Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-11-16

have than to run the risk OF ills that
might come from this appeal to
Caesar" When you appeal TO Gaze
sar" he takes cognizance and juris-
diction OF the whole cause. and, after
hearing both sides. he decides It,
not upon my views or yours. but up
on bis own views. IL is childish to
suppose that he will take only par
tial jurisdiction, ana with such re-
suits only as you choose TO suggest.
The experience OF history and my
knowledge OF the present woful ignor
ance that exists in the Northern mind
upon this race question does not en-
holden me TO make the appeal TO
Caesar.
He says further:
!. like any other man with a drop
OF Southern blood tingling in his
veins. would rather be able to &C
complish directly by national action
that which we have been forced TO
do indirectly by State action with ap-
prOximately the same result, to wit:
the disfranchisement OF the Negro.
and the prevention Of Negro political
domination. I would rather see the
fifteenth amendment repealed. and
the States restored 20 their original
right OF fixing. without Limitation of
any description. the qualifications
for suffrage OF those lodging within
their borders. Like every Southern
er. love TO do things directly rather
than indirectly. but when I cannot
accomplish a great public good by
travelling In straight and n national
road toward II, and can accomplish
IL by going a few miles out OF my
way. on roundabout State road, 1
will, as 4 man OF common sense,
travel the roundabout road.
There you have II In plain Ian
guage. Hon. John Sharp Williams
states plainly that so far as the State
of Mississippi is concerned. the Fiji
teenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton OF the United States has been
repealed" II has been nullined
by State enactments. Yet be breads
the time when a test OF this ques-
tionable constitutional legislation
win be made. But. come It will.
the day deereed by fate" He con
tinues:
The problem, so far as the political
phase or the Negro question Is con-
| cerned. with which we were confront
ed during the reconstruction period,
was TO save the white mans civili-
zation. based upon his peculiar code
OF ethics, which code, In its turn, has
for it's keystone the sanctity OF his
family life. That problem we have
solved by State action. AT bottom.
saving our civilization was what We
fought for during the war. and not
merely for the money value of the
slaves. During the entire reconstruC
4: ton period that was what Benjamin
, Kill. General Gordon and l.. Q. c.
Lamar fought for. The appealing
cry which we made to our brethren
of the North was summed up in this
sentence: Let us alone to handle
our own conditions. They are not
your conditions. You are not con-
fronted with them. We are"
And yet the northerners are won
dering why there is any further talk
about the Negro question. The
South has been let alone to handle
its own conditions. Still, we find
Hon. John Sharp Williams writing q
dissertation to Northern magazine
discussing the very conditions which
he and his people declare they have
settled. Not alone is this a fact
but these same Southerners with the
arrogance OF 1861, and while de-
handing that they. themselves be
let alone are proceeding to dictate e
people OF the North as to what they
shall do.
They do not seem to understand
that the same demand by the South.
erners for immunity from interior.
ence in the South Is equally as 20
tent in emphasizing the demand Of
the Northerners for immunity from
interference in the North. Wher
President Roosevelt dimes DR.. Book
er t. WASHINGTON, whose business
is 1t but President RooseveIts and
DR.. Washington's. especially when ne
, Southerners are present? Wher
Bishop Potter dimes Bishop Fergu
son, whose business is it, when nc
Southerners are present? Mr.. VIII
: liams recognizes the force OF some
things at least when he continues:
That appeal has been, in a meas
ure, successful. We are now abou
let alone. They are acquiescent.
believe in letting a sleeping dos
: sleep" I warn against the re-agi
tation OF this race question. hav,
heard IL has been said that the reason
why Southern Representatives *