The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-06-14

StlGllS lllGiCu ny lllStltutlOHS Will
had been framed to secure it, an(
which are a true expression OF thei
sovereign will.
The other race had been from
the time as far back as human
memory or tradition extends mere
barbarians without a civilization
and without the capacity to achieve
one. They had been slaves-pri
vate property, and slaves also pc
litically. They neither took par
in government nor aspired to dc
SO. They were grossly isnoran
and blindly superstitious. They
accepted, as the natural order new,
er to be changed, the situation il
which they existed, making no in
quiries and no researches and trust
ing implicitly in their rulers and
the priests who ministered in
the rights of voodooism. From
their credulitv came that docility,
that habit of imitation, that ready
acceptance of and obedience to the
words of their superiors which
gave them that slight veneering of
civilization resulting from two cen
turtles of service to and association
with the white man. Undoubtedly
there was progress in these centu-
ries. They acquired the habits of
civilized life, became acquainted
with the teachings of purer re-
ligion and in the main left off the
practice of the rites of their former
superstition. But they never as a
race emerged from that condition
of servility in mind and in spirit
which they brought from the jun
giles of Africa. The mimic civil
cation which came from contact
with the whites was not ingrained
merely whitewash requiring
constant renewal to prevent total
placement. Even now since
emancipation a tendency is observ-
able to retrogression in communi-
ties where the black race largely
predominates in numbers, and con-
tact with the whites is infrequent.
Their incapacity for the duties
imposed by eniranchisement was
well known to those who imposed
it. A great Senator, Mr.. Fessen-
den, expressed the belief ,hat they
could vote properly "upon good
ADVICE Others thought that en-
REIMBURSEMENT of the negro was a
just punishment proper to be in
t1ic!ed on the whites fer the al
legged treason. SO on motives Of
this kind, with others looking to
party supremacy, the negro was
erfranchised by the fifteenth
amendment, when he was not al
lowed to vote on the same terms
as the white man in any State of
the Union outside Of New England
and was held an Incompetent elec-
tor in two of those States. may
as well add that by poppl.l elec-
tons, Ohio, Illinois, wisconsin,
Michigan, New York end Connect
icut all declared against negro suf-
frage within their own borders be-
tween the end of the war in 1868
and the adoption of the fifteenth
amendment For proof of these
facts | refer you to a speech made
by me in the United States Senate
in the session of 1S90.91 and pub.
lished in the appendix to volume
% Of the Congressional Record
commencing on page 46. 1t would
be as we'll to remember that at the
date of the adoption of the Consti-
tuition of the United States tree ne.
groes were allowed to vote in every
State in the Union but one, and
that on fair trial of this expert.
ment the privilege was withdrawn
until the matter stood at the adop-
ton Of the fifteenth amendment,
as | have Just stated it.
| learn from your letter that the
people OF louisiana are considera-
ing how they may mitigate the
evils of negro suffrage from which
the old States, as | have said, es.
capped prior to reconstruction by
prohibiting it absolutely.
Never was a more serious prob
lem submitted for human solution.
If you were free, as our forefathers
were or as the other States were
who withdrew the privilege from
the negro, nr AS the people are
today, to reform government ac-
Al