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

The Declaration of the People OF VIII.
mfnSton 10 Work out the Race Prob
lem Through it's Labor System-The
Movement Attracting Great
from Other Points
tNews and COURIER

great political revolution OF the last
century. appears TO be disposed 10 or
ganize another Of q racial and social
character. Possibly the Wilmington
Declaration may possess as much
historic" interest some day as the
Mecklenburg Declaration does now. II
is a very radical document at any rate.
As reported yesterday, fully eight
hundred Of the best citizens OF the
town attended a mass meeting. called
by the business men," N adopted
a preamble and proclamation which is
notable for its frank and forcible deIiv-
erances Oh 'th race problem as pre-
scented in and TO that community. The
preamble sets forth hat the signers Of
the declaration believe that the fra
mers Of the constitution did not an
ticipate the acknowledgements OF an ig-
norant people Of African origin and
that the men of North Carolina, VINO
Joined in forming the Union, did noI
contemplate for their descendants a
subsection 10 an inferior race" and
therefore that they will no longer be
ruled, and will never again be ruled,
by men Of African origin This condi-
ton, il is added, has been in part en-
dured" heretofore, because il was felt
that the OF the war OF
secession were such as ITO deprive US
Of the fair consideration Of many OF
our countrymen," meaning, Of course,
those of the northern states, but it is
believed that, after more than thirty
years this is no longer the case" This
belief, OF course, accounts tor the
frankness of the declarations, but it is
not regarded as assuredly We'll ground
ed. The signers recognize the author
ity of the United States, n will yield
TO it if eXerted" again for their sub
jugation to the rule of men of Afri-
can Origin-but they are unwilling to
believe that it is the purpose Of more
than sixty millions of our own race
less than fifty millions would have been
nearer the mark-''to subject US per
manently TO a fate to which no Anglo
Saxon has ever been forced to sub
mit'-eXcept of course. several millions
of them in this country.
So much for the preamble and the
general political view which it presents.
The giSt of the proceedings comes in
the subsequent deliVerances, in which,
as representing unequivocally the
sentiment of the white people Of the
county and city, the signers pro
/ claim:'
% That the time has passed for the
intelligent citizens of their community
ito be ruled by negroes"
| CD That they will not tolerate the
action Of un~scrupulous white men in
%affiliating with negroes" so hat by
means of their votes they can dOmin-
ate the community, thus causing bus
mess to s~tagnate" and making progress
impossible.
CD That the negro has demonstrate
ed by ~antagonizing our interest in ev-
| cry way, and especially by his ballot.
! that he is incapable of realizing that
! his interests are, and should be, identi-
| cal with those of the community"
| 4) Ia "the progressive element in
any community is the white pOpula-
ton and the giving of nearly all the
employment to negro laborers has been
against the best interests of this
ty and city. and is a sufficient reason"
why the city of Wilmington has not
grown and prOspered.
50 That we propose in future to
give to white men a large part of the
employment heretofore given to ne
grOes, because we realize that white
families cannot thrive unless there are
more opportunities for employment
for the different members of said
families" 4
The succeeding resolutions are long
and relate mainly to transient cOndi-
tons. The most suggestive part Of
them. perhaps. is the curious state
ment: " are prepared to treat the
negroes with justice and consideration
in all matters which do not involve
sacrifices of the interests of the intel
ligent and progressive portion of the
community" The chief interest of the
whole paper consists in its positive and
OutspOken deliverances on the relation
of the two races outside the field of pol
itics.
1t is an impressive utterance, GER
tainly, when the business men and
hundreds of the representative citizens
of the city unite in publishing the de-
liberate and formal declaration to the
world that the negro population of
their city-eVen the working negro pop
ulation-is a clog on its prosperity.
that the "sufflcient explanation" of the
prolonged "~stagnatiOn" of its business
and its general b~ackwardness is to be
found in the too general employment
of negro laborers:" and that the pro-
greSS1Fe element in any
is the white" element.T This is going to
the root of the race question: truly
and the significance and Importance of
such expressions Of the judgment and
experience of a whole community could
- e T. my liItN Ijdd
been made in any other circumstances.
The members Of the mass meeting de-
clared. among other things, that 'the
stand We now pledge ourselves to" was
forced upon them suddenly "by a
crisis and that their eyes were
opened suddenly to the fact hat they
must act now" or leave their descend
ants 10 "a fate too gloomy to be borne
The question is whether the same men
Will sustain their extreme declarations
IN different circumstances. and in cool
er mood. II they shall do so it may
well be believed hat their action will
prove 70 be Of the largest consequence
The race" line is drawn sharply and
deeply in the declarations If the meet
ing. It is asserted that the city and
county have been injured by the en-
ployment Of negro laborers." and il !
proposed 70 give to white men a large
part Of the employment heretofore
given 10 negroes" for the benefit Of the
community.
1t remains 10 be seen whether the
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