New-York tribune., 1906-12-21
NEGRO IN THE SOUTH.
PRESTDENT SUPPORTED.
Er-Secretary Hilary a. Herber
UphoZds Brownsville .Action.

| The first annual dinner of the new Alabama
| Society at the Hotel Astor, the youngest of the
state societies of the city. marked by a long
address by Hilary A Herbert, ex-Secretary of
/ the Navy. He touched on the states rights
| question, the Negro problem and the Brownsville
| incident. In outlining the growth of the South
ern feeling in this regard he quoted Baldwin's
remark in his Flush Times of Alabama and
| Mississippi" that the Constitution was a thing
with that curious virtue that its excellence con-
sisted in not allowing the government to do any,
thing.
In referring to the Negro question he went
back to the days before the war. and while dis
claiming making any defence of slavery, spoke
in glowing terms of the virtues of the slave
holders. His remarks on the Brownsville Incl
dent received close attention and were greeted
by applause long continued
What the President did in this Brownsville
matter" he said. 80. S. Grant did. and Robert
E. Lee did. and am sure that although there
may be a few sentimentalsts who never can
forget the color line, and therefore still will
criticise, all those who followed Grant during
the Civil War and their descendants will rally
around Mr.. Roosevelt and defend his action
Defending his dismissal of these troops they are
defending the honor Of the flag of their coun-
try"
After referring briefly to the history of the
Ste'IS VI <A4dpdHld Ine men VINO built
ship of state and launched it upon it's career"
Mr.. Herbert said:
The government These men founded took it's shape
In I5O a4 the temper Of the times The was butt
the proper functons Of sts4s "A AS 70 waat were
eang Of the federal S the To tqs sadns df1s
Of the m9Ted with the ideas
tteaef5t politics that was the day of the states
construed. vas u De S'I1cuE
AFTER describing the situation in Alabama and
the South generally before the war; touching
on the political and social conditions. the time
when II was source of just pride that there
was reellng so common as to be characteristic
of our people that there were things not onIv
higher and better. but more essential than
wealth or than all the learning of books; a
Iotty sense Of honor in private and public life
and chivalrous regard for woman that partool,
IN some sort of the romance of the Middle Ages"
Mr.. Herbert said:
Inese came to US in part as heritage from our
1 RS IN part from the institutions of slavery
;t g!cn 5y renewing the slave from the neces
learn that there We're other objects in lie BESIDES
temptation TO worship at the shrine of Mamnon t1e
q, am am NOT here TO defend slavery. Thank God n
could say against it. It is perfectv efe fa is mGch 9
his slave when welded BY brte owner Sena 9aG oyer
NJ @ pluCaze the master It is also true that there
one and among the greatest of the evils of saver M%s
sense @ Of ore3 nahd this power carried with IT
more considerate and better man Nelther m 1,1 q
dype Of man than the Southern slavehoider
his py ms slaves deeply impressed with
them. 'S MS uuty 10
This kindness, said the speaker. was evinced
IN me protection the slaves gave the women
and children during the war. It was not true
ne said, that the wealthy slave owner set up a
social wall. that the expression white trasb"
originated with the planter. as some writer's
on Southern topics had said. The spirit of caste
rlade every white man in the slave states a
member Of the superior race
Still another thing that aided in the upbuild-
ing OF the standard of honor was the code
oueIlo. The code was the protection of
woman's virtue and the honor Of gentlemen"
In describing the conditions in 1850 Mr. Her
bert said:
The people Of Alabama had attended to their own
Sh Ssneseixes and especially OF their bar and their
L@yneh @ had never interfered with the process from
Nobody now regrets that slavery is gone; every
boz body laments that it existed among us. and
ISM which began in iSa Became oae[h dead@ 0s
tree, under the baleful shadows OF which Southern
sow Sown by Garrson and his associates. the Hover
s;oS I9 enS RePuoGan party the fruits were seces
t tne trQlts III OF which are with us to-day. The at
tiupt 10 pIace the white people of the sOuth
nanently under the control Of their former Slaves
MdS We iSnoTihs The teachings of science and history
strained relations between the races in the South
ls{ inei{pding as ! believe. the crime of the Negro
country and % this age - ILLS
sdIddeT TndeF MeKiniey ecOnfederates ana sx-Union
Theodore Roosevelt. after studying the whole
declared that the Southern people should be left t
sSe@e SO Geal With With their own problem and in this it
Negro question that has taken place in this section
stlll those who inclined to see race prejudice
III rS every PUBIC act that affects the Negro.
ing with the Brownsville rioters If the three com
panies that were dismissed had been whites their
but they were Negroes. Nevertheless, Mr. Roose@
VET had courage to dismiss them. and so Con-
coined the Senate's resolutions of inquiry and the
United States soldiers are the guardians Of the
oG11eXs co ble hon honor and Of its laws Whether white
zens and conspre to keep secret the crime In tha
interests OF discipline troops that do this thing
body. What the President did in this BrovnsyilIe
matter u s. Grant did, and Robert e. Lee did and
mentalists who never forget the color line and
Will therefore still crlticise all those who followed
ana SI1 all those who followed Lee during the Cvp
Roosevelt and defend his action Defending his dis
honor Of the flag of the country.
Mr.. Herbert said he had sought to find
some cause for the most aggravating feat
ure Of the race problem, the frequent crime
OF the Negro against the white woman" After
reviewing the conditions under the carpetbagger,
the making of capital of hate he quoted the
British Archbishop of the West Indies in de-
scribing the relations between the white and
the Negro in Jamaica The Archbishop said:
The relations between the races with us are
peaceful ha T