NEGRO GOVERNMENT IN THE SOUTHERN STATES OF AMERICA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 579, 21 May 1868, Page 4

NEGRO GOVERNMENT IN THE SOUTHERN STATES OF AMERICA.

(From the Xc.r York Time*,) We sl iculJ think nobody couU suppose that the negro population «.f the South will be able to retain tbr ar>y length oi time U;e political centre! that has been placed in their Lauds.

Congress Isas Joae for them ail that can possibly be done. They have had majorities ia all the State Conventions. By tiioir votes the Constitutions have b u ea formed. In their interest laws have been made, and for their advantage the framework of things has been fixed. They seem to feel that power hr s been permanently secured to them, and thr-r special admirers ia Congress act as though there could be no doubt j 1 their continued supremacy. Yet the simple fact that they constitute only a third of the population >f tl'.e Southern States is conclusive as to their political subordination ia the 1 ■'ng run. In forming themselves into a party opposed to the whites, they have challenged a direct contest on ibis point and as the struggle is defi■utely and pointedly between the races qm races, they have compelled a decision of their claims upon this ground. In our system numbers must inevitably tell. By the disfranchisement of a large” number of the whites, and the conferring of universal suffrage upon the Macks. an advantage may be temporarily secured to the latter. But, at most, this can only have its effect for a few years. Every year sees a vast crop of young men attain a majority, to whom the disfranchising laws, because of participation in the rebelTon, have no application; and before ten years have passed we shall have hundreds of thousands of white voters hi the South who cannot be disfran* chised without, an overthrow of demo cratio government. This alone will give the whites a numerical preponderance that will easily overcome the political supremacy of the blacks. The negroes, now, have all the advantages of their numerical strength. The fururc can bring them no increase. Beside their fixed and absolute inferiority ui numbers, they must grow relatively weaker every day. If this statement alone were not conclusive against the political dominance of r,he blacks, we would refer to other fixed points that the white population of the Smith will continue to hoid in their favor. The possession of the landed property, the commercial control, the brain superiority, the political traditions, are with the white -.me and will continue there. The negro v id, wo trust, continue to grow in general knowledge, in political wisdom and ia democratic capacity; but it will lie a long time before he is equal in these respects to a race which has the bbu.ry and opportunities of the American whites. On the broad grounds of race, character, conditions, institutions, history and numbers, it is evident that the 'dark race cannot retain political con'l of the South, ami equally evident that toe race which has enormouus advantages in nil these points must show vl )tir effect in politics, government and power. It is worth while for Congress to keep this in mind in its political legislation for the South.