National Baptist world., 1894-09-28
Miss Wells and Gov. O'FarreIl.

Governor Chas. T. O'Ferrell OF
= Virginia upon being rendered an in.
vltatiOn to address the Afro-A meri.
can press association which met al
Richmond some days since, wrote q
lengthy letter of declination in which
. he spoke of Miss Wells, the noble
little lady who is doing so much to-
ward turning public sentiment
against Southern illegal murders
which are termed lynchings.
81 do not know, but it looks very
much to me as though the work OF
Ida Wells was deep laid scheme to
check, as lar as may be, the progress
OF the South and every good citizen.
white or colored, should feel an in
terest in retuting her villifications
rather than sanction them as your
convention did last evening. She
ana her supporters certainly stirred
up feeling against her own race
which did not exist prior to her crus-
ade. The people of the South, who
nave labored so assiduously for near
ly generation now to recuperate
ana build up their wasted places,
Will not take kindly to the effort
which this woman and her followers
! are making to bring reprOach upon
thelr section, and create the impress
sion that it is the land Of lawlessness
and disorder
l have the most friendly feeling
for the colored people. They have
my sympathles III all their struggles
ana laudable undertaking, as think
L have shown in my private and pub
lie life, and [ was indeed deeply
panied when [ read this morning
That your convention, composed of |
representatives of your race, bad |
struck the South blow whicn she |
did not deserve.
While l thank you for your invita-
tlOn, L must decline, unitr the cir
cumstances, to address your cOuven-
tlOn or attend its sessions"
Respectfully,
(Slgned) CHARLES T. O'FAERELL
Governor of Virginia,
In reply to the Governors letter
declining to address the convention,
Messrs. John Mitchell, John c.. Dan
cy, W. Calvin Chase, c.. J. Perry.
Scott Wood and VIM, NJ. Alexander
who were appointed as committee
to draw up fitting reply to the let ;
ter, answered the foregoing in this !
wise:
1--WE endorse the crusade of Miss ,
Ida b. Wells in Great Britain against
ynch law in America, lust as the
endorsed KOssuth and '
he Irish Parnell during their crusade ,
n America, in favor of the rights of !;
heir people and the American peo
Die, Wendell Philips, Friedrich q
Douglas and Henry w ard Beecher Q
q Great Britain, in defence of thel i
Negro emancipation in the United )
states. 1t is the principles for which
he contends that inspires confidence u
ma regard and touches a responsive q
hOrd in our hearts. ~
we cannot believe that all she saws
q this crusade is false We certainly
now that hundreds of Negroes have t.
een murdered by resort to lynch r.
aW, winch is no law, who were not II
ven accused of the unmentionable y,
rlme OF which we hear so much. u
he Clifton Forge, Va, lynching tt
nd the one at Richmond, Vat u
mother which aptly illustrates this .,
oint. 81
Miss Wells has named the instan- ST
7s, number and severity of the ta
committed during the
asst 1--WE years, among which was -,
ne at Memphis, Tenn. severe criti- VI
SIN Of which forced her exile from B
lat proud city. Neither of the til
lree parties lynched there was ac- th
lsed OF the crime so often charged, m
I'd were leading and respectable III
tizens. The last lynching at or tn
'ar Memphis about a week AGO, til
nply sustains and iustities her
usade if nothing else could.
More than this, the fact that Miss
ellis IS member of our association
id at one time the secretary of the
me, entities her to Our esteem, re-
ect and sympathy, and her self
crlflclng labors to our hearty COM
Comment upon the foregoing is wv
necessary. All we have to say is,
at to the noble gentlemen who
imposed that committee we extend uii
hearty congratulations, and the 'l'
groes of this country should ten Civ
them vote Of thanks and praise All
the capable manner in which ah'
" formulated the reply to this the
lifyer of lady who, in our esti- roo
tion is a heroine. rel
tovernor O'Ferrell's letter stands NIL
a proof that the old saying The Il.
tn hurts worse than lie," is in MO
ID true one. If there was not so us
ch truth in Miss Wells, etato fail
nts, O Farrell would not squirm pie
le does. Ma
you
ST. MARY NEWS. knt