Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-05
THE SOUTHERN NEGRO
A Vigorous Answer TO Criticjsns or
His Manner of Life-His Seeming
Worthlessness Attributed TO the Fact
That He Is Not Given a Chance.

Mr.. John W. Ewing of this city. has written
TO the Hartford Times a reply to an article
printed In that paper in July, and republished
In The STAR. headed The Southern Colored
Youth, IN which serious assertions were made
respecting the morals OF the younger genera
ton OF colored people in the south on the
authority OF a republican" who had recently
Gaveled through the south. Mr.. Ewing pro-
nounces the sweeping statement made as gross
falsehOOd. ~ know his remarks are true " writes
Dir. Ewing, -'oi large class OF negroes il is also
too true OF very large class of white people,
whose path To- honorable business pursuits is
not barred by prejudice, like that OF the
negroes; but am too generous 10 coudemn the
whole white population because of this sad
fact"
AS 70 theft and immortality among the
Negroes he continues, ..these grave faults are
not any more true nor more general with
negroes than with the white people, in like cir
cuLnStances- This man HAS simply Judged the
whole co!Ored people by some worthless speci-
mems who have come under his observation
elther on the streets or around the hotels or
ngu"r saloons Of the southern towns and cities,
which il very wrong; indeed il is gross injustice
20 Tue coiored people. II this man is an NiOus TO
AhoW or learn the truth about the negroes let
nm be good enough TO visit the clean cosy
homes of the hundreds and thousands of honest
Sou-HeahlhS families, VINO are struggling 10
become owners of property educate their chill
uFen, ana are very anxious TO give them useful
trades to lit them to succeSsfIiv CtiseharDe
their duties a. good citizens with honor 10 their
eountrf and bride 70 themselves ct those
VINO Ia srepresent the colored people go among
AHs oPes and purposes, rs we'll as the grave
hnd olsheartening obstacles which confront
shein all along the line of DEVELOPMENT aud
eivilization IN this their native land; then and
Not iii fhen, viii the writers on this imnortant
subject be able to transmit the simple truth
abont this much oppressed. misrepresented and
outraged people. No one can know and prom
cry symp1thiZe with the negroes in their
worthy efforts and aims to rise to higher and
better Things until they go into the well fur.
nished homes and social circles of the better
classes, and in this way only learn the plain
truth. The great masses or coiOred peopie are
truly industrious class of citizens The
simple explanation OF this seeming worthless
ness on the part of the negroes is in the fact
that they are almost absolutely excluded from
any honorable competition in the trades with
their white brethren from the making OF a
common buck 10 that of locomotive Auy
just person can clearly see they are without a
fair chance, or even living wages with Others
forced To general idleness by people who are
possessed with an almost inhuman, unchristian
satanic spirit. and then ridiculed and con-
demned for not doing better, when 1t is this
very cruel spirit which aetuates these unjust
critics themeiyes; which causes this sad,
gloomy, unchristian, unmanly condition OF
things"