The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-01-18
THE COLORE DPEOPIE.

| THE COLORE DPEOPLE.
A convention Of colored people Of
the United States met on Wednesday
in Chicago and is still in session
Thus far we have had report OF but
the first days proceedings, in regard
to which it can only be said that the
meeting was bowling bedlam until
it was finally sufficiently Gained down
to hear a very able speech from Thos
f. Fortune, publisher of the Age, in
New York, and by whom the conven-
ton was called. His speech was main
ly devoted to an elucidatiOn of the OBJ
jects of the meeting, as set forth in
the call: "TO organize the American
League of colored people, which is to
eschcw politics and labor to elevate
the colored race in this country, by
establishing a bank, by distributing
the race more equally, by securing
just legislation, by establishing trade
schools, and by organizing cooperative
stores and manufactures"
The convention Is quite a success,
so far as members are concerned, over
300 delegates being present, and is
thus quite an eclipse of the1late abor-
tive effort OF Mr.. Perry II. Carson, a
rival "leader," to assemble like con-
vention at Washington, and must
cast damper on the project of Mr.
John G. Jones, another rival "leader,"
who called similar convention to
meet in Chicago in May.
Praiseworthy, however, as Mr.. For
tune showed his objects to be, and
possible of attainment if the cOlored
people devote themselves to an earnest,
united effort on their behalf, it is
manifest there can be no such united
effort when the colored people are al
ready split up into wavering factions
under three rival leaders, with no tell
ing how many more are ready to pop
up.
One important point all these lead
ers seem to be unconscious Of, and
which was conspicuously ignored by
Mr.. Fortune in his address, and that
is, that the negro will accomplish
little in the way Of his elevation with
out aid from the whites. No inferior
race ever made great advances with
out help from a superior race. The
Goths and Vandals Of the north only
became humanized and enlightened as
they absorbed the culture and refine
ment of the Greeks and Latins.
Again, the negro is making great
blunder in the choice of his friends.
His conventions should be held in At
lanta or New Orleans, not in Wash
ington or Chicago. He can never
make a greater mistake than to imag-
inc that his best friends are in the
north. The hostility to his race is
ten times more intense here than at
the south. Witness the late scenes at
Alton. The only friendship for the
negro as race at the north is politi
cal, and that Is confined to but one
half Of its people.
On the other hand, the negro be-
longs to the south. He is child of
the tropics and can only flourish there.
He not only belongs there but the
south needs and must have him.
Without his labor the south can have
no prosperity, and is doomed to decay.
AS the only friendship for the negro
at the north is political, 50 is the only
hostility TO him at the south political.
Now If the negro was smart, he would
see his course at glance. He would
drop politics-at the south. He would
not, in doing so, give up his right 10
vote, but he would 90 to the polls and
vote with and for his friends, the
white people; or, II they are not his
friends now, that would made them
such. Nothing would 50 speedily and
certainly elevate the negro In the es-
timation OF the white people as such a
course, and nothing would ~ surely
break down all race hostility there.
Nay more, 1t would break up the pr
litical solid south, and We should
soon find the negroes and whites vie
ing with each other In acts Of mutual
friendship and aid, as they would be-
bound to each other by mutual de-
pendence. But with the Republican
fetish In the negroes head, what hops