The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-04
HOPE OF The NEGRO
IS TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE
PEOPLE.
YOUNG NEGROES OF BOSTON
GIVEN BIT OF ADVICE BY n
SOUTHERN NEGRO.

j. C. Napier of Nashville Makes n
Telling Address at the AfrO-Amer-
lean CounciI-ResDect of His
NeighbOrs What the Negro Needs.
Council Issues an Address, Defin-
ing the Negroes Rights and ReIat-
ing His WOes-HOw 1t Deals With
Mob Violence.
Louisville, Ca, July 3.-This was the
closing day of the meeting of the Afro
American Council. j. c. Napier of
Nashville. in an address, said:
What the negroes want to do in
this country is to make friends with
people. Passing laws will not bring
about the desired result. I would feel
better away from home if 1 knew that
1 had the respect of my neighbors, who
were willing to protect my family dur
ing my absence, than 1 would with an
army a thousand miles away willing
to fight for my rights.
"These young men who come from
Boston with their high notions of life,
with their blood-thirsty speeches,
would make it better by visiting the
South, knowing something of the con-
dition of their people and preaching to
them gospel of peace"
The day was marked chiefly by the
presentation of resolutions embodying
an address to the country at large on
the race question. After its adoption
the convention adjourned sine die. The
address is in part, as follows;
On the Race Question.
I'VE recognize with pleasure the
friendly relation that has existed be-
tween the best people of the white race
and our own, and we sincerely desire
that nothing may be permitted to mar
this relation. We are confident that no
enc who notes carefully the signs of
the times can fail to discover that in
huences are at work in nearly every
part of the land, to accomplish this
| very end.
"Who can fail to see that the negro
| is being held up to public gaze as the
most Objectionable and undesirable cit
| iZen that treads American soil? The
ignorant, vicious, criminal classes are
pointed to as the types and products
of the race rather than those who are
| the output of the negro's best endeav-
ors for race development and uplifting.
| We declare this standard of measure
ment to be unfair to any people.
LAS to mob violence. it is gratifying
1 to note that for the past year or two
| the number of victims shows decided
| decrease: and while all these were not
| members of our race, the vast major
| ity was Notwithstanding this fact,
we should not feel called upon to dis
! cuss the matter at this time, were 1t
not that while the number of victims is
decreasing, the variety of provocations
| which lead up to this act of violence is
| growing more and more insignificant
| and numerous. 1t is not an unusual
| thing to read of negroes being lynched
| for impudence, refusing to obey, strik-
| ing a white man, etc.
Too Severe for Offenses.
Now, we, submit that lynching for
any cause is destructive of any law;
| is demoralizing; but to subject per-
| sons accused of-eVen guilty of-such
trivial offenses, to unlawful punish
ment and death, is to make the negro
| the marked man of the nation; for him
| to suffer Violence for such causes will
eventually involve many of our best
| people.
I'm some sections of the country 1t
| means death for d negro to attmept to
protect the females of his family. We
ask in all sincerity: Is this Ameri-
can? Is it right? Such actions indi-
cate q tendency to anarchy, and anar-
| chy for the negro will terminate IN
anarchy for all men.
1.-THE number of those of our race
| who are now accused of the nameleSs
! crime against woman is so small, COM
pared with the whole number, that it
| is scarcely necessary to discuss this
| as a distinct crime Yet we make no
plea for any man who may be proved
guilty of this crime; our plea is for
| law and for the protection of the in
| nocent.
Negro Disfranchisement.
"It is now clearly evident that the
| purpose of those who first started os-
| tensibly to disfranchise the ignorant
negro has been broadened and
strengthened. Their purpose now in
cludes almost all negroes. In certain
of the states this result has already
been achieved and thousands of quail
fed men are denied positively and abb
solutely the right to vote. In such
states taxation without representation
prevails as truly as ever it did when
England held control over the Ameri-
can colonies We make no objection to
the Acknowledgement of the ignorant
negro. provided the same classes of the
other race are similarly dealt with.
our contention is not for special, but
equal. privileges"
7 NJ Vance of New Orleans, who has
had charge of the legal department of
the council, reported that during the
last wear the department had looked
after the interests of the negroes and
in every case where their rights had
heen trampled on, the department had
cot nm ~