The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-15
NEGRO EXODUS AND NORTHERN
OPINION.

The Atlanta Constitution of last
Sunday had a copyrighted communica-
ton from w. II. Council, an educated
negro, who is at the head OF the Ala
bama Agricultural and Mechanical COL
lege, at Normal. This enlightened
man of color" is not disposed to rake
his able rival among the negroes of his
own state, Booker Washington, but he
has views and parts not to present
them openly, pointedly. We do not
feel at liberty to cop from this copy
righted document, beyond stating h a
he says that never will the negro be
granted social equality" He shows
his good sense in that opinion, and
says farther that 1.-The negro leader who
does not recognize this fact is neither
wise nor safe"
Another copyrighted communication
on the negro question appears in The
New York Journal and is from George
w. Cable. Blu he has been of no con-
sequence as a moulder of opinion in
the south for at least fifteen years or
longer. George lives in Connecticut and
is out of touch with the true people in
all southland. What George Ia think
or what he may advise should not ap-
peal to any faithful, Intelligent man or
woman in this great section of the
United States. His panacea is quite
Yankeeish-educate Sambo and thus
elevate n make him a valuable citi-
zen. He is too far off to put a proper
estimate on the negro as he now is, and
he probably regards the improvement
of the mind a special cure-all for the
maladies that aff1ict the negroes.
The nothern sympathies for the ne
groes if genuine have not been properly
tested. There is a large increase in the
negro population in New York., New
Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio.
Indiana and Illinois, and possibly in
Massachusetts,. The emigration from
the south of the negroes northward
will no doubt continue. This will soon
or late create a negro problem "up
there" and the south will not put it's
finger in that pie but permit them to !
work it out in their own way. What
will they do? Will they give the bal
lot without restrictions to all negroes, |
will they inter-marry with the blacks, |
will social equality prevail generally, |
and alike in church and state? In five
years in Indiana the negro population
increased five per cent The Houston
Post has this: "It is to be hoped that
the northern states will pattern after |
the southern states in dealing with the
negro; that they will accord to the in
ferior race everything except social
equality. So far, in spite of northern
preachings to the south, the fondness
for the negro in that section has been
shown to be only fondness at a dis
lance. In Indiana the white people
have been treating the negroes rough
ly. The "Bungaloos," organizations of
Indiana whites. have been concerned
in several race riots, depressing the
negroes to such an extent that the name
has become a terror. In the south the
negro, except when he commits rape
upon white women, is permitted to live
and work in peace. and no white man
molests him"
In Washington city there are GO, 900 |
negroes. In Pennsylvania the number |
Is ICdIly OU,UUU. Inc NATURAL increase \
reinforced by immigration will make
the negro of Importance as voter
and worker. Then it will be seen how
fare the negroes and what is their real
progress and comfort
The London Spectator, Of the three
or fou great old weeklies of the Brit
ish kingdom, is better informed than |
anv northern writer or resident who l
has not hitherto lived among the ne |
groes in the south. That able exponent
of culture and thought has dismissed
the Booker Washington incident"
We have not space but for little of
what it says. Its deliberate opinion,
n it is we'll equipped for sound judg- |
ment. is thus stated:
I'VE do not believe that the recog-
milton of a n~on-existent equality be-
tween the races is the way to kill out
the white prejudice against the black
race. There is no equality. AS they all
interbreed it may be taken as certain
that in that far past, which it has been
the will of Providence to hide so COM
pletely from US, ell the families OF
man sprung from one common stock.
But it is equally certain that they have
developed ~uneQually n that the ne
groeS stand at the present moment be-
hind both the white man and the
wv
1t is satisfied that the two races can
not live together as equals. 1t says,
and it is solution a summing up: The
white and the black man should form
themselves avowedly as they do now
unavowedly, into two castles, like the
HinGoo and Mussu1man of India, with
no intercourse except upon the com
mon business of life"