Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-18
WEDNESDAY. APRIL IS, 1894.
Mr.. Calhoun's Portentous Prophecy.

3
The Augusta (GaD Chronicle directs the
attention of the southern people, or we
might say. al the people Of the United
States. 70 a notable article in the Chi
cago Magazine of Current Topics touch
ing certain prophetic utterauccs Of that
greatest Of Americans. John G. Calhoun,
as these utterdnces were contained in
report made by him 10 the United States
Senate. Mr. Calhoun argued that to
destroy the th,n existing relations he
tween the whites and the blacks would
b. 60 place two races in "a state Of COM
pletn hostility. which must end in the
expulsion or the cXtirpation OF the one
or the other. No other relation but that
% master ana slave could b. substituted
thai is. without injuging not TO say ruin
Ing the country. This relation had cN-
listed SO long that it seemed no doubt 70
mon Of both races to be a natural rela-
ton. which could not safely nor profit
ably lee brought to an end.
AR. Calhoun held that to change TN"
then condition Of the African race. If IL
wer. possible. would be hut TO change the
form Of slavery. what a world Of mean
Ing there is ia Mr. Cahoun's forecast i'm
IL e- words: "The change would max"
them ua. negroes the slaves Of The COM
muu.ty. instead Of the slaves Of mli-
v.Iua.s" the writer for the Chicago
Marzine calls attention to how this
prediction has been realized. lie SAYS:
In the oll-tlme negro quarters of the
cotton belt are, nj his time, living the
descendants of the former slaves ~ far
de. peg straits than those in which their
fathers lived The slave had MS S1tur-
day half holidays and his SundaYs-more
than one nth of all his days ia relaNa-
ton. rest. ana amusement Now ~"
cxiccncies of his ill-paid picce-work re-
qulre every minute from daylight Till
dark Of every day in the week, including
I'm many instances the Christian day Of
rest. 40 longer are they clothed. fed,
nursol. and doctOrel 10y the careful ana
interested Individual. The community are
the masters now. and whether the slaves
sicl,.n and die does not concern the COM
munity in the least"
And ideutically this condition Of things
wag predicted hy Mr.. Calhoun. who us'f
ia the report above mentioned the fol-
lowing prophetic language:
1T would destroy the security ana in
dependence OF the European Caucasian
race if IN. Africans should BE- permitted
10 contnu, in their changed relation with
I'm the limits Of these States. They thc
former slaves would look 10 the other
States for support and protection, and
would become virtually their allies ana
DEPENDENTS. and would thus place in the
hands of those States the most ehtctual
instrument To destroy that which in
fuences and controls the destinies Of the
rest Of the Union.
This is exactly what followed the
emancipation OF the slaves. Forty acres
and a mule" are other words 10 describe
the new order OF things.
But let US quote MIR. Calhoun again.
lie said:
"I'nder the influence OF such feelings,
and impelled hy fanatcsm and "A love OF
power. they 0he northern people, would
not stop AT emancipation. Another step
would be taken TO raise them to
political and social equality with their
former owners, by giving them the right
Of votnS ana holding Office under the
Federal Government. But when once
raised TO equality they would become the
fast political associates OF the North,
acting and voting with them on all ques-
tions. and by this political union between
them. holding the white race Of the South
in complete subsection"
This reads as if 1t were history rather
than prediction, so accurately does II
foretoll what was going TO follow 'he
interference Of the northern people Win
the condition OF master and slave.
We give these predictions as remark
able, but We must add that slavery was
forcdoomed to destruction. The relation oil
master and slave could not have con-
tinued long TO exist. The result of 1t
would have been the Africahizatioh OF
the slave States and the forcing OF the
whites to "move onward" either to the
West or the Pgciic coast. or to Mexico,
mr. South America. Mr.. Carlyle called
attention once to the well-fed, sleek cat
flo and horses. etc. etc, which could
he seen IN a country EnglanD where
mon were working for bare subsistence.
ond agreed that If the workngmen be-
,onged TO the owners of the land, they.
700. would be sleek and well-fed. So in
this COuHt's' iHV o"N'i' Va NIN SAWS
would always have provided for them
much better food. clothing and lodging
than the poor whites could have provided
for themselves. and 80 the latter would
have been forced 10 betake themselves
10 other countries or at least other Sec
tons.
But this by the way All that we have
said as TO slavery may be true with
out detractlng from the reputation OF Mr..
Calhoun as prophet. The great Caro-
linian was indeed ahead OF his day.
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