But is Mr. Froude serious in invoking
the ostracizing of innocent, loyal, and meritorious British subjects
on account of their mere colour? Physical slavery--which was no
crime per se, Mr. Froude tells us--had at least overwhelming brute
power, and that silent, passive force which is even more potential as
an auxiliary, viz., unenlightened public opinion, whose neutrality is
too often a positive support to the empire of wrong.
But has Mr. Froude, in his present wild propaganda on behalf of
political and, therefore, of social repression, anything analogous to
those two above-specified auxiliaries to rely on? We trow not. Then
why this frantic bluster and shouting forth of indiscreet aspirations
on be half of a minority to whom accomplished facts, when not
agreeable to or manipulated by themselves, are a perpetual grievance,
generating life-long impotent protestations? Presumably there are
possibilities the thoughts of which fascinate our author and his
congeners in this, to our mind, vain campaign in the cause of social
retrogression. But, be the incentives what they may, it might not be
amiss on our [127] part to suggest to those impelled by them that the
ignoring of Negro opinion in their calculations, though not only
possible but easily practised fifty years ago, is a portentous
blunder at the present time.
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