The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-02-05
NEGROES MAKE THREATS.
Incendiary Speeches INDUCED in by
Council in WaShington-Talk About
Using the Sword and Torch to En-
force Their Rights.

was held in Washington City Jan
Goth, under the auspices of the Afro
/ American Council, to consider the
status of the negro politically and to
aid the President in making selec-
tions from among the race for Office
holders. Addresses were made upon
the question of disfranchisement in
/ the Southern States and lot of in
cendiary talk was INDUCED in.
James Fl. Hayes, the negro lawyer
of Richmond, with whom John S.
Wise is associated to test the Vir-
gIna Constitution on behalf of the
negroes of that State, delivered a
speech which was characterized by
Incorporate and incendiary language
calculated to do his people great
deal more harm than good. He de-
clared that the negro has now reach
ed the limit of his endurance, and ad-
vOcated the sword and torch as a
means for the negro to maintain his
manhood. His remarks were received
with great enthusiasm.
The speaker said that during the
years which have elapsed since the
war sectional feeling between the
North and South has died out to
such an extent that Virginia now
proposes to place Il monument of Lee
in Statuary Hall III the National
Capitol, but said that all this period
| had not been sufficient for the negro
to advance one inch beyond the
place he held when liberated from
slavery.
There is nothing in Virginia for
the negro" he said, "but degrada-
ton, unless the negroes make firm
stand. contend for their rights and if
necessary, die for them. | am not an
anarchist, he added, land | don t
mean to go out and kill anybody,
but to let somebody else kill you
This yelled sally provoked loud ap-
plause and laughter.
''In. Virginia. added the speaker,
you are Jim Crows You opened
the meeting tonight by singing My
Country, 'Tis of Thee but I wonder
how negroes can sing that song. For
myself, | am a man without a cOun-
try.
THE time has come when the negro
must fight, not theoretically, not in
tellectually, but fight with his hands,
The disfranchisement of the children
of Israel in Egypt has been followed
letter for letter by the disfranchise-
ment in the South"
| He then spoke about Moses being
called to lead the Israelites from their
bondage, and drew attention to the
fact that slavery for 400 years had
made them towards, SO that they
were obliged to turn back, drawing a
parallel to the case of the negro in
America.
"A second time, he continued, "the
children of God arose. This time
they had the leadership of Joshua,
and when they went forth from the
land of their bondage they did not
go meekly, but carried the sword in
one hand and the torch in the other
In this country" he added, "a second
generation has grown up III the &C
years since the war.
Negroes are leaving the State o
Virginia because of the treatment
they are receiving. What we want
to do is to start something and KEEP
it up until the white people stop
something. We don't intend to be
oppressed any longer. We don't in
tend to be crushed. | am afraid we
are anarchistic, that we are anarch
lists, and give the warning that i
this oppression in the South con
tinues the negro must resort to the
sword and torch, and that the South
land will become land of blood anC
desOlatiOn.
Il want to make the assertion
right here that we are not going tC
be disfranchised in Virginia 1t i:
written in the heavens and engraved
upon the stars that the Virginia ne
gro does not intend to submit to dis
reimbursement. We are told, Let tn,
negro obtain education and wealth
if he would gain the political equal
ity which he DESIRES | say tha
never was a bigger lie uttered TIL,
more the negro advances, the NOR
will political rights be denied him. l
is not the common negro in the Soutl
who is cut off the registration lists
1t is not the ditch digger. 1t is tn
educated negro, the doctor and law
yer and preacher who are deprive,
unlawfully ofpolitical right and man
hood by the iniquitous Constitution
by Virginia, which cost a half a mil
lion dollars to frame, And Iwant t.
say that by the time we get throug1
punching holes in the Constitution
| Will thn Stntn >f Ns,,.r,v,s, h,1 10
million more,
1T is claimed that the negro indus
trial schools are the proper lines c
effort for the race. Talk about edu
cation and wealth, and say that the
make votes for the negro. It's a lie
No, they are destroying votes
Every negro who puts on clea
collar and tries to be a white man
destroying a vote. | believe Go
will take care of us. And Just on
word about the question OF the al
sorption OF the races" The speake
added significantly:
NO two people, having the sam
religion and speaking the same tol
que, living together, have ever bee
kept apart, This is well known an
it is one of the reasons why the don
+ inant race is crushing out the strengt
OF the negro in the South
Other speakers were Rev. Geore
, Lee, Rev. J. Anderson Taylor, j. "
llt Thompson, of New York, treasure
% of the National Afro-American Coul
t. Gil; Cyrus Field Adams, secretary;
n l.. Johnson, of Atlanta, Ga; Bisho
70 Walters, of this city, and John
as Dancey, Recorder of Deeds. The
ID spoke in less fiery Vein than di
III Hayes: