Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-11-30

crew. In addition to this the few
vessels in the fleet were hopelessly
outnumbered Mr.. Williams in
nate spirit Of fair-play should have
most assuredly asserted itself at this
point and IL should have caused him
to pause before making any such
invidious comparisons. But then.
we are not here to defend the Span
iards. He said further:
SO much for the industrial phase
of the Negro question. Now for the
criminal side of It, Many people
can see no light upon the horizon at.
all. but we have become pessimistic.
as those accustomed 10 look upon
/ the black spots alone must become
That there has been a great change
there is no doubt. Negroes perpe-
trate crimes that they never dreamed
OF forty years ago. The worst feat
ure is that other Negroes help to
conceal them and their crimes. They
seem 90 have entered into a racial
agreement that they must help each
one OF their race to escape the pen
alties Of the white mans law by
resOrting 10 every arlidce OF untruth
fulness and couccalment. Why is
it2 The reason seems plain TO me-
No race ever succeeded in reaching
civilization by the superposition of
the civilization of another race uR-I
less that superposition were by
force. Then only a veneering OF the
civilization is pat on. and it comes
Oft when the veneered race is left
to itself
Hon. John sharp Williams knows
that well-uigh every Negro hunt is
conducted with the aid and help Of
colored men anxious to bring to jus
tice the Negro criminal The truth
! of the matter is that the punishment
melted the average Negro for the
most trivial onense has been SO se-
we're i'm recent years that person
either white or black must be devoid
of the usual feeling OF humanity to-
turn over to- the mob a victim TO be
tortured with hot irons. eyes goured
out. private parts mutilated and the
body burned at The stake
Mr. Williams does not tell OF the
continual concealinE of the white
men guilty of these onenses. He
makes no reference TO the white
men caught red-handed in crime.
who are shielded 10y white witnesses
and acquitted by white juries. He
largues that Negroes should yield up
Negroes guilty of oneuses against
white urople apparently ignorant OF
the fact that II they did SO. they
would not Dee following the example
of the white people i'm their respcc-
tive neighborhoods. But then Hon.
John Sharp Williams is nothing IL
he is not Inconsistent He says.
The Negro. during slavery times
/ had his entire conduct and habits OF
| Thought regulated. controlled. and
/ fixed by the white man i'm accordance
with the white mans notions OF eth
les and for the purpose of making
him an object OF trust and confidence
land profit TO the white man. a slave
had 90 be taught 90 be faithful and
Trustworthy or else the money in
vested in him was a ve.y poor i'm
Ivcstment He had 90 De taught
habits OF constant industry and reg
Iularity and moderation for the same
/ reason. There never was as great
IAN apparent Improvement effected in
SO short time I'm any race in the
world as in the Negroes when you
compare their status I'm Africa with
! the moral and Industrial condition OF
the race when emaucipated. But. az
ter all. d. was veueering and not the
/ result of q natural evolution. 10
! was habit and not nature There
has been since that time upon the
part OF the Negroes a drawing away
from the white mans standards and
association and a consequent recur-
/ renee 90 their own racial traits I'm
/ der slavery they heard white preach
ers. Although under slavery they
had no teachers 90 teach them let
tiers, they had the best OF teachers
20 teach them conduct These teach
ers were white men and women in
Ultimately interested ia their physical
land moral welfare. Now they have
iteachers who are black men.
80 right thinking citizen of color
viii undervalue slavery as the great
training school of civilization. IT
had its lights and its shadows. The
Negro improved under the heel of
oppression. For many of the quaii-
ties he now possesses. he must thank
some of the humane Southern mas
ters. For many of the faults he
finds himself possessed. he must
curse some others
Mr. Williams tells of the progress
before the war. but seems entirely
ignorant of the standards of excel
lence attained since that time. The
change is miraculous. but Mr.. Will
liams lives in the past. He prefers
to look at his Negro cook. form an
estimate of his. Negro maid, and
draw conclusions from his Negro
coachman.
He turns a deaf ear TO the Negro
merchant in mis- town, and goes stone
l.