The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-01
Dire Predictions of a COM
ing Conflict Between the
Races--Struggle Will Go
on as Long as One Race
Contends For Absolute
InferiOrity of the
Other. +" Dares N O t
Name the End"
South Atlantic QUARTERLY

lSOutn Atlantic quarterly
Whatever be his view of the negro pro-
blem the average American knows that
in the last five years there has been a
notable increase in the general opposition
to the negro. This development has oc-
Cured in both the South and North. In
the South it has manifested itself more
strenuously than in the North We see it
there in restrictions on the negro vote, in
the passage of laws for Jim Grow" cars.
in an increasing resort to lynching, and
in a general augmentation of that sensi-
tive disposition on the part of Southerners
to take fire at the hint of negro out
rage In the North it is seen. but not
nearly so plainly as in the South, and it
is especially noticeable because in that
section it was supposed formerly not to
exist at ALL Tt is manifested in occasional
acts of violence. as the recent ]ynching
in Delaware, and i'll a growing opinion
which one finds expressed in newspapers
and in private conversation with Northern
men. This opinion in the North is mos.
strongly held in the large cities and it Is
noteworthy that in most of the large
Northern cities there is rapid increase
of the negro population.
The causes of this development are per
laps numerous But there are three facts
which lie at it's bottom and which are
worthy of special consideration. These
are; inherent race antipathy, the progress
of the negro himself, and the fact that
the negro problem is, and has been for
long time, a political matter.
Race antipathy is as old as the negro's
residence in America. From the earliest
days ne has been regarded by the whites
as an inferior man, and n man with
whom unrestricted communication on the
part OF the whites is degrading. Eleven
years after the landing Of the first negro
in Virginia this idea received a striking
illustration in decision of the highes.
court in the colony It was decreed, says
the chronicler, ''that Hugh Davis be
soundly whipped. before an assembly OF
regroes and others for abusing himself
to the dishonor of God and shame of
Christians. by defling his body in lying
with negro: which fault he is to ac-
knowledge next Sabbath day" In 1928
Rev. John Blacknall. of North Carolina,
was fined fifty pounds for marrying n
white man and mulatto woman. The
commingling which We then SET our hearts
against in regard to things sexual We
have also opposed in regard 10 most other
matters of life There must be no social
equality, no eating together, no joining IN
amusements and finally no mingling in re-
fgious worship This feeling has not al
ways appeared on the surface. 1t has fire.
quently been so well covered by indifer-
ence or opportunism, as to be nearly in
visible. but if one will but scratch hard
enough he will find i beneath this outer
covering.
This antipathy is not mutual. II is not
the white man against the negro and the
negro against white man. 1t is not dis
tasteful to the negro to eat his dinner
or 20 go TO churches or to theatres with
white men. HE IS QUITE WILLING TO
HAVE EQUALITY. THE RACE FEEL
ING IS THE CONTEMPT OF THE
WHITE MAN FOR THE NEGRO. 1t is
the reaction OF the superior against the
touch of the inferior: for the white man
has no doubt of his own superiority. 1T
is DOUBTFUL IF THE AVERAGE
SOUTHERN WHITE FARMER WOULD
ADMIT THAT THE HIGHEST NEGRO
IN AMERICA IS SUPERIOR TO THE
SOUTHERN HIRED NAN WHO Is
WHITE
The development of the negro since the
war has been calculated to intensity this
natural race feeling Singularly enough
both ms progress and his repression under
the regime of freedom have brought down
on him the hostility OF the whites. His
repression might we'll do this because it
has stood for his lapse into a lower state
after the removal of the supporting hand
of the white man. This lapse has not
occurred in all sections of the racc-pcr-
haps it has not occurred with majority
of the racc-but there can be no denial
that some negroes today are more worth
less than any negroes in slavery. The
master was always u restraining hand on