The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-28
VIEWS OF NORTHERN REPUBLI-
CAN PAPER.

Below we give an editorial from
the New York Tribune on the q
race riots in Atlanta 1t cOntains
much that is both true and sensible:
Reason and justice are both abused
by outbreaks OF race persecution and
mob violence such as have just dis
graced the city Of Atlanta and the
state Of Georgia. II is easy TO under
stand the fury, though impossible to
approve the action Of a body of citi-
gems who have taken r~edhanded a de-
graded brute and made him pay with
out resort 10 legal forms tn ptldIty
Of an abhD Int crime. All0Wa l'e 1Or
mistaken motives may be made when
a mob IynChcs q bcstial malefactOr on
capture and identification. But no eX-
GUS eau ~ Invented for max TX me
rr'Ir"- Cr 5lItged crimes OF n few
individuals . preteXt for d Earring a
vendetta against an entire race. Malm-
ing and numbering III" innO"eat are
the worst possible substitute for pun
ishing the guilty, and rae 4Vers'Cns
have reached the point o. hv&t"Tia add
obscSsiOn when they can bind n con-
munity seeking to avcnGe wrong - all
distinctions between guiitl-S+n"Ss a1d
CuIpahilitY. To anuCk ana shoot
negroes just because hey are negroes
is the acme Of blind lCsD anG 'Inre"stn,
ana no state or city suDi"c- II such at
taCkS of popular paSSiDG Can boast Il
firm and enlightened ~solf-cnntrol or 4
widespread sentiment Of respect for
juStic" and public order.
It would b., i1Ia - assert that as a
people We haV" conquered ~ are Tfk-
ing any ct" litahIc I'"Cgress toward
~couquering the preIudiSas which 50
frequently array black against white
in blind ana ira ipn&I antaGorisn.
The south a1nOt be censored IS an
especial offender in this reSpect for
the recent race riots in 81. inefrlG,
Ohio. and he race troubles We ave
intcrmittently i this city I.rCve hat
the same spirit exists n the 7 rr;h. ana
in fact, still unde lies the attitude Of
a large part # our white population
toward the negro. We are not yet al
together diSO)i.i to treat the inCiVii-
ual black man according to hS CWn
deserts and II separate in OHr ilig-
ments the ind i>+:it Us, h iaS"V'ng
and the highm'll.l from the dcnrav
ed. the shifttaS and the degenerate.
It might be lryur1 tina. the negroes
themselves 10 not give us the aid they
might in lifting tho sheep from the
goats, hat they - no them ewes
make active enough war on their w
vicious and worthless fellows. In
respect to crimes committed EgSlnSt
white women, the help IF no3lOes in
stamping them out and making them
OdiOus would &c further than any
other one :Tfu nee in supprs @ing
them. The negro rae owes II t. )r: elf
to remove his greatest. bar to frierd-
lier association and more even !"lstiCe.
Yet when the )eSt ncs'O sentiment l.
already beginning to work toward this
end. what a blow to progress and
what n denial of reason * the indis-
cri"-i00t" vengeance enforced by the
Atlanta n1Ob-a vengeance which
rooF" ~vcrv negro in sight. no matter
WN0t his character or record. SDO
eir'r fN~ tho offences committed by
thrrr 0r fOur hr}Itoe of his own color,
=. g . melancholy commentary on
o~~ -0vor ~ self government that We
mret 90 on settling our interracial
t~rnnoIcs outside the regular Il or
derlv nath Of Justice. Whiskey ia re-
SpoDsihlo for most Of the serious
CRIMES Of the negro. Yet Atlanta and
every other southern city will keep
on toleratinc h sale of poisonous in
tOViCantS in low "dOGg0ri@S." state mo-
nop0l~ of the HGuor traffic. as in South
Carolina, would probably do some
good in restricting the crime which
most infuriates white sentiment. The
needed change in the attitude Of the
races toward each other may come in
time. but il will come slowly. How
sadly needed il IS and how slowly It is
coming NAV he Judged from the Vag
and inavcusahle exhibition Of race an
tiUathies which has just Redeemed the
streets Of Atlanta.