th either
North or South in the adjustment of present difficulties.

Unlike the Indians they are sincere--neither treacherous nor
deceitful. They are simple, frank, and open-hearted, and are as
desirous of good government as are the most honored citizens of the
land. Let alone, they will give neither the State nor the nation any
trouble. They feel themselves a part and parcel of the nation and as
such have an interest in its prosperity as deep as those who are
allowed to exercise, untrammelled, the rights of citizenship.

To keep the blacks submissive there is need of neither army nor navy.
Though at the foot of the ladder they are contented to remain there,
until by virtue of their own efforts they may rise to higher planes.
The negro has never sought, does not now, nor will he seek to step
beyond his limit. "Social equality," "Negro domination," and "Negro
supremacy," are meaningless terms to him so far as his own aspirations
are concerned. The social side of this question will regulate itself.
It has always done so, in all ages and all climes, despite coercion,
despite law. This is the least of the negro's cares. His demand for
civil rights is no demand for "social equality." This is a mistaken
view of the subject. It is this dread of social equality, this fear of
social contact with the negro that precludes many well-meaning people
from securing accurate information in regard to the aims, and
purposes, and capabilities of those whom they desire to help. But
there is light ahead, dark as at times it now may seem, and erroneous
as are the views in regard to the negro's relation to the American
body-politic.

Congressman Herbert, in his effort to show the negro's incapacity for
self-government by calling attention to the defalcations,
embezzlements, and petty larcenies, etc., of reconstruction times,
forgets that if this is to be taken as the gauge of capacity for
self-government, the same rule will apply to bank and railroad
wreckers of the present day,--to every defaulter and embezzler of
State and private funds, and to every absconding clerk. Now we must
remember that this class of citizens is enormously large, and that
they are all white, as a rule. Every daily paper that one picks up
devotes considerable space to this class of citizens who, according to
Mr. Herbert, has shown its "incapacity for self-government," as well
as the incapacity of others "who alone have acquired such a capacity"
as is claimed by Con