The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-31

The New York Tribune il no doubt
much panied to have to admit h In
its great city no man whose features
are copper-tinted or lumber or ocnre
can get a comfortable room in q fash
ionable hotel in New York or a good
seat in a well-known theater- Nor
can they enter the best society, IRA
ternize on lines Of equality with the
leading business men or worship in the
rich churches or be members OF n
respectable white church. Is not that
the actual condition? It Is even worse.
for Josh and Sambo than b They
cannot get work in all c. any or the
callings Of labor. The Tribune Is de-
lighted that they do better in Europe
beyond seas-than in New York. Tor
the whites over there do not "balk at
the hue of the skin" It is very hope
full that some time hence that the ne
groes here will be on an equality with
the whites in New York and up there
generally. Its words are that some
time in the future the common sense.
reason and fairness as TO color which
pervade Great Britain and the coun-
tries of the continent will be accepted
unreservedly on this side OF the ocean"
We would Xix to know how many ne
groes are on the large editorial staff
of the Tribune, and how many of that
hue OF the skin" as we'll as fragrance
are on the great printing staff also.
Is there one really? 1t is not true that
the negro has full sway or admission
| or recognition in England whose peo-
pie are the most reserved, the coolest.
the most arrogant of all nations. II
they are recognized and fraternized
with it is because they are few in
numbers. There is a measure of Curl
| osity mixed with the seeming generos-
ity. At first the northern whites tole-
rated, fraternized with the "colored
man and BROTHER but that was
| among the abolition crowd who were
| fanatical and John Brown like. The
| thing has changed. The Jacksonville
| Times-Union had a good reply to the
| Tribune, showing knowledge of the
true situation in the north and abroad.
Referring to the northern states it says:
But when negroes became common
in other states of the union than the
south the necessity of drawing the col
or line was Immediately seen-the An
~glo-Saxon asserted himself despite of
theories and prejudices. while no good
feeling and past affiliation debarred
the people Of those states from going
to an extreme never found in the south
throughout the west the negro is de-
MED the right to work and difficulties
are thrown in the way even in the the
oretic east.
England'S rule extends over millions
of colored people and political necessity
compels the court to treat the sover-
eigns Of these races respectfully when
political visits are paid-the rule of
the court becomes a law to the people.
But in social life. the old prejudices yet
obtain-when an English society wo-
man Of good family lately married a
royal Zulu she was Immediately repu-
diated-her subsequent sufferings from
a brutal husband obtained her no sym
pathy, n she separated from the
runken savage only TO disappear from
notice-she is lost even to charity"
We have not the shadow of a shade
Of doubt that the negro fares better in
the south than any where else under
the sun. The orderly. we'll behaved.
civil negro can pursue all avocations,
have friends among the whites, can
obtain justice in the courts and be well
regarded generally. Politics have bee.
his bane and curse. If any one is fat
uous enough to think that the blacks
are more highly regarded in Europe
or in Africa ever by the whites than
he is regarded in the south, he should
read up and learn how the common
black man or the ordinary yellow man
is treated in England. France or any
other country. AS is known England
has to treat certain rulers with formal
courtesy. but there is no heart in it.
Says our Florida exchange:
In Africa the Germans and French
treat the natives as brutes-the Eng
lish work them as slaves. Ample evil
dence exists to substantiate this state
ment-it has been published many
times. and the worst treatment was
accorded the tribes by the Belgians,
whose King sent them out as philan-
thropists to undertake the White
Mans Burden.
Now, for history. To the Spaniard,
the man with a drop of white blood is
a white man: the Frenchman took
something Of the same view. To the
Anglo-Saxon the man with a drop Of
negro blood is a negro, and this view
remains. Now, which view is best for
the man of color? Take him in Hayti
and throughout the old Spanish colo
nies-observe him in the Congo Free
State Inc in Cape Colony-then let
reason speak the last word"