The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1950-04-08

the atrocious crimes committed
South, and some citizens are inclin-
ed to regard that section as hope
lessly lost. Most juries in the Souths
will not convict White man for a
crime against a Negro. Yet there is
in the South a division of opinion
as to it's present policies just as
there was with respect to freedom
and slavery before the Civil War. At
that time this minority literally dis
posed was overwhelmed and silenc-
ed by the militant majority who
forced all elements to leave that Sec
ton or fall in line with the fire
eating secessionists who tried to es-
tablish the independence of the
South.
All parts Of the South at that time
had some Union sympathizers. The
German element in Texas encour-
aged by Sam Houston opposed seces-
sion. New orleans did not readily
respond to the demands of secession
lists dominant in other part of LOU
isiana. Parts of Arkansas were de-
batable ground. While Mississippi,
Alabama and South Carolina more
easily fell in line with the move
ment to dissolve the Union, here and
there in Florida was considerable
hesitation, and Yankees settled for
business purposes in Georgia prov
ed to be a difficult stumbling block
for the Confederates. The Scotch
Irish Presbyterians and German ele-
ments of the Appalachian highland
opposed secession in North Carolina
set up the new state of West Vir.
GINA in the Old Dominion and kept
East Tennessee divided and finally
loyal to the Union. The same senti-
ment of these mountaineers helped
the Union to hold Kentucky and the
German element was deciding fac.
tor in preventing the success of Sc.
cession in Missouri.
Today here is rising in the
South another minority which
would grant equality and justice to
all men without regard to race,
/ creed or color. Northern Texas and
Oklahoma with the spirit of the
West has not much time to devote
to the backward practices of the
deep South. Arkansas has a little
| of thn cnitsif
of it. Louisiana under it's backward
leadership is not yet hopeless. Mis-
sissipppi, although desiring to re
main as backward as it is, does moi
desire to be so extensively advertis
ed as such by its demagogues in
Congress. A promising minority in
Alabama would like to treat al
people as human beings. Georgia is
inclined also to soft-pedal the boast
ing of the deeds perpetrated by the
ku klux Khan and the Columbians
South Carolina is growing weaker
in its rage for the persecution OF
the Negro. North Carolina, Virginia
Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri
have fearless leaders advocating
varying degrees of modifying the
policies of those states toward the
Negro. -
The important question now re.
naming is whether some crisis may
soon come upon the country to force
a conflict between the oppressive ma.
pority and the liberal element in the
South and crush reform in that SEQ
ton as it happened before the Civil
War 1t is often said that the South
itself would have eventually abolish.
ed slavery if there had been no Civil
War. because there was an ever in.
creasing minority in that section
working to show that the institu.
ton was Improbable. Likewise Il
is contended today that the South
will gradually remove race distinc.
tons. if it is not interfered with
from without. But history does not
show single case of such magnan-
unity on the part of a class which