Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-31
The Afro-American Councils Concert,
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
In your issue of January 20 1t was stated
that meeting of the executive committee
of the Afro-American Council had been held
In this city during the day behind closed
doors, and that on the evening Of the date
named a mass meeting Of colored citizens
would be held in Lincoln Memorial Church.
Many of the best citizens Of color In Wash
ington, led by desire to lend their presence
as well as aid both Intellectually and inan-
cially to any effort that had for its object
the alienation Of the present condition OF
our people in the south. or the advancement
of our race in whatever section found. as
sembled at the place designated by the
council But contrary to all announce
ments, they found that no mass meeting
was to be held, but that the executive COM
mittee had arbitrarily arranged concert,
the leading number OF which was an adj
dress by one J. H. Hayes of Richmond,
Va. heretofore unknown In Washington
The idea seems to have gone forth to the
world through the public press that Mr..
Hayes in his remarks voiced the sentiments
Of those assembled in the meeting and of
other members Of the race as well. I, for
one, am not willing that such an idea
should go unprotected. In the first place,
as stated in by the published reports Of
your paper, Mr.. Hayes objected to the sing
ing of My Country" stating that he was
not subscribe. Can we. the members of a
race whose blood has stained every battle
field Of this country; can we, the sons of
men who have offered upon their country s
altar their lives as willing sacrifice for the
stability and perpetuity of American free
dom and American honor. refuse to raise
our voice whenever and wherever Is heard
the soul-stirring refrain, MY Country. IT'S
of Thee" or to doff our hats In salutation
to the Stars and Stripes wherever unfurled
Of lv nj mr. rDr
ileges Of some of our race are denied them
by the designing Of certain localities? No.
with all of our persecutions-und God for
bid that they should continue much longer
still the majority Of us feel that as for us
America Is the best land in which to live,
the best land for which and in which to
die, and the best land in which to be buried.
But possibly the most far-reaching ex-
preston in the harangue Of Hayes, the one
calculated to do us as race more harm
than any other. was his fire and sword"
utterance. Such remarks under any con-
struction whatever are not calculated to
help the race In any way, but will rather
hinder US in securing the rights to which
we are Justly entitled. I have noticed that
in more than one issue of the daily papers
since the deliverance Of the speech by
Hayes both he and his friends have under
taken to qualify his remarks. and to give
to the public new construction of the
same. But to those of us who heard him
at the time and to others who have read
quite apparent that the whole tenor of his
remarks. even with his fire and sword"
left out or changed to suit his own idea,
was, to say the least. unwise.
would not In this article assume the
role Of a "cringer." neither would 1 attempt
to disguise the fact that grievous and IA
grant wrongs are heaped upon the colored
people In many parts OF the south. but I
do say that no such wrongs, wherever ex-
listing, can be righted by any such policy
as advocated by Mr.. Hayes and those who
think as he does.
It Is also. a very significant fact in this
connection that the men who had this meet
ing In charge were the same ones who as
stated by the report OF the daily papers.
went to the President to offer their services
as a board of political advisers as to the
appointments Of the colored race Ga report
SO far not denied by any of them). We, as
race. have great confidence in the ability
Of the President. We believe also that he
has the manly courage to treat all, regard
less Of race. as their qualifications deserve
and II he chooses to call into his council
and to advise with a man like Booker
Washington upon the needs OF our race we
say, amen, for we had rather trust our
destiny in the hands of such q man, one
who knows the needs of his people, and has
doneAnd Is doing more than any other mem
Der of his race to lift them to their proper
standard among men. than to place our
selves in the hands OF a seff-constituted
committee OF political bunco steerers.
We, as race, do expect to wage war on