The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-04-24

ity OF this boy They came from
Cities OF the old world where the
means TO sustain life were hard
70 set or own They were colon
ISIS and they We're faced with a
difficult choice: they had either
tu subduc this wild land or be
sphdued by H. We netd but turn
our eyes upon tho imposing sweep
% streets and factories and build
ines 70 see how completely they
hdve conquered But In conquer
Ing they nsed others. used their
lives Like a miner using pick
or carpenter using a saw. they
lenf the will Of others 10 their
own Lives TO them were tools
and weapons TO be welded against
hostile land and climate.
Il do not say this IN terms OF
moral condemnation. do not
say II 10 rouse pity In you for
the black men who were slaves
for two and one-half centuries. II
would be foolish now to look back
upon that in the light Of Injustice
Let us not be naive: men do what
they must even when they feel
that they are heing driven by
God even when the. feel they are
fulfilling the will OF God Those
men were engaged in struggle
for life and their choice IN the
natter was small indeed II vas
Tic imperiai dream 81 fcndal
See that made men enslave 9TH
ers Exalted by the will 10 rule
they could not hive built nations
cr so vast scale had they not
shut their eyes to the humanity Of
other men. men whose lives were
necessary for their building. But
tile invention and widespread use
Of machines made tho further di-
rect cnsavcment OF men econom-
ically impossible and 80 slavery
ended
let ne. Your Honor. dwell
m men' longer upon the danger
OF looking upon this boy IN the
light Of Injustice N should say
that he IS a victim OF Injustice.
then would he asking by impli-
cation for sympathy; and II one
insists upon locking at this boy
~ the light OF sympathy. he will
lie swamped by feeling 81 guilt
So strong as 70 be indisiinguish-
able from hate
"Of al things. men do not like
"a feel that they are guilty Of
wrong and n YOU make them feel
guilt they will try desperately 20
Justify q on any grounds: but
failing that. and seeing no i'm
mediate solution that Will see
things right without too much
cost 10 their lives and properly.
they will kill that which evoked
in them the condemnine sense Of
quilt And this IS true az all men.
whether they be white or black;
T. IS a peculiar and powerful. but
common. need.
"This guilt-fear Is the haste
tone Of the prosecution and Of the
people IN this case. In their
hearts they feel that wrong has
been done and when Negro COM
p,ifs n crime against them. they
fancy they see the CHASTITY evil
dcnce OF that wrong So the men
al wealth and property, tho vic
tins OF attack who are eager 10
protect their profits. say 70 their
guilty hlrclInes. Stamp ont this
ehostr Or. like Mr. Dalton. they
say. Tets do something for this
man so he won't feel that way
But then II r. too late.
"If only ton or twenty Negroes
had been put into slavery we
could call II Injustice, but there
were hundreds OF thousands az
them throughout the country II
tsis state OF affairs had lasted for
two or three years. We could say
that II was unjust: but n lasted
for more than two hundred years
Injustice which lasts for three
long centuries and which exists
among millions OF people over
thousands OF square miles OF ter
ritory. Is injustice no longer: Il
f. an accomplished fact OF life
Men adjust themselves 70 their
land: they create fheir own laws
Of being: their notions OF right
end wrong common way OF
earning living gives them COM
n on attitude toward life. Even
their speech Is colored and shaped
by what they must undergo Your
Honor. injustice blots out one
form OF life. but another grows up
IN It's place with It's own rights,
needs. and aspirations What IS
happening here today Il not IN
justice. but oppression. an attempt
10 throttle or stamp out a new
form OF life. And " Is ihis new
fern Of life that has grown M
here In our midst that puzzles US
that expresses itself. like q weed
Continued on page ib)