The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-06-07
THE WHOLE TRUTH.
Lynching Notthe Resulf OF Hatred
Between the Races.
WILL ALWAYS PUNISH CRIME.
It is Not Race Prejudice, But a
Determination to Punish the
Perpetrators Of Crime,
White and Black
Alike.

An ex-sla7e, formerly body servant
to Alexander H. Stephens, has written
letter relative to the race situation in
the south, in which he denies that there
is any bitterness between the two races
and declares that lynching does not
come as the result Of any hatred for the
blacks, but lynching is the natural pun
ishment for certain crimes in the south,
be the perpetrator black or white.
The Negro who has written this in
terestlng letter is J. j. Floyd, a shoe.
maker by trade and is regarded as
thoroughly honest and conservative,
His letter in full is as follows:
''Since the lynching Of Sam Hose at
Newman, Ca, l have remained quiet
and watched all Of the publications on
the subject accessible to me. would
not now open my mouth on the subject,
but for the fact, that so many public
men Of the north have taken the occa-
sion to write column after column on
subject Of which they know almost
nothing. I am Negro and one Of only
ordinary observation, but intelligence
enough to see how very far our friends
in the north miss the mark. They
seem bent and determined to make the
lynchiRg of the Negroes in the south a
race question, when, in fact, it is not
and cannot be such. 1t is not hatred
ofmy race that brings about their lynch
ings; it is hatred Of the crimes COM
mitted and the perpetrator, black or
white.
eff our would-be friends Of the north
would take the trouble to come down
and investigate the condition Of the
whites and blacks in the south, they
would shave down their opinions and
public expressions to fit the facts.
No two races were ever SO harmoni-
Gus upon the same soil as the Anglo
Saxon and the African Of the southern
states.
''When the institution Of slavery was
abolished by the decree of war the white
man accepted the situation and has
since spent his energies and intelligence
trying to fit the Negro for the duties Of
full citizenship. The northern people
don't seem to know, or in anywise to un-
derstand the great burden upon the
whites Of the south-that Of ciVilizing
and educating an entire nation Of diff
ferent blood. The better class Of Ne
groes in the south have come to under
stand the situation and have Joined
themselves with the whites for the pur-
pose Of Transforming the millions Of
blacks that are constant and ever
present menace to good society among
both white and black.
There are great many Negroes
who are trying, with theaid and en-
couragemen. Of their white friends to
educate their daughters and protect
their virtue against the outrages Of the
brute who would disregard virtue and
trample under foot the dearest interest
of society. There are millions in our
race and perhaps thousands Of the
white racs who can never be reached
by moral teachings; physicalfsar is the
Ju1y oeSoA1SHG, dUA Sui5 - AdO oa1y Wy
open, public, speedy and terrible judg-
ment for crimes more horrible thaa the
punishment any has yet received.
"In my judgment our northern
friends, and al newspapers, as well as
the leaders Of our own race, would do
more good by crying out against these
awful crimes than by abuse Of noble
and generous people for inaicting just
and merited punishment.
No, it is not race question; it is
only an issue between right and wrong;
between good and evil; between vice
and virtue, and as for me and mine, I
shall side with the virtuous and those
who protect virtue and be content with
the punishment inflicted upon the 7ici-
Gus and those who lust after virtue and
blood.
"Quit the crime aud you will avoid
the punishment. ."-Atlanta Journal.