The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-27

FIEND|SH CRIME.
So Bishop Alexander Walter
Characterizes the Geor-
gia Lynching.
PREDICTS A RACIAL WAR
Says the Time Has Come for
Negroes to Fight for
Their Rights.

ference of the African Methodist Epts-
copal Zion Church, now in session IN TINS
city at the Zion A. NJ. E. Church, las'
night delivered his Episcopal address. IN
it he had this. to say on the subject OF
lynching negroes in the South
1.-The civilized world has been shocked
nv the UNPRECEDENTED butchery and burn
ing of Samuel Hose (colored). near Fai-
metto. Ca. on Sunday, April %. Inc
fendishness of the crime beggars ue-
scriptien. Samuel Hose was charged wlth
killing Alfred Crawford (white). and as
saulting his eCranford's) wife. 1t is said
that he confessed to the killing of Gran
ford hut denied to the last assaulting his
wife.
.It IS generally believed by the fair
minded that if Hose did kill Crawford IL
was to ayenge the killing of five colored
men by a mob said to have been leo NY
Crawford, at Palmetto, March is.
1.-THE lynchings of late have peen
severely condemned by the press because
they were not the outcome OF the crime
of rape, for which crime lynchlns -
usually condoned by both black and whlte.
knowing this the people of that section,
who have some regard for the reputation
of the South, raised the rape cry IN
order to save themselves from everlasting
disgrace, and the baser sort to JUSTIFY
their awful crime. Ere another fortnight
shall have passed over our heads this
subtle scheme will be laid bare to the
world.
1.-THE South knowing that they could
only create sympathy in the North III
their nefarious business of lynching by
the hue and cry of rape, had the follow
ing motto made prominent in many news
papers: we mus protect our Southern
women This is the ignis fatuus that is
leading us on to another bloody struggle
1t is the Southern white mans subterfuge
to satiate his im%placable hatred of the
negro. If the good white people of the
North are not disillusionized and do not
put a stop to this sweeping tide of law
lessness, it will not be long before they
will be again called upon by a God of jus
tice to give their best blood to pay the
penalty of the crimes of the South.
1.-THE real cause of our trouble is race
hatred. In all cases it is not because we
are black, for some Negroes Who are
hated have blonde hair and blue eyes, and
are so fair tina they can hardly be dis
~ III OIl Lax III A'
class of Negroes suffer in common with
the blacklist. All that is needed for them
to be Disseminated against is for it to
be known that they have a drop of Negro
blood in their veins.
Some years ago it was thought that
as the Negroes became intelligent and
cultured this rae prejudice would disap-
pear. but alas, in some sections OF the
country it has only intensified this feeling.
The passing of the Jim Crow car laws
in several of the Southern States, the
disfranchisement of Negroes, regardless
of qualification. the shutting out of them
from hotels, restaurants and places of
amusements, are all manifestations of
race hatred.
We are censured as a race for not
exhibiting many qualities and are con-
sidered impudent nfggers' if we presume
10 assert our manhood. We are truly be-
tween the upper and neither millstones.
I have come to the conclusion that moth
ing but manly resistance on the part of
the Afro-Americans themselves will stop
these atrocities. President Mckinley and
the Federal government nave shown
themselves impotent to convict the muir
derers of Federal officials. The Gov
ernors of certain States in the South have
acknowledged their inability to protect
their colored citizens. In the name of
Almighty God, what are we to- do but
fight and die?
at is sometimes claimed that the
leaders of the negro race do not condemn
these crimes, tn. is a mistake. There
is no set of people hat SO much deplores
crime of all kinds as the leaders of our
race. Churches, conferences and as
sociations have been passing resolutions
for years c~ondemning the criminals of
our race, and have especially deprecated
the crime of rape. We have pledged our
selves in race organizations and
ecclesiastical councils to do all in our
power to improve the morals of our peo-
pie, but we are forced to confess that
the example set US by the whites of
Palmetto is not of the most encouraging
character.
ssThe Cubans and Philippines whom we
have spent SO much money and shed so
much blood to free from Spanish oppres-
sion, were never treated SO barbarously
in time of peace by the government as
some Negroes have been in the States of
Texas, North Carolina, South
&dIOtlid diHo 1COi ia L. 40 otAc ANUS
ing to intelligent Afro-Americans to read
in the great daihes and weeklies of our
country of the ability of the Americans
to give to the Cubans and Filipinos an
equitable and beneficent government
they are powerless to even secure
life and liberty to their citizens at home"
The Bishop read here a list Of three
hundred Negroes who have been lynched
by Southern whites within a period Of
two years.
1.-The greatest problem of America" he
sis not the currency questions
her colonial possessions. but how to
avoid a racial war at home. You cannot
forever keep the Negro out of his rights.
Slavery made a coward of him.. For $50
years he was taught to fear the white
man, but he is rapidly emerging from
such slavish fear, and era long will cen
for his rights as bravely as any
other man.
zone of two things must be done in or
der to avoid trouble. The Negro must he
treated fairly or furnished with sufficient
money to return to the land whence
his ancestors were. stolen. It would be a
burning shame on the boosted Christian
of America to be obliged TO-
before the nations Of the world