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

The Messenger has desired 10 pur-
sue a firm but conservative course
relative TO the negro question in the
south L has only kin feelings for
the deserving negroes, and for all the
educated class who show they are sin
cere in ~cultivaung friendliness with
the whites, are opposed TO negro
crimes, especially rapings. The negro
preachers shoot off large guns in de-
nunciation of white outrages upon
their race, but are careful to say but
little, If any thing, of the villains and
their awful crimes against society. We
lately received a private letter from
an educated man Of the negro race. a
man Of ability and appreciative OF
the white race is doing in North
Carolina and in the whole south in be-
half Of the colored people. There are
others like him who sincerely deplore
the very outrageous, brutal conduct OF
a certain class of the negroes. He, like
The Messenger, deplores the extreme
course pursued by white mobs, and the
horrid brutalities of some of the
whites in Georgia and other states re-
Gently. While a part Of the north re-
mains stupidity blind as TO the meaning
and necessity Of the Revolution in this
city last year, there are educated COL
ored people who have a clearer under
standing Of events, and who know that
the white people are at heart neither
oppressive of nor enemies of the color
ed folks. We make a few extracts from
the letter because we would advance
the cause Of the large and respectable
crime and are not trying to injure now
the whites. Our correspondent writes:
1T has been with more than ordi-
nary relief that 1 have read your edi-
tOrlal upon the horrible
atrocities which have recently occurred
IN Georgia. 1t has seemed almost i'm
possible for the white people Of the
south to understand and recognize the
true feelings and painful anguish with
which colored men of responsibility,
; aspiration and character view the yici-
Gus and fiendish manifestations Of de-
pravity exhibited by a certain element
of our people. Hence we have become
oneWh accustomed to having our
sense Of shame abnormally intensified,
n u feelings of disbursement and
disgrace unjustly aggravated by oii-
! tors who usually assume that all ne
groes are in sympathy with those Of
our race, whose crimes present and
cause the blacklist stains on Ameri-
can civilization. All negroes are not
together upon this subject and 1 greas-
ly rejoice that in your recent COM
ments ycu have not done deserving,
earnest but sorely perplexed negroes
the injustice which they so frequently
suffer. We usually object to
mob Or lynch law, but it is because I'M
der such conditions that the chances
of a miscarriage of justice are so great.
1t is a kindness to the race to remove
its vicious monsters, but We know when
passion and prejudice become rampant
that justice and reason are not strong
enough to protect tie weak and haIr-
less and even though innocent. &
We want these criminals punished for
our W good as we'll as for the cause
of civilization. Provisions for punish
ment in keeping with an enlightened
and christi4e sentiment should be pro-
vided. Not only the laws delays, but
the features of a court-trial which are
abhorrent to every lady Of modes.N
and refined feelings should be removed.
Surely the enlightened genius Of Ameri-
can civilization can do this"
We hope this will stir the whites to
a renewed purpose to stop mob law,
and prompt all worthy negroes to Il
combined effort to stamp out crime,
and particularly rapes, among the bad
IF their race. sT.-