The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17

From the Baltimore Sun.
Mr.. Archibald r. Colquhoun is an Eng
nshman. who since 1871, has held impor-
tant positions under the British govern
ment in India, China, and Africa. He Is
an explorer and author or distinction,
and his observations and reflections, as
set forth in the many volumes which he
has written about his travels In almost
every quarter of the globe, indicate that
he is a man of well-balanoed Judgment
In the current number of the North
American Review Mr.. Colquhoun writes
informingly on "The Future of the Ne
gro" What he has to say on the sub
ject can be read with profit by those
philanthropists in the north, whose in
terest In the race problem has been sud
denly revived. but whose knowledge Of
the brother-in-black is still largely the
oretical.
A few days ago an English clergyman,
in a speech at Hampton, Va, asserted
bluntly that social as well as political
equality was the basis on which the race
problem should be solved. It is scarcely
necessary to state that his remarks were
received WITH lTeeAlnB, II IoA tohlShfh7
Gus, silence by the distinguished south
erners who were among his auditors.
The speaker was a representative of the
Exeter Hall doctrinaires In England.
There was q time, not long past, when
| the Exeter Hall contingent exercised
| considerable influence on public opinion
in Great Britain. Its influence has de-
parted, however, and, as the London
| Telegraph stated In a recent article, no
| I'm 1tah
ance now to what Exeter Hall thinks on
any subject John Bull has a negro
| problem of his own to solve In Africa,
! and he Is not attempting solution along
the lines of social and political equality.
| Mr. Colquhoun, who has lately visited
| the United States and studied the negro
at close range, finds the race problem "a
black cloud hanging on the horizon or
| Americas brilliant future" The negro
population In 1900, the last census year.
was $50, 7s9, In a total population of &c.
| 800, 387 In 1790 the total negro element
wws one-fifth OF the whole population
| while now 1t is only one-ninth. But the
natural incr sase Of the two races Is
about equal, and the relative decline OF
the negro element is due to foreign white
immigration. The figures show, in Mr..
Colquhoun's opinion, that the negro race
is not by any means dying out, but, that
on the contrary, its increase Is steady.
Is the race progressing? Plainly not, In
the view of the practical English OBJ
server. while the bulk of the nation
moves forward this eight million OF ne
groes," he asserts, remains practically
stationary; the great mass is, indeed, re-
ceding In many respects. The gul1
widens day by day, and is Infinitely
wider now than In slavery days" Under
the discipline of slavery the negro made
distinct progress" Mr.. Colquhoun con-
cedes this, although he does not approve
the system under which the negro was
held as a slave. How many of the mill
lions who have read Uncle Toms Cab
| In" he asks, have ever reflected what
that venerable man would have been like
| IL he had been living out OF slavery on
his native African swamp"
| Mr. Colquhoun is convinced that the
negro lost during the period of recon-
struction far more than he gained. from
| the point of view Of character develop
ment" This he regards as inevitable
| whenever a strong people puts In the
| hands of a weak one weapons which the
latter do not understand, and can only
| WELD with danger to themselves. North
ern benevolence opened the gates of
| higher education TO the negro. Such ed
| ucation being purely literary, was Mr..
Colquhoun declares, quite unsuited for
the negro" Reviewing In detail the diff
| ferent ways In which the new forces
| operated, the English writer concludes
that, taken as a whole the southern ne
| groes are further from, Instead of near
err to, the ideals Of American citizenship.
In the south they are segregating In the
black belt, while in the border states
they are crowdng into the larger cities.
In both parts they congregate In dis
tricts, where too often are reproduced the
worst features of the old slave quarter.
without its wholesome restraint and SUI
pervision." The result is that "the ne
gro character shows distinct signs of
retrogression. and that the relations be-
tween the white and the black races are
far less satisfactory" Left to his own
device, the negro, as has been shown in
the case of Haiti and Liberia, will revert
to a condition almost of savagery.
Wholesale deportation is impracticable,
and mastery inactivity is not to be
considered, In view of the retrogression
which would follow What. then is the
remedy? How is the negro problem to
be solved?
Mr.. Colquhoun answers these questions
with one "disclpline;" or, as he
Celebrates the proposition further on,
1.-THE one thing needed is the element
which, triumphing over the evils of the
| slave system, was working out the saliva
| ton of the negro against his will" Let
| the fact be acknowledged by both races"
he urges, that the negro belongs to a
| different plane to the Anglo-Saxon. that
he is inferior mentally and morally. The
fusion, social or otherwise, OF the two