New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-07
TO THE DEATH.

The dlfiiCuity which DEAD persons Ol cOlOI-i' %,
persons of no color according to our American mis-
use of the word-cxperience in getting buried in
Flushing would seem 10 admit of no compromise
In one regard 10 is certainly matter for the Metro
politan Board of Health. Dead persons of color must
like dead persons Of color and of every color, be
buried somewhere OF burned. We should think that
Trustee James Strong at least, would understand
that; but what's in namel However, we do not
mean specially to discuss the subject at this time
Our topic in hand is more general.
There are clearly but two ways for our society to
pursue respecting ''persons OF African descent"
hnpriais, we may exterminate them. Now, If this is
to be DONE we insist that it should not be done in
foolish reluctant fdde-fadde, retail sort of way,
we managed, to great historical opprobrium, with
the Indians This killing off by inches is alto
gether too much like an Eastern mode of execution.
The culprit is whitfield to death. Every morning
the oxceutiOner cOmes and slices of an inch OF the
victims flesh. In comparison with this, strangula-
ton decspitation, garrotting combustion, and even
wheel-breaking, seem to be eminnely mild methods
of taking Off If persons Of color. in this country,
in life or in death, cannot be permitted the vulgar
privileges Of humanity our voice is for general and
speedy massacre Of the whole tribe. Half
way measures never adjusted any botheraton
since the creation of the world. Even King
Pharaoh made a ludicrous mess Of it in trying
to be rid OF the Hebrews when he said to the midwyes
Every son that is born We shall cast into the river,
and every daughter ye shall save alive" He should
have killed the whole obnoxious crowd-men, women
and children; fhe had done he might not have come
to moist grief with his fine charos and fast horses,
in the Red Sea. The children of Israel, when upon
short commons in the desert asked Moses if there
"were no graves in Egypt" that he had led them
10 perish in the desert. There are "no graves it
seoms in Flushing. hut even the fasidous cemetery
controllers might not object to finding a sort of pits
with Quick-lime for the remains of all the coored"
population, if il could be got rid OF at once. They
would do as much that for the fourfooted victims
of peuro-pneumonia They see that we are quite
willing to be tenderly accommodating to their preju-
dices. We hope no soft-hearted reader thinks that
are cruel. We love murder no better than the next
man. To the best Of our recollection we have never
killed anybody, e.. physically, though We are con-
scious of having morally slaughtered vast number
of solemn fools What we insist on is the commonest
kind of benevolence. five were "a person of color
living in this United States, and found the schools
which We helped to support closed against our child
ren the sanctuary gates shut in our faces the public
vehicles denied US, the places OF amusement refusing
us entrance we are not sure whether we should CON-
nit suicide run away, fight it out to the bitter end
in the home of our fathers 1t would be cowardy to
abscond but it would be daily torture to stay.
On the whole, we think that we should ask to be ex
cused by act of Assembly with permission to select
our own method to exit.
But in the second place. We will suppose our own
method to be squeamishly rejected. Well then, we will
insist that if We thus shrink from disagreeabe duty,
and as il were force life upon the coored classes,
we have no right TO make that life ntolerable Either
let them 20 to the promised land take off their bur-
dens. if not for their sake. at least for our owns
because the presence OF apalperized oppressed and
permanently degraded class in this country is stand
ing efutation OF our most cherished political theories
and will always be suggestion to enterprsing usurp-
ers to get their feet upon the whitest of necks de-
graded class is always assertion that democracy is
impossible II Is the Black who suffers to-day
il will be the White who will suffer tomorrow The
men, if we may say So who hate the negroes hardest
so hard that we believe they would not even drink
rum with them-these are the men, white as they
would DC III tney "ouIu 'ane yedliy paln, VINO Will
first be ensaved. Riches will get the better Of Them
Learning will get the better Of them. Unprnciped
sagacty will get the better Of them. They will be
kept poor laborng for Others living for Others draw
ing water and hewing wood for others. When every
White Man claims right divine to Cypress every
Black Man, then White Man No. will be claiming
a right divine to Cypress White Man No. g Wall
Street will then get a grip upon the throat Of Five
Points and wo be to the Five Pointers
1t isn't fault if forced often y iepsst
here these alphabetical tIutha Would to GOO lat 40