The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-09-25


tion Of immemo rial personal privilege which
no people ever yet willingly relinQuished.
whether right or wrong. This relation Is
very clearly and forcibly setforth In arecent
work. entitled Eighty nine" published by
Cassell * Co.. New York.
IL Ia among such finder that the fire OF
political pronunciation Ia thrown by the
press and politicians OF the South with
reckless disregard OF consequences that
reminds the man of middle are most forci-
bly, OF the days Immediately preceding the
outbreak OF the war OF the rebellion. Then
IL was persistently declared that the eman-
cipation OF the slave meant n reign OF rapine
and horror which IL was necessary 10 pre-
vent at all hazards. Therefore slavery
must be perpetuated. Now we have the cry
that negro domination must be prevented
at whatever cost. and the slaughter OF coll
ored citizens and their brutal torture with
out form OF law. from the Ohio TO the Gull.
is heralded in Christian ears as n heroic
effort To protect civilization against the in
roads of barbarism. II is Just as reason
able ana Just as valid an excuse Tor reckless
diabolism as the claim that slavery was tho
only method OF preserving the Christian
civilization oil the men who turned It's
thumbscrews and proflted by its iniamies.
What excuse really exists Tor the widely
Haunted claim OF three race conflicts In
single day? IL is the old. old story so often
traced in blood before the eyes OF the
American people and SO often unheeded.
No. = amounts simply to this: train
loaded with colored eXcursionists steamed
up 10 depot. There were very few people
living near the station. The police OF the
town seem to have been gathered in force.
however. and providentially armed with
Winchesters. The negroes and the police
are the only witnesses as TO the ARRAY.
The police say one OF the excursionists
shot one OF their number in trying TO make
an arrest. The negroes say that the train
was fired into before 1t stopped. and the
crowd stampeded as soon as they could
get out. Five hundred shots from Win
chesters md revolyers were dred. the
police say, in five minutes. 1t Is not
claimed that the negroes had Winchesters.
One white man was wounded. and several
colored men and women. The next morn
ing a colored church near by was fired,
and those who fastened to the scene Of
destruction found a Gordon OF white men
armed with rifles guarding the flames that
consumed the altar race had contributed
of their poverty to build to the worship of
the Most High God 1t was desperate
effort TO teach civilization and Christianity
to thcs'inferior race!"
No. is like curious mixture OF absur-
dity and apparent falsehood. A rumor
comes FRONT harlestown.W w. Va.-so says the
dispatch-"that the ne groes had collected
on New River, and n concerted movement
on the whites was Intended" Result: Or
ders were received for all the "Winches-
ters" available. assigned cause: \ negro
had threatened to do up" the employees in
a store, and had been s6ot dead by one Of
them.
Why did any one think the negroes were
about 10 rise" Why did Shakespeare write
OF that conscience which doth make cow
ards OF Us all 2
"Kace war" No. 8 was more serious and
deadly. It's theater was Shell Mound Miss.
IL Is said that the NEGROES mad been 20 gan
izing alliances" whatever these may be- +,
"as il was thought. in this part OF the dc Ia
t..s sNtr.a In h-ns.
mate against some OF their leaders. il is
said that "seVenty-iive arm Il negroes came
into Shell Mound. Miss, and boosted what
they would do II their leader WAS interered
with" This was the cusus bell as stated
by he whiteS-nothing more.
What was the result! A call for troops;
the AdJutant General orders out four COM
panies; five hundred white citizens volun-
tee 10 assist; the Governor hastens on by
express and fervently cautions the people
not 10 violate the law.
WHAT is the sequel The Governor went
back as eXpedit!ously as he came. The
state troops were withdrawn, says the
dispatch, FOR the reason that the posse did
not want them there, because they woul1
restrain them from their determinat on 70
kill every negro VINO had anything TO do
with the mobi"
Final outcome -"Over fifteen negroes
have been hanged and shot already, and
the soldiers say the citizens had begun the
This was in the Republic OF the United
States, on the third day OF September, in
the year OF Grace one thousand eight hun
dred and eighty-nine! Governor Lowry
will probably be sent 10 the Senate. at the
first opportunity, 10 keep company with
the South Carolina butchers. Hampton and
Butler!
But the burning at the stake-that GER
tainly was justihable? The crime charged
was most atrocious one; of this there is
no doubt. There is no one who can desire
10 eNtenuate il or shield its perpetrator
from punishment. 1t is also one hard to
prove and harder still TO defend. A colored
boy nearly grown" is said 10 have over
come two white girls about his own age
and ravished one of them. If the charge
was true Kentucky law Furnishes the crime
with death. There was no chance OF the
victims escape-no possibility of IA failure
o justice. Possibly. as in similar case q
few months ago. there may come. by and
by, a tardy ackno wledgement that il was a
mistake. But granting the crime to have
been committed. IL such barbarity is nec-
essary, why not put burning at the stake
among the statutory punishments OF the
Commonwealth? Was il a horror of the
crime or a wild rage for barbaric brutality
TO the negro that inspired those who con-
Quoted this nineteenth century burning?
One can not help wondering what would
have been done had the conditions been
reversed-if the girls face had been black
ana the nedTll grown BOY WLlte. Inc
punishment for the crime in all the South
ern States is death. In the twenty-four
years since Ii became unlawful for a white
man 10 compel colored woman TO his
will. has single white man been executed
for ravishment OF Il colored woman?
After reading these reports OF one days
horrors, can anyone fail to ask himself
these questions:
Is there any doubt that there is yet a race
problem. anu one of infinite difficulty and
danger, to be solved by the American peo-
pie?
Is it true that there Is one law for black
and white" at the South2
Is il possible that the ordinary civil
rights OF the negro" are likely to be secured
and preserved" by a people who are so
ready TO shed his blood?
Can a Christian civilization reco Tnize the
claim OF the south TO be permitted to settle
the race question" for themselves?
Is II not "a part Of the duty of the Governs
ment and people OF the United States to
find way to secure TO those to whom it
has guaranteed the rights OF citizenship.
the protection of Jaw?
Are murder and church burning the m ost
desirable methods of preparing the negro
for civilization and the Characterization of
OF African"
Do these often recurring and almost I'M
provoked conflicts, ending always in fresh
slaughter OF the blacks, indicate a purpose
TO do equal and exact justice 10 the coll
ored man." or determination 10 crush
Il