The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-04-10


sion Monthly, a paper published in New
York and presumed to deal especially with
the interests of the negroes of the south,
a very strong letter defending Georgia and
the south from certain aSperSlonS which
that paper has contained rejecting upon the
people OF this state and this section. The
letter was written in response to request
from the editor of the paper asking the
governor for his views.
The paper is a strong and interesting one
and is worth reading. The Constitution has
secured a copy of it and presents it here
with.
The Governors Paper.
Atlanta, Ga, March 81, 1S9i-Rev. I. }.
Morgan. Corresponding Secretary, Etc.-Slr:
i have your letter of recent date calling my
attention to the March number of The
American Baptist Home Mission Monthly,
which is devoted to a discussion oil the
present condition, education, and religious
needs of the cOiored people or the south.
Il note tnat you say turtner: L shall be
very glad to have from you expression
OF your opinion as TO the work done ny US,
anu as to the view of the situation repre-
Sented in the magazine which send you.
Il assume of course, that you VIII pun
iish my communication For this / beg to
thank you in advance, as | desire, both as
the executive OF this state ana as the pres
fdent of the home mission board OF the
southern Baptist convention, to express my
appreciation of all proper efforts made Dy
the organization you represent to ChrlS-
tianize and elevate the negroes of the south;
while ask also the opportunity TO correct
some Migrant misrepresentation proEl-
neHhs SCI out in some of the comInunlca-
lions about the people whom have the
honor. III part, to represent
May l De allowed To say at the outset,
that III all discussions Of the condition. ed
ucation and religious needs OF the coiored
peopie OF the soutn, II should pc Kept Stsa,'-
fly in mind that the white people OF the
south are not solely responsible for the pres
ence of the negroes among them. The white
cluslVely responsible for any condition that
exists, either as to their education or reli-
giouS needs The presence of the negroes at
the south has imposed upon the people OF
the southern states problem never be
fore submitted to civilization, in the solution
OF which we should have the sympathy the
cooperation and the generous aid of all
Chrlst.loNlnS people ! desire again 10 say
that Il your organizati ton comes IN, with d
proper Christian spirit, TO aid us IN this
great work you Will find the people of the
south not only ready 10 cooperate win
you, but prompt to give you hearty greet
ing and bid you godspeeG.
IF, from your abundance, your organiza-
ton has, with the proper spirit, contributed
three millions of money in the last thirty
years for the education and elevation of
pleased to give YOU credit to that extent for
your good work If. however the state of
Georgia. alone, from the poverty Of it's peo-
pie. has furnished double that amount in
half the time named we have done far bet
ter and it is but fair for your reports to
say so. If you did not know this fact. you
ought to have made proper inquiry before
you wrote it all. cannot ask suf-
ficient space for an elaborate and
comprehensive discussion, covering all the
matters in dispute between us: but | will
treat some of them in the order named by
VIII you pardon me, at the beginning. for
substituting the term negroes for 'cOl0red
people, oypLed This I prefer for two reaso2s eo First
representative gathering of negroes in CON
vention in this state has, by unanimous ac
tion asked that they be known in the flu
ture by the term Distinguishing their race,
and not by an expression indicating what
they are not-'colored people l prefer to
accede to their wish. as I think their re
quest wise and proper one.
Condition.
I'm speaking of the condition of the negroes
ct the south, page l0i of your magazine, /
lind the following:
the treatment of the colored people is
cruelty unjust. There exists among the
whites, almost universally, prejudice against
them simply because Of their race The mere
faint of colored blood dooms a man iii the
south, whatever may be his excellence of
character, his intelligence. his endowment,
his culture or his usefulness to society. to
hopeless inferUritY. Not only is he excluded
from all social intercourse whatever, but
he Is subjected to Sights and indignitieS
that constantly iijure and wound him. At
present. throughout almost the entire south,
the CoIurcd people. although endowed by the
constitution of the United States with citi-
zenShp are restrained from the very eXer-
else of the ballot, and are excluded almost
wholly from any active participation in
government. Even in communities where
they largely ounumber the whites they
have almost no voice whatever i'm tho mat
Ter Of government, and are excluded from
nearly all official positions Negroes are
lynched. ana IN some cases brutality murder
cd for crimes against the whites while the
same crimes committed bv white peonle
against the colofed people not only pass
unavcnged and unnoticcd. but are looked
upon as "A matte,. Of course. and even or
CasonaHy with positive favor I'm a thousand
WAYS tho c0l0red l}cOrle cilffnr ~ ~, Lo,.l.
Of the white reopie simply boranse tbal, are
coiored. Their essential manhood j.. denied
for just treatment are often lnhocdeI
To establish the truth OF these statements
You give = ease in point furnished by an
event of recent occurrence where "A white
Christian, a teacher of theology i'm south
crn colored school was IafoiV seized strin-
ped and brutaIlv beaten nv ,-bfto ,,,at, far
the only offense Of teacbino in roIo,od
schools and prearbfng - a r5Iornd c c,lol ei
cation The article then proceeds 10 do
nounce the ecoIJndrels rrbo ~; j. M W., ~
Cident is given as a fair nrasentation If
the condition Of the negroes of tba en,,tI