The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-06-08
EX-SENATOR INGALLS, AND THE
NEGRO,

OF pOlltlCal aCIODatS ana COntOFtlOnlStS,
ex-senator ingalls,, who assumes with
equal facility every side of every ques-
ton, discusses in the New York WoyM
the negro problem with a frankness
that will disgust many of his former
Republican associates and in spirit
that is entirely inconsistent with his
own public record. But consistency
is not one of those jewels which Mr..
Ingalls, covets, and it is not surprising
that having some time ago virtually
pronounced the Republican party a
failure, he should now also declare the
negro failure and suggest his coloni-
zation in Africa. The people Of the
North, he thinks, have made a great
practical mistake in dealing with the
questions to which the emancipation
of the colored race gave rise. Morally,
the policy was right, but from the
standpoint of national expediency it
has proved a great blunder. The
negro's right of suffrage is practically
suppressed in the South, and race
prejudces and antipathies are increas.
ing instead of diminishing in all parts
of the country. He cannot hold his
own in the struggle with the Caucasian.
All that has really been accomplished
for him, Mr.. Ingalls, contends, is the
gift of personal freedom and the right
of domicile. On the other hand, he
is constant source of irritation be-
tween the sections and barrier to ma
tional harmony.
"The South" he says, sis solid'
because Of the negro. The North is
silently sullen because of the negro.
The dead line of the republic divides
the sections as palpably now as in
1861 because of the negro. Demo-
cratic success arouses jealousy and
distrust in the North, as Republican
success excites terror and trepidation
in the South, because of the negro.
Slavery is dead, secession is dead, the
Union is restored: but in sentiment,
in sympathy, in vital national spirit,
we are not blended, assimilated,
homogeneous people. Nationality is
in the North. The South is isolated
because of the negro" Therefore, he
thinks, the negro should 60 back 10
Africa, where, " emancipated from the
traditions of bondage, fiom the habit
of obedience and imitation, from the
knowledge Of its vices, which is the
only instruction of strong race to
weaker, he might develop along his
own axis of growth
Mr.. ingalls, has been lending his
best efforts for many years to the policy
which he now condemns. The net
result of his craftsmanship, according
to his own confession, is disastrous
failure, such failure as suggests to
him the expediency of sending the
negro population out of the country.
Can it be that this suggestion is born
of the fact that Mr.. ingalls, and his
friends can no longer entirely depend
upon the loyalty of the colored voter,
and that they foresee the time when
he will think and act for himself?
While he voted as he was desired great
things were predicted of him, but now
that he is growing FESTIVE under the
political yoke he is a failure and
should be sent back to Africa. The
negro citizen is, Mr.. ingalls, says, the
chief result of the civil war, and there
fore, by his own logic, the war was
failure. But not altogether, if we
| look at it from another standpoint
Many millions of dollars were spent,
many thousands of lives lost and the
negro is no less "serf" than before
the struggle, but we still have our
enormous pension roll to console US.
Mr.. ingalls, and his fellows have had
fat government pickings for many
years, and certain protected capitalists
have made big fortunes out Of the con-
ditions created by the conflict. Mr..
1ngallss faith in the results Of the war
has been shaken by the threatened
wandering away of the tribe of Ham
from its allegiance to Republicanism
If there were no more pensions to be
paid and no more fortunes to be made
under high tariff quite number of
other patriots would probably join in
the dismal cry OF failure which he has
set up. The negro may be failure,
but # he is, is it not Mr.. Ingalls, and
partisans of like stripe who have helped
to make him so? And talking of fail
ures, what do the people of Kansas
think of the ex-senator himself?-Bal-
| timore Sun.