The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-30
TO CONFER ON LYNCH LAW
REPRESENTATITE NEGROES 10 MEET
IN HOUTHERN CITY.

bishop Grant or tho African NethodiAta says
They Will Consider tho L%ynchinGa ana the
Ofencea That Lead TO Them-sorno 200 or
900 DeieEatcs Expected at tho %NlcetinE.
Bishop Abram Grant Of tho African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church was a passenger yos-
to-day aboard tho Orinoco for bermuda,
whore no will conduct during tho coming week
the Bermuda Conference Of tho A.. NJ. f.
Church. Before his departure tho Bishop talked
with a reporter concerning lynchings in tho
South. while the Bishop has supervision over
Northern work in the church, he Ia q Southernor.
and most OF his ministerial work has been done
in tho States of Georgia, Florida, and Texas.
Tho Bishop said there was now being carried
on a Observation-Disclosures leading men OF the
colored race in the different parts of the country,
and that It is proposed that there shall be hold
within n very short time, In some one Of tho
largo Southern cities, a conference Of tho load
ing mon of tho raco,.at which some action rcla.
tive to tho prevalence Of mob law in tho South
shall be taken. He added:
The conference will be called for the purpose
Of determining what is best for our people to do
under tho present condition:;of affairs in the
South. There is q feeling of unrest and appre.
honsivenees which Is growing daily, lt Is pro
posed that, some two or three hundred of the
cool.headed, sensible men of tho race shall come
together, and we hope to suggest some plans
for the bcttormcnt OF the present condition Of
affairs.
All OF tho men OF worth and responsibility
in the race arc opposed to the crime for which
II Is asserted that negroes OF the South arc
lynched. Outrages upon women and tho lynch
Ing of defenceless negroes are both lawlessness
and are undermining the nation. II the crimes
with which negroes OF the South are SO fire..
quently charged are as prevalent. a5 they have
boon reported to be during tho past two years,
then American civilization, 30 far as the negro
IL concerned, 10 a failure. All through the war
when the negroes were more closely associated
with white women than they are now and when
the white men wero absent from their homes to
fight and help rivet the chains Of slavery moro
tightly upon tho negroes, and when tho negroes
had all opportunities to commit such crimes,
there mover was q single case Of assault charged
against them. The colored men Of worth and
influence are at n loss to understand how this
great change has como over the negro In 30
short a time. 1t will be tho business Of the con.
ference which will DO held to discuss all phases
Of the question and to give answer to this great
Indictment against the negro as O class. IT, will
then DO made known to the world that the negro
Is not as black as he Is painted, and that he has
been as much sinncd against as he has sinned.'
Bishop II. NJ. Turner Of Atlanta, Ga, has been
assisting Bishop Grant In his correspondence
with tho men who will comprise the confer.
ence. Whom Bishop Grant was asked II he ap.
proved of Bishop Turner's advice TO the negroes
OF tho South, that they arm themselves and seek
their own revenge upon the southern whites
with shotguns and dynamite. he said:
Bishop Turner's advice along hat line is moi
cool.headedness."