Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-04-30
TIE NEGRO QUESTION.

day, the issues OF the hour that vii
have to be met and settled by the con
itutional convention soon to assembl
in Richmond, are equal in importanc
and seriousness those which confronte,
the famous convocation OF 1861 whicl
took Virginia out of the union or th
ons 10 1867 that brought her back.
| l. was the question OF slavery tha
cbscured every issue in '6l. II was tn
same paramount crisis tDat the peopl
had to face when they met in 1867 ant
at the point OF the bayopet were com
PEELED to frame the present constitution
IL was the negro question that prevailed
In the past, and II is the negro question
that is supreme now. Like BanquG'
( ghost 1t will not down.
The action of the convention 10 thi'
| matter is pregnant with veal or woe t(
l our old commonwealth.
Senator Daniel has lifted his voice In
favor of the whites raising money to
pay for the education of the blacks
and be has championed his views with
signal ability, when such man-s
Senator-s chosen lesder--the trustt d
tribune OF tie people espouses one side
OF any public question 1t receives q
powerful support. But it Is the people
Who are the supreme afbiters and to
them address this letter.
The Senator thinks it will be unfor-
tunale If the convention provides that
he colored people shall educate their
children, and the white people be taxed
,uly for the support of the white
schools.
take issue with Senstor Daniel and
oelieve he is utterly and entirely
wrong in his deductions, and for one
am convinced that If his policy prevails
and we are to 60 on taxing the white
people to pay for the education OF the
aegro, the result will be disastrous 10
the extreme, and the good accomplished
would he nil. Let US look the question
pt inly 10 the face.
Sael, tne wnite be taxed to educate
the children Of their own race only, and
shall the negroes be taxed to educate
the children of their own race alone?
Up to forty years ago the negro was
20 closely identified with the whites,
hat their veal and their woe was ours.
Now they are thoroughly alien race,
hat dwell with Us, yet hate US, and
The breach widens day by day. We
owe them nothing, We have paid OF
the debt OF affection and gratitude due
90 faithful. loving slaves.
Furthermore, if the colored race of
today were of the same calibre, the
"cnips of the old block" of the bonds
men OF half century ago, it Is Ger.
lain hat the question of the division OF
The school fund would never arise,
even though we knew that the money
would be thrown away.
II is q patent fact that the colored
race today have all the bad traits OF
their grandsires, without any CT their
simple but grand virtues. 1t is con-
ditiop, not theory, thst confronts us,
and to the close observer it is Gle ar that
the colored people as mass have
learned to distrust the whites, as much
as their grandsires loved and honored
them, and for the white people to go
on taxing themselves for q fancied
benefit to a hostile race Is to my mind
the very sublimity OF folly, the quintes-
sence OF iackassism.
Senator Daniel says, that to make
the blacks educate their own children
would "create running sore In the
Commonwealth, that would be fruitful
Of constsnt and irrepressible agitation"
Who would agitstt? Not the whites,
and II the colored brethren can agitate
more than they do now, then 1t will be
q miracle. 10 fact they have agitated 80
much that they have utterly disgusted
the white people North, South, East
and West. You cannot pick up g paper
without reading resolutions, addresses,
arguments, appeals. invocations and
denunciatiops from the ubiquitous null
tiloquous, largilo quent, declamstory
dsrkey. He has forsaken tho camp
meeting for the rostrum. Suppose the
Poles, Italiaus, Greeks were continu-
ally holding mass meetings for the in-
Justice done their people, and uttering
yelled threats against the Aryan race,
what would be the result? ut needs no
prophet to come from the grave to tell
u.s." =.
WHY only last month in a public hall
in Washington before the wealth and
culture ~ ofthe,colored race.a noted ne i.
gro politician, Prof. Cromwell, took for
his euloey, the Hon. Nat Turner, and
carried of the honors OF the evening.
The same Nat Turner who headed the
insurrection OF slaves in Southampton
county, Virgins, in the ante belium
times, when be and bis gang killed
every man, woman and sucking babe
they came across, and his name Is re-
vered. bis memory kept green by these
American Dshomians, what commen.
tary on education. la my travels through
the South, heard but this one state.
ment from our people: mo woman 10
the country regions OF it's broad de-
mains dares 10 walk hundred yards
from her home without an escort" 10
ldis the mar-eating tiger Turks, and
the natives shudder at his name. but
our women dread far more the black
Calib an that slouc around the clear
ing, or haunts the GROCERIES of the viii