The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-07
WEDNESDAY. ........ June Z, $50:
GEN. COWLES RINGS CLEAR.

General Andrew ID. Cowles, Il leading
ten letter to DIR. Solomon Angle de-
claring his intention to support the Con
stitutional amendment He says that
ex-State Senator A. {. Sharpe, John e.
Colvert and Representative Morrow,
all Republicans, of Iredell, will also
support the amendment. He reviews
the conditions and debates that led
up to the adoption of the fifteenth
amendment, says the negro suffered most
by its adoption; that THE white mans
boast of superiority is not Idle or lmag-
mary" that the Republican party world
get many recruits from The old line
Wings if 1T We're not for the company
they are invited to keep: that the negro
is the best laborer on earth, but that
the appointment of negroes to office in
the South has been unwise; that the
Southern white man is the best friend
parting of the ways and cannot follow
the Republican party i'll its crusade
against the amendment; that under Re
publican National administration the
South has been treated as alien terri
tory. and but for constitutional limita-
tons our local Offices would have been
filed by Northern men: and that while
they may not vote for the amendment,
a majority of the white Republicans
of Iredell will not vote against it. The
following extract from General Cowles's
letter has much force:
This is Il measure justified on the
highest grounds of public policy to an
equal extent with the Chinese exclusion
act. These Acknowledged gentle children
of the fiowery kingdom were not desir-
able citizens as they came here with the
animus revertendi. Amalgamation was
ineXpedient and elevation impossible
They degraded manhood and decreased
the scale of American labor. The great
West prayed for relief; the prayer was
answered and nation with literature
as old as the pyramids and a sublime
code of morals was shut out Was it
right? The World says it was for public
policy demanded it. The ignorant negro
degrades the franchise and decreases the
scale of American manhood. His sus-
pension till qualified is justified on the
same high ground of public policy. 1t is
against pubic policy to commit murder,
therefore the criminal forfeits his life.
1t is against it to steal. the thief is
deprived of his liberty and it is against
public policy for the ignorant negro to
Concluding General Cowles says:
THE Republican party has all to gain
and nothing to lose. From 1876 to 1894
in every election year it hurled it's SER
ried ranks against the inyincible pha-
lanX of the Democratic party. Its strug-
giles were heroic, but useless. BY com
bning with the Populsts in 1894 the
Democrats were overthrown, but now
the last condition of the Republican par
ty is worse than the first. This is
the beginning of an honest effort to
solve by legal and peaceful methods the
most momentous question now before
the people of the State, and under the
guidance Of kind Providence that has
50 singularly preserved the South
through all it's vicissitndes in the past
] hope every endeavor in that direction
may have the blessing of God and lead
to completion of a perpleXing prob
lem. The success of the amendment
will surely be harbinger of good will
between the races and usher In IL bet
ter day for all of our people,
This is a very sensible and patriotic
course that General Cowles has elected
to pursue. There is no doubt that the
RauuhIic.n M chino which is. ahSnlutely
dominated by Senator Pritchard, will
commit the Republican party to a fight
against the amendment, and it requires
the courage of convictions for such men
as General Cowles, ex-senator Sharpe,
Mr.. Covert, and ex-Representative
Morrow to go against what is sure to
be the policy of their party. They are
doing the cause of good government a
great service in supporting the only
measure that can secure permanent
white supremacy, and it is hoped that
many other Republicans who care more
for peaceful and stable rule in North
Carolina than for Federal pie will follow
their good example.
General Cow1es mas justified the good
opinion formed of him by those who
came in contact with him while he was
Adjutant General His letter viii do
great good and ought to be widely cir
c,llated. 1t will be published in full
in Sundays News and Observer.