The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-09
CLOUD OVER THE SOUTH
JUDGE SPEER BlAMES ONLY PARlAHS or
THE MICRO RACE.
The Negro Performs His Duty in the Jury Box,
and The Negro Character is One
to be Low d..

Macon, Ga, June S.-The brief alb
| stract of the remarkable address deliver
ed by Judge Emory Spec yesterday be-
| fore the graduating law class of Mercer
University inadvertently did him an in
| justice. The distinguished jurist to-day
| in Il statement which will attract wide
attentions; made clear his position re
garding his attitude toward the negroes
as IL race, in connection with the out
rageouS crimes committed by some Of
| their number. After rcfcri'hg to T. y
brighter auspices of the graduations al.
the class Of 1899 as compared with his
own during the Civil War period. he
said
There is, however, one dark cloud on
the bright morning of our hopes. |
speak as Georgian, as | have the
right speak of that condition of the
public mind because of which thou
sands of husbands, brothers and fathers.
go to their daily labors with Il rightful
dread, akin to that which assailed the
pilgrims of New England who, with his
savage focman hard by, stalked to
church with tirclcck on shoulder and
sword ut his side. or the backwoodsman
of the South and West who tills his new
ground with his rifle ever in reach of
that danger to the peace and happiness
of our rural homes as agonizng and in
furatng as any which ever afflicted
the human race.
Let me say in the outset that it is Il
destructive error to charge the negro
race with the atrocities of its own out
casts and pariahs. And let me next de-
clare what is even more important the
negroes, if they wish to continue to re-
main in peace in these Southern States
must by their own conduct and assist
ance as citizens to the officers of the
law in bringing the cruel and cowardly
Apaches of their race to the bar of pro
lie Justice. acquit themselves of the
charge now widely made of racial sym
patty with the criminal. no matter how
atrOciouS his crime The planest in
stinct Of self preservation aside from
the dictates of right and duty demand
this of their hands. Nor is this demand
incompatible with the character and his
tory Of the upright men of their race.
We Southern people know that there is
ii
croes. There is doubtless as much
difference in tribal descent among them
as there is in nationality of ancestry
among the white people. While some OF
our negro population are descended
from degraded tribes and yet preserve
in eXasperating perfection their ances-
trail vices, others spring from those
gentle and manly races who kindly MIN
istered to the helpless Livingston i'll his
long wanderngs across the Dark Con-
tinent These worthy men have the
confidence and good will of the Southern
gentlemen. Indeed the negro is largely
the pcaSantry of the Southern States,
and his laborS add enormously to the
aggregate of the wealth. | feel that
after all that has been said. this col0red
farmer is no mean friend of the State,
with all of its advancing civilization.
There are Missionaries who talk about
the colonization of the negro, but unless
he chooses to 90 himself this is utterly
inlpracticable. My word for it, he will
not choose to go. No race has stronger
loyal attachments than the negro. Be-
sides way down in our hearts we do
not want him to go.
'.There will ever be as there have ever
been, crimes committed by individuals,
many of them so atrOci0uS that the
story will stir Il fever in the blood Of
age or make the infant sineWs strong as
steel. 1t is due, however. when we con
slider our vast territory and large popu-
lation, to say that they are comparative
" infreurent Certainly it is that these
crimes when committed must be dealt
with according to the methods of civl-
lied peoples. The constitutions OF the