The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-08-10

the spirit In which clVlllZed States
are preparing to meet those problems
is higher and purer than it was when,
four centuries ago, great outward
movement Of the European nations
began"
In this I find the philesr phic and
the Christian spirit. D:aling with a
secular process. how weak and spirit!ess
is our anxiety, our discourageuent, or
our despair, because in less than Tour
decades our peculiar problem here IN
the United States is still open and un-
solved. How poor and shallow the IN
sight that fails to take note OF tne es,
sential factors Of the problem and
! beats aimless about in the factuouS ex-
oectation that secular problem will
Weld to treatment which is not found
ed BON calm study Of all the essential
conditions, or which is swayed by the
miserable exigencies Of temporary per.
sonal and political ambitions and de-
SireS!
!, for one, can have no controversy
with anyone who does come to the con-
sideration Of this problem in the Uni,
ted States in what I call
TIE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT.
II anything is clear to me it is that
we owe duties, high and solemn duties,
to the negro race in our country. l
trust that / am not unduly sentiment
al in my sympathy and election toI
that race. Their lot at best is hard
one. Heaven forbid that should ado
to it's burdens. Still more do | trust
that I am not forgetful that if Chris
tianity, il religion, teaches any great
and universal lesson it is that we are
bond-and the more bound as the dis.
tance between our race and that race
seems wider and wider in respect OF
education or original capacity or pres
ent moral OF physical condition--to
feel and set constantly in the spirit OF
a. genuine belief in the brotherhood OF
ali men and the common fatherhood OF
Cod. Contempt or neglect or hatred TO-
wards the negro can have no place in
q Christian mans heart or conduct.
How to treat him for his own best
good, BY what influences to elevate
him, by what arts to inspire the race
with ambition to become good men
and women and hence good citizens,
how to obliterate all differences except
such as are ineradicable, how to exhi
bit towards him and teach others, all
men, how to exhibit towards him, the
virtues OF justice, forbearance, sympa-
thy, helpfulness; these are the certain
and ndiSputable claims Of our COM
mou humanity. In my thinking, speak
ing and writing on this theme l try to
carry such thoughts In my mind and
heart at all times. It is the least OF
my misgivings that may be charged
with inconsistency. hope l am some
what wiser on al subjects-this among
the restrthan I was thirty or forty
years ago.
Regarding our negro problem in this
spirit, find myself forced by my
EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATION
to say that perhaps our first practical
aim should be to undo, so far as posi-
BILE, what ne have heretofore done for
the negro since his emancipation;
namely, the inspiring in him the hope
OF dream Of sharing with the white
race here a social or political equality;
for whoever will lay aside wishes and
fancies and look only at realities will
see that these things are impossible
ties within any measurable range OF
time, il ever. assume as certainty
that what you call 1.-THE blending Of
races" by intermarriage, cannot take
place between the negro and the white
race Of this country. I go further and
say that such intermixture Is as un-
desirable as it is impossible. It would
be the degradation Of the white race,
but not the elevation OF the negro
race. In your Romanes lecture, after
discussing the method Of fusion OF
two races into one through intermar-
rage" you remark that this method
is not always applicable. Were physi-
cal repulsion, usually grounded on dif-
ference Of color, exists, sometimes
where sentimental repulsion ground
ed on difference Of faith, exists, the
two races will not mix their blood, but
remain confronting one another as dis
tinct and unfriendly bodies::" and you
point out the inevitable results OF this
attitude on your pages 29-39, pages
which I wish al our people might
read.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO DENY
the fact and the verify Of the exist
ence Of this physical repulsion on the
part of the white race here towards
our negro race. have some eminent
and wise acquaintances who regard the
assertion Of such replusion as pre-
tence. suppose each idiVidual on this
point must be allowed to speak for
himself. Speaking for myself 1 freely
acknowledge the repulsioa; and speak
ing from my observation OF others I
feel no doubt that this repulsion may
be truly described as a natural and
well-nigh universal feeling, feeling
so deeply implanted, so strongly felt
by the vast majority Of the white race
here that it is simply quixotic to at
tempt to preach it down or to essen
TALLY lessen its force. 1t is, therefore,
8 fact to be reckoned with, not
denied or overlooked.
Starting with this fact, we find next
that a tremendous effort has been made
here to establish political equality be-
tween the two races, an effort which
resulted directly in shocking and un-
bearabie misgoyernment wherever the
negro race predominated. This in turn
inevitably aroused the fierce antagon-
ism and hate Of the white race. n the
desperate struggle OF the white race to
throw Of it's political bondage to the
negro, violence and fraud in their
many forms resulted. The triumph Of