The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-17
TIE NEGROES At THE soUrn.
Their Generally Comfortable Condition
Tn Race Question Settling Itself.

citizens. This was the opinion OF Congress,
ratified. by popular vote. They were not
then regarded on the same intellectual level
that the nation now regards Hawaiians and
Filipinos or natives OF Porto Rico. They we're
not placed in the same category with the
various dark races subject to British control.
This meant. OF course. that they had made
marvellous progress in their tutelaRe OF
slavery since their emergence from African
savagery. They should have made still
greater progress in thirty years OF citizenship.
The ex-slave is rapidly disappearing and the
majority Of blacks now in the South are not
freedmen. but freemen. born to all the rights
which the Constitution bestows. Still. those
who have always been most insistent on the
negros fitness for citizenship continue to ex-
ercise a guardianship of his rights and make
continual complaint OF their infringement. II
the negroes. as a majority class possessed of
equal political rights with the white man. con-
tinue to be oppressed. is there a possible rem
edy for their grievance?
don't admit the persecution. but In any view
Of the case It must no obvious that in the end
the negroes Of the South must work out their
own destiny. and ] believe they can do it bet
ter whenever the negro problem " shall cease
to be discussed. The discussion inclines them
to consider themselves in martyrdom await
ing a deliverer. and 1t ~irritates the whites.
As a matter of fact. don't believe there il
any record Of two entirely distinct races ever
having occupied the same country with 80
little friction as there has been between the
whites and blacks In the South. There is a GER
tain race antagonism. Of course. and there have
been occasional race conflicts. The white man
has something Of the old-time master spirit.
and. as has been tho AnRlo-Saxon habit In all
the history Of the race. he domineers. But the
general relation Of the two races Is entirely
amicahle. The race conflicts have been mild
anu 't"' IL We consiuer the mliilons oil people
OF potn races IN tne great stretch OF territory
from chesapeake Bayto the hlo Grande. There
Ia a mutual dependence between the blacks
and whites in the Sonth and a thorough under
standing OF one another's temperament that
has preserved this amicable relation in optic OF
a great deal OF miscellaneous meddling from the
outside. This meddlpp nrodrced race divi-
sions on the color lima that bave hoen mora
than n " othor rovooa+ir.o t
J,otioa that .ho uaurord I.ooat..io, oI..
40, l., ,.ta.otS- ~ ..N~SS".. =. ~"
Iaa.m.su.. 80
NsS%.I IL ~ u ~ 10
pnian'niop'' ~ aeSocia'ioh IL
"''.us on eAask'ra'ou instrumentation IN d
matter entireiy peyono us WORK. Wnen a petter
exercise ior lts energies could De 1ound WITHIN
the confines OF the British Empire. The South
ern negroes are more INDEPENDENT and COM
fortably well of as a class than the London
poor, and their treatment by the whites Ia
better than that accorded any dark peoples
over whom the British rule. There have been
thousands of negroes killed by British bullets
In South Africa wbere one has su1erad at tho
hands ~ tho wh,,e man IN tho south Tn =.
hook recentlv nubIisbed nv Mr. Erneet Y ran
nott - uar,rord Coiiaao oxto.J n.ha aoaona
n.niod .ho toho, Lat. ,a.ho So.
as a CORRESPONDENT for a London naner ba
tells n narrowing story Of how Enplisbmen In
the expedition treated their Arab serynnts.
r.i, ali ,.u
.orro.nondantu ho ;.nor,n, 80 800
b,s own and snoatine that imnsrfec,Ir ;I.tr.,,s
his servants when they fail TO understand his orders.
Such persons as this arc either too stupid or too lazy
to master even a few words Of the vernacular. yet
they imagine that for e. los. a month they can Sc
cure an accomplished linRuist as a servant. "Un.
twist that knot-not that knot, that other ~knot-great
Scot. you, &c. The poor Arab boy stands per-
pieteo ana ieartui. he cannot understand this be-
"iiderihg utterance and teeomes helpless or makes
a oaa shot ana Des'hS " open tin OF marmaiade or
!, IA . II 9 .nuu. 'nuo' a . " heA'y s.ck
:" w. II ~
u ,tn', ns 'aoe stioa"sh VIII oiooa
-. ~ no na.'. . i"
r.rd. I'D h..,on 80, III 80 n.r'
because ouiny :, n hr.ardown =, ,ha ,.Ioor.uh ~.
was unable N ,oruard a nrsss.,e San, hy III nas,.r
Tho how was absolutelvb l.neless in tho mater bmt
his master would not listen to a word of EXPLANATION.
and the sound of the cruel strokes he showered upon
the servant was audible far away. The foul abuse
beloved at servants frequently made our camp a
disgrace to the Zeriba. Everybody in the East swears
at his servants. but still. whether the proposition be
ethically sound or no, there is a gentlemsnly way Of
swearing brief and incisive' and not intended 10
reach the ears OF others than tue delinquent.
take great pleasure in assuring the Howard
Association Of London that no brutality Of this
kind toward servants is ever witnessed in the
South. and the man who should attempt to
practice it here would be promptly and prop
erly punished by law.
A recent occurrence in Nashville has been
one of the most discussed incidents supposed to
show the ill-treatment ofthe negro in the South.
/ refer to the clubbing by the Nashville police
Of the so-called "immunes" when they passed
through that city. can testify concerning it.
A Michigan regiment passing through Ten
nessee recently gave an exhibition of the