The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-21
Letters of Generalization
Pour i'm on Bishop Gambler

| revealed in Christ, through the teachings
| we received from white Christians men
| and women, of this and other southern
| states. There are thousands and thou
| sands of us who are heartily panied when
! ever anyone of our people Cor any person
| of any race) sins commits crime, be
| cause we know that sooner or later due
! punishment follows and oyertakes every
sinner or criminal. But. as you know. it
is very hard and discouraging for the very
! best of negro Christians when at home OF
upon the highway they are often made to
| feel and to see that no better considera-
| ton is given them by the mob you refer
| to than is given to the lowest in crime
| among us"
| Another says: 81 am a member Of the
| negro race (born since the war between
| the statesl. yet believe that | voice the
! sentiment of all my people q mean the
| good when ! pledge my support Che that
| much or ittle) TO help bring the evil doer
| to Justice. and to uphold the strong arm
of the law"
Still another writes: NO negro of ordi-
nary intelligence condones the crimes of
his fellows. Nor do they want social
, equality. All they ask is fair treatment
and an assurance of all our rights as law
abiding citizens. You have struck the
keynote of the situation, for | believe
truly that If the ever present space
writer, platformer and chautauqua ora
tor were shut off for only little while,
the result would be SO apparent and salts
factory that reputable newspapers OF this
country would never again admit the stuff
that threatens to destroy the good rela-
tons between the races, Let all the good
people OF Georgia speak out and show the
world how very, very small is the bowling
mob in this section of our great coun-
try
Another declares with the spirit
manifested in your article the solution of
! our difficulties is only matter of time
Limitations of both time and space for
bid the use of other extracts from the
large bulk of letters, written by represen-
tatives of both races which | have re-
ceived. Your readers will recall with what
conservatism and unanimity the preach
ers Of Atlanta, both white and black, re-
sponded to my article.
In the light of all these expressions. and
with thousands of other tokens of peace
around us, / can not believe that the
south is confronted by any problem that
good men helped Of God, can MOI and will
not speedily solve
Worth Repeating.
There is one sentence in Professor Gill
| bert's article which impresses me as be-
ing SO sensible that L wish to repeat it
! here: II prophesy the passing away of
| lynch law and mob violence whenever the
| black pulpit breaches against the crimes
| that provoke lynching and the white pull
| pit against the mobs that commit lynch
| ing"
/ am persuaded that it is absolutely in
| furious fol white preachers and writer's TO
| spend their time denouncing the sins OF
! the negro TO the white people, and the
negro leaders to be everlastingly harpins
on the sins Of the white people to negro
| audiences. It IS always easy to denouncc
| an absent sinner, but it is more useful to
rebuke the sinner present before US
If we can induce each race TO sweep
clean before its own door the south will
| be the cleanest and happiest spot in the
republic, and / am Inclined to think that
even now. with all that remains to be
/ done, 1t is just that spot.
WARREN A. GAMBLER