The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-29

Interview with Thomas Fortune,

Interview with Thomas Fortune
Thomas Fortune, editor of the Globe, the
colored organ at New York, was asked to-day by
a press correspondent what he thought would be
the effect among eolored people of. Fred. Doug
lass's marriage.
TT seems to me-" he said, that great deal
of unnecessary stir has been made over this
matter. After all, it is the private affair of
these two parties, and possibly the time has
come to emphasize the standing of the
muatto element, half white and half black,
and place it, if deserving in other respects
in a social equality with whites. That is a
problem Mr.. Douglass will now have a
chance to try. For my own part, | incline to
think there is something far more serious in
another phase of the question When man
of intellect and prominence, Douglass GER
tainly is becomes known and recognized as a
race leader, he is very likely to be heavily handi-
capped by an outside alliance of this kind. He
will be ostraeized, so to speak, by the very ele-
ment which has been led to regard him as a
commander and, in fact, lose much. if not all
of his prestige. The news surprise to
me. Months ago knew that Mr.. Douglass had
matrimonial designs Miss Pitts, and I hap
pened to know that both parties We're serious.
When you come to look at the matter in the light
of associations that have extended
so sack very SF odd 1 rGe years father Of M R9s
Pitts a gentleman of means in Central
New York. who was one of the earliest Adolf
tionists in the field. He took his family West
hoping to succeed in some mining venture, but it
earned out badly, and, instead of returning to
New York. he bought property in Washington,
adjoining that owned by Douglass, for the double
purpose of being at the seat of government and
ofenjoying the companionship of Douglass whom
he looked upon as the Moses of the colored race
in which he had been so deeply interested for
many years. You win see from this that when
the young lady was hardly more than a girl her
intimacy with Mr.. Douglass began. He was
constant caller at the house, always on terms of
social equality, had long conferences with her
father, and it was natural enough that she, with
such surroundings, and partaking of her fathers
notions of race philanthropy, should come to
gard Mr.. Douglass on par with warm white
friends Of the family. She is woman of strong
mind and great ability, about thirty five years
old, and has married with her eyes wide open.
Whether the matchSwill turn out happilv or not
| cannot say. 1t is a serious experiment But
it is a mistake to call Fred Douglass seventy
three years od-he figures himself at sixty
three, and certainly, in vigor, he is not day
older "
But he had better keep on the Maryland side
of the Potomac, suggested the correspondent
Yes" replied Mr.. Fortune. when he has his
white wife along. The laws of Virginia contain
an ron-cad provision against any such race mix
ture the sacred soil. 1t was all right enough
in slavery days for the races to commingle in a
go-as you please fashion, but any M -jmonial
alliance between them was not to be tolerated
for minute. | read not long since how they
mobbed a white man for travelling with a colored
wife. and kept him for days in a dungeon.
think it best after all for man to stick to his
own class but it seems to me that matters of
this kind are private and personal rather than
public"