The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-24
THE NEGRO IN HISTORY.
A Colored Man Defends His Race-The
Franklin Trouble.

SEATTLE, May q, 1891
To THE EDITOR: In answer TO the many arti.
cles that have noticed in the papers in regard
to the colored miners at Franklin, wish to call
the attention of the public to the fact that going
back through the records OF history it 10 fair to
presume God gave all the races OF mankind
civilization TO start with. We infer this from
the known character of the Creator. Before
Romulus founded Rome, before Homer sang,
when Greece was in its infancy and the world
quite young, "hoary Nerve was the chief CITY
of the negroes along the Nile. Its colossal walls
and s.upendous gates, its gorgeous chariots and
alert footmen, its inventive genius and ripe
scholarship made 1t the cradle OF civilization
and the mother OF art. 1t was the queenly city
of Ethiopia, for II was founded by colonies Of
negroes. Through its open gates long and cease
less caravans, laden with gold, silver, ivory,
frankincense and palm oil poured the riches of
Africa into the capacious lap OF the city.
The learning of this people embaimed In the
immortal hieroglyphic, flowed adown the Nile,
and like spray spread over the delta OF that time
bonored stream on by the beautiful and ven
cradle city of Thebes, the city OF hundred
gates, another monument to the negro genius
and civilization and more ancient than the
cities of the delta, until Greece and Rome stood
transfxed before the ancient glory Of Ethiopia.
Homeric mythology borrowed its very essence
from negro hieroglyphi Egypt borrowed her
Greece went to school to the Egyptians and
Rome turned to Greece for law and the science
of warfare. England dug down into Rome
twenty centuries to learn to build and plant, to
establish government and maintain It, and
numerous other instances OF negro intellect
and genius which have neither time or space
here to relate
Thus we see that the colored man Is equal to
that of any other race If he has the opportunity.
And row I will coma 70 the negro raca in
America Referring to the battle of Bunker
Hill, one OF the earliest and most important of
the Revolution, negro soldiers were In the action
OF the 18th of June, 1775s and nobly did their
duty. As soldiers, the negroes went far beyond
the most liberal expectations of their stanchest
friends. Associated with white men, many of
whom were superior gentlemen, and nearly all
OF whom were brave and enthusiastic, the negro
soldiers Of the American army became worthy
of the cause they fought to sustain, and In the
civil war Of our late rebellion they fought side
by side with white men, sat side by side
around our camp-fres then, and color was not
thought OF. And now / see no reason why q
colored American should not be employed in
any part of his native country that he fought
and died for, the same az white men. We have
proven ourselves to be peaeeable and Law.
abiding citizens. There Is not one single In
stance on record where eo,ored men were ever
known to lead riot or agitate strike. We are
willing to work peacesbly by the side OF any
man whatever race he may be- am giaA to see
the stand Mr.. Corey has taken to protect the
company's property and their employees, and
hope the colored miners will not be Influenced
to leave, and may prove true to every frust. As
We well remember, four years ago similar cir
cumstances occurred at the Roslyn mines, when
colored miners were put to work, and they have
given entire satisfaction, and hope these may
do the same. JAMES II. ORR.