The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-25
washington POSt.)

1t is safe to assume that nobody in
either of the Cardinals Will care three
straws about the resolutions adopted
by the negro mass meeting at Cooper
Union, New York, on Thursday even
ing, or, for hat matter, about the meet
ing itself. No doubt the New York
negroes expected as much, for it will
be seen that their appeal is addressed
! to the l~aw-abiding and Christian peo-
pie of the republic" in general and
takes no special note of the common
wealths in question. Perhaps we had
better. with a view to making the mat
ter quite clear to everybody, reproduce
the resolutions under discussion:
"Preambles and resolutions adopted
at a mass meeting of citizens of
Greater New York at Cooper Union,
Thursday evening, November II, 1898.
Whereas, The governor Of North
carolina and the governor Of South
Carolina have failed to exercise the
powers vested in them by the consti-
tuition of the United States, in fear
of, or in collision with, the lawless
citizens of their states, to suppress the
riOting and revolutions within their
borders, and have further failed to ap-
| peal W Tic ltuCl dl SONCI HHlCHI W dS
sist them in suppressing the said riot
ing and revolution; and
Whereas, Much loss of life End
property has resulted and the freedom
of the press has been abridged; there
fore be it
Resolved, That we, citizens of
Greater New York, in mass meeting,
protest against the rioting and revO-
! luton which nave disgraced the states
of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Resolved, That we feel that the
| governors of North and South Carolina
are %censurable for their failure to sup
press the said rioting and revolution.
Resolved, That we deplOre as I'M
American and as provocative of end
less friction and contention the an
tagOnism to race and color which alone
| appears to a caused the said riot
ing and revolution, and hat we appeal
| to the conservative. la~w-abiding, and
Christian people of the republic to as
| sist in the creation of a public opinion
which shall compel those in authority
to enforce the law and to secure to each
! citizen adequate protection in his life
! and property.
"ResOlver, That as the states of Miss
issippi, South Carolina, and Louisiana
have, by constitutional enactment, dis
franchised more than half their popu-
lation, we demand that the basis Of
representation Of those states in con
gress and the electoral college be re-
duced in the proportion which the mum
Der of such male citizens shall bear to
the number of male citizens twenty-one
years of age, as made and directed by
section 2 of article IA of the federal
constitution.
Resolved, That we recommend such
amendment to the constitution as will
enable the president to use the federal
authority to protect the life and prop
erty of citizens of the United States
from organized or mob conspiracy
whenever the governor of any state
from fear or collision fails to afford
such protection or call upon the federal
government to afford it. =
Resolved, That we implore the guild
ance of Almighty God in the shaping
Of our homogeneous citizenship, to the
end that it may make for righteous
ness, for human progress, and for the
invincibility of our great and beloved
republic against the elements of rioting
dIIu IeNOlullOu lIOn WlIuln ana the
assaults Of enemies from without"
These sentiments are dressed up in
very speciOus language, and We haven't
a doubt that in England, where the peo-
pie believe nat wild Indians harass
the suburbs of Hoboken, they will
arouse a great deal of emotion. But
the American citizen is a very intelli-
gent being. and. whether he lives north
or south, he realizes that the negroes
are not yet fit to be intrusted with the
powers and responsibilities. He knows
moreover, that the violence in North
Carolina was not precipitated, on the
part of the whites at least, by any
race animosity or prejudice-quite the
contrary. He knows. in fact. that
through the Vaccinations of unscrupu-
lous politicians the negroes have been
lnf1amed by a mad and mischievous
ambition which the whites were COM
PEELED, in the interest of civilization.
to annihiliate. No honest resident OF
Massachusetts or Pennsylvania will
pretend for a single instant that he
would have endured the conditions
prevalent last month in North Caro-
lima. Every n will admit without
hesitation that no northern community
would have permitted the evil to attain
such hideous proportions. The utter
ances Of the Cooper Union mass meet
ing, therefore. will fall upon deaf ears
throughout the land. This is the white
mans country, and it will remain sc
as long as the Anglo Saxon blood re-
tains its present character.
All this clamor is idle. It does not
help the negro, and. a. the most. it can
only strengthen the white man in his
settled purpose. No race. no class, nc
political combination in this country