The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-23

Il
Temple last evening. and listened TO two
eloquent speeches on the negro question
by former Governor Northen OF Georgia
and Bishop Arnett OF Ohio. Rev. DIR.
c. II. Plumb presided. and introduced
Ex-Governor Northen.
The ex-glN ernor lives within an hours
ride of where the burning OF Sam Hose
occurred. and he gave the white mans
side OF the lynching of negroes.
From strawberries and cream, the COO
Euests passed TO such diet OF southern
eloquence as made many woman bow
her face In her hands and shiver, as the
gray bearded old soldier from down in
Dixie pictured. without mincing his
words. the horrible details of the crime
for which Hose was tortured and slain
Twice ex-Governor Northen was in
terrupted by Or. Plumb as ne read on,
without gesture, while the hours crept
Slowly by. ana Bishop benjamin w.
Amett. ID. D.. CT Ohio, wondered when
his turn was to come. TO give 'the black
mana side OF the present situation as
10 the colorcd people of the south"
Turning upon the press and the people
OF the Bay State, who had denounced
the iynching as 'fiendish brutality" by
human devils" MIR. Northen thun-
dered: Say what you may. Massa-
chusetts Will not be one whit behind
Georgia when YOU make Mrs. Crawford
tie wife of a farmer In your state. and
Sam Hose. q brutal iiend in human
shape. a neighbor near your home"
Make the case your own" said the
speaker. giving merciessly the details
OF Hoses crime, continuing:
TEL me, would you not feel that the
punishment of the nethermost hell,
whether administered here or hereafter,
was not too much for such human
fiend? What would you do? What
would your neighbors do? What would
a mob in Massachusetts, do?
rs the state OF the president lacking
in civilization? IL not, how did IL hap
pen that an unhindered mob seized the
fiend Seymour Newland and lynched
him upon a tree near by, because OF an
assault upon a respectabl white woman
OF 81 years?
rs the state OF Illinois without civil
ization when her state attorney says
they have had half dozen lynchings
IN the last few years, and the world
knows how the mob shot down negroes
with the approval Of the governor. for no
other reason than that they had en-
tered the state In search OF work.
do you ask me how these lynchings
can be stopped in the south? i answer
promptly-just as they can be stopped
at the north, and in no other way. Stop
the outrages and the iynchings will cease.
Continue the outrages and the lynchings
will always follow. regardless of threats
by the law, whether in Georgia, Minne- |
eota. Illinois. Ohio or other states.
rs 1t forgotten that the people of |
Massachusetts, themselves burned a
negro woman at the stake. who had been |
simply suspected, and not convicted, of |
poisoning a white man and his wife?
Negro politics. In my judgment. as
taught during reconstruction and con-
tinued to the present day. seeking TO /
dominate the white people Of the south,
are responsible for most OF the blood |
that has been split. the outrages that !
have been perpetrated, and the sorrows |
that have come TO the whites and negroes |
OF the south. The south is a white mans |
country. and II will never be delivered /
over to negroes. whatever the power and |
fearful end.
IF the slave trade, the promoter OF |
slavery in America. was a sin, whose sin
was IT.? Not the sin of the south, but the
sin Of England, the Dutch and New
England.
IF the avenues to division and hate
and blood and carnage, outrages and
lynchings and violence and mobs have
been opened up at the south through the
ballot given TO the negro and the politics
taught him to pursue In the destruction
or the white man were a sin, whose sin
was It? Not the sin of the south. but the
sin OF the north.
Let me say that the relations between
the races at the south are in no sense
alarming. Under God we will work out
the problem in righteous settlement for
both races II We are left alone"
Bishop Arnett had a hearty welcome,
although the hour was late when he be-
gan to speak OF the black mans view.
and he abandoned his prepared address.
He reminded his audience that while
there is one negro brute whose crime has
been 20 tnrillinsly told, there are millions
who are not brutes; many are true
Christian men trying to elevate their
race. The disagreement between the
ex-governor and himself. he said. is in
their view Of the principles OF civil gov
eminent. the opposite ideas OF civil lib
erty at Plymouth Rock and at James
town. He contrasted the achievements
OF prominent white and black men. and
asked which has travelled the farthest
and achieved the most?
He was glad that Slater and Peabody
had faith Ia the colored race. each TO the
extent of 81 100000. and their faith begins
- bear fruit In the great number OF edu-
0ted preachers and ministers already
eievating their race. The colored people.
In feeding and clothing their children
while in school. do far more than the
whites 10 pay the teachers; they are do
ing pretty well FOR 2J0 years OF service.
30 FAR as the negroes power OF organ. !
izatip~ ""ee his church organ |