Year: 1879




the COIored MANS FWture.


since the report of the majority Of
the Teller Committee has been made, it
L. not difficult to see how the South has
Been made solidly Democratic. There
SEEMS to be perfect unanimity Of SEN
tim-nt amongst sx-rsbels that nobody
in the South has right to vote unless
he votes the Democratic ticket. The
Investigations Aow that whenever any
outragss or murders were committed by
white mon there were no lack OF excuses
for them, the principal one being that
threats we're FIRST made by the negroes
and that there were fears Of general
insurrection. The investigation has
shown that liberty Of free discussion 10
. thing almost ~ much unknown -
before the blacks were liberated. The
latter are taught to believe that the re-
lstions OF capital and labor are things
with which they have nothing to do,
and that if they would meddls with
such things, it might end in arraying
enc race against another which would
sad in putting down the latter. The
law il. all right enough, but the law
il of no avail without some honest NOR
a sentiment at the back Of it to enforce
it, and al these intimidstions, brutal.
ties and murder with which the papers
have tssmsd have no justification in
the laws OF any Of the Southern States.
The practice Of the people however in
these States where these outrages
have bean committed is a. systematic
and regular as If 1t was done in strict
scoor lance with law, and unfortunate
iyshs public sentiment is so tainted
thAt all illusions to the condition Of
the negro prior to the war, or causes Of
it, thst thev are condemned a. inciting
70 riot, or Of inoendiary origin. The ex-
rebel holds the whip Of fear over the
head Of his colored neighbor, and if ths
latter shows any disposition to exercise
his rights as citizen and voter, the
ether forewarns him as If to say, "now,
if you talk on that question, and some
sf you get killed, You will have your.
selves t. blame for it," Where the dis
cussion Of the political situation is thus
suppressed it is not difficult to See how
the whites are able to control the color
cd vote. Where the leaders are driven
out of the country, and where there are
none left to tell these people of their
rights or aid them in securing them
all liberty must become a farce, and
all talk about equality before the
law a vain delusion. No more danger
opJ step than the suppression OF free
speech can possibly be practiced in o
Repu blican government. 1t is subver-
sivs Of all liberty Of action, and must
result in the abject submission of the
inferior race. Although the whites Of
the South profess to live in fear of in
surrsction, the evidence before the com
uittee throughout was unanimous that
the negro population was quiet and
peacefully disposed, and that from
their very nature it was no easy mat
tor to incite rebellion amongst them.


Though the committee have indubit-
able evidence that hundreds of poor
people have been murdered in Louisi-
ana and South Carolina, they failed to
hear of single instance whore pun
ishmert had been dealt out to those
who were guilty of committing these
great wrongs, nor is it likely that there
will be for many years to come, no mat
ter how many poor unfortunate colored
men may be murdered. Let those who
talk so much about the barbarous dis
position of the colored men point out
single instance where they over attack
ed and murdered white people except
under the most severe provocation.
The only instance We have on record
now is that of Cainhoy, in South Caro-
lima, during the Presidential campaign
of 1876, when hard pressed and hunted
by their prosecutors, they turned and
shot three or four of them to the earth.
The blood of the massacred negroes Of
Ellenton and Hamburg cry aloud from
the ground for justice, while the ring
leader of the muraerers, who was cum
ming enough 70 keep behind the screen
of public scrutiny, is sent TO the United
States Senate. In South Carolina, when
efforts are made to enforce the law by
the United States District Courts, the
witnesses are threatened and ire
uuently arrested on frivolous charges
and the ends Of justice are de
feated. The cclored man is no
longer represented in the State Govern
ment and no words are spoken for him
in the Legislature. He is to all intents
and purposes cast adrift, and left to
shift for himself. Under these circum-
stances it is not difficult to understand
how he has been brought to 10 the bid
ding of his former masters, and why