The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1915-07-03

nave appeared IN the papers all over
the country, but the best THE AP-l
PEAL has seen is the communication |
to the Chicago Tribune. written by |;
Major John r. Lynch, who lived in
the south during the reconstruction
period and knows whereof he speaks. |
Major Lynch's article is so excellent
that we reproduce it in full:
. Chicago. editor of The Tribune
Of the photoplay called
The Birth Of a Nation" you say:
1T is in all essential episodes ground
ed on historical fact, representing the
struggles of that terrible time in the
south when the whites, back from
war, saw their government taken over
by the newly enfranchised blacks con-
trolled by the northern carpetbaggers.
What happened with the Negro
ascendant and how the white re-estab.
nsned his supremacy is shown with
obvious natural sympathy for the
south, and no doubt with such height
enlng OF effect as dramatic art has a
right to employ. 1t presents what the
south says and the north of our day,
at least, Is inclined to believe to be
truth
Exactly the reverse of this is true,
Tor there never was time when any
one OF the state governments~of the
south was taken over by the newly
enfranchised blacks controlled by the
northern carpetbaggers. as,.z..
That some mistakes were made dur.
Ing the progress Of reconstruction will
not be denied. How could it be other
wise? The war had just come to an
end. Sectional animosity was bitter
and intense. The Republican party
was looked upon as the enemy of the
south. No white man could identity
himself with the Republican party at
tnat time In any one of the southern
states without running the risk Of be-
ing socially ostracised and publicly
characterized as an enemy to his sec
ton, his state, and his race. Notwith-
standing these things, not less than
rs per cent of the white men Of that
sectlon-men who were to the man
ner born, many of them ex-Confeder.
ate soldiers, identified themselves
with and became leaders Of the Re.
publican party. These, in the main,
were the men that the newly enfran.
chised blacks selected as their lead.
ership they loyalty and faithfully fol.
lowed.
do not hesitate to assert that the
reconstructed state governments at
the south were the best governments
those states ever had before or have
ever had since. There never was a
time when there was actual physical
Negro domination" or even carpet.
bagging domination, in any one of the
reconstructed states.
The play to which you refer in.
stead of being grounded on histori.
cal facts" is grounded on historical
Misrepresentation, without having q
single actual fact as the basis of Its
existence. It is fiction pure and
simple, painted from a diseased and
prejudiced imagination, with false
and deceptive background as a basis
upon which to stand. Such a play
could not be otherwise than mischiev
GUS In it's inception and dangerous il
its results, even if the scenes depicted
were truthful reproduction of actua
occurrences. But when it Is or ought
to be a well known fact that the al
legged scenes are pure fabrications
| with not a single background of truth
to support them, their production car
hardly be less than criminal. In the
main they are false, slanderous. and
malicious. They are calculated and
intended to engender and intensity
race prejudice and race hatred. In
the interest of peace, order, truth
justice, and morality they should be
suppressed. No good can come but
much harm may result from them. II
Is, therefore, the duty of the authori
ties to suppress them, just as they
would suppress any other nuisance
that is calculated to incite crime and
general disorder in the community.
In this connection allow me, as 8
southern man, to say, and to say
whereof know, that there, are o,.s,
two classes of white people at the
south who keep this so-called race
problem constantly before the public
The first class is composed of those
who commemorative race prejudice
simply for the dollars and cents they
can make out Of it. The second class
is composed of those who utilize race
prejudice for the purpose of securins
political distinction and official recog
milton which they could never secure
through any merit of their own. Il
makes no difference with these people
how much harm to the public or in
justice is done to any people or race
as long as they can accomplish the
purpose desired. They know there is
not particle of truth in anything
they say or produce relative to this
matter. But what difference does
that make to them? The office seek
er finds that this is his best payine
political asset. What is the use, then
Of considering or discussing the tarinf
the financial, or any other subject O,
question as long as this mythical race
question will answer the purpose;
They find that this is the one cues
ton upon which they can hold the
white men Of the south in abject DO
litical subsection and upon which the
average white man at the north can
be easily fooled and deceived. AS
| long, then, as the country believes
as you seem to believe, that these
things are true and that public senti
ment must tolerate them and approve
methods that are criminal and prac.
tees that. would be otherwise indie.
feasible for the purpose of preventing
Negro domination" just so long will
this state of affairs continue. Let us
hope that the eyes Of the people will
eventually be opened and that Justice
and fair NAV for oil will no IN = -
cepted rule of action in all parts OF
our country.
JOHN R. LYNCH,
Author Of "The Facts of Reconstruc.
finn /" ya5 80 5fsN