The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-10

great mistake in abusing the South
They forget that the South was an ante
room in which their fathers exchanged
the clout of the barbarian for the dress
of civilization blessed ante-room in
which their millions of miserable. igno-
rant savages were changed into our
| millions of industrious beings-a great
missionary tent in which four millions of
fetch worshippers were transformed into
four millions of Christian citizens or one
of the most powerful governments Of this
age.
LET the South alone and look to your
own neglected opportunities and correct
your own wrongs.
81 appeal to the white men Of the
North to think more Kindly of both black
men and white men of the South. Every
honest negro heart is loyal and true to
the South. We all deplcre whatever is
wrong there. In every community the
| best black men and white men are unit
! ed for our common good. The criminal
! class is made up OF the worst elements
of both races. We can no more check,
! in single generation, our criminal ten
| denotes than you can put down the mob
! snirit I'M YOUR own section, which mani
| tests itself in strikes boycotts and riots
( starving women and innocent children,
paralyzing industry, crippfng commerce,
| filling the air with the black smoke
| and red flames OF ruin, the cries of the
dying, and the walls of the friends Of
! the murdered dead. Compared to these,
| our disorders are as gentle Florida
! breezes to Kansas cyclones. We need
and want the sympathy of every section
| of the country, but there is a kind of
unfrlendly meddlmg which invariably
increases friction and harms the negro.
! We have strong men in the South who
are capable, and have the righteous in
! clination to fairly adjust all problems
| growing out of our new relations. There
I, is class of Northern whites who come
| South as a disturbing element They
are hypocrites, singing one tune to
the negroes and another to the whites.
There are many mistakes in our own
! social life, which we as a race must cor
rect and which we alone can correct.
Our women and children are left unpro-
tected by fathers mothers and sisters
/ are deserted by sens and brothers and
! often leave home to increase the army
of idlers and criminals. The great ma
| J0flty OF our boys are llOI III SCuOOd' w
not attend church, are growing UP idle,
! vicious. insolent, ignorant, or shun hard,
/ honest toll and look for soft jobs. The
negro woman, almost alone, is fighting
one of the grandest battles i'm the an
mails of man, with the cook pct, the wash
| hoard. sewing needles, ironing board,
scrlbbing brush she bllilds churches, sup
ports schools, educates her daughter,
often supporting an improvident husband
or am unworthy son-tempted; assailed oil
all sides, she maintains a degree of vir-
| tue which would deserve commentator
: in women with more favorable environ
ments.
! 'fWe are negroes and should be true to
our own nature i'm order to become
! strong and fair in the eyes OF an intel
/ iigent world Let us be more concern
ed about Strengthening the kinks inside
| of our heads and the kinks ON the out
side will be all right.
| Il honor the white man because he
| honors himself. | honor HIM because he
does not go whining around, begging
other races for sympathy but ever since
| the old Teutonic tribes of Getman fores-
| tiers started out for civilization by their
own efforts they have dissipated rivers,