Year: 1868




and nations, and there is no escape This
fact has been very happily expressed by the
author of Felix Holt the Radical" when,
in speaking Of the new condition which
befel an ld-fashioned wool packing Eng
lish village" complicating its relations with
the rest of the world, she says that they
awakened in it that higher consciousness
which is known to bring higher palms,


Such is precisely the condition of the col
ored population of the South. We confess
that emancipation, bringing that population,
suddenly, too, into new and strange relations
with the rest of the community and the ma
ton, has brought also new pains. We would
not disguise the fact, for the result of gen.
eral law should never be hidden. In many
respects the blacks have come to experience
new difficulties and anxieties. Grave re-
sponsibilities have arisen. Instead of depen-
dence upon anothers will, has come the
necessity for selfreliance. Those who once
had their thinking and planning done for





and planning for themselves. And this is no
easy task. But'the pains involved are higher
pains, indicative of birth into higher life.
When the mother eagle takes her young
brood out of the nest where her warm wings
have sheltered them, and her care has provi-
ded for them, and bearing them one by one
aloft, shakes them of and compels them to
try their own pinions the first sensation, we
may suppose, will be that Of fear. But
through this dread of falling comes the cen
sciousncss of being able to go alone, and the
little birds just now screaming with terror,
for the first time learn to soar Would VIC
have the colored race rise to higher condi-
ton, they must be thrown upon their own
resources, made to depend upon themselves,
and thus know new and sharper pains than
ever before. Neither they nor we need be
alarmed at this. The plant, the tree is the
result of a rupture of the seed. The germ
burst through its developments into higher
vegetable lile So with animal existence.
The child is born into new world, into new
conditions, through pain. These are the
pangs of birth, and the child's first utterance
is wall. But the only chance for growth,
progress, manhood immortality is through
these palms. They are higher pains.
So every successive advance in the scale OF
intellectual and moral life is through thenew
pains of inward and outward struggles. We
must toll if we would rise We must grapple
with difficulties if we would grow strong.
AL the truly great and good of past ages
have become such through successive stages
Of conflict. And this is equally true of peo-
pies and nations. This fact needs to be pom
dered well by those who are but TOO ready to
see in the suffering, struggling condition of
the colorcd race an argument against freedom.
Such croakers ought never to have been born.
The fact is the colored race are pressing
| through the pangs Of a new birth, a birth
into higher manhood. Let them alone.
Do not predict their speedy death, their
relapse into barbarism. They are not being
born downward, but upward. Give them
time and helping hand and they win sure
| ly rise. Do not laugh at their rude mis-
| takes. Those who doomed them to igno-
rance land the North had hand in that as
well as the South) ought to be the last to do
| this Pardon their awkwardness, if you see
it, in the new business of legislation. Some
so-called wiser people have blundered sadly
in that way. Allusions may be unpleasant,
| and we forbear.


We think that these people, all things
considered, are doing remarkably we'll. They
improve with experience Schools are effect
ing wonderful changes. In due time the
result will fully appear A nation aoas born
in day, SO far as deIiverance from slavery
goes, but it takes more than day to bring
a whole nation of slaves up to the full sta
ture of manhood.


The emancipated class should ponder
these facts. Sometimes they are disheait-
ened at the actual fruits of freedom. They
were looking to leap at once into condi-
tion of ease and plenty; they are finding
their mistake. Instead of what they looked
for, arc new pains, new anxieties new bur-
dens, new cares. Perhaps some, like the
emancipated Jews, almost sigh for the flesh
pots of Egypt But they should know that
every upward step involves new pains. If
they believe that to rise, to be men, is better
than to Ucgetate, to be things, then let them
cheerfully, nianfully submit to the inevitable
condition Of progress. Let them be patient
diligcnt, earnest, courageous, hopeful; let
them trust in God and do right, and their
success is certain. Let them remember that
God helps those who help themselves.


GENERAL GRANTS REsIGNATIoN.-Seye-
raj Of our cotenlporary journals have given
out that General Grant, President elect, is
about to resign his commission as General OF
the armies of the United States AS the
Electoral College does not meet until Feb
ruary to officially count the Presidential vote,
it is not probable that General Grant will
resign until formally notified Of his election.


In his Atlanta speech, Ben Hill said lie
desired to be the man. after the election,
whose duty it should be to kindie the
flames which would burn up the archives
of the present Georgia State Government,
and destroy the last vestige ofits existence.