The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-05-27
THE COLOR LINE
TIE Tesaency Co Drnw the Live No New
TAins In the History of Peoples.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir. In
your Issue OF the 22d inst. you grow serious in
an editorial headed the Color Line" You
have noted from time to time. with fidelity and
apparent soictude. the growing tendency
among colored people to seek association
among themselves socially. religiousy. and po-
litically. 1t appears to mo that THB SUN puts
too much stress upon this tendency
Tho tendency among us is neither unique
nor ominous. 1t hns been illustrated in tho
history OF every tribe and nation OF which his
tory has taken cogni2ance. Whore two or ihore
races are brought together on the same soil
ana Nue subject to the same governmental au-
thority. anna gamation and assimilation have
been the slow growth OF time. 1t is al
s' iS SssSss pf2n the to Ass s Iqf"
s r sa and Sssg rssp s, The St t n%
OF the Roman population. and the acrimoni Gus
conflicts arising therelrom. are ~ marked In
absorption which at length welded them into
an empire which only yielded 70 the unprecc-
worked the downfall OF the Roman Govern
ment. The Russian Jew IL to-day more perse-
IS s the ssa %a hs sn hS Gs %
persecution Of his Teutonic fellow ciiiz"nnsa.
followed the Anglo-Celis of ireland. and the
d,s,inciys ra s and socia ana n"iitisa
and ruled by Ang o-Saxon government for
centuries. is among the most sirik ing Nlustra-
lions history furnishes Of what the mongre
American tyre Of man would call the drawing
OF race lines.
Even IN our own land where everybody is
supposed u be n part ofonc harmonious whole
an Irishman remains nm Irishman. brings with
him his Catholic religion. prefers his own race
above all others. and. even when casting the
ballot OF an Amer can freeman. he IN resolving
in his active mind ways and means by which to
lit'erate HIS uThappy country from the thral-
erican sticks TO his beer. his German frau. and
his iheran Church, and. after half II century
o Of american eltiS,nship sings with g,lsto and
Tho race tendency is true OF all the diverse
peoples associated under our Government ~
one people and the attempt. of newspapers and
individuals to mark out u special tendency
Tor the African IL Dictated sometimes by malice
aa ma oa n Sy Ignorance Of me HIS
man always feels sa ier and more mt ease in his
own home than in the home Of his best friend |:
itself by marriage and social afa iaiion is ono
81 the most natural rs we'll as one of the most
thoroughly Understood OF chronological phc
Among the Africans In the United States. and
especially in the South to which The, Sun
among us to isolation in church and social
and political sentiment Is accelerated by many
cta,ses. among them m iscrgenation laws. polit-
lea, tyranny and Intolerance. and the anti.
Christian spirit which obtains in white
churches, The pseudo white professors of re.
toward colored Christians who attend their
churches; They have seats set apart for col
ored Christians in the extreme roar Of the
church. or far out OF sight in the gallery.
Alas! for the rarity Of Christian charity"
those prospective white angels want nothing
whatever to do with prospective black angels.
Before would sacrifice my sense of manhood
by accepting such special treatment IN the
North or the South. l would live and die out
side OF the communion Of the Church of Christ.
II Is for these REASONS that coored men estab-
lish and maintain separate religious denomi-
nations. in which they can serve God without
at the same time rejecting upon the narrow
Christian Interpretation OF white men. There
is II great deal of religion in this country which
serves the devil and every time n black man
goes into 9 white church or convocation it
shows itself.
As far MS political unity of action is con.
cerned. the colored man will preserve his
clannishness until all parties teach him that
they neither desir" to usn him as a tool nor To
degrade him ns man. The common instinct
OF man and brute is 70 concentrution when
danger is unprecedented. The colored people
are resolving themselves out of the habits OF
slavery into the habits of free mon as fast rs
1t Ia possible for them to do so. and the time
is Mt hand when the colorcd man will he proud
of the black skin which is the index of his
African extraction and the honorable politi-
Gal. social. and religious status which he will
have made Ia this country under disadvan tages
which the white man Is absolutely incapable OF
approaching. 7. THOMAS FORTUNE.
NeW Vnpv Mar 90