The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-18

a devasting war threw hordes OF I'm
negroes upon the commun- |
ity. These would not, in many IN
work and it vas no easy mat
ter for those who desired work TO IND
immediate lucrative employment, for
the former employers OF labor nad III
many cases been ruined by the war.
a fair plantation lay desolate.
for the master had won deafness
glory and a soldiers grave.
The habits of the negro Tor
the worse, the propensity OF the race
to continued idleness, hitherto checked,
was now without control. Inls IN
herent idIeness has never been brought
under control and is today n great
factor in the race question that mas
never been considered by writer's upon
the negro problem.
A DECLINE IN MORALITY.
The statement that strict morality
did not prevail in the negro quarters
before the civil war is not open to ar
gument. but it is likewise true that
the state of morality then existing was
infinitely superior to that commencing
directly after the war. Then in the
general decentralization the bounds set
by the customary law were broker
down and from that period begins the
moral degeneracy that is always con-
sidered by writer's upon the SUBJECT,
but which has been invariably dated
before emancipation. Research re-
veals the fact that the great increase
dates from the few years following the
war.
The propensity Of the criminal negro
in anti-bellum days led him to petty
thefts, and to steal a whole hog was
a crime indeed. With freedom came
the increase in variety and intensity OF
crime hat is such a marked character
istic of negro development.
On the other hand, the power of the
negro to help himself was largely in
| creased. The inclination to do so was
lacking in most cases owing to the
| failure in development of the power or
| latent self-help alluded to in my for
| mer articles.
DEFECTIVE EDUCATION.
The first attempts in educating the
| race were exceedingly crude. The first
educators were in most cases either
utterly u%nacquainted with the negro
| character or untitled to teach. Edu-
| cation was, therefore. ineffective to aid
| the advance of the negro race. BY and
by the idea Of manual education gain
| ed a deserved prominence, and this was
a long step forward.
To sum I'D the matter of education
for the purpose of this letter, it has
been defective in quality and quantity.
The method has been d~eplorable.
Within the last ten years, however,
a great change for the better has been
apparent.
Under these conditions the race in
the south must be studied and no con-
clusions whose bases do not include
these conditions are cound.
LEADERS FROM THE LOWER
STRATA.
There can be no question, that, de-
spite the disadvantages under which
the negro labored, the race has pro-
duced hundreds of men fitted to cope
with the difficulties Of life and capable
of becoming good and respected cltl-
zens. The statement may be objected
to, u it is easily proved. Let every
man think of n negro that is an
honest, s~elf-respecting citizen and then
find the sum Of these.
But all negro leaders were not Of this
stamp, and many Of this class were
wholly u%neducated. Some of them
cannot read and write. Most of them
are old or of middle age. Extremely
few are less than twenty-five years OF
age.
Among the more intelligent negroes
we find lawyers, doctors, ministers
and teachers. These men are at the
head of the race movements OF race
activities. Unfortunately for the ne
gro, of these professional men a large
number of lawyers are persistent oflce
seekers. Unfortunately for him, h.
, was forced in many cases to doubt tn
moral character of his pastor, and tn
ignorance of many negro teachers wa
a scandal.
= SOLID PARTY MASS.
He was thus deprived of many Of hi
natural guides. He turned in mos
cases to the whites for advice, n a
a general rule the advice was good an
: it was followed with one exception
) that was in politics. The negro woul
take any advice from a democrat, bu
} he would not vote the democratl
ticket.
The negro race was, therefore, throw
: in bulk into the hands of the republi
l "a party, and it was at the mercy G
{ its leaders. The question then arise:
did the political leaders betray tn
trust?
For years the negro was kept on
! of office by his white allies, but tn
time came when the negro demande
> recognition. He got it, and with tn
L recognition he was imbued with amb.
lions and desires that have led to III
4 expected results.
, This brings us up to 1896, at whic
| point | date the beginning of the Wi
mington riots. | will take up the sui
ject again in my next letter.
GUY CARLETON LEE.
{ Late to bed and early to rise, pre-