The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-04-14

/ to the full. III was easy 10 i've In the
| South. The mild climate and fertile soil,
| the abundance OF game in forest and
| stream. the bountiful supply of wild
| fruits, the accessibility of forests with
| fire wood free to all, the open handed
| generosity and universal carelessness of
| living made it possible for the average
| negro to idle away at least half his time
/ and yet live in tolerable comfort
The national government, to guard
against distress among the negroes and
/ to prevent oppression by the whites,
neither of which was at all possible, now
| established throughout the South, for the
distribution of food and clothing and the
| administration of justice between the
/ races. the Freedman's Bureau. This in
| stitution was in every respect most un-
! fortunate. 1t encouraged the negro to run
| away from his old masters corn field and
! his appeals to work in order to enjoy the
| free bounty of the Federal Government.
| knew a negro to walk one hundred miles
| in order to obtain half a bushel of corn
| meal from the bureau. In the time re-
| ouired he might have earned by labor
four and a half bushels, or nine times
what he got by begging. But the evils
| of idleness, although great, would soon
| have passed away, If the two races had
been left alone. The Southern whites
were familiar with and very tolerant Of
| the negros weaknesses and petty vices
| They looked upon him with sympathy and
| sorrow. with friendship and affection
| rather than with anger, resentment, and
| hostility. They were anxious to see him
| go to work even more diligently than in
| slavery, acquire property, and improve his
| moral and physical condition. The races
| still remained very close together in their
daily lives, interests and affections. They
might have worked out a future along
lines far different from those they are
now following. 1t was decreed otherwise
by Fate.
The bestowal of political rights upon
the negro, the disfranchisement Of almost
every prominent white man in the South,
the migration from the North of political
carpet baggers and their manipulation oil
Il the negro vote, the Civil Rights Bill, the
Force Bill, the zeal of educational and
religious missionaries most of whom
preached and practiced the social and
civil equality of the races; in short, the
dark dismal and awful night Of Recon
struction, following swift upon the storm
of Civil War with its unparalleled de-
struction of life and property. now threat
ened the very foundations of civilization
in all the Southern States. The bonds
/, between the races were broken at last.
The negro neither made nor endorsed all
the demands that were made in his be-
half He knew they were impossible
Still he was profoundly Influenced by
them In slavery he was like an animal
| in harness, we'll trained, gentle, and al
fectionate; IN early freedom the harness
was off. but still the habit of obedience
and the force of affection endured and
| prevented a runaway. In Reconstruction
| came a consciousness of being unhar-
messed, unhitched, unbridled and unre-
| strained The widest eXcesses followed
, The machinery Of government was seized
, in every Southern State by men recently
! slaves, now guided by political adven-
turers Southern halls of legislation ones
glorified by the eloquence of Patricf
, Henry. the wisdom of Marshall, or the
: patriotism of Washington now resoundet
with the drunken snorings or the un'
meaning gibberish OF Cuffee and Sambo
: Negro strumpets in silks and satins lee
wild orgies at inaugural balls in marble
halls that blushed and closed their eyes
> "IJncle Tom and Aunt Susan" were nov
entirely vanished The family cook nov
= demanded to be known as Mrs. Jack
/
guerite. l know an unmarried negress
about twenty-five years of age, the mothe
= of three illegitimate children, who re
1 ouires her own children to call her on al
occasions, Miss Mary 1t was not ;
| time for the learning of new trades b,
the emancipated race 1t was not tim
c for new industries, or increased efhcienc
4 of labor The negro was intoxicated wit
:, | the license of freedom the North wa
q | blinded by sentimentality and the pas
), sions of war; the South was fighting TO
. | civilization and existence. 1t is all owe
now. / forbear to characterize it further
!. Some day the historian, the poet, tn
, painter. the dramatist will picture Re
. construction and will make the saddles
= | picture in the annals of the English
: speaking race.
But Reconstruction is ended at last. Fo
! the first time since 1870 the Nationa
a House Of Representatives contains not
+ single negro.
For the first time in our history tn
~ American negro is almost friendless Tn
" North, tired of negro politicians and negr
h beggars, is beginning to say: I'VE haV
!, helped the negro enough; let him no
= help himself and work out his own sal
! walton. The South worn out with strii
l., over the negro ana supporting WIN Oil
) fcuIty it's awful burden of negro ignc
! rance. ineffcicncy and criminality is be
ginning to ask whether the race is Teall
~ capable of development, or is curse an
70 a hindrance in the way of Southern pros
J. ress and civilization.
m The two races are drifting apart. The
G. were closer together in slavery than the
IN have been since Old time sympathie
Id friendships and affections created by tT
70 centuries of slavery, are rapidly passir
Mt away. single generation of freedom hi
I'd almost destroyed them. Unless chang
m is made. coming generations will be sci
s. arated by active hatred and hostility. I'll
er condition of the negro is indeed pitifu
n ! and his prospects for the future are dal
on and gloomy. There is no solution Of Il
nv problem unless it is dealt with from q
x standpoint of reason and experience, witt
he out prejudice or fanaticism.
lv The negro is a child race. If isolate
nd from the world and left to himself
might grow into manhood along separa
sc lines and develop a negro civilization
by but in the United States such isolate
I'M and such development are quito impo
as sible. The negro here is bound to