Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-07-26

African. There was q picture of men
OF the different races; and the atten-
ton of the little boy was arrested by
the black face; with a curious expree-
sion OF eagerness he wanted to know
about that man. 1 remember well
the answer and the lesson from that
mother. She said, "that this ne
gro" and here is her philosophy that
she buried in that young heart TO
stay:
Their ska It is black. but twas God who made
And He made them with bodies aud feelings
like u.s.
Let the gentle but profound philos-
ophy OF that mother find Judgment
In your hearts and the race problem
Is solved in this country.
Gentlemen, what is the difficulty in
recognizing what God has said on
this question? Are we not safe in
doing that? The members of the
colored race have the same instincts,
the same great impulses as ourselves.
Many of your people have nursed at
their bosOms; you have been dressed
by them, carried by them as chill
dren; you have lived in the closest
and tenderest relations with them.
Yet when they walk up before you or
after you to cast ballot you tell
me I'VE cannot endure them" You
can not answer why. 1T will not do.
l appeal in that great name which
wac appealed to by South Carolina.
Let us try a little justice by our fell
bowman and see how it will work.
You have tried the other method
long enough. Do not forget that
every citizen wronged under the
shadow of the law is made a conspir-
ator against the law and the power
that makes it. Dream not that six
million of people who have by their
Maker been endowed with darker
skins than ours, but by our Consti-
tuition have been clothed with the
same powers that you and / possess
as oitizens-dream not that these
individuals will endure all this, and
thatn danger lies in their suffer-
ings.
JUSTICE is THE REMEDY.
Better far, my fellow citizens, that
these men be allowed to go up beside
you as they are empowered by the
Constitution to do and register their
views on public men and public meas
ures. Try it for awhile. God knows
we want no Federal supervisor laws
or election laws Some of you think
we do, but we do not. / tell you
gentlemen, this side of the Chamber
has no desire, and it Is no pleasant
duty, to meet these great questions
where there are such sharp issues be-
tween us. Do not fear but that there
will always be plenty of issues be-
tween parties In this country. It is
more agreeable to the statesman, or
the politician, or the public man, call
him what you will, to deal with those
great economic questions which
touch every hearth and every heart
than It is to be graphing with these
issues which stir up animosities be-
tween fellcw-citizens. There will al
ways be issues TO put into plat
forms. Try to avoid those issues
which make graves and sadness. and
which harrow up the human heart.
/ tell you, w-citizens-pardon me
II use in this House that best of ali
terms tell you that the heart
beats at the North that Won NAV
laugh and sneer at, want justice done
by those people as individuals as
much as they want to be protected
in their rights as members and parts
OF the people of the Republic.
The proposition made by some is.
I'VE will make them leave; the black
man must get out of the way" And
that Utopian dream is INDUCED in by
some men standing high in public |
positions. Move che oolored men
away Where? Answer it your
selves, When? Answer that. How ? |
that. But here is fitting
answer in resolutions passed by the
convention or con-
gress which assembled in the city
OF Chicago in February last:
Resolutions adopfed at n Convention WHARF
there were one hundred and thirty-one repre- |
sentatives from twenty-one sovereign States
TO discuss this question.
HeIe are the resolutions that they
adopted:
WHEREAS the preponderance of Afro-Americans
IN the State of Alabama. South Carolina. LouIsi-
makes the situation painful and uncomfortahIe
Tor the small minority Of white feilow-citizene re-
SUNK thereln. therefore,,
BE II resolved. That we do petition the hon
oraOle Congress of the United States Co make
and provide for an appropriation OF $IOO OOOOO0 /
20 furnish the unhappy white cltixens of those
STATES who may desire to settlein other and more
favored states. free from Afro-AmerIcan maIorI-
ties, with free transportation and lunch nv the
way to any States north of Mason and Dixon's |
line.
BE it further Resolved. Thst the Congress- Sc |
eet Senator MORGAN. of alabama. Senator
HAMPTON OF South Carolina. and Senator On
SON, OF Louisiana. to be the Moses To direct tn, j
unhappy people out OF the States of their mis- |
fortunes.
There is a grim eloquence, Mr.. |
Speaker, in these resolutions. Why |
have not these people the right !
to make these declarations as
we'll as and other people? Why have |
they not as much right as the man
whose citizenship is forced upon |
him? Does ne possess less sacred |
rights than n gentleman who selects
his place of citizenship? No one
needs to be told who reads Alright |
the history of the Republic how these |
poor people came to be citizens of |
SOnfh CaPnlino orI 10 .~&I>~..