yment for earning money are open to
him. The fact that at the North the Negro is almost confined to one line
of occupation often tends to discourage and demoralize the strongest
who go from the South, and makes them an easy prey for temptation. A few
years ago, I made an examination into the condition of a settlement
of Negroes who left the South and went into Kansas about twenty years
since, when there was a good deal of excitement in the South concerning
emigration from the West, and found it much below the standard of that
of similar communities in the South. The only conclusion which any one
can reach, from this and like instances, is that the Negroes are to
remain in the Southern states. As a race they do not want to leave the
South, and the Southern white people do not want them to leave. We must
therefore find some basis of settlement that will be constitutional,
just, manly; that will be fair to both races in the South and to the
whole country. This cannot be done in a day, a year, or any short
period of time. We can, however, with the present light, decide upon a
reasonably safe method of solving the problem, and turn our strength
and effort in that direction. In doing this, I would not have the Negro
deprived of any privilege guaranteed to him by the Constitution of the
United States. It is not best for the Negro that he relinquish any of
his constitutional rights; it is not best for the Southern white man
that he should, as I shall attempt to show in this article.

In order that we may concentrate our forces upon a wise object, without
loss of time or effort, I want to suggest what seems to me and many
others the wisest policy to be pursued. I have reached these conclusions
not only by reason of my own observations and experience, but after
eighteen years of direct contact with leading and influential colored
and white men in most parts of our country. But I wish first to mention
some elements of danger in the present situation, which all who desire
the permanent welfare of both races in the South should carefully take
into account.

First. There is danger that a certain class of impatient extremists
among the Negroes in the North, who have little knowledge of the actual
conditions in the South, may do the entire race injury by attempting to
advise their brethren in the South to resort to armed resistance or
the use of the torch, in order to secure justice. All intelligent and
well-considered discussion of a