Year: 1874

1t is about time that Southern Demo


Gratis stop talking about their being "the


legitimate representatives of the domi-


nant race on this earth. If they are,


the world will discover it soon enough


without calling upon them to blow their


own trumpets. We have an exalted


idea of the white race in general, and


some branches of it in particular, but we
| see on every hand so many lazy, good


for-nothing, bigoted, and rascally pale


faces that we find our faith sadly shaken


in the color of the skin as an index of
| superior merit or well developed man
hood. There was time in the earlier
history of the nation when the plausible
doctrine preached by Southern Democra-


cy that the Caucasian branch of the hu-
man race was created by kind Provi-
dence to ride on the shoulders of the
| rest of mankind and with whip and spur
| force them to do their bidding, but that


time has departed, and the world has at


last opened its sleepy eyes to the fact


that all men have equal rights in the
race of life, and that no one branch has
a right to saddle the other on the
grounds of legal and divine right to do
so. Merit in this age of progress, must


be the standard of superiority, and if
Southern Democrats ignore that stand
ard they will find, to their sorrow, that
the color of their skin can not keep them
in the vanguard of civilization


We are led to these remarks by read
ing the speech of the President of the
Conservative Convention which recently
met at Baton Rouge. His name is r. H.
MARI, and his sentiments incline us to
believe that he is the same individual
who in the palmy days of slavery tried
to convince the Christian world that the
trade IN human flesh was sanctioned by
the Almighty, commanded by His holy
word, and was the divinely appointed
system for the elevation and Christian
lzatlon of the African race In his eyes
every STAKEHOLDER was a missionary, and
every crack of the lash the essence of
gospel truth. 1t is a sad comment on
the doctors philosophy that when Abra-
nam Lincoln, through his proclamation,
cIoSed this benevolent system of mission
ary work, after mere than hundred
years OF trial among the negroes of the
Scouth, ? but few of its converts could be
found who could read or write, or who
nad been elevated a single degree above
tneir original state of ignorance and bar
oaflsm. Yet Mr.. Mari in his speech sat
isnes his hearers by the following offer
ing OF white-wash and soap:


you know that before the emancipa-
ton of the colored race we occupied tow
ard them a patriarchal relation. The
negro should still receive the protecting
care of those who were formerly his mas
ters. | tell you, my countrymen, the !
truest and best friends the negro ever
had, or ever will have, were once their |
masters and owners. The duty that we
have to perform with regard to him is, as
l say, one for which we are responsible |
to God and our country. I wish to inn
press this seriously upon you before you |
leave here; it,has oppressed me; it has |
weighed upon me with heavy sense of
responsibility; it is to civilize and Chris |
tianize this negro race. Left to himself
he will become savage, an idolator, |
Wherever he has been allowed TO eXer- |
else his natural tendencies and desires |
unrestrained he has become savage and |
an idolator. God in his providence has
jntrusted his elevation to you. Do not |
doubt it; do not shrink from it; do not |
attempt to shirk the responsibility. God |
in his providence has intrusted to you |
the elevation, the education, and the |
training of this race,


We suggest in all kindness to this |
representative of the dominant race"
and specimen of enlightened Democracy |
that it is about time that he and his |
'llS'ihS ullOWeo Tue negro 10 WoTh out |
his own social and political salvation.
If their former masters and owners are, |
indeed, "their truest and best friends,
rs Mr., Mari asserts, the oolored people |
will not be long in finding it out But
we insist that the negro race has a right |
to look elsewhere for the means where
with to elevate and Christianize itself |
A century's experience with "the domi-
nant race" has somewhat shaken its con-