Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-03-11
We Atlanta Daily World Hailed As Foremost Among
""- Race Achievements By Negro Press WeekSpeake
Native
Son
BY RICHARD WRIGHT
Continued from last week.

"Iet us not forget that the mag
nitude of our modern life, our raul
roads, power plants, ocean liners
airplanes, and steel mills flowereo
from these two concepts, grew from
our dream of creating an invulner~
able base upon which man and hls
soul can stand secure.
''Your Honor, this Court ano
those troops are not the real agen-
cies that keep the public peace
Their mere presence Is proof that
we are letting peace slip through
our fingers. Public peace is the act
of public trust; 1t Is the faith that
all arc secure and will remain Sc
cure.
When men of wealth urge the
use and show of force, quick death,
swift revenge, then it is to protect
q little spot of private security
against the resentful millions from
whom *hev have filched 1t, the re-
sentful millions in whose militant
hearts the dream and hope of Sc
curity still lives.
your Honor, ! ask in the name
of all We. are and believe, that you
snare this boys life! With every
atom of nv being, I beg this in
order that not only may this black
bow live, but that we ourselves may
not die!''
Bigger heard Max's last words
ring out in the court room. When
Max sat down he saw that his eyes
we're tired and sunken. He could
hear MS breath coming and going
heavily. He had not understood the
speech, but he had felt the mean
ING of some of it from the tone
of AIaxs voice Suddenly he felt
that his life was not worth the et-
fort that Max had made TO save it..
The Judge raped with the gavel,
calling recess. The court was full
of noise as Bigger rose. The police
men marched him to a small room
and stood waiting, on guard. Max
came and sat beside him, silent,
his head bowed A policeman
brought a tray of food and set II
on the table.
Eat, SON" Max said
Il amt hungry.
81 did the best l could Max
said.
I'm all right" Bigger said.
Bigger was not at that moment
really bothered about whether
Max's speech had saved his life OF
not. He was hugging the proud
thought that Max had made the
speech for him, TO save his life. II
was not the meaning of the speech
that gave him pride, but the mere
act of it. That in itself was some
thing. The food on the tray grew
cold. Through a partly opened Win
dow Bigger heard the rumbline
voice of the mob. Soon he would
go back and hear what Buckley
would say. Then it would all be
over, save for what the judge
would say. And when the judge
spoke he would know if he was
10 live or die. He leaned his head
on his hands and closed his eyes
He heard Max stand up, strike q
match and light a cigarette.
Here; take a smoke, Bigger"
He took one and Max held the
flame; he sucked the smoke deel
into his lungs and discovered tina
he did not, want it. He held thu
cigarette in his fingers and tn,
SNAKE curled up past his blood
shot ewes. He jerked his head whe1
the door opened "a policeman look.
ed in.
Courts opening in two min
utes!nt
'All right" Max said.
Thanked by policemen, Bigger
went back to court. He rose wher
the Judge came and then sat again
Bigger turned his head and saw
Buckley rise. He was dressed in {
black suit and there was Tin,
pink flower in the lapel of his Goa
The mans very look and bearing
so grimly assured, made Bigge,
feel that he was already lost. Wha
chance had he against man Xix,
that? Buckley licked his lips enc
looked out over the crowd: rhe1
he turned to the judge.
"Your Honor, we all dwell in
land of living law Law embodie
the will of the people. AS an agen
and servant of the law, as a rep
resentative Of the organized viii O
the people, / am here to see tina
the will of the people is execute,
firmly and without delay. I in5en,
to- stand here and see that Uha
Is done, and If it is not done, thel
1t Will be only over my most sol
enn and emphatic protest.
+As prosecuting officer of th
State of Illinois, I come before thi
honorable court to urge that tn
full extent of the law, the dealt
penalty-the only penalty of tn
law that is feared by murderers!-
be allowed to take its course in thi