Richmond planet., 1919-08-09
TIE ATTITUDE OF THE AMERI,
CAN NEGRO.
Crank Howard ilalliOn.D J


The American Negro has been &C
Cuscd OF practically everything uudcr
the sun. lie has been prosecuted
and spit upon through public scnti-
mcnt; he has been ignored by those
who reckon themselves contributors
to civilization; he has been placed in
the CalcEo"& OF the kingdom Of the
lower animals by separate car trans
portation: he has been deprived of
the privilege to speak for himself in
land whose founders spit their
blood in cry against "taSation
without repre- scutation:" hC has been
mcrcilcSsly led as sheep to his
slaughter by the ignorant mob of tho
South. thus suffering ut the hand Of
which he has been bcncfactor for
decades: they have said he is not Il
fit soldier despite his record to the
contrary; they say he is not Il builder
and creator in face Of the all-impor-
tant part he played in the economic
development of American democrat
cyC).
Ono white man in the South said
that there was no objection to the
exodus Of the Negroes North. despite
the efforts Of his fellows TO even pass
legislation to help keep tn" Negro in
the South. They say they do nOt
want him and yet when he goes We
hear the lamentations of. the N"Ero'S
home. his beloved Southland, saying.
"All of our good colorcd citizens ar"
lcaving.' Why is this Is il that
the white man Of the South really
has within his heart a tender regard
for his dark brother? Can the two
hundred aud fifty years accumulated
relations and feelings and possibly
love hc crumhlcd in so short II time
as half Il century? 1t is not 10 be
believed.
Yes, the Negro has been accused
of practically everything, but there
are two things not yet against him.
No man has ever accused him OF
being coward (Isaac Fisher) and
we add ungratcful. When some of
the unthinking white folks Of the
South begin to bCStir themselves into
again bringing into existence the ol
Ku-KluX klan Of reconstruction days
and similar organizations, let it be
remembered that it is far cry from
reconstruction to the present and
that the Negro can be deSpiscd, leg
islatcd against, jim -crowcd, disfran-
chised and at times even spit upon,
but he can not he scared.
He has been too long living in the
CLONE OF the Brave" Yet, withal,
In his manly courage, he is meek and
conciliatinG and loves the South. He
is grateful for the history of his pco-
pie and their relation TO "Old Mistis'
and "Old Marstcr," and still sings
the songs OF his fathers like no imi-
tator has been able to copy, but with
his wagon hitchcd to the star OF civ
iliZation he is looking toward Service
and not scrvitudc; he wants, and is
getting, recognition for his ability.
Ability, like trouble is neither
black nor white, but comes to every
mothers son OF us. Whenever the
white man OF the South, or any other
section for that matter, wakes up
to Il full realization of democracy
and willingly tunes up mans pro-
grcSs according to his ability and not
color, then it is that America may
lay claim to being a democracy. The
absence of a king in the White House
is not all that is required to const-
tutc q democratic government.
Tho war has done a lot for the
white man and it has done lot for
the Negro, 1t got the white man in
state Of preparedness. 1t got the
Negro into the habit OF weighing
things-putting two and Two togcth-
rr-not exactly "watchful waiting"
for the Negro has always been Wis
ionaty and can see into the future.
This is not superstition but a gift OF
God.
There is a story told Of black
regiment in the last war whose watch
word was slang phrase, 'IctS go.
Whatever the command, whether to
peel potatoes or to peel the bark OF
Il Hun. he chccrfully said. Lets go.
This slang phrase represents about
as forccfully as anything could under
the sun the Ncgro's present attitude.
Whatever may come its going TO be
with the American Negro. 'n.cts
Co"