The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-26
A REBUKE THAT CONES LATE.

III SlrlheS tHe average American as
rather an absurd proceeding to learn of
the recent action of Baptist clergy
man in London in moving at meeting
of the Baptist Union the adoption of a
protest against sending agreeing to the
| United States and also against the
wrong there done the colored people,
which, he declared, reflected upon the
administration of justice in the United
States and upon the honor of its people.
He said that the treatment of 'colored
people in America was a scandal that
had no parallel in the history of
the world. The members of
the mobs which lynched these poor
negroes were generally half drunken,
half insane and always bestial. The
church must not remain silegss while the
the press spoke out. DR.. Clifford said
that the facts could not be impeached,
although in some cases they were, per-
haps. exaggerated. He hoped that the
proposed resolution woulG stimulate
American Christians to secure elemen-
tary rights and justice to the negroes.
DIR. Clifford added that at the same
time he had deal of sympathy for the
brothers in America, and the English
Baptists should show them kind consi-
deration, owing to the circumstances
surrounding the question. The resolu-
tion was adopted by acclamation.
The condition of the colored people
in the United States as whole is not at
all dissimilar to the condition of the same
number of white people in this country.
That outrages have been committed In
the past Is true, but the era of Ku-
Kluxism has passed away, and today an
outrage of that kind is a rarity.
In the heat of political excitement
negrois uniustlv and sometimes brutally
treated, but the evil is gradually being
eradicated. There was time when the
rebuke would have had pertinency, but
the old feeling is dying of inanition and
new era has sprung up. In no country
inthe world, taking the nation at large,i
the negro SO well treated as in the
United States and his progress since
the civil war has been one OF
the grandest contributions to the many
other indications of the success of
free government. Discrimination still
exists, and there are occasional out
breaks of mob violence but they are so
rare now as to elicit widespread COM
ment and condemnation.
The chief injustice to the colored race
in America lies not In these occasional
outrages, but in the unlawful depriva-
tion Of their right to vote. or the throw
ing out OF their votes after they have
exercised the right of suffrage.
1t may SAVIOR a good deal of the you're
another style of argument. but their
time could have been better employed
in ''resoluting' against the English
outrages in its African colonies.
The English methods of dealing with
refractory natives whose worst crime is
their endeavor TO preserve their auto
nomy and defend their own lands from
invasion by nation whose only claim
to their territory is superior force, are
too well known to require comment
The United States has redeemed her
self from the charge that once could
have been brought against her. The
trouble with our English friends is that
they are about 90 years behind the
times with their resolution.
Uncle Sam has the general reputation
of preserving law and order within his
domains aud no very grievous "out-
RACES" are now possible.