The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-03
1YNoHIYGs NORTH AyD SOUTH.
Letter From Rev. }. L. Lindsay, st. Paurs
Church, Boston.
rposfon Transcrint1

Letter From Rev. }. L. Lindsay, st. Paurs
Church, Boston.
boston Transcript
70 the Editor of the Transcript. Our daily
papers are full of accounts of the lawless exc
/ cutions Of negroes in several Of the Southern
| States. animadversions upon them and stories
Of the protests and prayer-meetings Of North
ern coored people in behalf their Southern
/ kin
Were in the South should raise my voice
| in protest against the wrongs committed.
| though might find them far fewer and much
| less helnOus than they appear TO be when the
stories have been rolled, like snOwballs a long
way. growing as they roll. But here in New
| England, where no one seems disposed -
take the other side for the sake of truth and
justice / will do 50.
When we hear of these Southern outrages
let US remember that as usual. they come
Just before a general election. and that many
of them are made TO order in the North and
for political effect. So the number should be
scaled aud the color Of the dark deeds a little
lghtened.
Then let it be remembered that the lynch
ing of cOlored people has not been confined
O. the South. To say nothing of the cruel
ties 10 the Chinese (who are colored peOpe)
in some of our Northern States, negroes have
been lynched recently in New York ant in
Indiana. The account of the lynchng in the
last-named State. read recently in the House
of Representatives, was very shocking. The
mob was led ID this case by q Republican JUS
tice of the peace.
One other thing must be borne in mind. that
the executions of negroes in the South were
not on account of politics, aud that they were
in most cases. for the most revolving Of crimes
Whatever may be the abstract right in such
cases, there Is not one man IN hundred who
would not take part IN the killing of any other
man who committed this crime upon member
OF his family. Nothing is more shocking. nOtn-
ing appeals mere powerfully 10 the nature OF
man for punishment than such an act as this.
Nothing is so likely 10 sweep a community
completely off its feet in a tempest of passion.
But there is more than wild passion in the
conduct of Southern white people when they
lynch the perpetrators of thisrevOlting crime.
IL is their deep-sested conviction that it can
be prevented best in the future by quick and
terrible vengeance visited upon the criminal
in the present.
The white women Of the South are pecu-
harly exposed. In many cases they live
where the cOlored people Outnumber the
whites and where the homes of the whites are
far apart.
| write simply of facts. l know that peo-
pie ask. How can such things be reconcled
with the submissiveness and loyalty to their
masters families of the negroes in the South
during the war The explanation IS simple.
In the North we have praised the conduct of
the cOlOIed man IN the war without consider
ing what caused it-whioh was largely the
kindness of the white man, the master.
Then. too, slavery was a military state
in which the slave submitted almost
mechanically 70 the white man. Now
the close relations that once subsisted be-
tween master and slave have passed away and
with il the mutual affection of the coored
and white people The negro is proud of his
liberty, and Is disposed % use II without re-
straint His political leaders are too often
agitatOrs who try TO iniame his passions
against the white people. In writing
thus / am not expressing altogether my
own sentiments or trying 10 make out
defense of alleged Southern Outrages. i
would simply lay the case Of the Southern
people as they see IL before Northern readers,
that they may Judge them fairly. Add these
considerations that these lynchlngs have not
occurred in all of the Southern States, and
that IN those States IN which they have
occurred lynch law IS more often resOrted TO
for punishment of white as well as of colored
criminals than in the Northeastern States
What can be done 10 lessen these illegal
executions, One thing our cOlored fellow
citizens IN the North car. do-endeayOr TO los
sen the crimes for which their Southern kius-
men are killed Then the leaders OF popular
opinion in the North-the press and the pull
pit may appeal nationally and temporarily
10 the Southern white people % enforce re-
spect for life and for law. The great mass OF
the white people IN tho South are very much
like those of New England IN the manner IN
which they regard human life and the law of
the land. They simply do not assert them
selves as they should. They did III Chatta-
nOOga, Tenn, q few days ago, when they rose
en- masse and protected negro criminal till
he was tried sentenced and imprisoned, IN
due process OF low.
Denunciation by pulpit and press will have
no good effect The North has INDUCED IN
this sort Of treatment Of the South too often
and too long. The Southern people are
amenable TO reason; thew resent yltuperatiOn.
Possibly some editor of a Southern newspa-
per or some occupant of Southern pulpit
may read this communication. II so, would
address a word TO him. assuring him that the
writer admires and respects his people But,
tor the sake OF their good name and for their
very civilization. they should give serious at
tenton 10 the too common custom amongst
them of Furnishing by mob violence those be-
lieved to be guilty Of crime.
Such things are almost unknown in the
more advanced communities OF Europe and
America.
Tbat the number and the character of these
outrages in the South have been exaggerated
by prejudice and ignorance L have 10
doubt Hence. the first duty OF every South
eru man OF influence is 70 tlnd out the truth
as 10 these alleged crimes and publish it 10
the world. The next duty is 20 awaken a
healthy sentiment as 10 the sacredness of hui
man lite. and the obligation to respect the
laws under which we live.
let the young men of the South who breathe
most freely the fresh air Of progressive civil
alton rise 10 the demands of the hour and
nrotect the proud names Of their States from
The charge of lawlessness, and cultivate that
biob sense of the value of human life and the
sacredness of law and order which is the true
,.,s,,pe Of Christian civilization. l.