On the record
Every effort will be made to prevent negroes from acquiring lands; and even the renting of small tracts to them is held to be unpatriotic and unworthy of a good citizen.
Said by
Whitelaw Reid
Source
gutenberg.orgWhitelaw Reid: “Every effort will be made to prevent negroes from acquiring lands; and even the renting of small tracts to them is held…”
Editor's note · Context
Reid highlights the societal resistance against African Americans acquiring land post-Civil War.
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More from Whitelaw Reid
He who has that right will usually respect himself more, be more respected, perform more, and more productive work, and do more to increase the wealth and welfare of the community, than he who has it not.
They should persist in this claim respectfully, but firmly, taking care to bring no discredit upon it by their own action.
Our national experience has demonstrated that public order reposes most securely on the broad base of universal suffrage.
And it is both natural and right that colored Americans, entitled to the rights of citizens, should claim their exercise.