The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-09

&@4Na ~ AN AOIA vi ANoNt IL
Oregonian of Portland, Oregon, speak:
sensibly as follows:
The recital of the facts of this anti.
negro crusade in North Carolina Is es.
sential to full understanding of the
situation, and 20 fair consideration Of
the appeal made by our colored peopl,
and by some OF the leading republi-
can newspapers Of the east for the in.
reference Of the president In oul
Judgment, nothing can be done TO re
lieve the situation of the south through
invoking the interference OF the fed.
eral government. The governor OF
North Carolina is a republican elected
by the vote of the negroes; he did not
interfere; he made no call upon the
president. The governor of South
Carolina did not interfere nor make
any call for federal interference. I'm
der their state governments, these
revolutionists and rioters will not be
punished; it does not appear that in
the overthrow of the municipal govern
ment at Wilmington, or in the race
riot at Greenwood, any federal law was
attacked OF obstructed, or any United
States officials were resisted in the
exercise of their duties.
The president would probably find it
difficult to obtain legal ground for in
reference, but, even if he could inter
fere legally in the municipal elections,
like that at Wilmington, he could not
interfere effectively. 1t was a repub-
lican congress that refused to give
Grant a force in 1874, without which
he confessed he could o interfere eff
fectively to suppress such Outrages as
those in the Carolinas. If the ruling
forces of the public opinion in North
Carolina are so strongly white that a
republican governor elected largely by
negro votes dares not interfere; if, as
we have proved over and over again
during twenty years, no local juries
will convict any man put on trial for
acts of race violence, of what cOnse-
quence would be the investigation of
a federal attorney general, or the arrest
and trial of the leading rioters? When
we had the south under bayonet rule,
it was not easy to identify, try and con-
vict a klukluX assassin, and since the
end of bayonet rule it has been impOs-
sible.
The situation at the south is deplOr-
able, but it is, we believe, incurable
through any outside interference. If
there was any danger that Presi-
dent Mckinley could or would interfere
to upset the uprising municipal gov
eminent of Wilmington tomorrow,
there would be a civil war. The Co.
lumbia, IS. CD State Journal says that,
if the North Carolina negroes should
force a war, the whites of South
Carolina would cross the line to help
their white brethren" The Richmond
Times adds that the Virginia whites
would do the same, for blood is
thicker than water" A mob assaulted
and nearly killed a negro in the Nor
folk, Va, postOffice, who called for mail
for Editor Manly" whose paper was
destroyed in the Wilmington riot.
The situation at the south is one that
must be met as a condition as best we
can. It cannot be solved by the theo-
retical expectation Of equal legal JUS
tice which is generally enforced and
obtained at the north. No president
can arrest, no government can indict,
L I1FlC III punish q holC pNoplN,
and that is what would be necessary
to punish the acts of violence and rev.
olutiOn hat have recently been COM
mitted in the Carolinas and Mississippi
pi. Nobody can solve the negro prob
lem; nobody can settle the race val
at the south, if the state governments
and the ruling forces of public Opin-
ion in these states are not equal to it's
solution. The negro must accept the
best terms he can get from the ruling
white public opinion, not because it
is equal justice, but because he cannot
help himself. President Mckinley is
pOWerless to interfere, and if he were
not powerless his Interference would
only start a storm of resistance which
could not be overcome. The whites
whether in the minority or not, will
be sure to rule at the south, by right
if possible, by might if necessary
What Grant could not maintain by
bayonet rule cannot be undone or re.
dressed by Mckinley with a marsha
and a federal judge. In localitie:
where the negroes are few there will
be little difficulty. But in lOcalitie!
where they are numerous they will no
be permitted the exercise of pOlitica
rights, for the result would result il
negro government. The endOwmen
Of the blacks with the full right O
| suffrage was the greatest mistake eve,
made in our political history. 1t ha'
only brought trouble to them and in
creased beyond measure the politica
difficulties Of the country. Since tn
error is now seen in its results, it ma.
as well be frankly confessed. l
mOcks the negroes with bestOwal of
franchise which the masse Of them viii
not be permitted to exercise, and, il
fact, are unfit to exercise, and bring
on a race war in which they will il
every case be trodden down. Sine
this is the demonstrated result, Their,
is no ned to deceive ourselves about it
] AbstentiOn of the blacks from politics
and in particular from combination
to elect person of their own races L
office, is necessary alike for thei
safety and for the public peace: 70
the whites will not submit to negr,
government.