The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-06
IL the negro to become extinct'


Is IL his destiny TO become welded TO
the white man, absorbed by the white
blood, in word, Caucasianized, by slow
but inexorabie. process?
The question Is not new one. Ihs
conflict botween races is as old aS history.
The lsraelite stands out consrleuously as
tho one race that has passed through
slavery. has suffered national destruction.
has been scattered TO all corners OF the
earth. and yet has resisted for centuries
the absorption that has obliteratad other
peoples. IL admixture has taken place, as
IL has to an extent. the Hebrew blood Is
still supreme ana broadly spyaking exists
in all its original purity NO other race
can show like superiority to conditions
threatening encroachment on its
integrity.
The Caucasian race has demonstrated
an extraordinary power Of absorption
and has waxed eger more vital on strange
bloods. Here In the United states IL finds
itself today confronted with the African
in such mum bers as 10 make tho associa-
ton a matter OF grave political and
social concern. We have the NEGRO
problem, "a social as we'll as political
problem. In many Of the States, statu-
tory law attempts 60 deal with both
phases of it-donying 20 the black man
the ballot that may DO freely used by his
white brother and restricting the associa-
tion Of the races TO the point of prohibit
ing inter-mnrrlage.
And yet, according 20 bold and SEEM
inRly sensational work Of u high prelGto
in the African Methodist church, Bishop
Gaines of Georgia. himself a full biooded
black man. the negro problem Is 90 reach
its ultimate solution through just the
social channels that the law seeks TO
block. which, when reached, will owl
IDENTIFY also settle the political problem as
IL will sound the knell OF tho colored race.
Bishop Gaines declares that even today,
except in remote sections. IL is difficult to
find IA negro OF unmixed African blood in
the whole South. Indeed. discriminating
observers affirm that out OF 5000, 00O
colorod men In this country but 2. 900. coo
are Of unmixed blood. The censns shows
that there are /, 250, 600 distinct and recog-
| nized mulattoes in tho South and it is
easy to believe that millions more have
at least soma tracs of white blood in their
veins.
The distinguished author of this start
| ling theory of race extinction does not
| regard the bleaching process as he
| terms IL, rs necessarily an evil to either
the black or the white man, however il
! may be deplored. He believes it better for
| his people to face It and go out. rather
| for instance. than to follow the scheme
of negro Republic on the far African
coast which has proved so fascinating and
| so fatal to thousands of the colored people
yearning for racial integrity. lie recog.
nizes the patbos Of the situation thus
| projected and foresees that the process
OF amalgamation is not TO DO pursued ex.
cept through cruel suffering and even
shame and disnonor. But ho holds that
the result Is inevitable and indeed masse,
imposing statistics to demonstrate that II
has been going on, and Is now going on
under our eyes. despite laws against inter
marriage and the assumed horrors o
mating OF black and white--and thus re
garding it. his people mus, resign them
selves TO the conclusion.
From n reading OF extracts from thi,
notable book that the Bishop of Georgia
has written we should say that he face,
good many Of tho minor problems o
tho relations Of the races with uDex
ampled courage, dealing with question,
tnat while only secondary, are more
often Stunned in pubic speech anc
| print He urges that the black man ir
resistibly initiates the whites as superiort
and traces his own development TO The
ambition excited by the station in life
of his masters branch of the famous
Toombs family in tho bosom OF the slave,
1t ia n remarkable utteranco that Bis
hop Gaines gives the world and is likely
enough TO create warm controversy. lie
is indeed the rropSet of n startling
creed.