The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-10

lent fora, different laws, different GUS
|toms, different everything. If he stays
me had better adjust himself TO what ne
'hnds rather than attempt the impossi-
BILE feat of adjusting all things 20 his
lpreconceived notions Of how things
should be.
Now, my friend, you made q remark
Ia short time since in which you made
Ia bigger mistake than you did about
1.-THE buIl-tongued plow. You said that
THE south was treating the negro I'M
fairly and was shutting him out OF Il
white mans chance. that II the colored
trace was in all things accorded the
Same treatment as the white race, that
THE colored man would produce me
white mans results.
Now | don't doubt your sincerity,
but | question your judgment based as
lit is upon a profound ignorance Of the
IcolOred race. You fall into the blum
der Of the idealist Of the north in think
ing that the negro is a black white
imam, that his low state is the result
lof his darkened history, and that mad
his opportunities been the same as that
IOf his white brother he would have de-
Iveloped like him. Now let me say once
flor all that the best friend the negro
has is the southern white man and
THAT this race question, big and trou-
Iblesome as it is, can only be solved by
those who understand it in all its
Iphases. The southerner knows the ne
gro. the northerner does o 1t takes
thine TO solve n grea social problem,
but this question will in time be set
tied and settled right and that by the
I.o,o c,bc- thn1oht nf cnl1thorn nhi+n
Imen aided by the sane, sober thought
IOf colored leaders typified by Prof
Washington.
"The Earring note in this unsoived
Ienigma is the effort Of sincere but mis-
Iguided philantrOpist of northern envi-
rOnment to make a white man out Of a
negro. The southern nan knows better.
He is not attempting any such fool
Ischeme. The southern man is trying
ito make the negro a good negro, q law
Iabiding, useful black citizen. The be-
ter negro he is, the more law-abidinS,
Trustworthy citizen he is, the more sob
|riety he develops, the richer he be-
comes, the more intelligence he dis
plays the better the true heart or the
isOutl is p.eased-
I'VE Of the south, to whom the ne
IgrO is a condition, not a thory, Want
la good negro, lot . had on" The
south is educating him, aitt'S his
~IchErches, uplifting his MIA giving
him employment, encouraging his pro-
Igress and if not Inte 'eerei with by
honest but guC al: .'@si!s.S will I'll
Ultimately fin7 tct tue s'lu:;ou t. this
IveXed question n Il Peaceful way 10
the profound satisfaction Of both white
land black MAJ.
The neg.O ,Aca IS mere and here to
stay. The south believes in the par
lallel de~velODLlt1t Cf :hn TWO cuQ~s and
instead of throwing obstacles in the
WAY of the black mans advancement
lis helping all , can.
1.-The south is now and always was
always will he opposed TO the social III
l~termingling of whites and blackc, no
matter how refined, cultured and no:
lal the latter may be or become. VIII,
because social intercourse leads to MAJ
Iriage and marriage of a white to {:
Iblack pure or only tinged means mis-
IcegnatiOn and the barriers once broken
down, insidiOusly perhaps at first.
might in time grow to fearful proper
Itions, with the possibility of the whole
American people becoming a mixed race
inferior to a race Of pure whites. Thi:
Question outweighs all others in the
south, social, political or economic. 1t
is a mighty question involving the in
Itegrity of the whole white race, the
welfare of millions yet unborn. 1t is
not only 4 question Of today or tOmOr-
row, but of all tOmOrrOWs to the end
IOf time. Centuries hence the genera
ItiOns of pure whites will bless the
Ipeople Of the south who are today max
ing the fight for race purity. The all
important issue then is, Shall the fu-
Iture American be a white man or Il
imulatto?' The danger point is here in
the south, where the two races live side
by side. The south is making its iignt
not only for itself but for all the eau
.casian race. If We should permit III
blood to become corrupted then We
would corrupt your blood and where
would you be then?
so intense is this feeling that there
is not a white man in the south bu5
who would prefer of the two evils
THAT his daughter, sister or other fe.
male relative should marry the lowest
white bum than the highest, most cul-
Itured, moral and refined negro. The
former would preserve integrity, the
Halter would destroy it.
And rightly and sanely looked a.
There is nothing in this position de.
Igrading to the negro ace. The negro
lshOuld develop race pride as has the
white. the yellow and even the re-
trace. He should be as bitterly opposed
to the intermarriage of the RAGS as i:
the white. The white who marries q
black is Ostracised by his race and tbs
black who marries a white should be
.ostracised by the negroes. Many think
ing colored people are taking this posi-,
ItiOn and are advocating the preserva.
Ition of the purity of the African race
My friend here broke in and asked:
"Do YOU nan to say that the southern
lpeOple think more of Il low, disreputa,
Ible white man than Of a high-minded
fright acting negro?' l replied. There