Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-18
THE SOUTH INDICATED.

II is remarkable how opinions on the
subject of negro suffrage have changed in
the light OF the actual experiment. Many
OF those who were most enthusiastic ad-
vocates OF the acknowledgment OF the ne
gro Immediately after his emancipation
have lived 10 see and admit their mistake.
Some have gone to the extent Of declaring
that the south was right in opposing this
policy and protesting against it.
From the most unexpected quarters fire.
quently comes the confession that negro
Acknowledgement in the United States was
q great blunder from which not only the
south, but the country at large, and even
the negro himself has suffered severely.
A notable instance OF better second
thought on this subject is given by Har-
per's Weekly.
No periodical did more than this one to
create and intensity sectionalism IN the
United States. It was among the most
powerful OF the influences that arrayed the
north and the south against each other
in a state OF mind that made the civil
war inevitable. When the war was over
Harper's Weekly took its place among the
apostles and advocates OF the most dras-
tic measures Of reconstruction. Nothing
was proposed in the way OF humiliating
the south that was too severe for this or
gan OF sectional hate and revenge. It
urged the adoption AID enforcement Of
the most radical policies that were ever
proposed. or even discussed. by the Re
publican party.
Neither Thad Stevens, Ben Wade nor
Oliver p Morton ever advocated any
measure OF insult or oppression for the
south that did not receive the cordial COM
mendation of this journal Of civilization"
II was in hearty accord with the Thad
Stevens plan Of putting the under rain
on top" in the south.
In the course of time Harper's Weekly
changed its views very decidedly on some
OF the main questions that were involved
in the reconstruction scheme. The Weekly
went far under its former ownership,
which was the one that established Il and
made It famous, toward taking a position
in regard 10 the wisdom and justice Of ne
gro Suffrage directly in conflict with that
which it held during the reconstruction
era
Under its present management Harper's
Weekly has become even more pronounced
Il once contended furiously.
In recent editorial IT makes the follow
ing frank admission that the south was
right in opposing negro enfranchisement:
ITO an American citizen, having the
negro in mind, IL Is inevitable that such
an opinion should at once be read in the
light Of our post bellum legislation in
4 corporated in and based on the war
amendments, and so does Mr.. Bryce. What
/ is his verdict? That the negroes were not
ft for suffrage when IL was given them,
/ and that dispassionate Americans study
/ Ing the facts now admit that the granting
/ OF suffrage to them was a mistake. OF
/ course this IS what the southern white
man has always said, and what the
/ northern press and politicians are reluct-
antly admitting. And yet with the sad
| record OF unwise haste in comforting man
hood suffrage upon the negro in the south
and upon the Hawaiians in Hawaii. which
our country already has in its dealing
with this ticklish problem Of controlling
! unlike races by democratic forms of gov
| eminent there have been men Of repute
/ as scholars and statesmen in this country
/ during the past four years who would
| have had us repeat the method and score
| another blunder. Some day IL will be seen
/ by the dispassionate historian Of the fu-
/ ture, as he comes TO write OF the begin
nings OF a new epoch of American his
/ tory. that one Of the greatest qualities dis
played BY the American people and their
| responsible officials during the period Of
/ LEGISLATION following the Spanish-Ameri-
can war was the lesson derived from eX-
perience in the south with the negro. In
Porto Rico an executive and a council
deriving their place not from the voters,
/ but from without stand between the rep
| resentative body and the possible excuses
OF the latter. Had the southern states
/ had a similar bulwark during the recon,
struction period how different the history
| OF those commemorative would have been.
In the Philippines. by the advice Of the
civil commission. democratic government
is 70 be a growth, not a deposit; training
IN suffrage is TO begin in the lower forms
OF political structure"
Opinions like these are coming with IN