DR.. Riker then showed what the
Methodist church was doing in the
South, through its Freedmen's Aid and
Southern Education society, supporting
as it does forty-four educational insti.
ltutiops of various grades. from prepare.
tory to classical and post graduate
courses. Other churches are doing like
work. de further stated that if he
were not member Of the church, and
cared. nothing about the church, from
rmotives Of humanity and patriotism,
5hes would contribute to support the
work the churches are doing in the
solution Of this great problem in the
sunny South.
so.,e. Union pIStrict Republicans.