The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-04-24
RETRosPEcTIon
20 the Editor ocala Banner:

10 the OCdld OduACL.
Today is dark, damp ana dreary;
day to dream-to look back and pass
in review facts and faces which lie
folded away in the pages of memory
call them out, now that they are strip
ped to the bone of all passion. preju-
dice and selfish notions which envir-
oned them in their day and time and
gave coloring to them and hid their
secret motives which gave them birth,
and clothed them in attractive gar
ments of deception. But old Father
Time has removed all this, and when
they march out now in their denuded
skeletons we behold the naked truth.
Now, | have been retrospecting to-
day; been calling back some things
not the little rag-time facts which go
to make up the personal history OF
my life-but some things much more
far-reaching in their effects, in fact,
things which not only
have but still are exerting a baneful
influence upon the peace and prosper
ity of our country and the liberty of
our people: yes, sapping and mining
the foundation of our government and
threatening its very existence as
planned, designed and founded by our
fOrefatherS.
In reviewing the past history Of our
country all will admit that in the form
alton of our government it was splen-
did in it's inception, theoretically per-
feet in its structure, or as nearly so
as human minds could devise-and
there were mental giants in those
days-and for nearly three-quarters
of a century thoughts and ambitions
of our forefathers dominated. and the
machinery of our government moved
on, practically along the lines design
ed. The nation grew great and pros
porous; indeed, its achievements
were SO great; it unprecedented
growth in wealth and prowess was so
wonderful and astounding that the
civilized world looked on with amaze
ment if not alarm.
Then came our own internal dis
growing out Of a radical de-
parture of the majority of one section
of our country from some of the fun
damental parts of the beautiful struc
ture upon which our government was
built up. This was the work of poll
statesmen nor patriots
moved by the selfish interests of those
whom they served. Then. as result |
of this departure from the ways of our
fathers, came our bloody and disas- |
trous war, the burdens of which will
still be felt for another century. AT
that, the rest of the civilized world
looked on well pleased
Just at the close of the bloody con-
hict is the point where the national
government made the most disas-
trous and destructive mistake that is
recorded in all of its history, namely,
the comforting of the right of fran
chise upon tn erecently emancipated
slaves-a people totally ignorant aof !
he first principles of government andf
without the slightest conception OF
he duties of citizenship and its core
atiye obligations. Who was respon-
sible for this ignorance it is not my
purpose now to debate. The fact ex-
sted, and the mistake of clothing
them with the right of franchise was
and is now affected in the slightest
degree by fixing the responsibility OF
the existence of slavery one place or
another. It was all right to emanci-
pate the slaves, and no one now re-
grets that slavery was abolished, but
the manner in which it was done and
the immediate comforting upon them
the full rights of citizenship was !
monstrous mistake, and out OF 1t nave
grown many grievous wrongs and per-
picking problems that are yet unsolv-
ed. Among them is the negro PROD
lem, which confronts us along all
Zines and in every branch of govern
mental administration. Two separate
end distinct races, whose mental, NOR
n and social thoughts and habits are
NJ antipodal as day and night, inhab-