Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-06-02

A
eistien at the Jefferson. Wednesday
night, 23rd inst.
He did not defend the colored man.
He did not seek to hnd out the meas
ure OF his attachments under freedom.
He spoke OF his worth during slavery.
The case is all the more deplcrable
because DIR. HoDezs confessed that he
has been reared by q black nanny,
whom he eonfesses Of en- led him
"smiling into sleep" In return for
this kindness, viper-like he attempts to
do deadly injury, not only to her, but
to her offspring. There are ndt many
white men in this section, thank God,
who would do rs DIR. HoDaEs has done.
The more we read his address as
quoted in the newspapers, the more we
became convinced that he vas both
rejudiced and ignorant with reference
to the true condition of our people.
He discussed 1.-The Eject OF Free.
dom Upon the Physical and Psyche
logical Development OF the Negro"
Now, why he should have chosen the
subject can be based upon no other
ground than that he thought It was
popular and like our poor DR.. P. b.
BABRINaER OF the University Of Vir-
ginia. he wanted to make hit"
proceeded to discuss the Negro
OF 1920 and declared us to be "a nation
literally born in day. He asks the
following question:
"Has the Negro since emancipation
she critical and epochal period of his
history, improved hie physical health
and meatsl and NOR condition, or
has he retro graded both physically and
mentally 2"
He then discusses the health Of the
Negro, and seems surprised to know
that he has not improved. He declares
that during slavery he was practically
free from disease. He migh5 have re
marked sthst he was subject to hutch
cry.
II this be true, then he enjoyed bet
ter health than his white master. Why
did not the latter swap places with
him or pursue similar course OF liv-
ing
DE-. HoDGEs remarked:
Under these environments the Ne
gro had no thoughs for tne MORO =
nor diu the claims OF family and house
hold press upon hum Co worry and Of.
feet his mind; neither did avariclous
dreams Nor ambitious hopes as To tne
possibilities o. abe fuGure SIR his brain,
but secludea from the mad Ting
crowds lgnoble strife,' he spent nj .
quiet aud peaceiul days, an humble
hie IN an humble home, with q master
10 care for every want OF self aud fam
lily, and in health and in sickness"
This fact has been the source of all
OF our woes. It is to-day the cause OF
all OF our thriftlessns IS. The masses
have trusted white men to do the
thinking for them, rather than exer-
else their mental faculties in doing it
for themselves. We have been blamed
more for this one trait of character
than for all the others and DIR. HoDoEs
comedies that he and his are RESPONSE
BILE for it. So far, so good.
Il He describes conditions in plain Ian
suage when he says:
"The Negroes unsdulterated with
alien blood, had no Incredibly OF disease.
and 10 some extent were consid cred
immune TO the climatic diseases of the
south, and thus under the restraining
and inhibitory Influences OF the insti-
sutton OF slavery, tney developed into
msgnitcent specimens OF physical
manhood"
But what about this adulterstion
with alien blood, DR.. Hodges1 Did
the Negroes 60 after the white men, or
did the white men come after the Ne
groesf
Do you mean to say, sir, that the oc-
toroons, quadroons and the mulattoes
spoken of in the Virginia statutes pre-
vious to 1s4s and afterwards did not re-
late to persons Of mixed Negro blood +?
/ Do you mean to say, sir, that the CO.
hablting Of the white and eolored races
was twin companion of freedom and
not Of slsveryf Speak out plainly, sir,
Fell the whole truth. d.. Hopaxs, tell
the whole truth.
Were white men fathers Of the mulat.
to Negroes who wee sprssd from one
section Of the eedthland to the other +?
II they were, Why do you endeavor to
disguise the fact In paper delivered
b, fore such learned audience as the
one which . 5embled at the Jefferson
Hotel IN sbis r.tv.
BusJa Hsg&,Es speaks truly when
he re'ysSsfs;
az y&er% AR "a OF thought and &C.
ito Htd ttysl was more theoretical
O. - 9sM'->-l; they were accustomed
Ia Aacgs 4 dictates of their owners,
,fasfsg%' thase dictates may have
= az privasion and wsnt-those fire.
quent causes OF degenerscy-were un-
known TO them; their environment, it
Is true, was narrow, bur q marvellous
4kfanhD.one 90 A0 -