Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-07

citizen. A few days ago we quoted from
leading Southern opponents of public
opinion expressions showing disposition
to "about face" on the negro question
and give the law enfranchising him free
dom of action-a policy that will sooner
than any other settle the negro question and
remove all cause for irritation at the North
We are now able to quote further express
sions of the same order Referring to re-
cent outrages upon the negro, the Green's
boro (Ala) Watchman says, in denuncia-
ton of the lynching of negroes
The frequent lynchings in Alabama have a
SO plain thai sscsn Taabns
have no confidence in the execution of the
laws
Six months ago that anti-negro journal
would not have dared to SO express itself.
The Mobile (Ala.) Register, referring to the
same class of outrages and the wisdom of
putting an end to them, has to say:
No. the law is all right but the public co n
science is not sufficiently awakened to the sa
credness of human life. 8 This Whole
matter may be summed up by the statement
that the Masses elect the lawmakers and the
administrators of the law. They have the
whole matter in their own hands. 1t is in their
power to change the laws in any respect they
choose. There is no excuse then for lynch law.
But these are not nearly so significant of
an awakening conscience as the following,
from the Atlanta (Ga.) Consultation, which
has at last risen to the level of the gravity
of the question:
AS for the white people, there is but one thing
for them to do. That is. to do right. To protect
the negro in his rights-to give him justice and
friendship and counsel. 10 punish those who
wrong him. To hold this course to the very
last-and to quiet with strong and resolute hand
the storm that threatens. And let us see to it
that the Pledgers who do not have the respect
of their own race, shall not win it through the
Indignation of the white race.
Such tones as these are not given by
journalists that are not, or who do not be-
lieve they soon will be, in harmony with
the public sentiment. 1t should be stated
in explanation that the Pledgers" re-
ferred to are a class of negro agitators and
extremists, whose efforts appear to be put
forth to stir up strife and embitter the
negroes against the whites The New Or
leans TImes-Democrat appears to have
swung into line with the new South that
Mr.. Cable has so steadily and bravely
maintained will soon assert itself, and de-
clares:
We must look the matter squarely in the face.
1t is foolish and criminal TO turn away and pre-
tend that such acts as that at PAnse Beruchan
are exceptional and not likely to occur again
and ought, therefore, to be overlooked. They
are the inevitable fruit of conspiracy against
the law, and as long as this regulator conspiracy
exists we may look, not for one, but dozen
repetitions of this tragedy.
The sum and substance of all these
utterances is that leading journalism at
the South has discovered the inevitable,
and discerned what will come to pass if
the ''Old South policy is adhered to, and
is, therefore, bravely sounding the note of
warning against possible race conflict,
but which the whites of the South can avert
by removing the restraints now put upon
the law. That done our Southern friends
will find that there is at the North not a
particle of sympathy with any attempt on
the part of the blacks to domineer or to
ride rough-shod over the rights of any
citizens. On the contrary, with the legal
guarantees of the negro granted to him in
reality, he will by the people of the whole
country be held to the most rigid and ex-
acting accountability. Negro domination,
the cowing of whites, the assertion of
social supremacy, of which the South has
had so much to say, as a menace, will no
more be tolerated by the people of the
United States, with whom the love of
justice and fair play stands foremost, than
they would submit to the usurpation of
power by foreign force. When the strug-
gle to keep the negro dependent ceases, the
danger of negro supremacy will vanish
and the Grace problem" so-called, will
work out its own solution according to
natural and peaceful methods. The South
has only this to do in the present, make
no concealment of the truth, submit to no
infraction or repression of the law, and
punish its violation regardless of color or
social condition, and it can safely trust
the future to the administration of the
wisdom and justice of the American people.