26 Southern Historical Society Papers,
ten millions. Fifty years hence this country will contain 60,000,000 of negroes.
The census of 1880 gave Mississippi a white population of 479,000 and a negro population of 650,000. It gave South Carolina a white population of 391,000 and a negro population of 604,000, or about two to one. It gave Louisiana 454,000 white population and 483,- 000 negro population. The census of 1890 will probably show that the negro population outnumbers the whites in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Ten years later, or the year 1900, will find Virginia, Ar- kansas and North Carolina with a negro population that outnumbers the whites. Thus, in ten years hence, upon a free ballot and a fair count, we will find nine states of tnis Union ruled by its ex-slaves, its unlettered property-holders, while its intelligent property -holders will be in a hopeless minority.
- LET us PROVE OURSELVES WORTHY.*'
The white element of the South is almost excl^sively Anglo-Ameri- can. The mother country encouraged and fostered slavery in her colonies, and the English colonists became slaveholders. The Teu- tonic and other elements did not settle in the slave States because they would not compete with slave labor. All forms of immigration of the white races South is deterred by negro competition. The Anglo-American race is not prolific. It increased by births in ten years, from 1870 to 1880, only 8j4 per cent. The black population, on the contrary, increased within the same period, 35 2-5 per cent. The descendants of our revolutionary sires, who founded this Govern- ment, will have practically changed places with their ex-slaves, unless these results are prevented by means that are unlawful or unless ex- isting laws are changed.
Listen attentively for the faintest whisper that comes from these graves, and you will hear no syllable of approbation of this overthrow of the white race and the destruction of all its dearest aspirations and hopes. Let us prove ourselves worthy survivors of our brave and chivalrous comrades, and let us demand of the politicians that we shall have a voice in the settlement of these problems which were so hastily acted upon when the mad passions of the war were at fever heat. Let us unite our voices with the voices from these tombs, and thus united, let us demand of politicians of all parties that we shall formulate a basis of settlement of these questions, that shall be accepted and respected, and become a part of the platform of all political organizations, and speedily a part of the organic law of the land.
