New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-26
CONFERENCE ON LYNCH1NG
cOLoRED MINISTERS INDULGE in EN-
CITED ARGUMENTS.


CITED ARGUMENTS.
Tho New-York Conference Of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, held In be'he'
church. in West Twenty ffth-st.. at It's sess'o"
Yesterday afternoon discussed the N"'"s
question at length and adopted the report OF '"0
Committee on the State OF the country '
demnirg it and asking for the extension VI 'ne
r,.-,.,,a, sn,rit nv the churches to offset the
murderous mob spirit
Tho discussion Of the report brought out
stronger statements than were contained III
- and there was demand by the speakers that
a.. GENERAL Conference of the Church unfrock
.1,o,.oa ministers who have condoEed the lynch
t., IN, admitting that the negro Is vicious.
IT. Conference agreed that negroes lynched
vf,o in most cases not guilty and while tax
IN, tho stand that the Church does not counte-
rarco the things charged against the negro
declared that there was no excuse Tor mon
lou. and the persecution Of negroes without owl
dence.
7, Was charged that the anti-negro feeling
in the South is strong because the negro can
grow cotton at four cents a pound. while the
white man cannot grow 1t for less than five
Rishop Abraham Grant. in answer to the sug-
gestion that the only solution OF the propiem
for the negro people was In return 10 the
fatherland declared that he was an American
the blacks ha6 stood for the flag in the time
OF American peril. that they had died alonesioe
their white brethren, and no power could make
him leave the country. He spoke for less
bitter recriminations between the races and
common citizenship.
The matter came up on the report or the
Committee on the State of the Country. which
was read by the Rev. j. NJ. Henderson, pastor
Of Bethel Church. letter from Bishop Grant
to Governor Roosevelt was read with the fol-
lowing reply from the Governor:
State Of New York. Executive Chamber.
Albany. April II, 1890.
Bishop Abraham Grant. No. 905 Belmont-ave..
Philadelphia.
My Dear Sir: / thank you heartily for your
coIdal invitation to address your Conference,
and greatly regret that l cannot be present.
Just at this time [ should particularly like to
be for | appreciate the grave consideration Of
which you write 1t my good fortune TO
be side by side with men Of your race in the
fighting at Santiago. l am. however, unable to
accept another engagement Of any kind or
sort just at present. With real regret, believe
me, sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Or. w L. Hunter, a colored physician of
Brooklyn. who was present as lay delegate to
the Conference. arose and followed the report
on the state Of the country with hot speech.
Said he
A negro is guilty whenever they choose to call
him guilty. / do not believe that the negroes
lynched are guilty OF any crime at all in nine
out of ten. l do not excuse any real
crime committed by a negro. But l will not
stand with the oppressors of my race and con-
denim any negro who has been burned alive on
the charge OF a mob that afterward took man
conceded to be innocent by his white employer
and killed him. l want nothing to do with those
men who have turned against their race and
fhnre
on the delegates from this Conference to the
General Conference to unfrock the general Of
ficers OF this Church who have come out In the
papers admitting that the negro has no regard
for virtue. These charges are false. IL Is their
hatred Of the whole race IT Is their revenge for
the They are mad at the Yankees yet.
They show it In their politics. They show 1t
in their oppression of the negro. They cannot
satisfy their revenge on the people Of the North
and so they kill the helpless negroes under the
name of Furnishing them for crimes they do not
commit.
The Rev. II. y. Parks. Of the Mission Board,
in explanation. said that he was the man re-
ferred to as having made the statements. He
said that just after the lynchng newspaper
had sent n man TO him for an interview and he
had given one. This mad been CARRIED.
He. C. Astwood. ex-Mnster to San Domingo,
arose and said that he. too. had been quoted.
"Rut was quoted correctly and I stand by
that come. l would rather defend woman
than n criminal |. for one do not stand up for
murderers even II / am to be unfrocked.'
There were some expressions of disapprova at
this Or Hunter declared that Mr.. Astwoods
statement had been sent out broadcast, and had
been printed in the Georgia papers as an eN-
cuse for the work OF the mob He said that
such condemnation of his own race should he
condemned by the Church.
Mr. Astwood made a speech in justification
Of his statements. and was opposed by DR..
Hunter Things were about to get lively when
the bishop started to sing, Children or the
Heavenly King. ye journey, sweety sing
and the Conference joined him. DR.. Henderson
then said he wished ii to go out TO the pubic
that the Conference does not condone he sins
of any negro, but does not hesitate to condemn
lynching. -, ,
Before any heated argument could arise again
the Bishop declared all debate over, and put
tho motion for the adoption Of the report. ana
the report was adopted almost unanimously.
II was decided to hold the next New ork
Conference next year at Elmra. but no date was