The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-02

not believe that this evil enterprise VIII
meet with success. We have faith in
the just Judgment and Christian cllarac-
ter of the good white people of the State
who are not politicians. We confidently
appeal TO YOU
Ye whose hearts are fresh and simple,
Who have faith in God and Nature,
Who believe that i'll all ages
Every human heart is human,
That in even savage bosoms
There are longings, warnings, striviBgs
For the good they comprehend not,
That the feeble hands AMI helpless,
Cropping blind1y in thu darkness.
Touch Gods right hand IN that darkness
And are lifted mp and strengthened
Wo appeal to you to throw the weight
of your powerfai influence III favor OF
right and justice and preserve us and our
land from further strife. We do not APP
peal to you as partisans. It is no party
question. 1t rises high above parties in
10 the realm of right. justice, patriotism
and Christianity. We cannot see that
there is any good necessity for the enact
ment OF this amendment. 1t is urged that
the negro is unfit for the responsibilities
swered that he is not likely TO develop
n higher degree OF prudence and eff
cheney in the discharge of such functions
by depriving him Of an opportunity of
gaining that experience which comes only
by exercise. Every power is strengthen
cd by judicious use. We cannot sew
that the best way to make a good man
is to ,mman HIM Again. there are mil
~ fnr .Srt,- buhr .ai1i yeh1c. in
country who are not only ignorant. hut
know nothing Of the genius of our gov
eminent: cannot speak our language, and
who come here bringing all the preiu-
6ices and isms out of which have grown
strikes, destruction of property and nl9lu'-
ders Yet no one questions the fitness Of
these men for American citizenship. Are
we less fit than such a class? We are
not uninindful Of some conditions cor
nected with the citizenship OF the negro
which must occasion solicitude among
thoughtful patriots The introduction of
so large a mass of inexperienced voters
into the body polite was fraught with
dangers which none more fully aplon.
ciate now than the negro himself. Some
Of these dangers have already npened
into saddeSt actualitics. There are
Wise craftsmanship can accomplish this,
as wise craftsmanship might have avoid
cd those consequences which we all 80
much regret. In SOME cases the votes OF
our race have aided in the establishment
of governments which were Differed by
bold. bad men, whose acts brought
shame and disgrace to our civilization.
But for this we were not wholly TeSpon-
IT,. IN, q
the first act of our people after the
war was the calling or a State conyen-
tiOn to consider their new relation 10
the State and country. That convention
was composed Of the leading men of the
race and was largely attended. One of
its first acts was to extend invitations
TO the leading white men Of the State
TO come ard address them words of adj
vice. They refused. They then pre-
pared memorial TO the Constitutional
Convention OF the State then in session
in your capitol, which prayed that the
white people of the State would ac-
knowledge their freedom and direct and
lead them In the performance Of their
duties and grave Responsibilities. 1t
prayed for n subsistence of all bitterness:
that the whites would employ their for
mer slaves at reasonable wages and pro-
tect them against oppression; called at
tention to the faithfnlnesS of the race
during the long period of its cnslavemerd;
how they remained true to your wives.
mothers. daughters. sisters and helpless
little ones while YOU Were away fighting
TO rivet upon them more securely the
bands Of slavery. No act CT THIS race
during those four long years Of battle
and blood was such as 10 call forth even
your censure. And when the war was
over and YOU returned to your hocncS,
detected III spirit. broken in fortune. none
received Won more gladlyno hand was
extended more warmly than those of
your former slaves. All that memorial
asked was that these relations might be
restored where they had been broken, and
that the two races live together III peace
Most of the leading white men Of the
State refused to respond 10 this earnest
appeal would have nothing TO do with
us as citizens. associated themselves
with an organization whose platform held
that our emancipation was unwarranted
by the Constitution of the United States
and that every effort to advance the race
to civil and political equality with the
whites should be resisted by ali the
power at their command. Here II was
that the negro turned To such others of
the white people as professed sympathy
for him in his aspirations for complete
liberty. That some Of the men who
assumed his leadership under such cir
cunStanceS were corrupt and had only
corrupt motives us reasonable conclu-
sion. That they used the opportunities
afforded i'm the prosecution OF their yenal
ambitions we all know only too well.
But in view of all the facts and circum7
stances here set forth can you hold us
responsible? Revise our relations 10 each
other and ask yourselves the question.
would we not have done the sameE
Could negroes with self-respect have done
otherwise?
But if there is negro problem 1t can
he settled and settled forever. Christian
ity is the one universal solvent of every
problem that can arise out Of the life
of mankind. 1t throws flood of light
upon every personality that can trouble
the human race. 1t eliminates every
gloom, it 1nelts every difficulty. Re
specting mans relation TO man, whether
i'm his individual or collective capacity,
4ha Rihle is the Great High Code from