The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-26
THE MASTERFUL SOUTH
Rev. John E.. Whites Address TO the Students and
Faculty of Wake Forest College
Thursday Night.
BY JOHN T.. WHITE.

acterS OF George Washington anu Aco-
ert L. Lee which have meaning TO the
.outh at the present time. The first
il their common quality Of mastertul-
Iess and ncver-failing front toward
duty and danger. The second IS their
counsel of courageous construction
against ineffective confusion.
The agitations Of the race problem
in the South are generally thought
1aI men regarded as injurious, Dut
since it is evident that these discus
sions are on the increase and that the
drift Of agitation is toward worst con-
uitions than now prevail, the question
meets all men of light and leading IN
ire South-whether we have yet made
any real effort to reduce he issue 10
its simplest terms, and thereby re
duce the disposition and the peru OF
agitation.
There are four propositions when
appear automatic to those who are in
touch with the general situation IN
Tie Southern States.
First.-The white people Of the
South must get together and have a
better agreement among themselves.
Second.-They must reverse and
/ esent a more masterful front toward
t4Ieir problems.
Third-They u shift emphasis of
their discussion and concern from the
negro to the white man.
t'ourth.-Therefore, they u origl-
nate and shape a Southern program
expressive of the best conscience and
the resOlute Anglo-Saxonism of the
South in line with the principles or
Christian civilization.
The white peopIe Of the South are
not in agreement among themselves.
= his state of disagreement is Slgn1h-
cant of one or two things-weakness
or neglect. | believe it is significant
of neglect. No movement to create
a Southern modus-vivend has ever
been undertaken. Although plainly
involved in common conditions by their
history committed to common point of
view, by their SufferingS cOnSecratcd
to a common sympathy, by their ex-
perience immured to partisan sOlidlty,
and by homogeneous racial distinct
ness preserved in a binding Anglo
Saxonism, yet the Southern people are
in front of what we insist is our pc
culiar problem, without the suggestion
of a program hat WOuld indicate that
the South as q section regards itself
as u with it's task. There are
some who ~unbiushingly avow that they
do not believe the. white people Of the
South are capable of coming into I'M
Outstanding among themselves. 1t
helps to explain the confusion among
the less intelligent classes of south
ern society when / tell you that there
are intelligent men in the South who
declare their skepticism of the capac-
ity Of the Southern white people to
organize q COMMON In a let
ter to me one of them declares that
he does not ven believe lat the gov.
ernOrS in the Southern States could be
relied on to agree among thmselVes
concerning the way the South ought
to do about q. simple question which
he names. / do not believe it. If /
believed it | do not believe | would
preach it. for the hopeless n help
less man in the South has had his day
long enough.
If we are not able to realize the
nth interests and to get the best
minds and hearts of us in sufficient
harmony to make the beginning Of a
movement toward construction. we are
then surrendered to an inevitable dis
traction and to the increased diSinte-
grafton of the native white man mas
terhood of the Southern States. But,
aside from the Southern mans self
respect and his duty to himself and his
children, there are two other strong
reasons for effort on our part to get
together and present a less raggcd
front. h confusion of opinion and
lack of concert among the men OF
leadership in the South promotes a
greater confusion. The least RESPONSE
ble elements of our population lack
ing the restraint and guidance of thOS
from whom they have the right to eX-
pcct guidance, hin blindly, fee
blindly, and now and again act blindly
The state of r%esentful bitterness which
we know exists in the lower sections o.
our white population in the South is
in a great degree supported by the
hopelesSnesS and inactiOn they see II
the ranks above them.
The negroes also are in great con
fusion. The negro leaders are contin'
ually at cross purposes. Do we recOg'
nize how trying is the task of the ne
gro leader in the South on account o
the confused situation among TIN
white people. We cannot assist hen
in adjusting their people to the limita
tions Of their environment. because W.
have not defined for ourselves an.
clear cut and definite fashion Wha
their environment n the condition
of their progress should be. One o
the ablest negro leaders has writer
to me hat nothing is so much needed
now as for the negroes to know eX
actly what the Southern people requir'
at their hands. There is a debt which
the strong owe the weak. It will il
part be paid when the Anglo-SaXOl
of the South gets his own though
clear and into clear utteraTtce abOu
the relations which should exist be
tween the white people and the negr
people.
The necessity for agreement amOn
the white PEOPLE of u section an
prompt attention thereto on the par
of the whole South is pressed upon u
by the actual peril of sudden Outbreal
and violence at points where there
most misunderstanding and diStrus
between the races. 1t must be impres
sive to all prudent minds that out
breaks like the Atlanta and Mississippi
riots tend to unsetHe our own con
dence IF ability to control our situatio
and stii, more the confidence of Othe
"1rt~ of the country. If such Out
breaks shall continue, and Senate
Tillman. a fairly good authority o
what is going On among the uncOr
trolled elements of Southern sOciet.
SAYS that these outbreaks of violenC
will. continue and become genera
Then what? Is it not blindness thu
fails t" see that protests will be hear
from Christian communities and Othe
parts nf the world. as they are no
being heard with regard to the Russia
m~assaCres and the atrocities of tn
Congo. protests that will not be. d
rooted to the South, but to the Unite
States as a responsible nation. pre-
tests AGAINST American inhumanitie
What then? Two things then,-tf
race problem will have forever passe
cut of the hands of the Southern whit