Year: 1867

and CoIored Races of the south.


We have been much impressed by
the sound views which are presented
IN a recent article of the Charleston
Mercury on this subject.


The writer contends that the white
race of the South are the natural
friends of the other race, by reason
Of their identical interest past asso-
ciation and the mutual sympathy and
kindness which the results of the past
six years have plainly shown cannot
easily be eradicated. The negro will
still look to the white man of the
South as his friend, councillor and guide
if he has evinced a spirit of kindness
and patience towards him in his new
condition, and if he does not now re-
pei him by advising such course of
conduct as would divest him of the pri-
yilegeswhich have been conferred upon
him by the recent action of Congress.
1t is not to be expected that he will
regard as a friend the man who coun-
sels him to cast his vote against candi-
dates who are pledged to put the State
in the line of prompt compliance with
the Congressional plan of comforting
upon him the right of suffrage nor
viii he, on the other hand, if properly
informed of its consequences, give
heed to the suggestion of the self seek
ing demagogue who would place him
in an attitude of hostility to the class
in the South with whose destiny his
own is interminably interviewer.


On the other hand every thing goes
to show that the white man will as
much as ever continue to be dependent
on the colored operative for his labor
the labor to which he has all his
life been accustomed and for which he
Is well fitted. So that between these
two races, Notwithstanding emancipa-
zion, there will be perpetual bonds of
interest which will hold them together.
The chief change that has thus far ta-
ken place in their relative positions to
each other is, that before emancipa-
ton the slaves received from their
masters their support and that now
they receive wages and support them
selves-that formerly they acted I'M
der the threat Of punishment for neg
lect of duty-and that now they act
under the equally stimulating impulse
of necessity law which all men who
would live must obey.


The writer in the Mercury COM
mends the negroes generally for their
good and orderly behavior since the
war They have come to understand
thoroughly that the feelings of the
whites, among whom they have al
ways dwelt, are of the most friendly
character toward them, and that both
races can, in their future career, be of
essential service to each other, the
white man in furnishing capital and in
giving wholesome advice and needful
instruction, and the latter in looking
up to him for guidance, and supplying
the manual labor which is indispensa-
ble to his own subsistence and to the
prosperity of his employer. He says
the colored population in South Caro-
lima have arrived, by kind of intuit-
ion, at a knowledge of the great fact
that they must live on good terms with
,ther more powerful neighbors, the
whites, and not encourage antagon-
isms, as such a course of conduct on
their part wcsuIa ree..ssar;lv IN nro-
cess oftime, end in their 0~.ai - I.o- leul :.
mination and destruction.


The writer recommends, in conclu-
sion, that reasonable allowance should
be made for the brief experience which
the colored people have had of their
new life. "They are" he says, s'but
children, and it is idle to expect from
them the wisdom and caution of the
man of age" In respect to their edu-
cation, he adds, that it is far better
that it should be directed "by our own
people than by others who have diff
ferent purposes to serve" This is
weighty matter, to which we trust all
our Southern States will devote
prompt and earnest attention.