The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-21
DIR. ABBOTT NOT LOOKING
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY.

been written about no little because Of
his brief visit to the south, his observa-
tons, his opinion, and his change Of
front. h DIR. Abbott certainly learn
ed something by that trip of inspec-
ton. The able and saucy Presbyterian
yeekly at Charlotte, The Standard,
says. and it is very suggestive reading:
1T almost make one smile to read
n story Of the conversion Of Lyman
Abbott to the truth of the southern
position on the race problem His
magaZin was one OF the few to take a
reasonable view of the Wilmington
revolution and We had the honor to
seld him the true account of that pivo-
tai event IN our southern history. The
Brooklyn Eagle traces to that event the
whole movement Of disfranchisem ent
th1t has been accomplished in the south
since. and more especially the acquies-
cerce OF the north in its results. The
his legal authority in a municipality,
- with all the forces of local government
in his hands, not only proved himself
unable to preserve order or to prevent
crime, but unable to hold or to prevent
1T against the numerical minority of
white men who simply seized the feins
of government n restored the reign
of law. There is not a more significant
trend in u public life today than the
revolution of sentiment hat has been
accomplished in the north"
Abbott has become more frank in
speech and less bitter n narrow in
his views as to the south. He still with
bad breeding writes of rebellion
against the national government"
which historically, is the biggest, most
senseless lie in manufactured north
ern history, and he tells hat af-
ter the war the south talked Of
substituting negro "serfdom" for
negro slavery" This is a monstrous
invention. We do not believe any such
view or purpose was ever heard of in
or any where but in a foul, ~slanderous
northern journal or newspaper. Abb
bolt admits the folly and failure of
what the north did, but only after thir-
ty-six years of experience and oppor-
tunity for knowing the truth In the
New York outlook he writes:
<'Thus on the one hand the north
showed a strange n extraordinary
confidence in the black race, and a not
so strange but equally marked distrust
of the white race.
But the confidence and distrust have
proved alike erroneous. 1t is not
necessary for me to trace here the re-
suits of the carpet-bag rule in the
south, growing out of negro domina-
-tioc. The facts are fresh in the recol-
lection of most of us. The page is a
dark. even a terrible one and there is
little Inclination on the part of any of
us to re-read it. Under that govern
ment of ignorance, incompetence and
corruption the fundamental function
of government was not fulfilled; per-
sons Were not protected, property was
not protected, the family was not pro-
tected, reputation was not protected.
The ends of government were for the
time lost sight Of: the object OF "
eminent was not accomplished.
After all the miscarriage n unmit-
ieated deviltry and folly, it is better
late than never to see the great wrong
and to make full admission ABBOTT
finds the southern traitors all right
neither false ncr cruel. He admits that
while the north did much to help the
freed negroes, it was a mere bagatelle,
a paltry nothingness-"insignificant in
comparison are his words, with the
record which the south has made by
its gifts TO southern education. Forty
million dollars a yea Marion L. Daw-
son tells us in the last number OF the
North American Review, are spent py
the southern states for education; one
thirtieth of it contributed by the ne
rroes nearly one-half OF it given to
the negroes. A community of ex-slave-
holders whose slave system compelled
the keeping OF their slaves in 1gnor-
arce, have suddenly reversed all tnelr
precedent history, and out Of their
poverty have contributed with
pied largeness of generosity Tor the
education of those whom. a little while
before if was a penal offense to in
str,ct. We may search the pages of
human history in vain for a parallel
Now VIA this northern clergyman
and editor is telling is just what the
Messenger has presented to its readers
a dozen or fifty times it may be, ana
so have all the organS OF Intelligence
in the south. We repeat, he north
learns very slow and makes amends In
proportion. We give n more extract
from him. He has more ense, a keener
insight and more candor than many
Others in his great section;
cit is a mistake to suppose hat ev-
ery man has a right to vote In any
aarno,,nitv Tt is a still greater mis-
take to suppose that a people who have
never learned how to govern themselves
can suddenly, by an act of congress, be
empowered with capacity to govern d
great republic. This was u mlstake-
Forced nnon us. indeed, by alternatives
that might have brought US into equaI
disaster had we followed them; put
none the less a real n serious mis-,
take; a mistake on which perhaps =
should not lay stress now, were lneiI me-
not many who are urging us TO Iaii
.intosthe same mistake in new cohui-
lions and under new circumstances.
In a. telegram to The Atlanta consti-
tuition w. J.. Bryan denies that ne as
afiliated with the new party movement