Unfettered: A NovelGriggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
General
Unfettered: A Novel
Griggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
African Americans -- Fiction; United States -- Race relations -- Fiction
It is the habit of nature to confer upon a man those equalities that the
better fit him for his line of work. In order to successfully hold slaves,
the Southern man fostered the belief that the Negro's humanity was somehow
of a different brand from his own. Having satisfied himself that essential
differences existed between himself and the Negro, he was the better
prepared to mete out treatment which he would have deemed outrageous if
applied to himself by another.
To prevent uprisings on the part of the slaves repressive measures were
instituted, and the Southern white man became an adept in the art of
controlling others, and his nature became inured to the task. The traits of
character acquired in one generation were transmitted to succeeding
generations, so that notions of inherent superiority and the belief in the
right of repression became ingrained in Southern character.
In confirmation of this conclusion, we again quote from Mr. Herbert
Spencer, who says: "The emotional nature prompting the general mode of
conduct is derived from ancestors--is a product of all ancestral
activities. * * * The governing sentiment is, in short, mainly the
accumulated and organized sentiment of the past."
In view of the foregoing, it becomes evident that the repression which the
Negro encounters to-day is but the offspring of his repression of
yesterday.
STILL IN THE BALANCES.
In Prof. Giddings' "analysis of the population of the United States
according to race, he says that the English temperament is represented by
about 33-1/3 per cent., the prevailing Irish by about 29 per cent., and the
prevailing Scotch by about 19 per cent. The percentage, not of course
precise, is, he thinks, indicative of the influence on the American life
and character of these racial tendencies."
We are laboring to add the voice of the Negro to this national chorus. The
giving of the Negro an opportunity for untrammeled activity in the National
Government means that much of an addition to and consequent alteration of
our characteristic Americanism.
It is evident that the Negro will bring into the national spirit the
influence of his peculiar characteristics. Now this adding to and taking
from the national spirit is a most grave matter. Often the characteristic
spirit of a people is a sole remaining reliance; is often the only asset
that the fluctuations of capricious fortune has not swept away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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