The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-06-04
THE SOUTHERN NEGROES
A Sign Welcomed by the White Peopl
Of the Former Slave States,

"A SiSh welcomed by the White People
Of the Former Slave States.
The resolution adopted by the confer
ence of Southern negroes in session in
Atlanta are worthy of the serious atten-
ton of the white people. For tho first
time in many years the negro leaders
have seen proper, when assembled in
convention for the purpose of discussing
their affairs, to come out from under
the overwhelming shadow of partisan
politics. 1t is not only promising sign,
but it is one which the white people
ought to welcome. 1t is an evidence that
after many years of extreme, but ex-
cusable foolishness-after many years Of
political xperiment-they have at last
come back to the real starting point.
Heretofore the negroes have persisted
in viewing their situation here as pure
ly political in its character, and, follow
ing the cue of the white Republicans;
who have no real sympathy with them,
have abused the whites and held them
responsible for the crimes and outrages
committed by drunken or irresponsible
individuals That the negroes have
been misled in this matter, and in va
rious other matters, has been the result
of circumstances over which they have
had little or no control. 1t was not to
be expected that they would start on
their new, career of citizenship fully
equipped with judgment, prudence md
knowledge; and we have often felt that
the attitude of the negroes to-day is
partly due to the fact that in the first
days of freedom their old masters per-
mitted them to drift away into the
hands of alien adventures and corrup-
tionists.
1t is, therefore, very gratifying to OBJ
serve that the negroes who assembled
in convention in Atlanta, instead Of
turning the gathering into a partisan
political affair, and calling on the Re-
publicans and the Government to rush
to their aid, invoked the sympathy and
protection of their real friends-the
whites of the South. We may say that
it is an appeal that will not be made in
vain. The sensible and conservative
tone of the resolutions will command
attention and sympathy, and the appeal
is one to which the responsible and rep
resentative people of the South will be
quick to respond.
There has never been any doubt Of
the South's attitude in regard to the
outrages committed on the negroes by
irresponsible and cowardly whites; but
the best friends of the negroes have
been handicapped and INSTRUCTED by the
fact that every collision of whatever
nature between whites and blacks has
been given political flavor by the pro-
fessed friends of the negro, and the Re-
publican partisans have placed the
whole South on the defensive against
wholesale charges, the bulk of them
manufactured out of whole cloth.
From first to last the Constitution,
representing the South, and voicing its
feelings to the best of it's ability, has
endeavored to convince the negroes that
the white people of this section are their
best and truest friends, and we have
never failed to denounce in fitting terms
the cowardly spirit that prompts a
white man to impose on negro.
Henry Grady spoke for the whole
South when he said: Gas for the
white people of the South, 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 friend
ship, and counsel. To punish those who
wrong him. To hold this course to
the very last" Again Mr.. Grady spoke
for the South, when, with almost his
latest breath, he said, speaking of the
negro: ''From the grave comes voice
saying, Follow him! Put your arms
about him in his need, even as He put
his arms about me! Be his friend, as he
was miner And out into this new
world-strange to me as to him. az-
zing, bewildering to both-I follow.
And may God forget my people when
they forget theseH'
Here the eloquence of the orator, in
few burning words, has pictured the
heart of the white South. All that the
negroes have to learn is the simplest
lesson of citizenship-namely, that his
relations with the whites are far beyond
and above partisan politics. Atlanta
Constitution.