The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-17
Must the Races Separator

p u = : NJ -
Editor OF Tho Tirnes-Dispatch.
The profound interest which every lover
Of his country feels in the destiny Of the
negro race In tho United States 10 the
apology OF your correspond ent FOR breach.
inx the subject again after a previous ar.
tic!e In your paper. and though we must
presuppose lapses OF long periods Of time
| lin its consideration, this should not
| prevent us from trying to renlize what
lis before us and, SO fur AZ may be-, pro-
vide for tho future. s8
The ultimate separation Of the races
upon a mutually advantageous basis. 90
| Tar as we can see Is the only satsfao-
tory solution OF the problem. and to pro-
| pose plan for this purpose the present
article Is written. q
When the partition OF Africa among
| the European powers took place. after
| Stanley y wonderful exploration OF Y the.
| Valley OF the Congo, and When this val
ley was assigned to company. OF which
| the King Of Belgium was the head, TN
der the name OF the Congo Free State,
I{little interest was then felt In the trans
action BY the people OF our country.
{As shown by the maps this territory
comprises an area about equal to oil Of
the United States lying east Of the Mis-
i s1ssippi; 1t Is unHur passed In the fertili-5
ty Of it's soil. the valuo Of It's forests and
| the extent Of It's grazing region. over
which roam coun tless numbers u OF her
biverous animals OF every descriptio
| The inhabitants are OF a docile. aniaoleS
| disposition, entirely different from the
fierce, wariike tribes OF South Africa and
ithese are the people from whom all
! the negroes in the United States are de-
| scended The various tribes used to make
war upon each other to get captives to
sell to the slave ships. to be brought to
America, and they are to-day no further
advanced In ciYilizatton than they were
| then: but they would make val liable la
borers In the development OF that couli-t
lftry under civilized direction !.
For thousands OF miles the Congo ana
Its tributaries are navgable, flowing
| through an elevated table land I, un IL, up
On approaching the coast their waters
dash down to the sea in series Of
! 5falls and rapids.
| Three or four years ago the Il Belgium
company completed the railroad from
the coast to the head OF the rapids ana
introduced Il steam navigation and trad
Ing ports on the river The enterprise
Il Of a purely business character. but
| tia success seems to be not yet estao-
&1ahed Band Tho King Is said to have
lost a good deal OF money by It 80 far'3l
Now. let the United States buy out
this company. Send Booker w ASH
! there as Governor General Make g law
that none but Afro Americans shall1 DC DC
/ q npolnted to office; guarantee security
from rnolestation by European po wers;
mn Ia liberal assignments Of land to set.
i tlara53and let them work out their own VT
4 destiny. 55s h; ssz... y, !, 4, "a
c,,lty Of emigration on such scale, look
i al what Il has occurred IN the, " OnAteu
j states, though previous to 9 ilttle more
i than fifty years ago only sailing 3Yessei ,
existed. Emigrants could now en- o - IS
| from an American port with their "a m
m !, ~ and effects ana travel every foot
- the way to a plantation in the heart
!. of Africa by steam In much less y time
thon Il nsed to take to go from shing-
ton to New Orleans.
i q There are many Afro-America who
4 have ABUNDANT capital training and
brains to succeed there as planters mer-
chants or professional men, taking. WITH WI
| them such men as they may need an ana
/ opening the way for settlers OF lesser
means. t {}t ss HI a $si8s r.
I. There is no reason why the negro ra CO.
IN course OF time, should not reach a De-
/ gree Of civilization equal to that OF any
| other, and the circumstances under W hich
their Immigration would be surrounded
would be highly conducive to that end
When the better class In this country
realize that there is no future for their
descendants here, and a great future
awaiting then, in Africa, they will not DO
/ slow in making their choice, and the
| foundations OF the new colony would be
! laid with this class OF men--Inen who
| would have the means and the ability
| to employ large numbers OF the natives
md work plan tations OF sugar, rice. cot.
] ton and tobacco on n profitable scale,
secured in their rights 4 OF person and&
property by laws given them and en-
forced by the United States. until they
can govern themselves. $l{fl II
Such an outlet would work wonders
with the race in this country; industry
thrift ana the acquisition Of knowledge
would then have definite object, and
we would hear no more Of vain lonEings
for social and political equality here.
| The friendship which once existed be-
| tween tho races n the South would re-
turn and the white race, both North and
South, would help them in every way
In their power to build up n new empire
in their fatherland,
There would be no danger OF sud
den depletion OF the labor supply In the
| South, for this emigration would, neces-
/ sarily, be graded. and vacancies would
be moro than filled from other sources.
The presence OF the negro has heretofore
! been the great repellant to nm incoming
of white settlers, but with the prospect Of