Year: 1874

FROM the London lines.


Tho contest between the white and black races
which is CONFUSING society in rhe southern States
OF the American Union would be an interesting
spectacle for the professional observer OF ponrics
II the consequences OF the conflict were not tre.
mendous. To turn the concentrated passIons oil
one race against another 10 TO open the noodgates
to al! tnat II horrible in human nature, and the
calamities which America endured In the course
o. the CIVIL war are insignificant compared MIN
should once break ons real war Of races In the
Territory territory Of the ioImsr confeeeraey. lns
s' not forgotten that I Soodstaiunsa nea1pV episode
Of the clvil war. might serve TO
foreshadow the character OF the connlct which
seems 10 be impenoing in the Southern States be-
tween the white men and the negroes Neither
party 10 the teud is specially distinguished for
many high qualities of temper and % Character. las
drunk too deeply OF the cup OF dominion 70 escape
the s Ss Of


was intimately connected With that contempt Tor
human LIE which was characteristic OF Southern
cheap and the liberties OF black men were coui-
monty marketable, life ana liberty In gen
respected. When the servile race Suddenly
obtained civil rights. it was not unnatural that
cruelty and Injustice with which alone they had
been iamiarized IN the state Of servitude. At the
same time the feelings OF the lately dominant
race were just as natur ally excited by seeing the
slave Sit in the seat OF the MASTER and the entire
business OF government administered with reck-
pated negro and his Northern allies The relations
OF the White to the black population In the South


to srarse wneaer ssat Struggle Is to b
political or military IT Is ior the federal govern.
ment @ TO decide. But mat she struggle cannot
repeated outbursts Of hatred between the races In
the southern States.


ali the southern whites, may be understood with.
out any elaborate analysis. The emancipation or
the negroes was regarded by most Of the south.
the pretenson assumed in their construction OF
simple act oil Justice we cannot marvel a. 1t when
we consider the social medium IN which the slave.
owners were educated. Still less can we ieel sur
prised at the indignation with which the Southern
erl viewed the political Reconstruction" OF the
lormer slave States They felt the exactons OF
inequitable, extortionate and prodigare govern
ment; they saw the dignity OF their legislative as
semblleS proianed by the reckless levity Of
crew o g.bbering negroes. They paid the taxes.
but they were deprived OF all control over the ex.
penditure, and the heavy hand OF absolute power
which they had so long laid upon the black race
was now laid IN turn upon the mselves. II Is as.
the Northern whites have occurred since the law.
less violence or the Ku Klux Klan has been sup
pressed anu 1t Is, on the whole, very creditable to
the planters that In spite OF the extreme proyoca-
tions OF their position, they abstalned from resort
10 force until the negroes assumed an aggressive
policy. Bur. since the black race has deliberately
taken up an attitude OF aggression, 1t Is not TO be
expected that the whites Will refrain rom re-
taiaung They have already shown that If there
worsted. They have won tue day IN Arkansas,
they have trampled out the eiferyescence OF negro
violence almost Instantly at Austin; and now 1t Is
apparent hat they have dealt as vigorously with
the most recent manifestation oil negro nsolence
at Trenton. The armed organization" Of the
blacks has made no efiectual stand against the
whites. The inter have captured a large number
oil prisoners, and have done summary justice by
hanging sixteen OF the rlngleaders. This mani.
iestation OF white supremacy Will probably save
Southern Tennessee from any further outbreaks
for the present; but at any moment the name may
burst forth in some other quarter, where 1t may
be less easy to repress It, The negroes are too
ignorant to understand that in vital conAict
with the white race they must pc vanquished.
They VIII persst in provoking o collision the con-
sequences OF which cannot be contemplated With
out dtSmay.