The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-01

THE HAMPTONS CONFERENCE
CORRECTIONS

Some weeks since there was an an
uual negro conference held a. Hamp-
tom, Va. Some able whites also attend
ed, among them Rev. DIR. Campbell, of
Asheville, the able Presbyterian divine
referred to sons months ago at some
length in connection with his incisive
and educating pamphlet ON 1.-THE Noun
tain Whites" In the last Richmond,
Va, Central Presbyterian there is a
communication from Memphis, Tenn,
relative to the meeting. We note an err
ror. 1t is said that Rev. DIR. j. l.. M.
Curry, sis a northern and Of birth and
education" A palpable mistake. We
have personally known DIR. Curry for
thirty years. He a born in the
south, lived in the south, was educated
in the south, was in the confederate
congress and the late Chief Justice
Smith, Of our supreme court, said in
our hearing that he thought DR.. Curry,
the ablest man in the confederate
house. The negroes liked most of DR..
Campbells address ON 1.-THE Relation
between Northern and Southern White
People and the Negro" DR.. Curry in
dorsed what DR.. Campbell said. The
negroes did not relish, it seems, one
statement made by Dr.. Campbell, in
which he quoted from DR.. Curry and
|'the United States commissioner of ed
ucation that the north had, since the
civil war, given $50, 900, 900 in charity,
and the south had raised by taxation
500, 0o0, 900 to educate the children Of
the eX-slaves. As taxes for education
the people the money bestowed by the
impoverished south can as truly be
counted philanthropy as the voluntary
gifts of the rich and prosperous north.
"The colored members Of the confer
ence, while greatly liking DIR. Camp
bells address as a whole, objected to
this portion of his discourse. They
deemed it an effort ON his part to I'M
derrate what the north had done for
their race, and to overestimate what
the south had accomplished"
OF course The negroes are soft on
their Yankee friends and are not care
full to remember what great sacrifices
southern whites have made in their be-
half, after being robbed of more than
half of their property by theose same
northern friends. If an overestimate
how is it that both DR.. Curry, about
the best informed man in all south
land as to the facts in the case, and
the United States commissioner of ed
ueation should practically agree with
DR.. Campbell in his figures. We sus-
pect strongly that the differences is
even greater han 81 to 1. 1t is pro-
badly true that North Carolina has ex-
pended $40, 900, 900, if not more. Then
add the money given to the negroes to
help them in distress, to help to build
churches for them, and the daily con-
tributions in feelings, etc., their fam
lilies and moneys given to the numerous
beggars, and probably $4,000 boz 900
would not present fully the sum given
by the whites to the negroes since July
1S65-a period of thirty four years. But
the negroes at Hampton, know but lit
tie of all this. DR.. Campbell was we'll
pleased with the main features of the
conference and said when asked about
1T:
list. The good order, good nature,
the business like manner of the pro-
ceedings, and the high average of the
peapers and discussions in style and
matter.
End. The candor with which the
faults and shortcomings of the race
were faced, and the u~nmistagable evil
dence Oh advance on all lines shown
by a considerable portion of the ne
1roes.
3rd. The general absence Of bitter
ness when reference was made to race
troubles in the south. There was IL
tie could give offense to the most sem
sitive southern white man in the dis
c%ussions.
4th. The scope of the papers and
the practical character OF what was
said"