The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-02
A POLITICAL FIT
SEIZED THE NORTH
Her Negro Suffrage LegisIa-
ton From 1860 to 1871.
THF EVlI 0AYC CKETCHE0
THE EVIL DAYS SKETCHED
Prof. Cunning Handles the Subject
With Truth and Force.
POINTS TO THE CHANGE IN THE NORTH
The Opinion General That We Are Qualified to
Deal With The Negro Question. North
Carolina Leads The South in
Study of History.

To the Editor: The American Histori-
cal Association has just closed it's six
teenth annual session. The program was
one of great interest and the discussions
worthy of all consideration; because the
plans here proposed and opinions ex
pressed are not without influence on the
councils of our nation.
The American Historical Association is
composed of teachers and writer's of his
tory throughout the country-men who
are studying past politics with view
to intelligent action in present practices.
Each year these men come together for
the purpose of comparing notes and of
mutual help and stimulation. Last year
they met in Boston and this year in De-
troit Next year Washington is to be
the meeting place, and it is expected
Southern students and scholars will turn
out in large numbers. They will meet
in Richmond or Nashville If sufficient in
terest is manifested on the part of our
people. 1t is generally~ noted here that
more progress in historical studies is be-
ing made in the South than ever before.
Our schools and colleges are establishing
studies, family records are being collected
and preserved and public archives are
becoming objects of much interest. And
here it may not be out of place to say
North Carolina stands at the head Our
publication of Colonial and State Records
is justly regarded as the best of all
Southern publications of the kind and
only two States in the North have done
CO. MacSonhnGottc Vic
consin
The most interesting discussion of the
whole meeting was the one on Recon
struction today. Prof. Dunning, of Column
bia University, led in a paper showing in
an admirable way the difficulties of the
South since 1867. He said that we, as a
people. (the North we're addicted to
political fits about the middle of the CEN
fury and that the slave and negro suf-
frage legislation of Congress from 1860
to 1871 was a prolonged political fit. He
said that Southerners, too, were not wise
but indiscreet. even fanatical. His review
of Southern State legislation on the
suffrage problem fell into three parts:
l. 1867 to 1877-struggle against negro
domination and unheard-of corruption
g 1877 to 1SS9-the re gaining of the white
D6Opl6 VI lHelT IOTI1eT COnlTOl III JHelF
governments.
3. 1890 to 190O-the legal prohibition of
negro suffrage.
In the first of these epochs the South
was helpless, but showed its resentment
and determined opposition in the unlaw-
full and even outrageous Ku Klux. The
second epoch was characterized by pro-
longed and gradually successful fight
against the evils imposed on us by the
general government and their negro lieu
tenants in the South. This fight and
the many and admitted frauds at the bal
lot boxes was possible only because Con-
gress during this period was generally OPP
posed to the presidency-ex in Cleve-
lands first administration when the laws
in support of negro domination in the
South were quietly repealed. The Re-
rublicans had enough to do to maintain
themselves at the North; the South was
beginning to solve the negro problem.
The third enoch was ushered in during
Harrisnr's administration by the adop-
ton of the new Mississippi constitution.
Now men generally in the South declared
for government of white men, admins
tered by white men in the interest of all
PARTIES. Before this time the South had
rot been so bold as to come out squarely
fer such policy in direct opposition to
the fourteenth amendment of the Uni
ted States Constitution. This regular and
legal process OF negro ACKNOWLEDGMENT
has gene on till, four of the most impor-
tant Southern States have restricted
practically negro suffrage. The direct
end aggressive opposition to this new
Southern policy has been aroused in the
North and the opinion is pretty general
that The Southern people are best quail
fed to deal with its negro population-to
educate il, admit or deny it to general
suffrage.
This most interesting and we'll wrought
out paper is soon to appear in the At
lEntic Monthly, and it will have much
weight, II is thought, with those who have
the control of our public affairs.
Prof. Dunning was followed by Prof
Albert Bushnell Hart, of Harvard, who
took the old Massachusetts position and
thanked God that our statesmen of the
sixties were narrow minded, single-idea
men. He gave a vigorous justification of
the Reconstruction legislation so clearly
discussed by Prof. Dunning and was
heartily applauded, though most of the
hearers did not agree with him. Hart
admitted that the Northern people gener-
ally are disposed to leave the negro prob
lem to Southerners, but claimed it false
and even cowardly policy for the nation.
as whole, must suffer if right is not
done. a
Many other problems of great interest
to our people were discussed during these
meeting-they will appear in print during
the coming year.
The association adjourns today to meet
in Washington year hence. A warm
welcome was given the association by the
city of Detroit and the University Of
Michigan at Ann Arbor, and each dele
gate carries away pleasant recollectiens
of the great city on the lakes.
WIN. E. DODD.
Detroit, Mich, Dec. 80, 1900.