Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-29
THE RACE PROBLEM.

! The New York Times. in an article on
the Race Problem" says that the negro
preacher who last week deliberately ad-
vised the negro TO learn how to make
| guns and powder. and how TO use them.
seems 10 have been needed within a few
hours when the Darien negroes armed
themselves and tried to rescue one OF
! their fellows not from persecution. but
from Justice and law.
Precisely And the sin OF commission
acnir 1cir race Of the negro lea lers,
as 10 scd In such advice as this is not
less GREAT than their sin Of omission in
fainns to discourage crime among the
negroes. As we said the other day. the
negro problem I'm the South has reached
point at which. for veal or woe. the
future Of the race is in the hands Of the
negroes themselves Since the war the
whites of the South have spent millions
Of dollars in supporting negro schools
only TO find themselves i'm the position of
questioning seriously whether education
of the negroes has not been the fruitful
cause Of developing negro criminals. In
fact, with many Of the erstwhile best
friends of the negro the connection be-
tween the negro school and the increase
of crime among the negrOes-espeeiplly
the usual crime-amounts TO a lemon
stratiOn. Hence. as we have heretofore
pointed out, there is a steadily spreading
feeling in this section IN favor OF white
taxes for white schools, and negro taxes
for negro schools"
Again: Notwithstanding what the South
has suffered from the Republican crime
that made the negro voter and stirred
him to almost insnfferable arroga ace, our
people have been exceedingly patient with
him. They have cling to him MS a la
borei, protected him in hts legal and TO
htical rights, and made every effort TO
encourage him 10 thrift and Industry
But now their patience is almost ex-
hausted Every day the races are drifting
farther and farther apart The white man
of the old regime and the negro Of the old
regime are fast passing away. The young
est Of the whites who were old enough
before the abolition Of slavery 20 have
affection and regard the master had for
the slave. have crossed 10 or
arc nearing the shady side of life.
Between the later generations of whites
and negroes the breach is daily widening;
the antasonism is becoming more intense.
These facts have long been recognized
farther South. and now they are receiv-
ing general recognition in Virginia. In
proof of this statement we copy para
graph from the Charlottesville Progress,
which is but a sample Virginia press com
ment on race antagonism." The Pro-
gress says:
1--WE presume no one will deny that the
occurrences Of the past few molths, II G
assaults committed, and the lynchings
following, have perceptibly widened the
distance between the whites and blacks
of the South. 1t is greatly TO be 'egret-
ted, but it is undoubtedly true, and ii
makes a dark picture of the future rise
before the mind. We have felt his COM
ing for several years, and for this reason
we have hoped that some plan might be
devised to separate the two races, so that
each might work out its own destiny with
race integrity"
And with the growth OF such views as
these in Virginia. what will be the fnali-
ty? Obviously the fnality that has been
reached in Mississippi, and which other
States south Of us are rapidly approach !
ing And that is the Acknowledgement of |
the negro. To that complexion, coupled
with the practical abolition Of negro
schools, If not much worse for the negro, |
IL is bound 10 come If the negro leaders |
do not exercise their power TO elevate |
their own race.