The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-09
Lynchings Worry Enelishmen.

AYuCllnES " OEIy GhEA45AAn5us
The MoRxING News has received a com
munication from London, England, signed
by " Copeland Bowie, secretary Of the
British and Foreign Unitarian Associa-
tion, in which he asks that a resolution
adopted by the association at its annual
meeting on May Is, be published. The
/ resolution is as follows;
/ That the great and steadily increasing
/ frequency of lynching in the southern
/ states of America, mostly directed
/ against cOlOred people, often on mere sus-
/ pICiOn, and in many cases with accom-
I panlments of horrible barbarity, calls for
| the reprObatiOn Of the civilized world
and we therefore earnestly plead with
the churches and all lovers of order and
good government throughout the United
states to raise such a protest Of public
opinion as shall make such outrages i'm
possible, and secure for everyone accused
Of crime proper trial in the courts of
law.
II is evident that the British and For
eign association knows very little of the
matter which was the occasion for tho
adoption of the foregoing resolution. 1t
accepted, apparently, without question,
the statements of Ida Wells, the colored
woman from Memphis, who has for
months been in London making state
mentS to public meetings re-
specting lynchings in the south
Some CT the stories she has told, accord
ing to the reports of them which have
reached this country, are blood-curdling,
and about as far away from
the truth as it is possible for them TO be
The Rev. Mr.. Harley called attention to
this woman's stories in letter published
in the MORNING News last Sunday. He
was a resident of Savannah ten or twelve
years ago, and is aware that there is very
little foundation for what she says. His
letter called for some facts with which
to refute her ISLANDERS of the people of the
south.
No doubt the British and Foreign Uni
tartan Association is influenced by excel
lent motives in busying itself with lynch
ings in the southern states, but it seems
to ~ that the association showed too
great anxiety to condemn the southern
people. If it felt called upon to ex-
press itself relative to lynchings in
the south it should have taken
the trouble to find out the truth
in respect to them. 1t accepted
the statements of the colored woman
without question, though it must have
known that she was not in a position to
speak authoritatively about lynchings,
and thatshe was so DESTROYS of creating a
sensation that she would hardly take the
trouble to search out the truth.
The chances are she is making a living
out of her alleged exposure of lynching
outrages by taking up collections when
ever she delivers an address. AS the
amount Of her collections depend, in all
probability, upon the horror she excites
in her audiences it is hardly probable that
she is careful to state only facts.
1t is true, of course, that there are
lynchings in the south for one very heinous
crime, but lynching for that crime is
not confined to the states of the south. 1t
Is of quite frequent occurrence in the
states of the north. There are more
lynchings in the south than in the north,
because that crime, owing to the very
much larger proportion of colored people
in the south, is of more frequent occur
renee in the south
1t is to be regretted, of course, that
there are any lynchings in the south or in
the north. They would be of very rare
occurrence if the laws against criminals
were vigorously and promptly enforced.
1t is pretty safe to say, however, that
blacks would be lynched in London if
they committed there as frequently as
they do here the crime for which they
are lynched in this country
While we are satisfied that the British
and Foreign Unitarian Association is
thoroughly sincere, we cannot help enter
tanning the opinion that it is meddling
with a matter of which it knows nothing,
and therefore what it does and says in
respect to it, is not likely to be produc-
tive of any good.