Franklin's paper the statesman., 1911-07-29
SOUTHERN MANS
MISSION NORTH
Joseph C. Manning Makes
Great Speech In Cambridge
POWER OF PUBLIC OPINION

Rights Says coiored Citizens In
North May Yet Be Instrument
Through Which Liberty Shall con,s
to Both Races In the South.
Boston.-In explaining his mission in
the north the Hon. Joseph G. Man
ming of Birmingham, Ala, in a mas
terly speech which he recently de-
livered in Cambridge, Mass, before a
large and representative audience, said
| in part:
For several weeks my time has
been given and my efforts have been
devoted to a campaign of publicity in
the New England states, having in
view no other purpose than that of
doing my utmost to cause those who
hear and those who read my addresses
to become possessed with facts relat-
ing to southern conditions which, in
my opinion, the country is entitled to
have and which the country might not
have, perhaps, if it were left to some
other time or to some other person to
take up this work.
Ny object in inaugurating this cam
paign in this section you will very
readily perceive when l say to you
that what seek to do is to arouse the
north to the conditions in the south as
the first and best possible thing to do
to force discussion upon the south.
What l say in the north is not only
heard in the north, but it goes into the
south.
Public opinion is, after all, the ere
ative and the sustaining force in our
government. We must rely upon pub
lie sentiment and we must appeal to
public sentiment, to the intelligence
and to the conscience of the American
people. if we would uphold the right
and restrain the wrong Hence my
presence here this evening to give
voice to facts which l believe fully jus
tifies this fight that i am making to
cause this southern situation to have
foremost place in political discussion
in this country at this time.
There has been. l grant you, an in
difference to the issues arising from
the south for many of these in recent
years, but the American people will
become astounded at the consequences
growing out OF this Indifference when
the country does come to an intelligent
grasp of the present situation. Hinton
Rowan Helper, in that wonderful book.
"The Impending Crisis gave to the
country striking facts about the re-
1t h ~
slavery. but never did the slave own
ing planter, the political and social
aristocracy. more mastery drive the
majority of whites and repress all else
before its arrogant authority as does
this present regime in the south over
power and overcome and overa we hu
man rights and human liberty.
Can it be true that the coored race
is SO dull to its power to create public
sentiment. through its power to exer-
else its strength in the north as re-
straining force against the oppression
of their race in the south. that it can
be thus quieted to acquiesce in the
Acknowledgement and lynching of their
people in the south by the mere ap-
pointment to federal Office Of colored
man? 1t is an insult to every inteli-
gent colored citizen in this country to
suppose for moment that n federal
appointment would Offset their just
protestation as against this indiffer-
ence to the wholesale disfranchise-
ment and brutal lynching of their race.
| do not wish to be considered in the
attitude. eli her. of making an attack
upon the president. 1t is my opinion
that the attitude of the president to
the Negro people will be the same as
is his attitude to other people in this
country when the president has be-
come convinced that the Negro in this
nation is yearning not for federal jobs.
but for his political rights under the
American constitution and for the pro-
lection of the liberty and life of his
race in the south.
1t may be, under Providence, that
the Negro of the north. some Of them
up from the oppression OF serfdom in
the south. may yet come to exercise
peaceful influence In helping to
bring full fruition Of liberty to the
south and that the colored man shall
be able to repay the white man of the
north. who helped him to freedom. by
so standing for justice for the south
as will bring liberty to the whites as
well as the downtrodden blacks Of the
south.