Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-23
GENERAL JOE WHEELER
ON THE NEGRO PROBLEM

was to oppose the importation Of slaves,
and upon the question OF permitting the
importation Of slaves. which meant the
continuation and extension Of slavery. the
tendency OF the shipping interests Of the
northern states was TO favor II. while the
southern states were generally against 1t.
Continuing Geperal Wheeler says:
Since the negro has been free ! believe
the people Of the north and the people OF
the south have been equally DESTROYS to
protect him in every right, and do all In
their power to elevate his condition.
Unfortunately, there was too much In
the bearing of the people Of the north to
impress the negro that he was In all re-
spects equal to the whites, and there
fore entitled to every privilege which they
enjoyed. Many people from the northern
states, actuated by mistaken philanthro-
by, encouraged this idea, while In other
cases unscrupulous white men sought to
increase their influence over these delu-
ded beings by encouraging them In the
belief Of his absolute equality, If not su-
periority. to the whites.
To these evil teachings we can trace
nearly all the turmoils, strifes and suffer-
ings OF the southern negro.
These mischief makers. some innsoently
and some Intentionally. have committed
this error.
Instead OF teaching the negro that he
must elevate himself and better his con-
dition by personal effort-by the acQuisI-
ton Of knowledge and by hard labor; In
other words, advancing his condition the
same as has been done by the white race.
much Of the teaching has been to impress
the negro that he is already equal to the
whites in every respect, and 1t is his duty
TO himself to assert this equality.
Many persons in considering the subject
seem TO have overlooked the fact that ne
groes differ very widely in intelligence. I
have seen vast numbers OF negroes in the
rice plantations of South -Garoli.e. and
Georgia that are as far below the negro
who has been raised on the upper planta-
lions as the lowest white is below the
most cultured and best educated people.
1t is probable that those writer's who
contend that the negro is incapable OF ed
ucation have this class in their minds. but
these negroes are comparatively few in
number. But even this low order OF being
would be much improved by proper moral
and intellectual training, and instruction
in the line Of their calling would make
them better and more valuable laborers,
and every one who has lived in a negro
country win realize that 1t Is the intense
ignorance OF the negro masses which en-
ables a few INSCRIPTIONS men to lead
them into acts Of violence and crime.
Then, again, there are writer's who go
to the other extreme and contend that the
negro MIND Is SuscepuDle OF the nlsnesL
culture. They most probably have seen
few OF the race, and they seem 20 have In
their minds such negroes as Booker T.
Washington, William H. Council and
Frederick Douglass.
OF course these are exceptional cases,
and no discussion concerning the negro
question would in any way apply to them.
Experience has shown that the negro
lacks initiative and the power TO lead, but
he Is initiative and can be taught to skill
fully perform certain lines Of work. and,
under the direction and control OF the
more intelligent white man, he becomes q
valuable laborer, and certainly all white
men who employ labcrers desire them to
be intelligent and skillful
It is an insult to the Caucasian race 70
say that the negroes must be kept in ig-
norance to prevent their becoming supe-
rior or even equal TO white men.
II the white men are simply given an
equal or even less than an equal chance
with the blacks, their superior Character
istics and intelligence VIII always keep
them the leaders, managers and employ
ers.
I am not as familiar with the laws Of
other states as / am with those of my
own, but I am certain that legislation
throughout the south has been very kind
and fair to the negro, and can confident
ly assert that no people In any state or
country have done more for the real ad-
vancement OF the negro than the Demo-
Gratis Of Alabama