Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-25
IN THEIR OWN HANDS.

The proceedings and deliverances Of the
Afro-American Council, which met In
Chicago last week, have afforded the
theoretical lovers of the negro texts LOT
various and sundry disquisitions ana
homilies upon southern injustice TO
the downtrodden man and brother.
Some OF the articles in question are as
11olent. as irrational, as mendacious, and
as incendiary as anything that ever ema-
mated from the Garrisons the Philhpses
ct ia omne genus, during the most
fanatical era of abOlitionism Others
show that the authors are struggling be-
tween light and darkness on the negro
problem but the general treatment or
that problem by all is such as Is celcu-
lated TO aggravate the difficulty OF
solving IT In any other way than to the
woe of the negro.
Dismissing the hysterical vaporings OF
the ultra rabid champions Of the 'negro's
rights"-and turning to what We may
term. I'm comparison. the more conserva
tive OF the negrophile organs, we find in
one of the latter the declaration that the
council met under depressing circum-
stances: that there has been in the last
twelve months a marked revival Of white
prejudice. and contempt for the colored
race. and that lynchings have been more
hume 1us and "hendish" than ever. But
nev; a word, says this contemporary
about the fact that during the last twelve
moths the crime which. as a rule, causes
lynshing has been steadily on the In
crease. Not line of injunction to the
negro 10 stop the provocation Is given
The presentation is entirely eX-parte.
Admitting that some Of the recent
Iynchings have been accompanied by
.fendish" demonstrations, 1t still stands
out as incontrovertible that no excess
10 which mob could go. could be a
1.-THE as fiendish as the usual crime. III
stin stand out that than this crime there
is none conceivable that is naturally
and we use the word advisedly-more cal
culated to arouse all that is cruel and
revenreful I'm human nature. Yet OF this
side Of the case not = hint is made
The discussion deals abstracty with
effect. The relation of cause to effect Is
ignored. The sympathy is all on one
side-on the side OF the negro, who, II
ne does not see in that sympathy con-
donation of the hellish act that almost
inevitably entails summary justice, Is al
least led by it further away from a con
ception Of the fact that what measure
shall be melted to him, is matter in hi'
own hands.
This same contemporary also recognizes
that "the Acknowledgement of the negro
is the object of a serious movement II
the South, and finds support in northern
places where it could not have been foun'
a year ago: that persons have even
dared to advocate the Withholding Of ed
ucation from the negro. and their words
find a hearing in the North as well as the
South" and that "others, filed with q
smattering OF the doctrine of struggle
and natural selection as applied 10 human
society, have been bawling from tht
housetops OF the doom OF the colored
races and of the divine mission Of the
whites TO kick them of the earth" Blu
our negrophile friend further en-
courages the race by virtually dismissini
all this as chimericaL "The negro" u
says. will remain in our midst. an(
brutal white arrogance will not easily
crowd him back into a position Of servi
tuds or semi-servitude. The problem 1,
one of our own creation. and Will have
to be met in spirit very different from
that now rampant"
Our own creation" IS good--the crea
ton largely Of the party our contempt
rary represents-the legitimate progen,
OF such glorihcation and defence OF IN
negro as our contemporary indulges IN
But barring the exaggerated form Il
which the paper quoted has put on
phase OF the movement against the negro
II describes. that movement Is not chi
mericaL IL is a cold, hard. practica
fact that the sentiment that the be
s'owa5 VI the right OF suffrage upon III