Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-09-13
THURSDAY EVENING. SEPT. 10, 1900.

and orators III tulc Oom P"iBSt
meet the issue of imperialism and the
charge of unjust and cruel treatment OF
the Filipinos, reply by saying that the
South is denying the right of self-gov-
eminent to the blacks in their midst,
that the doctrine that governments
derive their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed" is being violated
bv the whites of the South in the new
State constitutions limiting negro SUI
frsge, end that'the brown men OF the
Philippines have no more rights tnsn
the negroes of the South. We think
we have stated the republican sTgu
ment fairly and fully. In the hrst
nlsce. if the facts be as they al
lege. it would not vindicate the admin
jstration. They assume that the soutn
ia msltreAting the negro, and denounce
her for il. Therefore, they propose 10
slsy and subjuGste the Filipinos. Tney
stand self-condemned. There may he
some difference between the war OF
subjugs 100 against the Fllipino5 ana
the conduct of the New England and
British slave traders who stirred up
wars 10 Africa long ago in order to buy
and sell the captive negroes, but IL Is
not great. Ia both, needless aud
wicked war was fomented against an
unoffendipg people, who were living in
their OVID country and not going out OF
II 10 do harm 10 Others. The YaOkee
slave trader could not excuse himself
by saying that ne proposed to give me
negro civilization, the Bible and ss
much liberty as be was fl for. II the
negro preferred TO live 10 his own land
and vegeIate 10 his own way, the slave
trader should have left him clone.
Aud this brings US to the question
now isr the TWO cases are similaI? that
OF the Southern negroes and that OF the
Fihpinos. The negroes were brought
here as slaves long ago By Northern
traders aud by Englishmen, aud they
multiplied. Slsverywss recognized by
the Constitution, but the Northern
States made war on the South and set
the slaves free. This last was in
1865 Not satisfied with that, they
forced negro suffrage some years later
on the Southern States by providing
in the celebrated l5.h amendment, that
1.-The right OF citizens 10 vote should not
be denied or abridged on account OF
race, color. or previous condition Of
servtude." This amendment was
carried by the spite and hatred Of the
Northern people and was expected by
the republican politicians to give them
the political control of the Southern
States. Where the negro was 10 the ma
jority, be would rule. Where the whites
were in the majority, the profigate and
unite with the negroes and control the
cleo ions, State governments and every
thing. To aid and promote this result
ell the leading whites had been previ-
ously DISTINGUISHED. A more disbolicaI
act is not recorded in all history. III
private, many republicans now admit to
have been wrong. Much of the electoral
vote cast for Grant. Hayes and Gar
field was due to the black vote The
edict fell like curse and blight upon
the Southern country, but there Was no
escape. The hate of the conquer
ing section knew neither pity nor
remorse. Thus we came to have
negroized State governments, county
governments, city governments, judge,
aud what not, general prohigscys
license, footing, taxation amounting to
coOfscstioU, insecurity, race conhcits,
crime and disorder. Under all this
burder the South groaued. The mag
mani nous North, our so-cslled breth-
rem, looked on and laughed. They did
not make Congressman or judges OF the
educated negroes 10 their own midst
they shut the negro out OF industrial
employment; out they thought he Yves
'good enough to govern the rebels"
Why not? Could anything be too bad
for them, in tbis.world or the next? On
this line spoke and acted Grant, Gar
field, Sherman, Mckinley, Conkling,
DepeR, Foraker and the whole South
hating gang. For thirty years the
South bore this intolerable' burden Of
Oegro suffrage, and at last they have
set ABOUT to modify their State cen
5 itutions, so as to limit the evils of
negro suffrage. Mississippi was the
first State to do this, and her new con-
stitutlon, to which she is indebted 10
the wisdom and legal ability OF the de-
ceased Senator George, was roupdly
denounced by the republican orators
aud newspapers, but was upheld by the
u. 5. Supreme Court unanimously. as
being entirely consistt Mt with the fed
ersl Cons tuition. Whether the new
constitutions OF Louisiana and North
Carolina will stand this test remains to
be seen, but 1t would have been wise to
have followed the precedent OF Missis-
sippi. where, with large black MAORI.
ty. the evils OF negro rule have been
practically extiuguished. Suppose the
more ignorant blacks to be excluded