The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-29
Al USELESS "ApPEAL UNTO CAESAR"

USELESS "APPEAL UNTO CAESAR"
The National Protective Association OF
Colored Men has addressed d memorial 10
President Mckinley. impressing upon him
the necessity Of the United States Gov
eminent using all Of its powers to secure
negroes in the South the rights of citi-
zens. of which the memorialists claim.
many are now denied to them.
Murray, the negro representative In
Congress from South Carolina. is one
OF the sisners Of the memorial. and he
is credited with being It's author.
The chief rights of which the memo
riaiists claim that negroes are deprived
IN the South. relate in the first place 20
iynchings. and then 10 frauds upon the
suffrage. Thsy also insist that negroes
are not given justice In the courts in
controversies with white men. Upon
this head we quote from the memorial
as follows:
"The courts constitute the only proper
machinery for settling all controversies
between man and man that cannot be set
tied by simple means. Under present UNI
fair customs all controversies are settled
by and at the behest Of one race alone.
however dear our interests, involving life.
liberty, or property. and whatever and
however great the prejudccs in
yolyod. The conflicts, civil and criminal,
between individuals Of the two races in
the courts resulting in frequent death
penalties life or long term sentences, or
heavy fines for negroes. with correspond
ing favoritism shown TO whites by the
courts. wherein thousands of negroes are
uniustly robbed of their lives and liberty,
and millions in money are unjustly taken
from the pockets of my unfortunate race
by way Of fines. is the strongest condem-
nation against a system OF unfair trials
Of our millions of defenseless negroes
which has lasted so long and against
which we could offer no resistance, until
It has gradually paved the way by sue
cessive steps to the present condition Of
no trial at all for negroes or system
known rs lynching, or mobbing. or white
Gaping
If this Indictment OF the Southern peo-
pie were founded in fact. we should feel
compelled to admit that social conditions
in the South were in a state that inn
peratiyely demanded some improvement.
But it is not founded In fact. In the or
binary matter Of every day life. negroes
receive as perfectly fair treatment at the
hands of Southern courts and juries as
white men receive. Ask any lawyer you
meet, and me will tel you that ne repre-
sents the interests of negro in con-
troycrsy before the courts with a white
man, with as much confidence Of receiy-
ing justice as though his client were a
white man. OF course, questions that
grow out OF assaults by negroes upon
white women or out Of frauds upon the
ballot box are to be excepted. But qucs-
tions of this sort involve the whole ground
of controversy. To state the case fairly
it would be put thus: If the negroes were
not voters. and Il they never assaulted
white women. 10 man would ever hear Of
a negro receiving treatment in a South
ern court or before a Southern jury that
differed in any manner whatever from
the treatment that white man would
receive under similar circumstances.
In another part this memorial says:
Mr. President, as the Republican party.
with whom the negro has practically cast
his fortunes, declares, &c"
There is where the trouble comes in.
The crafty negroes who want to use their
race to promote their own ends have
tied the race to the Republican party.
They will not allow any freedom Of in
dividual opinion amongst them, and this
memorial is part Of the machinery by
which they hope to keep up an agitation
in the North over the negro that will pre-
serve their consequence and Importance
TO them.
II is 10 be said in behalf OF this me-
mortal that in discussing the subject OF
lynchings it is emphatic in its condemna-
ton of the assaults Of negroes upon
white women that cause the lynchings.
But this part OF the memorial plays "a
very small part in the whole document.
II is little more than what the lawyers
call Involvement" in their pleadings.
which is nothing but the trimmings and
the coloring. The heft of the document
is the alleged wrongs of the negroes and
the methods by which they should be
righted. Upon this point the memorial
speaks in no uncertain tones II takes
the ground that the Southern whites deny
to the negroes their rights Of citizenship.
that the amendments to the Constitution
require Congress 70 enact and enforce
legislation that will place the negroes OF
the South in all respects upon plane OF
perfect equality with the whites. and II
insists that Congress shall do what the
amendments enjoin upon 1t. and enact