Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-08-16

TO destroy the government ,"eat in
Convention after failing n their
efforts, and attempt TO DEVISE
means TO disfranchise another class
of citizens who fought to save it.
Yet that is what the Mississippi
Convention which met or the 18th
attempted to do. And this too in
the face of the fact that every
member of it stood sworn to recog
nize the civil and political equality
of all men before the law as well
as to support and maintain the
18th, 18th and 10Th Amendments
to the Constitution Of the United
states.
This occurs too in section of a
Christian country.
In commenting on this affair
the Richmond Daily Times says
ssrhe convention which assembled to /
day Ina Mississippi Is, probably, the
most important That has met ia that /
State since it was admitted TO the |
Union. 1t seeks in q measure to undo |
the evil that was perpeLrated In confer |
ring the suffrage upon the blacks before
they had received The slightest prepsrl
ton for the 1udicious exercise Of SO mo
mentous privilege"
1t accordingly cody admits that
1t is an attempt to nullify the Con-
stitution and laws of the United
States. 1t adds:
''For many years the white people OF
Mississippi have been compelled at
every election 10 employ various devic
es to ward off ali the calamiLies of
Negro domination"
What cnmrulsion could there
be that would cause the white -rpf..
fans to butcher defenseless color
ed men, to han" them to trees, to
mutilate their bodies and to COM
init nameless outrages upon their
wives and children.
What compulsion was there to
cause them IN the days of peace,
when there was no call to the
polls, no rallying cry for the
election Of candidates, for them 10
shoot down deIenseless men, VIC
men and children and without any
right, either uman or divine, and
in opposition to all law, possess the
land of these unfortunate beingsi
All, 1t is bloody Mississippi
When the recital is made, and
facts produced to show that Color
ed men have been made the vie
tins of the heartless, ''anaconds
mortgages" store orders and eve
~ species of cheating that human
ingenuity could invent, it is no
surprising that the criminals
should sicken and tire of Their
s.ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain"
1t says further:
1.-The black population however. ha
continued to increase, both by natnra
growth and by immigration from adj
cent commonwealth until it is not 4
all improbable that the Forthcoming
census report viii show a negro major
tv in the state that viii fall litrie shor
OF half q million. Such ? ms ie's' a
this cannot, for any Rveas leAgth o
nnu. De sKiilfully manipulated.
We are glad that you make thi
statement Of a fact and then SUI
plement it with an assertion which
can he neither gaInsayed nor d,
MED.
The educated Negro is coming t.
the front. When the masses ar,
blessed with this boon of freedom
the bonds that hold him an indu
trial slave to his brutal master viii
bursC asunder, and in the full vigo
and power of manhood he will al
nOunce that the time for such trea
ment was. but shall be no loni
or.
Let the Mississippi Bourbon
proceed. Barring the educatiOna
qualifications which they hav
not had the hardihood to risk, an
amendment they may enact will G
Their be a terrible blow to the ign
rant and non property holdin
poorer element of whites. or it Wi
be q violation of the Constitution
of the United States.
The Negro witnesses, with pl
cid indifference to the efforts Of hi
enemies to permanently disahl
him, will mount and pass over ev
~ obstacle and go on educatjn