The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-24
rsrrib,. Chapter ofour History

EOEtOm-
The esteemed London Chronicle has
received from Prof. Scarborougn, n ne
gro educator. now vice president OF the
wIlberforce University. in Ohio. n COM
munication which ii publishes under the
headline, "A Terrible Chapter in Amer
lean History" The communication II
self is mo- of startling Importance,
though IL no doubt possesses for the
British public some OF the
charms OF novelty. To American read
ers IL comes with q familiar and some
wha, tiresome sound. IL is the old
story OF l~ynching. race persecution.
the negro left to fight his battles alone
against tremendous Odds and all the
rest OF the rigmarole to which the pro-
fessional negro has Injured US by the
process OF prolonged vociferation-
OF course. il Is different in England,
where the negro is taken in hofneo-
pathic doses and wher he touches the
social institutions OF the country IT no
sensible or important point. Mrs. 1eiIy-
by now prevails IN London as painfully
as she did in the days of which Dickens
wrote. The and the Peck
shifts still browse upon maudiin ana
MISPLACED sympathy. Even h Amerf-
can martyrs are received. in certain
busybodS circles. with = perfectly
straight face. To this community.
therefore. Prof Scarborough makes his
stereotyped appeal-an appeal crowded
With absurdities and exaggerations. and
manifestiy infamed by the ~insensate
vanity of the educated" negro-and IL
will be interesting TO consider the COM
ments made thereon by a newspaper as
shrewd and practical. and as hard
headed as the London Chronicle
AS was TO have been expected. the
Observation-Disclosures by the alleged cruel
ties set up In the professors argu-
me~nt-deplores the wicked race antago-
nism to which Prof. Scarborough's
buckram calamities are credited. The
Chronicle cannot see why n black man
should be denied the opportunity to
earn n living, to acquire a competence.
or to secure equal protection under the
law. When it comes to that. however,
we cannot see IL, either, and the reason
is that no such conditions Is visible As
a matter OF fact. II does not exist. Prof
Scarborough has permitted his enthus-
iasm to obstruct the flow Of his verac-
ity. In a word. the proposition is alb
surdly false. The really interesting
feature of the discussion, however, 10
to be found in the Chronicles remarks
ever while II labors under Ignorance OF
the essential facts. For example:
w fully recognize the immense diff
6culty OF the problem. and IL is not for
- W i ouA asdlElsN bf-
cause they refuse to admit the colored
race to equal social intercourse. In
many parts of the world we are con-
fronted ourselves by q problem similar
though less in degree In South Africa
we shall be perpleXed by the same brob-
lem long after the feud OF Boer and
Briton has been forgotten Ever in
England. il we had a black population
of some eight or ten millions. "a the
United States have, we do not suppose
that our social treatment Of the negro
would be very different from theirs
We hope we should not run Jim Crow
cars or mediate a change OF dynasty
If the king asked a negro to dinner.
But we are not at all sure that our so
cial relations with the negroes would
be particularly cordial. and we are alb
solute1y certain that an intermixtuTe OF
the races would be regarded as disas-
trous in the working classes and hor-
rible in the aristocracy. There is q
~well-known American saying that n
negro may be a brother. but he can't be
4 brother-in-law,' and we think IL most
probable that the saying would be
acted upon among ourselves"
We need only remind the esteemed
Chronicle that "Jim Crow" cars are by
no means the rule In this country-quite
the exception. in fact-and that they
nave been adopted here and there sim
ply because the outrageous rowdyism
or the negroes mas forced tnat eEre-
dent upon the communities concerned.
AS for inviting the negroes TO dinner.
that causes not the slightest public agi-
tation. This is a free country, where
the humblest. like the greatest. citizen
is permitted to arrange his domestic
affairs by the standard u his private
taste and fancy. The Chronicle a.
that Prof. Scarborough has resided in
England-was he ever asked TO n fam
fly dinner by Salisbury. La~ndsdowne.
Balfour, even Chamberlain. and IL not,
why not? And suppose he had been,
what would the British public have
cared about It and what important
principle would the episode have estab-
lished?
The truth is that these preposterous
and impudent negroes of the Ssar-
borough type are doing harm here at
home and are entitled TO no credit what
soever abroad. Thew are talking for
themselves only. and they know little
and care less about the problem In
which the fortunes OF the race are In
volved. There are ten millInos Of ne
groes In the United States. Seven or
eight millions of these are honest. in
dustrious and seIf-respecting. and they
live in the former slave states These
have no complaints to make. They are
acquiring homes and property and A.
nancial independence. and their former
masters are their best and most helpful
friends. As for the professors" etc,
who live in the North and spend their
time clamoring for recognition" We
feel for them but a very languid solicit
tude. The London Chronicle evidently
appraises them at their proper worth
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