The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-08-18
ANEXPERI1fENT TIA FAILED

We tear that the negro troops, aiAu
especially those which have coloreo
men az commissioned officers, must be
set down as failure. Properly COM
manded and disciplined, the negro
makes tair soldier. He will fight
He has endurance. He Is sufficiently
courageous. But the experience OF the
past few months has shown us that the
negro officer is impossible under any
circumstances, and that the negro SOL
diers are. as a rule, discordant with
our scheme Of society and clvlllzatlon.
1t is useless to ignore facts. This Is
white mans country, and the whites
are not willing and cannot be compell-
ed to accept the negro on equal terms
in any relation of life. White soldiers
will not salute negro officers, neither |
will they associate with enlisted men OF
color. We have tried the experiment
and it has failed. Whether the negroes
have been too jealous and too swift In
asserting their imagined rights, we 40
not pretend to say. It is characteristic
of them to do so, and the chances all
are that they have given free rein to
their predictions. But however that
NAV be. the record of conflict, OF re-
sentiment, of turbulence, and OF aglta-
ton has been so universal and so ugly
that we cannot shut our eyes to its sig
nlficance.
| There is another untoward aspect,
too. 1t appears that, although the
regular officers haye hitherto had no
great trouble with their colored troops,
the breaking out of war and the con-
seouent Introduction of abnormal con-
ditlons have led to many alarming and
unwelcome revelations. 1t seems dit
ficult il not impossible to make the
negro understand that he is amenabls
to the civil law, to rid him Of the idea
that the policeman is his natural
enemy, to awaken in him q sense OF
obligation to any authority other than
that of the military establishment. 1t
! NAV be said, for 1t Is true, that soldiers
on liberty, whether white or black, are
prone to disturbance of the public
peace. but-the fact remains that while
white offenders are always arrested
without trouble by the civil police or
| by the provost guard, the negro Is IN
yariably protected by his fellows, even
to the point of violence. From Chat
tanooga, New Orleans, Tampa-wher-
ever colored troops have been encamp-
, | ed, whether regulars or volunteers-we
have the melancholy, the oyerwhelm'
Ing proof. Within the past week col,
ored troops ha IN two occasions
broken into Florida jalls, intimldated
3 the Sheriff, and rescued criminals be
), longing to their respective regiments
Indeed, it is of record that they have
: frequently assaulted the police, both il
Tennessee and Florida, Tor the purpose
n of rescuing negro criminals belonging
not to the army, but to the local pop
, ulation. In word, the best friends
of the negro have been discouraged b,
: the revelations OF the past few months
), and have been forced to the conclusion
a that they are forcing the negro's socia
i. evolution with unwise energy.-Wash
iugton Post.
The foregoing is an editorial utter
o ance by the Washington Post, an in
"a dependent paper which is regarded a
i safe and reliable.
d Two years ago the Post would hav
3. been slow to speak thus OF the negro
J. It will be observed that 1t says this i
81 a white mans country and that whit
n people will never, under any clrcum
" stance, submit to being placed on al
n equality with the negro anywhere.
VI The Post speaks directly OF the trou
4 bles which come from positions of tr1's
'e placed upon negroes in the army. An
or what it observes with reference to arm
It positions holds good in all positions.
70 The negro race is totally incompe
Is ent to rule. We doubt their ability
> rule themselves and they are certai,
NJ ]y incompetent to rule the superie
81 white race.
When papers like the Washingto
~ Post which have been more or less i
." sympathy with the colored race. hole
ing Office which places them in contr'
~ of the white race, come out boldly an
~ subscribe to the sentiment of tt
Southern people, that this is whit
!" mans country and white people wi
~ rule, there is hope that the true stu
ton is dawnlng upon those who hay
- allowed the fogs of prejudice to bllr
w them too long.
l. The Post is only relterating what Ze
Vance said in memorable speech
:. the United States Senate four yea
E.. before his death. On Jan. 80 80, spea
=. ing of the negro rs a citizen and Off
holder in the South, he said:
nv "Since their admission to citize
er ship they have been elected to bot
Nv. branches of Congress and have occ
he pied almost every position under Sta
in authority. They have controlled e
he tire States, counties and municipaliti,
ITO and in every instance their rule W
an marked by failure and ruin. It was
to war against property, intelligence a
er- respectabliity. The few years of th'
tbe misrule in the South will be forev
les remembered in our history for TIT
me corruption, retrogression, and will &C
- stifY,to a douopo b1o blot On fhCoo ",