The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-04-13
NEGRO QUESTION A PROBLEM
TO BE SOLVED BY EVOLUTION

Chicago, April 9.L(Specal) AT the an
1ual banquet of the Hamilton Club tonight
the principal address was delivered by
Henry Watterson, of Kentucky Mr..
Natterson spoke on Peace Between the
sections He dealt with the race prob
EN-, and this address made a deep i'm
fression on his hearers, who were mostly
republicans
Ar. Watterson said in part:
I want to talk to YOU tonight. not as
democrat to republicans but an
American to Americans. l have always
'eslsted and resented the idea that party
mes are lines of battle: that party is
sues are proclamations of war. Our
government rests upon the theory that
Ne are equal shareholders in a common
property Touching the administration
of this property there will always exist
honest differences of opinion. Good
citizenship imposes upon each of us the
iuty of entertaining his own convictions
md of living up to them; but he becomes
title other than a bigot who thinks more
u himself on this account, and loves his
leishhor less. because that neighbor, eS
trcising the same right, does the same
hing.
A Very Fairy Tale.
The 18th of April 1861 Sumter fell
The 9th of April. 1865, Lee surrendered.
The four years intervening between those
iates. marking the beginning and the
md of the most momentous struggle Of
modern times. witnessed such an out
pouring of blood and treasure, such dis
plays of courage and endurance. such
sacrifices for opinions sake as stagger
human credulity and heggar alike the
bowers of computatio and recapitula-
ion. Never in any preceding war was
here so little of public wrong, so much
u private generosity; nor ever were the
-eSultS of any war so complete and flnat
Elsewhere upon the surface of the earth
races may vet be seem sometimes Yet
lurking in the hearts of men sensibiil-
lies may be found, of strifes, religious
n racial. Internal ional or civil, one, two
and three centuries agone; In America
1ot vestige except what springs from
associated charities and reciprocal min
STATIONS Of patriotism and beneVolence
Northern men and women mark and
decorate the last resting place of south
arn soldiers who died in federal prisons
confederate officers sit in both houses OF
congress and upon the bench of the
national judiciary, and have repeatedly
served in presidential cabinets and repre-
scented the country abroad. At least two
confederate generals wear the uniform
Of the United States army. glad to be as
SIlFu mat ttle nag NAitu NdNtt oNFi
their cradles shall wave over their
graves. The chief magistrate Of the
Emitted States is half southerner and all
rebel: God bless him. and may the
Lord keep MIN in the path of wisdom and
yirtuei Already over the hreside of
many a homo hang the swords Of the
grandfather who wore the blue and the
grandfather who wore the gray. placed
there by pious hands IS priceless memo
rails of love and valor, crossed at last in
the everlasting peace of reunited
family.
All of Us Are Yankees.
The better TO illustrate the situation
lei me relate an incident that happened
IN Tennessee toward the close of the war.
The union General Lovell Rousseau, of
Kentucky. found himself encamped on
the farm of Meredith Gentry a famous
orator of the old Whig party. Gentry had
been Rousseau's ne-leader. his political
idol whig of wings a unionist Of union
lists: but. wallowed by the movements
of the time he had allowed his district
early in 1862 to elect him to the confed-
crate congress. He went TO Richmond,
found himself out of place there. did not
like it. and returned home. where, among
his books. under his vine and fig tree. he
awaited the inevitable. Rousseau, his
heart oVcrlGWing with unQuenched affec-
lion. thought he would have bit of fun
with his friend. He caused a feast 10 be
prepared invited all the good fellows
he could reach and sent file of soldiers,
with a sergeant and an order OF arrest
to fetch Gentry into camp. 1t was all
real to the imaginary captive. Brought
into the presence Of the federal general.
and what appeared to be drum-head
courtmartial the old statesman drew
himself to his full height and in sonOr-
Gus but broken tones he said: General
Rousseau. Eou know that | loved tne
union, Upon the affairs Of the union /
poured out the dearest aspirations OF my
in 1..4
vice Finally. the stern wheel steamboat
'SecesSion'' came along. | saw first one
noighbor then another neighhor get
aboard and when all were aboard eX-
the gang plank I cried; Hold on,
hent'' wa
i Glanced 10 be in Europe little
while after the war Such tti1ing dis
tinctions federal and confederate We're
unknown. All Of us were yankees. Then
md there took bee line in the direction
of the bunting. and have been smuggling
beneath its folds from that day to this
I lid not believe in slavery dld NOT
believe in secession. Heavens if had!
But what is the use Specializing about in
rouiectural possibilities? The doctrine Of
eeressiOn. did not originate al the south,
but at the north: it was not the south
that brought the negro from Africa, but
the north. In the very beginning the
seeds Of dissolution We're soWn. The
makers Of the constitution left the exact
relations of The federal government to the
states and f the states to the federal
government open 10 a double construC-
tion In claiming thence the right to Sc
code Yancey followed after Pickering,
jefferson Davis after Cfouvencur Morris
Curjously enough this right Of secession.
such as il may be stands yet in the CON
stitution unchallenged and unabridged.
You said by act of congress that the black
man should he a white man. You confis-
Gated the debts and the money Of the
rconfedcracy. But YOU left in the consti-
tuition that fatal double construction to
which. along with slavery. we owed all
our trouble and there 1t is today 50
hat if want TO take Kentucky and so
a1t ot the union there is no statute to
inder me and though you may ma Ike 1t
uncomfortable for me. you cannot flnd
lie law to hang me for treason. beg
lat Won will not be disturbed. I am not
ling 10 DO it.
The Folly of Recrimination.
i know that there are many northern
.tesn.en. conscientious and learned.
. cannot assent to this view They do
think 1t best to accept so Light an
mate of what they regard as a great
ne BIT why not? Recalling Burke $
orisn touching his inability to draft
= n Indictment of an entire people-eVen
knn,ugh the subjects of kinb-how many
millions Of free men be crimnally ar
1ed by twenty millions of their fell
-tizens because of the consequences
honest difference of constitutional
ton. embracing some Of the fore
lists. some Of the purest patriots.
.ah Quincy and John G. Calhoun
der H. stephens and Salmon p.