The age-herald., 1901-10-04
NEW CONSTITUTION.
Recent Negro Conference Makes Peo-
 pie More Determined.

To the Editor of the Age-Herald:
 The recent conference against the rati- fication of the new constitution held in the city of Birmingham by negro office holders and curbstone politicians has made good people of both races more de- termined to adopt twentieth century or ganic law for the government of Ala bama. The conference displayed it's lack of diplomacy and political sagacity when, by resolution, 1t declared that it had no patience with either faction of the Demo- cratic party. thereby skipping nearly all of the white people in the face, and thus Governor Johnston is repaid for his many kindnesses to the colored people during his administration, and especially for permitting a negro regiment with colored chaplain, sergeants and corporals, to be mustered into service for the Spanish American war. Our distinguished Sena- tors and Representatives in Congress are not even remembered for the thousands of acres of government land obtained for the great negro schools at Tuskegee and Normal. If bankers like Pettiford and Hudson, physicians like Mason and | IoTOWIl, IllHlBLGTS llAe AlSJOTk anu bTOOkS and educators of the class of Lewis, Coun- Gill and Washington had attended the conference the thing would have had a different tone and accomplished good rather than bad results. The conference drew the black line on friends and foe and made ratification a certainty. Negroes of character, intelligence and industry are making friends with the great Anglo-Saxon people. Saxons help all worthy men regardless of race or | creed My race was brought from Africa perfect savages, but American slavery was God-sent boon. We learned of God and were taught to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow We were par tially trained for freedom and In God S own good time He used Abraham Lin- coin and Jefferson Davis as instruments for our emancipation. I say Davis be- cause Lincoln begged him to return to the Union with his slaves, but Davis averred that the rights of the general government were delegated by the states and that the South was in arms for con- stitutional principles.
 The dark, damned rule of marplots and their ebony henchmen during reconstruc- tion is sufficient evidence for a better and more intelligent electorate. It will make my people better citizens and will diminish racial friction.
 The new constitution will permit any colored man to vote who is fit for citi- zenship. It places a premium on intelli- gence and industry. The great mass of colored people are happy and are in love and at peace with all mankind. The re- spectacle negro is assimilating the vir- tues and intelligence of the superior race, and enjoys the blessings of white gov ernment.
 Threats of a negro exodus is an rides cent dream, but I fear that the incendi- ary speeches and the sowing of the seed of discord and discontent by irascible malcontents will cause some ebony bi- peds to emigrate between dark and dawn. | Threats of the United States Supreme Court only make Dred Scott groan in his grave, and Charles Summers civil rights bill vail like the spirit of a lost soul The North will never again break friendship with the South for Ephriam and Rastus. Let each and every one of us make friends with our next-door neighbor and let down our buckets where we are. There is rest in Alabama
 The new instrument Is not perfect I doubt whether man. has ever made any thing perfect. But the new Is an eagles s | flight above the old and will win by a tremendous majority. Men endeavor to 1 discover errors in the Bible. but upon the whole 1t Is the best standard for human action found in the philosophy and litera- ture of all ages, and 1t is the only rock upon which can stand a permanent civili- zation.
 1 The Anglo-Saxon never retreats and Alabama will not repudiate the new con- | stitution. DAVID w PARKER Bessemer, Ala October 3