Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-05-16
NEGRO PROBLEM IN AsERIcA.
A Ray Of Light from tho Dark Continent
The Two Races Cannot Exist Side by Side.

fCharies Francis Adams in Century Mag
azine.
Finally, as to the African in Ame-
RIGA. What CLEAN of supposable
light does brief visit to the White
Nile throw on our home problem ?
A good deal-perhaps! In the first
place, looking about me among Afri-
cans in Africa-far removed from
that American environment to which
/ have been accustomed--the scales
fell from my eyes. I fouL ] myself
most impressed by realizing sense
of the appalling amean. Of error and
cant in which we of the United
States have INDUCED on this topic.
We have actually wallowed in bog
of self-sufiioient ignorance-especial-
ly we philanthropists and theorists
of New England. We do so still.
Having eyes, we will not see. Even
now we not infrequently hear the
successor to the abolitioniet and hu.
manitarian of the ante civil war pc
riod-the "Uncle Tom" period-an-
nounce that the difference between
the white man and the black man is
much less considerable than is ordi-
narily supposed, and that the only
real obstacle in the negro's way is
that "He has never been given a
chanoe!" For myself, after visiting
the black man in his own house, 1
come back with decided impression
that this is
THE sHEEREsT OF DELUsIoNs,
due to pure ignorance of rudiment-
ary facts; yet we built upon it in
Reconstruction days as upon foun-
dation stone-a self-evident truth |!
Let those who indulge in such theo-
ries go to the Soudan, and pass a
week at Omduram. That place
marks in commerce, in letters and in
art, in science and architecture, the
highest point of development yet
reachs ed by any African race. AS
already suggested, the difference he
tween Omduram and London about
measures the difference between the
black and white. Indisputably great,
that it admits of measurement is
questionable.
So far as l am advised, the Sou
danese are the finest race of the
whole African species. Physically
they are tall, as whole we'll formed,
and, in their savage way, they are
indisputably courageous. Yet in
them not the slightest Inherent
power of development has as yet
come to the surface. Baker, after
living amongst them for years, calls
attention to the striking elementary
fact that, since the beginning of time
to the day that now is, they have
neither domesticated the elephant
nor invented pottery. AS respects
pottery the Chinese, for instance,
were Gas civilized as they are at the
present day when the English were
barbarians =" the Hindoos domesti-
Gated the elephant at period now
beyond the memory of man. To-
day the African uses the gourd, and
kills the elephant for his ivory
BAKERS EVIDENCE.
Baker was a rough, typical John
Bull, and, as an authority on the sub
ject of the, negro, what he wrote is
open to question. A sportsman more
even than explorer, he looked with
contempt and dislike on the natives ;
yet he got along with them and
dominated them. He was truthful
and just in his dealings with them,
even if he did, when the emergency
came, lash out with strong left
arm. 1t would be we'll to offset his
evidence and inferences with those
of Livingstone. But, when all al
lowances are made, there is for Ame-
ricans much food for thought in Ba-
ker's conclusions. His verdict on
the Soudanese was at any rate ex-
plicit-M believe that ten years.
residence in the Soudan and this