Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-01-10
The SOuth's Slavery Of Mind.

Onuer the caption The Problem OF
Black and White" the Memphis Com
mercial recently contained a long and
carefully written leader W hich means,
II it means anything, that our Memphis
contemporary favors Wholesale depor-
tation of the negroes of the South. And,
Tor the record that it has made, the es-
teemed contemporary places its reason
ing on queer ground,
In effect, says the Commercial, the
negro ought to be deported because his
presence in the South, causes a solid
arity OF the South unnatural and un-
desirable, because it prevents the for
nation Of two parties based upon dis
similar yet salutary views upon econ
omic questions. This appears to be a
confession that the South would be in
better condition if there existed an
opposition strong and vigilant. The
Commercial says there is no more un-
natural condition than the m assing of
the intelligence of the country in one
party" The remedy the Commercial
appears to find in the plan of John
Temple Graves.
From Illogical and philosop:cal stand
point part of the position assumed by
the Commercial is Cilbraller like in its
impregnability. No intelligent man ac-
quainted with the State of the South,
will attempt to say that the political
condition of the South is not anomalous
and having in it none of the seeds of
future danger. Let it be set down as a
fact as true as truth that the Anglo Sax
on in the South will rule. That IS his
race instinct. Wherever ne has gone
on the face of the earth that is history.
The genius Of the race demands party
in power and party in opposition. Its
whole civilization has been wrought
along that line. The same instinct that
leads him to domineer over weakness
leads him also to domineer over his
own race when not met by barriers and
Il force similar to his own.
Taken as whole there is nowhere in
the South today that an opposition ex-
lists that is worthy the name. The ne
groes can not form an opposition. That
was settled in 1876. Since then, where
he has voted at all, the negro has voted
the Democratic ticket as frequently as
he has deposited Republican ballot.
Why refuse to look this fact in the
face? Today In Tennessee if it were
not for the negro the Republicans
would be in power for all the best in
terests of the State are bound up in Re-
publican doctrines. Indeed, Republi-
cans of the North who know absolutely
of Southern conditions, for
they can only come by residence in the
South, have set back all hope of Re-
publican renaissance in this section a
full decade by their unwise advocacy
OF measures that, if enacted, would be
as futile as an edict of king dead and
crumbled to ashes thousand years
ago.
The effect of Southern solidarity is
bad on the country, but especially ON
the South. 1t stiles independence of
thought and makes majority tyrant.
Sporadic evidences to the contrary, like
the Alabama revolt against the free
list, are worth nothing. The next elec-
ton will find these rebels voting the
straight Democratic ticket and support
ing the old bourbons in the same old
way. Slavery of the body is dead; but
slavery of the mind exists. In all tho
South today where is one great man?
In all the South where is any leader
that did not acquire that leadership in
the saddle of the late confederacy, or in
the struggle for white supremacy in the
reconstruction days after the war?
What will be the end no man knows.
The negro is here and in great num-
bers. What shall be done with him.
He is in the country and he is in the
constitution. Yet the question must
be settled. The best brain and tho best
patriots of the whole South, whatever
their ideas may be of political economy,
whatever their creed as to theories of
government, whatever may have been
their party affiliation must one day get
together and settle it as great and grave
questions were settled in the days of
old. Our fathers had issues as huge
and decided them. Are their sons less
able and less courageousp-Knoxville
Journal.