IN THE SHADOW
which is discussed a lot more than it is entitled to be. We have the worst of it in the States, and while everybody is ranting and gnashing his teeth the thing is quietly working out its own salvation."
Leyden nodded.
"I say," said Giles, "do you mind telling us how it is working out its salvation, Manning, or, if the subject is too distasteful"
"By immorality, chiefly," answered Manning in a hard voice. "Take the State of Virginia, for example; once it was full of negroes; to-day a full-blooded negro is scarce, but there is no end of mixed breeds of every shade. The mulattoes are not a strong people; their inclination is to breed with whites, and so the race gets lighter and weaker and tends to run out."
"But I thought that it was just the other way," interrupted Giles, "that they were more apt to 'throw back' and breed blacks."
"That is the popular belief, but it is not justified by the result. One has only to go there to see how the full-blooded negro has faded out; and this is true, to a less extent, of others of the Southern States. To begin with the negroes were all full-blooded; to-day, whether through intermingling with whites or from changed geographical and climatic conditions I will not say, but every decade the type of full-blooded negro appears to be growing more rare."
"You are modifying your statement regarding immorality," said Giles.
"Possibly, but that factor undoubtedly enters into the case. To begin with, the laws of the Southern States forbid intermarriage; mulattresses, quadroons, and octo-
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