Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-07

l7th. The victim was George Ritter,
coiored, wh8 lived near Carthage, N.
/ O. He was taken from his home by
| mnsked men, and after he had been
| mutilsted. he was shst aud hung mp to
. tree He was suspected Of having
reported these men TO Goverament OF.
h,isls and because 81 this he was "tor-
tured and muriered."
To complete the weeks list OF the /,
outcheries OF untried and perhaps In
nocent men. Negro named Cesson
who was suspected" Of having com
nitted murder, WAS taken from the
Jail &c Emp1ria. Va, swung TO tree
and his body riddled with bullets.
The same day aud st the same town q.
white man named Brandt O'Grsdy,.
was lyDched for the crime of theft.
have given notice OF these cold
blooded murders in the order In which
they appeared In our daily papers, ali
having occurred within the past week.
All the victims, with two exSeptions.-
were colored persons.
Now, question If any one of these
meL who were merciiessly shot TO
death for attempted criminal as,
ssult," was guilty; and my failure Co
oelisve IL because OF Whist have wit
messed in court rooms and know Of the
race feeling and hatred Of some OF the.
Southern whites.
What think you would be the result.
IL some day these should come to cen-
slider that they had better stop for q
while and turn their attention from
the "black brute" to those of the
white, and bring TO mind historical
facts like the following:
The Census for 1850 shows there
were then in Virginia over forty-four
thousandsm smulssto slaves shat had ca.
caped the Southern market. Il it not
90 open secret Just how all these came
by their white blood7
a few years previous to the civil war
correspondents OF the Free Presby-.
terian" in writing from Augusta Ooup--
~, Virginia. gave description OF q.
Sale OF Slaves" The account.
is so sickening that I cannot re-
cluded by saying: SCI would rather
bury every friend I have thsR see
them put on the Auction block. ss
lt is ioO notorio Is that many here sell
their own flesh and blood 10 fact.
not only sell their ewn daughters. but
the children of these daughters, and Of
which they are also, not unfrequentiy,.
their fathers"
General John 81. Eaton Of Washing
ton, said OF these white slaves: "How.
Ireq uently nave i seen weeping moth
ers leading guilsless infants to the
sales with ss deep anguish az il they
had led them TO the slaughter house.
When see these enormities practiced-
upon beIngs whose complexion and
blood bear kindred to my own, curse
the perpetrators and weep over tha,
wretehed victims of their rapasity."
Henry Berry, wealthy slavs-hold-
or OF Je nerson Co., speaking OF slaves
in speech before the Va. House of
Delegates, said: Pass ssseyere laws
as you will to keep these unfortuuate,
creatures in ignorance, it is in vain,
unless you extinguish that spark OF
intellect which God has given them. -
SIR, we have, as far as possible.
closed every avenue by which light
might enter their minds; We have on
ly 60 go one step farthsr-.o extiu-
gutsh the capacity TO see the light
and our work would be accomplish
ed they would then be red uced below
the level of the beasts OF the fisld,
and l am not certain that We would
not do is il we could find out the
necessary process"
Well might Jefferson say: "I trem-
Bile for my couctry when I remsmbar
that God is just"
CLARIssA OLDs KELLER.
March a. 1900.