The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-23
THE MURpEROUs NEGROES.

the "aggressors." The committee of forty"
made up, doubtless, of the assassins and
their friends, has carefully considered the
evidence" and now confidently appeals to
the public to accept its finding In Its pre-
sentaton it is shown that there was i'll feel
ing between whites and blacks prior to the
election; that two days before the election
circulars were issued guaranteeing
to every person, without regard
to color or party, free and undisturbed right
of voting The report says the election day
was quiet without any disturbance or diff
Guilty at any precinct or elsewhere in the
town, and the election itself was honestly
conducted, free and fair in all respects. In
short, the conduct of the negroes is mex
plicable and the reputation OF the good
citizens of Danville, and of the South in gen.
instincts and perversity.
The first impulse with all who
would arrive at the truth OF
the Danville tragedy will be to
inquire into the character of the committee
of forty to determine whether their finding
should carry weight On the face of the re-
port there was no colored man given place
on the committee. Neither is it mentioned
that Republican or Readjuster was so hon
ored. If this be true, the evidence adduced
would naturally be ex parte, and the verdict
colored by the pref udice of the partsans who
composed the committee The report of this
committee shows that strong race feel
| ing prevailed before the collision
that resulted so dsastrously to
the negroes. It were impossible for them
to do justice to all concerned unless repre-
sentatives of all concerned were given OPP
portunity to assist in discovering the truth
and in making it known.
But for the sake of argument let the COM
| position of the subcommittee OF the COM
mittee of forty be ignored, and let its report
be taken for all it is worth. 1t is an old story
that the negroes provoked the trouble and
were deliberately the aggressors and peace
disturbers. They always are, according to
the finding OF Democratic investigating COM
mittees That they are so denounced in this
instance is therefore no surprise. But it is a
curious and significant fact, without excep-
ton, in the history of such collisions that
the negroes are always the ones to suffer the
most, and generally exclusively. BY some
inscrutable dispensation of Providence the
designs of blood thirsty colored men, armed
for the occasion and eager for the fray, are
| thwarted and the white man escapes
unscathed while from six to a
score of their black prosecutors" are
killed. 1t is an insult to common sense to
ask any intelligent human being to believe
such stuff. The history OF the African in
this country through hundred years proves
him to be retiring and submissive under
abuse that would have made white men cut
every save-drivers throat in the South.
Observe his conduct during the rebellion.
Through all those years of supremest import
to him and his he was still the same
obedient patient, faithful servant-too
innocent to inaugurate instruction,
too timid, for the most part
even to escape to freedom, Ten thousand
Southern homes, with all their wealth and
all their loved ones, were leftin the hands of
his gun and going to the front in full conf
dence that all would be we'll SO far as the
black slave was concerned. A more exalted
example of fortitude under trial, and sub
missiveness to the will Of God and of earthly
master was never known in history. Thou
sands of slaves gradually made their way TO
freedom as the Union lines advanced
Tens OF thousands staid on the
old plantations and not one offered violence
to master or mistress. Such was the conduct
OF the Southern negroes during the years
when their masters fought to keep them in
slavery.
Since his enfranchisement his nature has
radically changed, according to the verdict
of ex-saveholders From being patient
quiet, law-abding, he has become the terror
OF the South. BY strange oversight, it
seems never to have occurred to him to
make midnight raids, drag white men from
their homes and fog and beat them. He
has never served written notice on his
enemies to leave the eishborhood
on penalty of death, nor has he
terrorized them by riding in red shirts in
armed bands through towns and hamlets
His murderous inclination manifests itself
in one way only. His delight is to await the
approach of elections, and then, with every
liberty guaranteed him, and with the high
right of suffrage free as air simply for the
taking. he makes an unnrOYoked assault nnon