The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-23
Such a Sentiment win Not Win.

Prominent colored citizens OF ne" 1oih
held great mass-meetinS at Cooper ~
ION october Sd, and said that heSio ui1
reimbursement was the paramount iSsue.
They passed resolutions protesting dsatiia.
the DISTINGUISHING of negroes III ooutaein
States; calling on Congress to reduce me
representation of such States IN propoi-
tion to votes cast: asking Congress TO pass
laws for the enforcement OF me LIN
teenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth AHleno-
ments to the Constitution, and force OH IL
necessary, protesting against iyAcLlhS'
asking the President to use military force
10 prevent lynching; pedSlng the meet
ing to oppose the election OF Mf. bryan
and favoring the election OF MI -Nchlh-
ley.
The above is taken from one of our eN-
changes, the Star of Zion paper that mas
wide circulation and many intelligent
readers among the coored people o. the
South. 1t is for this reason that we teei
called upon 10 express our dissent from
the sentiment set forth in this meeting OF
prominent negro citizens OF New ork.
First. while we are perfectly willing TO
conceGe that these colored citizens OF New
York were actuated by the very best mo-
tives at least most of them, their zeal Is
according to knowledge. We cannot lon
ger allow such sentiments TO go forth 70
our people uncha!lenged They are sentl-
rnents which have done and if allowed to
so unchallenged, will continue to do great
harm to the colored people Of the South.
We think that we have lived long enough
to know that great mass-meengs held by
colored citizens of New York, however
prominent they may be, to protest against
the Acknowledgement of the colored people
of the South, mean absolutely nothing but
trouble for the negroes of the South The
colored people of the South and of the
country in general should know that II
there ever was a time when such meet
ings and resolutions effected anything in
adjusting matters relative to the colored
people it has long since passed.
For thirty years or more the negroes of
this country have been lulled and decoyed
into a vain delusion. they have been taught
to believe that by legislative enactments
and Congressional interference they could
be lifted into the coveted position of man
hood and intelligent citizenship. This is
vain delusion. and the sooner the colored
people find it out the better it will be for
them.
That 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
enactment or by any constitutional amend
ments
We would. therefore, say to the coored
people of the country, that their best in
ments set forth in the New York meeting
reported above. We will never live to see
the day when Congress will pass laws for
the enforcement Of the Thirteenth, Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments, neither
will there be a force bill to prevent lynch
ing passed by Congress.
Our advice TO the colored people Of the
country is to take no stock in such delu-
Sive sentiments; to do SO would be fatal
to our own best interests: our destiny as
citizens Of this great Commonwealth is in
hands; we may shape it as we will
without any special intervention of Con-
gress. We have had Congressional enact
ments in our behalf and they are now and
will ever be dead letters. so far any
intervention of Congress is concerned. This
is sufficient to teach Us that our success
cannot come to us through such abnormal
measures. The greatest blow the negro
has ever received, and the one from whose
damaging effects he will never recover,
was given Kim by Con gressional enact
mentS
It was the unconditional imposition Of
the right of franchise, for which he was
in 10 way qualified. No Government has
ever done a defenseless people a greater
injury.
We do not consider that those States
that have passed amendments to their
Constitutions abrdging the privilege of
some of the citizens in the exercise of the
right of franchise. have done the negro
half so great an evil as was done him
by the National Government when it i'm
posed this right upon him.
The National Government has no right
to promise the negro goods which it can
not Geliver.-The Ethiopian.