The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-13
THR REpLY.

rbe following is the reply to the Gov
ernOr's letter. c. 20 ,oo4
IT, His ExceNency. 'haIle9 J. + cii an
Governor of Virginia. ,,
boar Sir.-We. the committee assigned
10 invite YOU 10 lend your presence IN
your official capacity, 10 the STssiior ~
The United States this evening. beg IeaNe
~ acknow ledge the prompt receipt 81
your very candid. not 10 say Unexpected
re regret the reason which prompted pied
YOUR express refusal TO Visit as. An non
EST difference of opinion touching meth
obs for remedylug evils, winch you
frankly acknowledge. exist IN our couh-
Try. should not, I'm our humble opinion
prevent your COMING 10 see U.S. even j.
false impression which You believe rests
ou our minds
We regret Governor. sincerely that the
.rfufDn cNi-tS in tho South II a great eN-
tent that the cOlored people or any OF
their leaders. condOne crime committed
Dos any member Of the race. Nothing
could boz further from the truth. We con
denim every species Of crime. and use our
every influence through. the press and
Otherwise, T. stem its progress
We demand reasonable and fitting pun
ishment for any accused person duly tried
ty a jury OF his peers. But We make mo
apology 10 amy one in our uncomprolnlS-
ing demand that no man SHAH bee pun
shed hoy any method other than that
nation. and the courts set apart TO decide
upon their constitutiOnahty.
ooNDEMSING CRIME.
80 longer than last night We passed
resolutions c0nlcmning crime wherever
perpetrated by our race and deprecdtins
frequent charlA of crime against us,
even though of'en grOundless. But even
this is no argument ln favor of the great
er of mob violence. which violates every
form OF law and Oft-ElOriied civilization.
~. crusade
T. Wells iu Great Britain against lynch
Law I'm America, just as the Hungarians
endorsed Kossuth. and the Irish Parnell.
during their crusade in America, I'm favor
OF the rights OF their people. and the
American people Wendell Philips Fred
erick Douglass and Henry Ward Beech
emancipation In the United States. 1t is
the principle for which she contends that
inspires confidence and regard. and touch
o. responsive chord i'm our hearts.
We cannot believe that all she saws
IS false IN this crusade We certainly
know that hundreds of negroes have been
murdered 10y resort % lynch-laW. which
Is no law. who were not even accused
Or The uncomfortable crime Of which We
Lear so much The Clifton Forge CVaD
ifhcmng and the one at Richlands. Va
t" another which aptly illustrates this
Miss Wells has named the instances.
AuInper and severity Of the lynchinss
,,."lI.tltl during the past i've wears
"'"s watch was one At Memphis. Tenn.
mr.. severe % ticism of which forced her
exile from that proud city. Neither of
tue 5hIee parties lynched there was ac-
N-fel or he crime so often charged
a.1 were leading and respectable citi-
.yHN' me last lynching az or near
Memphis. about a week ago. amply siis
talns and Justhes her crusade, II nothing
else could.
MRMBRE.
M, More than this. the fact that Miss
Weils Is member OF our association
ana al one time the secretary Of he
same. entities her TO our esteem re
sleri and sympathy. and her self-sac-
I.nens labors 10 our hearty commenda-
Most Of the. members of this ossocta-
uoh are southern men and share what
ever fate this section suffers. but human
ne Is more precious and human liberty
80 Faleahe imam financial success or
~ love the law, and will use our best
49,, W sustain and uphold il, but we
cannon stand idly by and see orr roce
mob, ,"nbS 49," "',,',u, Juuee or jury by a lawless
southern white men were tnuraar.a Is,
s~v salI I way Every southern white man
ana woman ana newspaper vould riea In
open Indignation and rebellion 80. i,'
such atrocities. and they wouId he nm
We are delighted 10 know mar Won
Governors Of North Carolina G. III,
tennessee backed up by GROWING 6n ~, I'LL
sentiment against lynchings. are sL.,''
mined 10 put a stop 20 them. Roanot,a
va. stands out as a mighty SIGN nnet &C.
warn the lawless disposed that law {S so, ~
lreiue IN State and nation. 80 9"-
The humblcst citizen has rights ,ybt.,
other men are bound to rssnect ~ ~
ASK no more, we can be content witb no
Tess. Again regretting that tho slmnie
performance Of a duty we felt thai we
owed 10 a brave little woman who he
cared 20 champion our cause and so"aL
Ior those who could not speak FOR them,
serves In land where great sympathy l.
known ia be felt for Va prn,nni.a ..s...-