The morning call., 1893-04-04
BISHOP TURNER ON THE NEGRO.

In an interview published In the Vest
minister gazette Bishop Turner of the
American Methodist Episcopal Church gives
expression 10 his views on the position of
his race in this country and the possibilities
of their emigration TO Africa. The past of
the negro in this country and the West
Indies was, he believes, Tolerated in the
providence of God for his Characterization
and intellectual and moral DEVELOPMENT"
Now that he is free and civilized, educated
to a certain extent and largely christian
lied. " he holds that he may found civil
ICED center in Africa and advance his own
race in the scale Of manhood and civiliza-
ton. The good Bishop, it should be under
stood, is at the head of the missionary work
of the church to which he belongs, and is
now visiting in Liberia. While admitting
that the negro has legally full civil rights
in America, he takes the view that in prac
tice he will never be able to exercise his
full civil, political and social privileges. So
cal contact is wanting, and the negro feels
that he will remain al the bottom in his
relations with the white race. From this
the Bishop comes to the conclusion that the
colored people Of the United States would
prefer ITO go back to the country which
God made for them, and where they could
cothe themselves with whatever civil
rights they might desire" Out of the
S.0o0.C0O in the United States he thinks that
,. 0OU,0g would emigrate had they the OPP
pOrtunity. and he hints that ship-o wners
would make a fortune in a short time if they
would start a line of steamers TO Africa.
The republic Of Liber would afford room
for many, but almost any part OF Africa IS
suitable for the black man, and it Is
Bishop Turner's confident opinion that he
would then advance in civilization and in the
development Of all the good qualities in his
nature. Having learned much from his
contact with the white man, he would be-
come focus to radiate enlightenment and
progress over the Dark Continent and cause
it 10 emerge from the baTbaric tribal state
into the higher status Of existence common
to civilized countries.
These aspirations are natural to the
representative Of q race which has made re-
markab.e progress since its emancipation
from slavery; but the question may be-
asked why the negro should not remain in
the United States, where lie is now pros
per and must continue to advance? The
optimism Of beholdiug a great development
OF the race from emigration to Africa is
warranted by little more than assumption.
where. and be might relapse. The spur of
contact with the white race would be al
most lost, for at least in the equatorial
regions the Indo-Eurnpean stock must
always be in a very small minority. In
many parts of America there Is not only a
demand for the colored mans labor at good
wages, but the climate is congenlal-quite as
much as that Of Africa. The field of oppUr-
tuDity IS ever widening, and education,
thrift, capacity aud elevation Of character
VIII round off many asperities OF relation
ship to the white now tending to friction,
but not permanently antagonistic The
probability that anything like 100000 of
the negro population would emigGate to
Africa is extremely remote. If that num-
Der were ready to 90 the capacity of trade
would soon provide facilities, irrespective OF
consequences. The colored people may not
altogether be contented with their lot, but
they had better bear the Ills they have than
fly to Others they know not Of. Here they
do make progress. Degeneration is highly
possible in Africa.