The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-14

..OCTOBEN IT, io'0
Caste

Caste"
,-,asr this caption the New York 1'Sne
,S,,shas a report of the proceedings OF
Pr. meeting Of colored people hold II
.hat ,,,.v ON the 10th instant. The object Q
tho meeting "appeared to be to set he'of'
nthe public the present aocial CONDITION. 0
..,be colored people, Of New York Guy
rbe resolutions which were adopted dc
nouncc the Democratic party "a (Which!
undcserving the suffrages Of co!oree
;. ,oters either North or South" and cal
,,non the Republican party togo TOT
war.l > and by the necessary LEGISLATOR
"protec, the colorcd people from Inc mus
nt,ce they sill suffer at the bands o.
..licensed hotel proprietors and chartered
"corpo1ations." They also "depiore inc
ucontinucd existence OF the spirit OF caste
(which still frequently excludes coiorec
"peoplc from hotels, the saloons ana SAFE
:. rooms Of steamboats,, sleeping cars. work
ushoDs rlaces Of amusement. equal cin'
..catIonal advantages. and from Social
recognition
4 letter was read from WENDELL PHIL
lips In which he calls upon the negroes
never to forget or forgive at the ballot
"hox any man who has even once, through
Ignorance even, shown by word or deco
"since 1866 thisrrucl and ungodly pride.
FRED. DOUGLASS also wrote q letter to the
meeting.
If the colorea people wish to be re-
spected by the whites, they MUST first ieaf'
to respect themselves. We cen Imagine nt
better proof Of their interiority, @nh III
,onrse OF proceeding better calculated u
call down upon them general contempt,
than their lugubrious complaint that the
whites do not want to associate with them.
II they are as good as the whites, why do
they not show 1t by their acts! Let them
onen their own hotels, theatres, churches,
and what not, and refuse to admit the
whites. They have the right to do so. we
should in that event soon see whether the
whites would complain Of this exclusion
Ths whites claim to be better than the
blacks, and they prove that they assert this
claim in good faith by secregating them
selves from the company of the blacks, and
never asking to he allowed to associate Wild
them. They frequent their own theatres
ond hotels, and associate only with persons
cf their own race. The blacks profess to
consider themselves as in every way The
EQUALS of the whites, and yet they are eter-
nslly whining out the complaint TINT they
are not permitted to associate with people
who, 50 they declare, arc not whit better
than themselves. If the blacks are Inc
EQUALS of the whites. why cannot the blacks
content themselves with their own excel
lent company? Why should they shame
their manhood and belle all their mt
speeches by efforts to force themselves INTO
the company OF people who l'oS upon
them Us Interiors! The unavoidable infer
ence from such conduct Is that the blacks
are 80 conscious OF their interiority thai
they cannot hide that consciousness eyer
when they most affect au arrogant carriage.
Tbey confess to this consciousness when
ever they complain Of their ostrecl>m IRON
the company Of the whites. IL they really
believed themselves 10 be the equals o1 th'
whites, they would scorn the idea OF a>h-
ing for social recognition at their hands,
lust as the humblest white man in the LAND
would scorn TO ask OF any other white mai
sbe privilege Of assocntng with him.
We utter these unpleasant truthS-truth>
as they seem to uS---in 10 Spirit Of unklnd-
ness. We would have the blacks respect
themselves. Wewould like To see them too
proud to ask for social recognition from oul
race. We are pleased that In this city they
have their own hotels and churches, (ano
me ones, too.) and we would ike 10 SCI
them carry the same spirit Of independence
into other places. They cannot build rail-
roads for themselves; but they can hc
proud enough TO ride In the cars assigned
10 colored people and not bnse enough to
crave the company of men who do not wish
80 associate witt them. They should have loI
the same price rs comfortable seats as the
whites have, and should not be compelled
10 ride in smoking ears. They should, in
word, be treated with even-handed Justice
and The respect due to them. But wher
this Is done, all will have been lioue tiaai
the colored people OF sense would expect
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