The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1915-06-26
1.-THE BIRTH OF a NATION"

ton. " Articles, editorials, etcetera,
have appeared in the papers all over
the country, but the best THE AP-
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.)
Speaking 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-
l1shed his supremacy is shown with
obvious, natural sympathy for the
south, and no doubt with such height.
ening of effect as dramatic art has a
right to employ. It 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
for 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.
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 luminosity 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 al
That 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
70 per cent of the white men of that
section-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 a,
the south were the best governments
those states ever had before or have
| ever had since. There never was q
| time when there was actual physical
Negro domination" or even Garnet
bagging domination, in any one Of the
| reconstructed states.
Inc 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 a false
and deceptive background as a basis
upon which to stand. Such a NAV
could not be otherwise than mischiev
GUS In its inception and dangerous in
its results, even if the scenes depicte6
were truthful reproduction of actua,
occurrences. But when it is or ought
to be we'll known fact that the al
legged scenes are pure fabrications
with not a single background of truth
to support them, their production can
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 q
southern man, to say, and to say
whereof l know, that there are 1,.s1
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 commercialize race prejudice
simply for the dollars and cents thew
can make out of it. The second class
is composed of those who utilize race
prejudice for the. purpose of securing
political distinction and official recog
milton which they could never secure
| through any merit of their own. II
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 a 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 paying
political asset. What is the use, then
OF considering or discussing the tariff
the financial, or any other subject OF
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 abiect no.
litical subsection and upon which the
average white man at the north can
be easily fooled and deceived. Az
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 play for all will be the &C.
cepted rule of action in all parts OF
our country.
JOHN r. LYNCH, &
Author Of The Facts of Reconstruc.