The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-09
Duty Of Southern Lawyers Toward Negro Question
Discussed by Hon. F. H. Busbee Before Bar Association

considerable pleasures. I might ex-
patite upon the beauties of their YER
dant groves and meadows, on the
charming landscape that their vfne-
| yards and their olive yards present:
but to say all In a word. there cannot
be a more pleasing or a more profita-
Die scene than that of a well cult
waited farm"
With the English lawyer a browning
ambition has always been the owner
ship of land. perhaps because, to use
the language of Emerson: "Ail his
and use of land
Most of the Southern lawyers of ear
ly days were enthusiastically devoted
| to the cultivation of the soil
John Marshall, clarum ct venerable
nomen, was a practical farmer, giving
close personal attention to his farm
near Richmond; Jefferson was an earn
as Is shown in his correspondence and
the effects of which are still apparent
at Monticello: James Madison retired
from the Presidency to his farm at
Hill. 8. c., introduced Bermuda grass
into the country, was the first to lay
off hill side bitches. and imported De-
The name of perhaps the greatest
American lawyer, Daniel Webster. is
linked inseparably with his farm at
Marshfleld and Ashland, the beautiful
estate in the Kentucky blue grass is
hardly less renowned than Henry Clay.
its owner. w. L. Yancey was a plant
er. and lawyer-farmers abound In the
AS a harbor of rest In which to grow
old gracefully when the shadows
lengthen. and clients fall away. a
health resort for tired wife. a change
of scene from office and crowded court
house. what can take the place Of field
and woods? To throw aside digest and
report. and to study the book of Ma
ture as 1t lies open before you.
Better that man and nature were ia
miliar friends:
That part Of man is worst that touches
For though the ocean in its utmost
depths be pure,
Yet the salt fringe that daily icks the
Is foul with sand"
To lie in the shade of trees, and
watch the pigeons futter down from
the caves, lazily to look out upon the
Jerseys of renowned lineage as they
Craze ON the rich grasses Of the pas
| ture. to hear the shouts of the delighted
children wading in the branch. TO IN
| giles its fragrance with the other IA
miliar odors, in word daily to come
in close contact with Mother Earth. as
did Antaeus of old. and like him to
rise refreshed for new labors. these are
only part of the pleasures which a well
chosen farm should supply.
Not rural sights alone. but rural
sounds
Exhilarate the spirit. and restore
The. tone of languid nature"
To grow in close touch with the men
whom you will see from year to year
| in the jury box. to bemoan with them
over the long extended drought or the
| a n
choppers. to enter into every phase of
the life OF the people with whom you
live, are valuable lessons which may
we'll enter into the experience of the
Southern lawyer
But perhaps I should add a single
word of caution from Charles Dudley
Warner:
BLESSED be Agriculture! II one does
| mt have too much of IT."
But 1 fear I am DEPRESSING from the
| theme to which for short time l shall
ask your attention.
Southern Argument to Southern Au-
| diences.
| 1 shall speak briefly but trust
frankly upon the duty of Southern law
yers in regard to the Negro Race.
speak as a Southern lawyer to South
ern lawyers. admitting that / share
! fully in every sentiment and prejudice
entertained in North Carolina and Ala
bama.
The subject is hedged about with diff
fculties. and it's discussion must range
along a pathway beset with pit falls.
AS rule the deliverances of South
ern men have been addressed to North
ern audiences or readers and have for
the most part consisted of facts and
arguments intended to demonstrate
that race prejudice and lynchings arise
from fearful crimes. are not confined to
the South. but exist in all sections OF
the country. 1t is easy to prove that
wherever negroes are ccngregated and
come in contact with whites. race con-
ficts arise. Our writers and speakers
have described In vivid language the
atrocities which have been committed
from time to time by brutal negroes
not in the South alone. but In Della,
ware. New York, Illinois. Indiana and
but yesterday in New Jersey and have
shown that human nature Is the same
in all the States, and that the same
swift vengeance has been melted out oil
attempted everywhere.
These arguments and statements
have been necessary in order to make
reply to the infiammatory articles some
times published by colored men and wo'
men and their eulogists. But II is APP
parent that the inevitable result OF
such discussions and polemic articles
is to leave the disputants and theil
friends exasperated and each side more
firmly fixed than ever In their origina
men defending what in calmer mo-
ments would be admitted to be a fear
full evil. The address of Mr.. Grave:
at Chatauqua is one instance: the re
Terrell. In The North American Review
for last month, is another instance up
on the opposite extreme. and is, ! fear
calculated to do injury to her race.
Each is speaking in the wrong direc
ton and to the wrong audience. i
would be easy to gain your unQuali
fed approval while I pictured the IN
tolerable conditions which co-operatet
to bring about race antagonisms In the
South. Even while / speak the hun
for a negro fiend is going on in New
Jersey, and we feel sorely tempted t
uphold any method of determination
which may be carried out.
But will this accomplish any good
of dreadful torture inflicted upon SOM
negro under suspicion whose guilt wal
not beyond question.
Negroes and Education.
1t has been recently demonstrate
that 1t is lamentably easy to enkindl
feeling against any plan of education
broad enough to include children o
both races, If 1t involves, as 1t neces
sarily does. taxation upon the propert,
of the people generally. Many mel
who are intelligent humane. broad
minded in all the transactions OF life
look with distrust upon any education
OF negroes which goes beyond the bar
est rudiments.
An Appeal to Savages.
However, the subject of education II
foi eign to my theme, as II deserves
separate discussion. Since articles II
the press, not always temperate ii
tone nor reliable to facts, canno
reach the people whom 1t is necessar!
OF move. since the pulpit is too Otter