The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-12-17
correspondence.
ABOUT NEGRO COLONIZATION AND SOME
OTHER MATTERS.

So a Rip Van Wrinkle has walked
up and I'm glad of it, and also glad
that what 1 wrote about free schools
did that much goOC at least. l note
the faot that DIR FOard's excellent
article graUples with the most seri
Gus problem nov confronting the
United States and advances a great
propositi1n TO solve it, and at the
same time accepts my suggested
plan to give nine months free
schools In North Carolina every year.
The doctor, in his jolly way, pays
me a pedigree compliment and then
doctor hke-applies a small blister,
noting that | am ''short" on the No
gro question. As TO the former, l
only ask a small bench like the little
girl at the foot of the GLASS, and in
her spirit humbly say "pretty is who
pretty does"
Relating 30 the latter, I may e.
plain shat in 1851, being a Virginian,
and in that part which remained in
the Union, l rose up from choice and
from principle in the ranks of those
who saved the Union and in doing so
freed she negro. In this / am proud
of my self-chosen, straight and de-
termined, record. When Appomatt *
was reached l quit fighting and after
wards first commenced my voting
outside of the Republican party,
when l saw it unloading the former
slaves that had been freed by the
government On an impoverished
South, both to educate them and to
fix their future state as a people en-
joying equal liberty as ourselves L
believed, and said, that both should
be undertaken by the government
and refused TO put money in the
COLLECTION box" of my-then-
Pres 10y terrain Church TO educate
the freedmen" because 1 Sd believed.
thought so then. think so yet t;
nor do l beieve it has yet ceased TO
be the governments duty.
When writing my sheep articles
for The PROGRESSIVE FARMER / ex-
pected 80 do so without becoming
entangled in any subject but that OF
sheep. Being an enthusiast for free
schools, whIch is a natural enemy TO
the poison of anarchy, l ventured an
article in she puolic press and now 1
am ali as once tangled up / n the
subtle coils of h negro problem, ,"
and linked horns with one among
the OLD North State s honorable and
best tralned thinkers and writer's. l
may hardly expect anything but to
be tossed out of the ring. Never
theless, If the doctor does not CON
tinue 30 stand under the flag of truce
for nine months free schools, we
shall surely have a conflict.
Now 80 show that l am in earnest
and sincerely ready for action on the
free soho i quesbl N l Will accept mis-
emancipation d as an amendment
and Will go him one better, to-wit /:
take up the question and advocate
United states Government pensions
for the Confederate soldiery-yes,
for h very men who fought me
during the war.
The whole matter will constitute d
forward step In progressive human
ity commensurate with the demands
of advanced civilization and in har-
mony with Il fundamental principle
of Christianity which is love for one
another. Is is true that is involves
the idea of transporting the negro
race 80 another country, but it is
not TO be done in anger nor with a
purpose 80 help Ourself as a nation
any more than 20 help him as a
nation, but in Justice TO him as we'll
rs TO ourselves.
Cover is up as we may, we are con
fronted with a problem that must
yet be solved. The negro has NOS
only increased in numbers, but his
humanity has become enlarged by
education and wealth. The environ
ments that limited his condition
twenty-five years ago no longer sat
isfy him. I am willing 80 say it is
not his impudenoe, his malice nor
his revenge, but the demands of the
better part of his race for more room
in the world. Is is intelligence hon
estly asserting itself. The principle
that says knowledge is power" IS
as true OF the negro as Of the eau.
casian.
No one will deny that the United
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