The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-10-10
The Colored Race Weighed in Balance.

Thanks to Rev. DIR. c. Il. Marshall for
= copy of his pamphlet of 81 pages, it be-
ing reply to the speech of the Rev. J.
J.. Tucker, ID. d.. rector of ~. Andrews
Church, in Jackson, Miss, made before
the Protestant Episcopal Congress, held
in Richmond, Va, October, 1882, and
published February, 1888.
| haveread DIR. Marshall's pamphlet. all
Of it, with care and great interest, but
have not yet seen the speech of DIR. Tuck
eli. 1t would be well if the American
people could read both of those pamphlets
put forth BY these distinguished diyines,
both of them Southern men. rs the peo-
| pie every where read Uncle Toms Cab
al before the war. Tie american peo-
/ pie, especially the Southern people should
examine this question thoroughly, and
decide whether DIR. Marshall or DIR.
Tucker holds the false balance applied to
the colOred race.
There is no doubt that the two PAM
| phiets contain the sunny and the dark
side a the negro character in pretty bold
| colors.
| Dr. Marshall in his pamphlet has said
about all that talent and ingenuity can
furnish in the negro's favor, and lie some
times makes even the colored mans ssyi-
ces lean to virtues side" His pamphlet
should have contained on IFS title page
''An Apology for the Negro" No attor-
ney could labor more assiduously for
friend and money to avert severe legal
penalties than DIR. Marshall has labored
in the interest of his colored client and
| friend.
When DIR. Tucker points ont feature
of the. ragged side of the negro character
so plainly and truthfully that every South
ern man is compelled to admit its truth
fulnesS. DIR. Marshall simply meets it by.
insisting that the white man in such mat
ters is !; great deal worse than the negro
the Write man rols banks and railroad
trains, and the Government. while the
negro robs hen roosts and steals trifles.
When the members of colored churches
are charged with gross immortality, DIR.
Marshall brings up the corruptions of
| white people who 'ssecm saints when
most they play the devil.'' do not know
that the doctor puts the sins of the white
race in colcrs too dark, for white
people rs well as negroes are great sim
ners. In reply to the charges made by
DIR. Tucker that since emancipation the
negro is retrograding in morality, DIR.
Marshall replies: 1.-Two things / find in
the general to be true; first, that by law
OF selection, or moral grayitation, certain
districts or neighborhoods, have collected
large numbers Of negro tramps and dead
beats, thieves, vagabonds, and worthless
characters; and of course the cry is raised
that the negro is retrograding in naoxali-
ty. The second thing find is that me-
groes in every State'have purchased and
own their farms; they have invested mil
lions of dollars; they are tending upward;
are prospcring. educating their children
and teaching them to work, and every
acre of land negro owns contains the
ten commandments and the gospel Of
seasons, seeds and haryests, and deterio-
ration is not there,
There is no doubt that the negro Is de.
moralized when large numbers are con-
centrated in the quarters of plantations
and in towns and cities, and they are bet
ter citizens when they own and work
small farms. They drink more whisky.
gamble more, and are more immoral on
the plantation than when living on small
farms. And the best and most indnsfri-
Gus negroes are leaving large plantations
and settling on farms where they can get
land. This change leaves the inferior
negroes rs field hands on the plantations.
Dlise general complaint is that the
Dret an average Of