The bee., 1883-07-28

take now by the substitution of their
words for his deeds. Mr.. Douglass
position in the race is too warrantable
to be claimed by any other living man,
and l believe that God intends to let
him remain here until second Doug
lass is formed from the necessity of
the age"
"a prophet shall the Lord your God
raise up unto you of your brethren;
like unto me, him shall Se hear"
The BEE.-But history has said some
good things about these gentlemen to
whom you made reference.
DR.. Laws.-"And so do |. say they
have said very many good things for
the sake of popular discussion, but at
the saline time they either did many
bad things, or nothing good, for the
sake of the money they received in the
great speculation from time to time. >
The BEE.--In what respect did they
speculate?
DR.. ,Laws.-"Why, in that they pre-
tended to have been lifelong
friends to their own race in America,
and wanted to be great republic here,
when at the same time received money
10 colonize them into small republics
elsewhere, in such places as Liberia
and Hayti, where none of the advO-
Gates every went; but DR.. Alexander
Crummell, who has since returned, a
resident citizen to this his native cOun-
try from Liberia, sHd Mr.. Spencer,
who died in Hayti, and his family, re-
turned here"
The BEE-"What is your objections
to cOlonizations as above named p
MIR. Laws.-My objection is this,
that we came into this country and
settled here thirteen years after
the whites Cdme, and are as much
identified with its interests and as
much interested in its industrial puf-
suits as they are, in facts of history:
and that to permit this wholesale
colonization of our race into other
lands would be but giving up labor
of three centuries, to make room for
foreign convicts from European cOun-
tries that would also be facts of his
tory and a national sin, against which
! place my objections"
The BEE.-"But they charged in the
convention that they defy any one of
Mr.. Dodglass's friends to- point to
single thing that Nir. Douglass had
ever done for his race"
Mr.. Laws.-"Ye es, that is true. 1t
was an indirect but a shrewd way
to seek historical information, which
! shall give just here. Mr.. Douglass's
strong opposition to the national
slave trade in humdlf bodies as goods
and chattels, from his escape fr0rtt
bondage to the final downfall of the
institution, his individual and timely
guard aPainst any attempt at local
speculation by evil designed white
people. Through any convention
which assembled in the North, from
the time of his settlement to 1861.
give one thing; when he for the first
time took exception and dissented
from the great Judgment of the Re-
publican party, when iii the hours of
their greatest and most dangerous
when the country was
threatened from its centre to its cir
when the nation was
thunderstruck with amazement at the |
blaze o. Sumter and the wonderful |
for the port of Norfolk, |
and the Republican party said, Let |
the South go into dissolution and con-
iederacy. Though In the greatest |!
confusion; Mr.. Douglas said, mo. |
Treat them as rebels, and declare |
them in rebellion against the general |
Government Mr. Douglass said that
the Government assisted the planning
of slavery. and it ought to assist in
breaking it up; and never let the
South go off with their title for pros
perity in human beings, and dispose of
them as goods and Chattels.
This gives us another thing which he
lid that distinguished him, for which
he is honored ; and in these he was, is
md must be the recognized leader, be-
cause all of his great work ended where
'hi >ilIdiI NOlN DeSuH' i il'tt II, III 10
lut made our duty to keep clean the
house which he built"
The BEE.-"WeII, what will YOU do
with Langston, Elliot, Bruce and
ireene us leaders,"
Mr.. Laws. "There is room enough.
'ir; whenever they make it up in their
minds to do something for the race,
hey will each find enough to lead off
n. When Mr.. Lang 3ton finds out to
which race he belongs, and Mr.. Bruce
10 as much for the people as some
II the people and the Government,
through their honoring, have done for
lim, and some others have said about
lim; when Mr.. Greener outgrows the
'ride of youth, and Mr. Elliot continues
o do as he has done, they can all become
eaders in some way. They are fine
Gentlemen, and the majority of them
re gentlemen of matchlesS talents.
hen why not find enough for each
be leader in the preservation of
he great blessing of liberty, fought for
y Mr.. Douglass through his labors of
1ye and tolls of years for his race"
THE VIRGINIA REpI1RI JCAN~