The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-13


presidents, congresses and public senti-
ment to enforce them-it is useless to en-
act other guarantees and penalties, the eff
ficacy of which equally depends upon the
courts, presidents, congresses and public
sentiment and which, therefore, would be
equally futile with those at present exist
ing. So also l deny that 'foreign-bor
voters of the North >. are the pc
culiar strength of the Democratic party >"
l prefer, however. to deal with the
substance of the topic of which you would
provoke discussion. l believe profound
ly in Democratic self-government; and I
make no exception against negroes or
Filipinos or any race or country which
has shown any capacity for any degree of
orderly administration. / have always
hated, and l hate now more than ever,
human slavery whether of white men or
black or yellow or brown. L abhor the
suggestion recently made by a distin-
guished Northern clergyman and approved
by distinguished Northern newspaper
which has warmly supported President
Roosevelt that system of governmental
the negroes at the South as upon an
inferior race. abhor peonage and would
have every enginery of our governments,
State and Federal applied to punish and
prevent it. / honor the citizens OF Ala
bama who, as prosecutors, judges and
jurors, have punished it in that State,
and the great majority of white citizens
there who have supported them in their
execution of the law. In my opinion,
there rests upon the President no duty
more imperative than to enforce the Thir-
teenth amendment and the legislation en-
acted under it. For the amendment can
be practically enforced.
None the less | should regard it as cal
amitous to the American nation, and
above all, calamtous to the American ne
gro if the North were to undertake,
through the Federal government, to force
upon the South the right of the negro
to vote, or to make a political issue of
that right. The undertaking means the
use of physical force Can anything be
palmer than this? In the Giles case the
Supreme Court declared that it would
not enforce the right because the physical
ability of courts was insufficient. The
condition of public sentiment being what
it is at the, South, the court would have
to enter every election district and un
dertake the supervision of every election.
Nor is this more than saying that judicial
writs are futile to compel the white raceI
in South Carolina or Mississippi to turn
over the government of themselves and
their State to the black race. No power
can make Roadway with such an under
taking. Only under military law could It'll
attain even nominal success, if even
that be attainable. Our generation re-
members that Northern army did estab-
lish and maintain in the South carpet
bag governments, with their Infamies
and lapses towards barbarianism. If an
other Northern army were to renew the
undertaking, we would have the same re-
suit.
For the problem, it is plain to the last
degree, is not one of Democratic selt-gov-
eminent l would, if l could, have blacks
govern themselves. Therefore it is thatl
hate the imperialistic scheme carried
out by the Republican party in the Phil
lppines. But in commemorative where
whites and blacks although races pro-
foundly distinct from one another never
theless live together l should be sorry IN
deed to have the government controlled by
the blacks. The whites OF no Northern
States would voluntarily submit to negro
government. Even if negroes be IN ma
jority, is it not idle to expect South !
crn States in this respect to do what
Northern States would not do? If inI
Southern States the refusal of white men
to be governed by black men means that
black men are to be governed by white
men and against the consent OF the black
men, 1 dislike the result as calamity
to both races, perhaps the worst OF all
the calamities born of the inlqultous slave
trade. Whatever however, be our grief
at difficulties or inconsistencies, Whatever
be their practical evils, 1t is IDLE TO ignore
the vast radical difference between whites
and blacks or the vast superiority OF
the white race. So it is idle to discuss
whether white superiority be essentially
and permanently Unborn, or whether it
represent achievements of relatively short
time which the black race may likewise, |
and in as short time, accomplish In
spite of many exceptions honorable 10 tne
black race and dishonorable 10 the Whlte
race, the fact of the racial dllIerehce ana
of the white superiority is, Tor our gen
Grafton and for generations to come open
to no doubt whatever. THESE exceptions
Go not make the rule. The really great
relative progress of the negro since MS
escape from slavery does not alter tne lact'
The problem in the Soutn 10 uhique'
There we have two races dwelling together
in oloeost industrial relation, city and
country alike-races not far from numeric-
ally equal-races of when one on 'iie
average is very superior 10 tne o'nei' puV'
nevertheless, both races ehti'ieu GU ooo
loot 70 = Io1oI theory Of perfect and Demo
cratic nolitical equality. No like problem
ovists ~ 49,, Northern State or IN any
Democraticajv governed community Of
which 7 Know If on the one hand, negroes
be systematically excluded from the fran
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