The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-04
WASHINGTON ON HIS
RACE.

leu IA tue Soutu Dy the iutelilEent
whites. He Is a man Of merit and per- !
sonaI worth. We were surprised to see
from him an admission of ignorance on
his part as TO the conduct OF the south
Iern whites in behalf OF the negroes af-
ter they were freed Referring TO
what he heard from "a famous educa-
tor in New York recently. DIR. Truman
ii. Backus. who said that there was no
instance in history where the former
OF an enslaved race had ever
done so much Immediately after eman-
Icipation to assist theif former slaves.
materially, Internationally and religious
lily, and had on the whole shown them so
much kindness and sympathy as is true
lof the white people in the south in their
dealings with their former slaves since
the war;" Washington admitted that
he had never thought of the matter
in this way" 1t is very strange for it
has been repeated thousands OF times
in the south in the last thirty years.
Washington says hat he has insesti-
Igated' and finds, evidently to his sur
prise. that history supports DR..
Backus's statement" This is a belated
admission. but il is never too late to
learn the truth. Washington is
kindness and self-sacrifice of the outh-
lern whites in these words:
This is a record which every white
man and woman and every negro
should be proud of. Sometimes 1 know
1--WE think we have pretty rough times,
but when We take a broad, generous
view of the history of the south during
the last forty years / think that both
traces have great reason to congratulate
themselves that things are in as good
condition as they are"
When you go back to the years i'm
lmediately following the war and see
the foolish, deceiving promises of north
Iern emissaries to the negroes, the be-
slowing by the congress of the elective
franchise upon the utterly ignorant T
incapable freed negroes the manipula-
ton and control of them for three de-
lcades by INSCRIPTIONS, wicked, design
ing d~emagogues, and all the ruin
wrought by their course, it is really
cause for congratulation that things
are in as good condition as they are"
The ~forbearance, the long-suffering, the
sympathy, the pity, the helping hand Of
1.-THE whites have been indeed most mar
l~vellous and most memorable under the
circumstances. Washington thinks the
lsouth ould continue to educate the
negroes. He says thousands of negrots
have gone north because of e that
they could not educate their children if
they remained in the south. 1t ~'ust
lbe said hat negro labor in the south
was v so unsatisfactory and insult
~ficient. You can not count as you could
once upon the fidelity and ntinua
of such labor as a whole. even north
lern papers are now indulging in very
plain talk sNto the character Of much
of the negro labor hat has immigrant
ed into their great section. The Mes
senger has already given striking state
lments from papers of such standing as
the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun
and New York Times. Washington
Says:
Il do not believe that there is a single
white a in the south today who is
the poorer because of any of his money
has gone into the publis schools.
L do not believe that there is a south
ern white man who would take back
a single act of kindneS that he has
ever done for a negro.
If we can just let matters alone for
IA while, cease stirring up all these
questions that excite n embitter the
races so that the people will AVE more
time to give to their material and edu-
cational development l believe that the
south will be a glorious country for
both races"
The southern whites in all the states
are not unfriendly to the well behaved.
industrious, l~aw-abiding negroes. Their
best friends are the best class of whites
in our Southland. Unfortunately there
is an active, vicious. lazy, law breaking
element that bring great reproach
upon the name and character of h
negro race. Washington's communica-
ton we saw in the Atlanta Constitu-
ton. In this connection, we copy from
a negro paper published at Abbeville,
IS. c.. 1t is called THE Ethiopian"
The editor is Rev. E. w. Williams. Re
|ferring to great mass meetings in the
north concerning negro
ment, this sable parson and editor
out freely and sensibly. He
has a great deal better understanding
of the capabilities of his people and h
actual conditions than the fanatics and
fools who call upon the president to
use the military force to prevent rap
|ings. The South Carolina "colored
brother" sees only mischief to the ne
gro in these mass meetings and protest
Iings. He plainly says that tbs" true
life and existence which we covet, and
which all good people desire that the
negro should have, will not and cannot
come to him by any legislative enact
|ment or by any constitutional amend
Iments." He gives advice to his people
that is sound and should be followed
faithfully. He tells them Ito take no
stock in such delusive sentiments; to
do SO would be fatal to our own best
interests; our destiny as citizens of this
great commonwealth is in our hands:
I'VE may shape it as we viii without