The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-08

guests two gentlsmen who, while un-
known to the members personally,
were yet well known to all by name ana
reputation. He then called upon Judge
Josiah Patterson of Tennessee whose
theme was, ''rhe South, its past environ
ments and its future developments"
Judge Patterson's speech.
Judge Patterson commenced his speech
by relating some facts concerning the war.
He showed that the contest had ended In
a most advantageous manner Tor Doth
North and South, and assured the men,
bers that no intelligent man in the South
would wish to return to the old order OF
things. He then turned to the COM
mencement OF the period of reconstruc-
tion.
When the war ended the peo-
pie of the Southern States were In
absolute destitution. They were without
money, without comfort, without prop
erty. They were overwhelmed with debt.
Desolation reigned in every home. Prior
to the war the people were dependent
upon their agricultural products. Then
as at the present time the absence OF the
manufacturers and skilled workmen was
one OF the chief obstacles In the way OF
progress. At the close OF the war they
had neither the skill or the means to
establish these manufactures and
were compelled to return to their former
means OF livelihood. The chief product OF
their labor was cotton, and notwithstand-
ing the heavy taxes that. We're imposed
upon them, they raised two or three times
as much cotton as was needed and the
surplus was sent TO the free and open
foreign markets where the price that 1t
received fixed the price OF the whole.
Judge Patterson then paid glowing
tribute to the memory of Lincoln and
said that IL he had lived and had been
able to carry out his great plan of recon-
struction his name would have been
handed down to history as the greatest
pacificator as well as the greatest liberia
tor in the annals of mankind.
Judge Patterson then entered upon a
discussion of the war and its cause and
effects, after which he considered the
characteristics OF the people. The negro
was the kindest, the most benevolent,
the most obedient and the most
helpless and thriftless OF the races
OF men. Slavery was the school
in which they were educated out of the
environments of barbarism. He has made
marvellous progress and there was no feel
ing for him in the South other than that
OF good viii. The people of the South
had expended more money by means OF
taxations voluntarily imposed on them
selves toward the education and advance
ment of the negro in America than all
the balance of mankind together. But
suffrage was franchise. No man had the
inalienable right to vote. He had the
inalienable right to live under
equal and just laws, to own
property, enjoy liberty and preserve
happiness. The exercises Of the franchise
of suffrage is derived from the State and
is given because the person exercising 1t
was supposed to be fit fundamentally
OF government. He was an agency Of
government to perform service for his
country and II he was totally disqualified
either by ignorance or vice the voter be-
comes an instrument OF disaster to him.
self aud to others, and he did not
hesitate to say that the estab-
lishment of the negro government
of the South under the guns Of the army
through the instrumentality OF the freed
mans bureau and the adventurers who
overran that section after the war was
political crime and an unmixed curse to
both races. The negro was absolutely in
capable OF self government. In his igno-
rance he brought ruin and disaster to all
alike, and the only men who were bene-
fitted by their ballots were the political
jobbers who fattened on tho spoils of the
people and rejoiced in their humiliation.
Judge Patterson then explained other
political schemes in which the South had
been the victim, and ell tended to retard
the progress that the country was striv-
ing to attain, and yet the material, moral
and social development OF the South has
kept pace with the process Of evolution,
and he felt that the day was not far dis
tant when the country would escape en-
tirely from all these evils and retarding
environments to the enjoyment of a
higher political life.
General Blacks Address.
General John G. Black, Congressman
from Illinois, was then introduced by
President Shepard, and addressed the
assemblage upon the subject, "Commer-
cial Liberty" He said that there is
bill now i'm Congress, and at
present before the Senate. which will be
an incentive to American labor, spurring
industry and producing benefits which
can not under existing conditions be an
ticipated. During the 80 years in which
the system which we are now assailing
has been in vogue there have been four
periods OF great troubles and financial
stress in this country. The first was
in 1878 and was a I" period of wide
spread disaster, the effects of which
were felt from ocean to ocean.
The business enterprises OF the country
were forced by the hard times almost to
the wall, and perhaps ono third of the
railroads stretching across the country
went into the hands Of receivers.
In 1854 a similar condition of affairs
occurred, but the effects were not so
strongly felt nor the depression SO extern
tive as during '73. Then in 1888 the coun-
try has sustained another great blow and
is still struggling to regain firm foot
hold once more.
During all this time, throughout these
great depressions, the nation has been
under the protective system. / do not
wish to be antagonistic, but will simply
argue that the existence of
this protective eystem did not