San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-05
A PLEA FOR JUSTICE.
The Wrongs and Cruelties of which
Col ored Men Complain.

San Antonio, Sept. 3. 'S9.
| Daily LIGHT.
| Every few weeks, the news fieshet
over the wires of a race war going
on some where, and of course fine
Degro is always in fault. The Arkan
sas outrages, and the fiendish crimes
of Fort Bend and Wilson Co. have
scarcely died out when here comes
the news from Mississippi and Louis.
lana of some Of the most tiendish
crimes on record. According to the
| Geographic reports men, women
and children were fired upon by a
host of fiends in the shape of human
beings. Though they were innocent
people aboard this train no officer
of the law attempted to protect them.
Not satisfied with murder they go
further, seek the church, fire it and
guard it with muskets to keep the
firemen back. Yet the negro is
always in fault. Had negroes been
firing among white people in any
such manner before now every one
of them would have been hanging.
Mr.. Editor, it seems to me that in
some portions of these L. S. the
white people have made a covenant
with hell to keep the negro down
if they can. Here in America, for
240 years, this down trodden race
served their masters faithfully. 1t
has only been "a years since the last
act of that terrible tragedy of human
butchery was played, and A Abraham
Lincoln was able to liberate with one
stroke of the pen nearly 100000 of
human beings. Yet, in that short
space of time, TWEEN ty-four years, lib
erty has given them theologians,
lawyers, doctors, congressman, and
business men in general. In the
South alone we have near $4,000
of scholars. We are truly proud of
the progress the race has made.
There is one thing we must learn yet
and that is when the laws of the
country fail to protect us we must
protect ourselves. Must the negroes
submit to every outrage and be driv-
en- from their homes, wives and chill
dren? [ would say no. What race
has done more for this country than
the negro? Did they not fight in 1775
and the wars of 1872? indeed they
did. Who were they that fell in de-
Tense of America on King street BOs-
ton, Mass? There is a monument
erected to their memory that can tell
you better than myself. On one side
Of the monument the following poem
is engraved:
"Long as in freedoms cause the wise
oNnfapH
Dear to your country shall your fame
extend,
While to the world the lettered stone
shall tell
Where Caldwell, Attacks, Gray and
Maverick fell"
Mr.. Editor, the laws of America
give or promise to every man
protection; how much has the negro
been protected? The rights of human
equality have been denied him, simply
on account of color. One Of the great
est generals in the confederate army
in speech once said, "as our slave
the negro served us faithfully, now
that he is free let us be his friend.'
We know full well that social equality
shall never exist, at least we believe
So and 1 believe that before social
should exist the crack of the
Winchester would be heard, mid
night assassins would be abroad, the
bowie knife and fire fiend would be
doing their devilish work. All we
ask is protection.
In conclusion 1 would say to my
race, let us prepare to meet other
races, not socially, but intellectually,
strive to meet them with integrity for
integrity, honesty for honesty, knowl-
edge for knowledge, and virtue for
virtue. Let us be their colleagues in
literature, their equals in art. Re
member, united you stand, divided
you fall" Hoping that the time is
not far distant when peace shall reign
throughout the land, race war cease,
and the negro be protected citizen,
| remain, B. F. WALLACE.