HW 10/1 first draft

In John Tyler Morgan’s The Race Question, he addresses his opinion that if African Americans have the right to vote and other freedoms, whites will lose superiority. In 1890, Morgan was a part of a board helping to defeat the Blair and Force Bills. These bills would combat illiteracy among blacks and help the community become educated. Through his writing, Morgan worked to further set the belief into his readers that if blacks were to get more freedom, such as the right to vote, they would become too educated and smart. And that then, blacks would be superior to whites and take vengeance. Morgan, as well as many of his colleagues, worked to instill fear into his readers. Morgan both wrote for his readers to agree with him and side to deny these bills, as well as, for his discourse community. The community of scholars around Morgan also agreed with his racist attitude. Morgan uses the rhetorical appeal of emotion to put fear into his readers about what might happen to our country if blacks had the right to vote. He also uses this tactic to appeal to his discourse community and what they already believe, to keep his title as a trusted author. He gives reason that blacks cannot do the complex things to participate in our US government because of their nature, creation by God. Morgan states that there are physical and mental differences in the two races. “The separation of the races under different governments will alone cure this flagrant evil, by giving to the negro race an opportunity for self-government; and to the white race an unobstructed course in the accomplishment of their destiny. The feeling of unrest among the negros, which has made them homeless, and sweeps them in revolving eddies from one state to another, is a plain indication that they are preparing for a general exodus.” (page 75) The reader could be convinced by Morgan’s piece just from the fear his instills about what could happen to whites and the not so “scientific” evidence of how each person was created. However, his argument isn’t effective and only shows a very racist view of what could happen if African Americans become educated.