The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-02
AN UNWIsE CLERIC

As a rule the bishops are some
thing fanatical n some are public in
as we'll as faIsifiers Of facts.
See how tina northern negro bishop
crucifed truth in New Jersey, and at
to make a defence for the black
Hose. He dismisses the Villains
crime with a word, and denies that he
assaulted Mrs. Crawford. It is such
fellows who injure no little the black
race, and provoke anger and retaliation
in turn. He not only varnishes over
Hoses great crimes, which he con-
fessed, but he invites the north 10 begin
a second war upon the south. The
animus Of Walters is patent throughout
He has no hot words Of reproof and
condemnation for black murderers and
rapists, but bottles up MS mighty wrath
for the whites only. Elsewhere the
Messenger shows, as it did yesterday,
that il has no sympathy whatever for
the horrible cruelties practiced upon
Hose and his associate in crime. But
il has no patience with or palliation
for the wild vaporings Of the half
Christianized sable bishop who would
send devastation and the avenging
sword through the south because Of
cruelties practiced by some bad whites,
and punishments visited upon a class
of black criminals Of the lowest lind
| devils in human form, the rapists and
| assassains. His reference to the saw
age, cruel treatment Of the negroes in
/ North Carolina is unfortunate. In no
state in either great section OF our
country is the negro treated SO We'll as
! in North Carolina. Some bad, mean ne
groes brought vengeance upon them
selves by a long series of outrages and
crimes in this city. They We're handl-
ed at last without gloves, and some few
were summarily punished. If Walters
is not perfectly blind as to truth and
facts he knows he misrepresents in
what he says as to North Carolina.
If the very things that occurred in
Wilmington in 1898, had occurred in
any New England or any other town
in. all the north, instead of the whites
bearing what they did, and forbearing
to strike in defence for six long months,
the guilty ~scOundrels would have been
driven out or killed in sixty days or
less, as the Illinois people dealt with
negroes who simply wanted to work.
The black ecclesiastic ak glibly Of
a race war. He perhaps covets such
an awful result. If his race is really
prosecuted in the south as he represents
why does he not in the name Of mercy
and philanthropy get his northern white
sympathizers to raise a fund to bring
them all into the happy north where
they have so much of freedom CD and
the opportunities for labor and success
are 50 Astounding? He evidently counts
on the whites in the north taking sides
with his people in an effort to "eNter-
inmate southern whites. All of which
is claptrap and rot" The negro has
more friends at every hour in the south
than he has now or eve would have
in the north. Let the bad negroes cease
their great crimes in the south and
there will be no oppression, no outrages
upon them, and no race war.
AS there are millions of we'll dis
posed, decent negroes in the south who
tax no part in outrages Of any kind,
and have no real sympathy with them
or justification for them, so there are
many millions of whites in the south
who nave not any part whatever in
outrages upon the negroes, and no de-
| fence for them, but who wish all pros
perity and blessings to the brother in
black 1t is as base in that stirrer up
| all the whites responsible for the crimes
of a few of their race, as it would be
wrong and unjust to hold all the ne
groes responsible for the villainous
conduct of the heartless wretches who
disgrace their black race.