Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-22

Ncearlv every paper one taxes uP ''
49,. hoe an account Of 'the usual
or,rooY In some places in the Sou'n
GOO wars are threatened, and in most
If the states the breach between NV
whites and blacks is widening ms %
hoooreo the negroes take little PAINS 10
~, their condemnation Of the crime
and seldom make any movement 10 ar
rest. and punish the offenders
This sort Of thing can't continue inc
rosnoctable negroes ought to join WIN
The whites in stamping out the eyii il
,bev do not do so; II the crime con-
ucues the peaceful relations that have
lone existed between the freedman anu
his former master will be seriously as
,urbod II not permanently severed. inc
potorebrrg Index-Appeal well says that
tho colorcd people Of "the country nave
been dereict in duty TO the cofniiuiii''
and 10 their own race in not JOINING
the whites in the effort to suppress 'i'''
crime. because 1t is an offence that hlu''
o,on4ualIv Inilre them more than u
o,,, hurt tho whites" The IndeX-Appeal
thinks that there can be no stronger
armament against the possibility OF
their civilization and their fitness lo'
liberty and citizenship in n civilized cou'i-
~, than this odious crime. which seems
IN have become peculiar to their race
in the last few years. and when was
unknown among their slave ancestors
In the carnival Of murder enacted by
Nat Turner and his associates the
Tndox-Appeal further says, I'VE 40
not recall an instance Of criminal as
SAINT though the white women they
murdered were completely in their power
This fact shows that we have new
and dangerous social condition to deal
with. and one that means a great deal
70 respectable colored people"
Yes; we have a new and dangerous
social condition to deal with. 1t Is the
result of the freedman's crime. When
q slave the negro was rarely guilty of
fl. So seldom was such an offence COM
mitted. il may be said TO have been I'M
known to the masses Of our people
Now the danger IS constant. Thousands
of UNPROTECTED women spend their days
I'm fear and their nights in sleepless
dread. And there is now all the more
reason for alarm since an attempt to
commit the crime has been made in
broad daylight in the heart Of this city.
Our people are TO be praised for their
forbearance in not Selling the monster
and swinging him up at once. We DOUBT
If they would have been as forbearing
as they were had they known at first
all they know now Of this case. Though
completely foiled in his worst purpose
Fife nut himself so completely within
the prescription of the law as to de-
serve the extreme penalty which the
Lynchburg jury assessed upon him, ana
which Judge Witt has ordered shall be
executed on the 2Gth of August
There has not been an execution in
Richmond city since Cluverius was
hanged on January IA, 1887; nor in all
the history Of our community has there
ever been a death sentence which pub
lie sentiment so heartily approved OF
which was more necessary as a warning
TO evil-doers, than that in the Fife case.
The thing for our worthy colored citi-
zens TO do is to put themselves in ag-
gressiye array upon the side Of the
whites. who have resolved that, come
what may, this crime shall cease. They
must not only discountenance the crime.
but they should work to prevent #, or
TO punish it when it has been committed.
The colored preachers and colored
teachers can, If they will, do much TO
check this growing evil. We appeal to
them for help-not only for our sakes,
but for theirs. II they do not come 10
our assistance, what better proof shall
we need that all.the money we spend for
negro education is utterly wasted?