The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-14
WRONGS IN IS HIS RACE \ c
A Negro Defends Whites
Against Russell.
1.-The Best Friends Have Outside of
My Family are the White People
Who Know Me-" Says c. N.
Hunter.

int crest the interview OF Governor RUS |
sell n the Washington Post which was |
reproduced in the News and Observer OF
the 18th. l read everything touching the |
race question in America that comes
within my reach. provided the source
ffcm which it emanates is entitled to |
wight Governor Russell is a distin- |
guished representative of his rate. he |
is a man of great learning. He IS a |
politician of long and versatile expert |
ence. He has worn the judicial err!ne
He has occupied the executive char OF
the great State of North Carolina. HIS
views, therefore, on any subject eHclt |
interest and should be treated with great Z.
respect whether we can agree with them
or not In the present instance he
touches a subject upon which he las
right to be heard. His peculiar environ
ment and antecedents should constitute
him an authority on any question respect
ing the relations of the two races. But
for the fact of his acute sensitlveness
to popular breeZes and the prominence
OF contradictory facts in the life OF the
races in North Carolina at least, would
accept his conclusions as diretul nrophe-
cics presaging the approach OF tre-
nendous conflict. l have read the Gov
errors interview several times In the
hope of escaping the fatal implication
OF his utterances. Each reading mas
richly repaid me IN the deepened conVlc-
ton that the Governor must ho wrong.
Some philanthropists think that the
Booker Washington idea is the right one;
&c, oil h
need to get them in harmony with their
environment. Never was there greater
mistake. The truth is, the negro is going
to fare best and be happiest when LIS
POSITION is most subordinate. Financial
and industrial equality is as bad in the
ewes of the whites as social equality.
The negro who gets very prosperous is
to be pitied, for straightway he is in a
situation where danger confronts him.
Let him own a fine farm, blooded horses
and cattle. and dare to ride in carriage,
and if / were an insurance agent would
not make out policy on his lie. In
plain English, to get above his ordained
station in life is, generally speaking, TO
invite assassination. The Anglo-Saxon
element North and South is not going to
brooks much elevation of an inferior
race. / am not lecturing, not taking any
sides, but I know the South and | know
human nature both North and South. On
neither side of the Potomac will any
great advancement of the African lopu-
lation ever take place, because 1T isn't IN
the nature of white men to allow 1t.
If the above be true then the words OF
Governor Russell constitute horrible
and horrifying supplement of the white
race. 1t is a whitening indictment OF the
Anglo Saxon in America. In respect to
the negro it places them far beneath
all the manifold influences and appliances
of Christianity. They can be touched
by no sense of fairness. They are shor-
oughly callous to every appeal OF Justice.
They are denuded of all those finer ssnti-
ments of the human soul which are The
proof and pride of our kind, and which,
we have been taught, are the dcminat-
ing excelencies of the white man. III
what Governor Russell says is true our
religion is a fetch, a farce, fraud, and
the white mans boosted civilization aud
refinement are but the gildings OF moral
deprayity complete and monstrous. This
I cannot believe. / cannot subscribe 10
the doctrine that the conquering Anglo
Saxon. the proudest of racial develop
ment that has ever tred the earth, Is so
base. so ignoble. so mean. l cannot be-
lieve that the mighty race OF people N
whose presence the wilderness and the
solitary places have budded and bios
somed as the rose, and before whose
matches march the thrones OF tyr
amy have tottered and fallen, are me
dunes and slaves of bitter prejudice
against the negro because he Is a negro.
To me it is inconcelvable that the mighty
race descended as it were from me gods.
that is invading all the kingdoms OF
darkness and before whose invincible ad-
vance the fotresses of error and the &C.
cult forces of nature are yielding as
morning mist before advancing day, sur
renders to a prejudice that has no pasis
il. right, reason, or religion.
The white race is not without its strcn5
prejuGices. All races have them. 1t would
not yield its historic pride to a race
of kings. In America-pa-ticula in the
South-that race was the master class
and the African, the slave. The whites
were the educated the wealthy, the GOV,
erning class the negro was the ignorant,
the poor, the slave. These conditions
$ continuing for centuries gave birth and
growth to social and political sentiments
with respect to the races which no pow
er on earth will ever be able to remove
or subdue Under a direct challenge the
whites would pour out their blood as
freely and as copiously as the Miscis-
sippi empties its waters into the great
Gulf They feel that by right of inheri-
lance and endowment they are rulers
and, so far as the race is concerned, they
arc going to rule. They ought to rule.
Nc sensible negro disputes that. That
does not necessarily carry the idea CT q
war of persecution, injustice, inhumGnity
rpon the negro 1t does mean that, if
by reason of numerical preponderance in
any State or community the negro, IN
der our republican form of majority rule,
should undertake to assume the govern
ing power, he will be met with force.
II means more. 1t means that the negro
shall not, though a minority of the whites
exercise controlling influence in govern
ment. The governing power must be the
great body of the responsible white rec
PIE. 1t is fear at this point that causes
the whites to enact harsh and repressive
measures hoping thereby to keep the ne