Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-07-29

made tbese western settlements had Tor
A century and a half been In training
for sueh ard nous work. They and their
ancestors had learned 20 bght In their
atruRCles with the Indians, the trench
and the British; they had, moreover,
ACQUIRED the most precious eoueatlon OF
a political sort which enabled toem 10
act together 10 organizing aud defend
ing their societies. They were not only
war-prooi, but trained Ia the founding
NJ States and 10 the maintenance or
civil order"
In several places Prof. Shaler refers
10 the questions Of our negro popula-
ton. s'The most serious questions" BIO
thinks connected with the future OF
tbs lowlands which border the Gulf Of
Mexico arise from the large proportion
NJ Africans in the population, aud from
aha fact that the whole OF this great
area as far west as Central Texas, ap-
Dsars 10 be peculiarly we'll adapted 70
tbs descendants OF this tropical iolS,
and less well suited 10 the laoorlng
nopulation OF our own race. IL Is true
that the negro population IN eastern
South Carolina is. relatively 10 the
whole number OF people in the district,
"a Iargs a. that which is found in any
otber norton Of ths United States, but
IN Sopth Carolina there is very extern
sjve INLAND territory which, from the
conditions OF its climate, Is not likely
IN he extensively occupied by the ne
groes ON the other hand, the greater
nortiop Of Alabama, the whole OF Mis-
s,Sslppi and Louisiana, and the eastern
nart ~ Texas, present conditions which
necDliarlv favor the rapid increase OF
the black people.
I'm the lower lying aud richer por-
tIops Of Kentucky aud tennessee there
IA considerable element Of Africans,
but the proportion sf this blood 10 that
of the whites IN tue southern section OF
the Ohio valley does not exceed ABOUT
ons 70 ten. Several conditions have CO.
ooerated 10 bring the negroes OF tnls
district 10 q relatively nigh state or
cuJture. In the first place, essentially
ali the folk OF Afrlcaa blood In this
mari OF the country came from the
slaves which were brought In the
earlier part OF the last century 10 the
Virginia group OF colonies. Therefore
the ancestors OF these people, having
been long upon the soil, the race has
had a greater opportunity or securing
the training ID the WAYS OF civilization
which contact with the whites mas so
sigularly afforded TO the African saw
ages. AS the negroes civiliZe with a
rapidlty unknown in the case OF any
other sayages with which our race has
had 10 deal, the difference OF one or
two generations in the length
OF their sOiOurn on the
continent makes great change
ia their social aui moral state. II is
also q noteworthy fact that the greater
portion OF the blacks who were held as
slaves in the Ohio valley were retained
as household servants, or were used as
farm hands were kept about the farm
stead, la immediate contact with the
families OF the proprietary, aud not iSO-
lated from the improving influences OF
the home, as was the case on the more
southern plantations. In passing south
ward from the Ohio valley, where
the negroes have generally been in
close social relations with the whites, 10
the plantation country Of Mississippi
and Alabama, where the relations be
tween the races were much less intimate,
the trained observer can 81 once note
the difference in the condition OF the
blacks, the more southern negroes not
having attained as high a station
Is In discussing what nature has done
FOR the west Prof. Sha,sr declares OF
the great lakes region that ''all the
natural conditions OF this district COM
Dine to make the shores OF its inland
seas the seat OF great cities. The waters
OF these basins affoad a natural path
vav for a large part OF the interior
commerce Of the continent; the mineral
resources favor the development OF
varied manufacturing industries, and
the climats is one which Rnimates men
10 tho utmost exercise Of their vigOr.
Except about Lake Superior, which is
rather too far north for successful ag-
rlculture, the soil is usually fertile, and
affords a wide range OF the crops and
animal products which are suited
TO distant exports. AL these cOndl-
tions combine 10 insure to this part Of
the country exceedingly varied indus
tries, aud will enable II to support q
denser population than any other sec
ZION 10 kub uOl LACA PEI Va NAN NHHNt
nenL Next after the Ohio valley 1t is
the most richly provided by nature
with the material resources OF ciy.liza-
ton OF any OF the great divisions OF the
continent. 1t is even more fortunate
than this district on the south, for the
reason that 10 will never have 10 deal
with the difficulties arising from the
presence OF a large element OF African
blood in its population. Perhaps its
greatest good fortune consists in the
fact that it has relatively little less than
north European blood. NotwithStand-
ing some elements Of friction with new
corners from Europe, there can be no
doubt that all the diversities OF race,
language and national motive will
shortly become fused into people Of
great physical and mental viRor."
ARTHUR STEDMAN.