Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-10-23
University Civil
Rights Conference
Bio Success

ority groups"
Although Indignation is pro-
crossing, he said, 1t could move
much faster If it were not for pas
sive adherents Of the status quo"
He saw one hopeful sign. how
ever, in the willingness Of Southern
young people to openly discuss the
problem compared with the prag-
matte attitude Of their elders.
"T hope many students win I'M
derstand the deep concept Of an
integrated society.
History is covered with the
bleached bones of nations who
failed to follow the command Of
equality" he said.
Advocates NOn-VIOlent Approach
BY Negroes
A portion Of DR.. Kings speech
was devoted to an explanation Of
his theory that the non-violent
approach Of the Negro as exemph-
fled by the Montgomery, Ala, ap-
proach is the most fruitful method
of changing the thinking Of the
nations whites who support race
segregation.
Speaking Of the Negro he said,
"As a race we must passionate
" and unrelentingly strive for
first-class citizenship, but we must
never use second class methods to
gain it.
King set forth the basic prin-
ciples Of the program he supports
in stating:
I'VE will take direct action
against injustice without waiting
for other agencies to act. We will
not obey unjust laws or submit
to unjust practices. We will DO
this peacefully, openly, cheerfully
because our aim is to persuade
We adopt the means Of nonviol-
ence because our end is a COM
munity at peace with itself. We
will try to persuade with our
words, but If our words fail, we
will try to persuade with our acts
We viii always be willing to talk
and seek fair compromise, but we
are ready to suffer when neces-
sary and even risk our lives to
become witnesses to the truth a
we see it."
Not once during his address was
DR.. King interrupted by applause
by an audience that sat with rapt
attention but at the conclusion
he had to rise from his seat to
acknowledge the tremendous wave
of applause which swept the audi
forum.
Friday evening the second meet
ing Of the conference heard a sym
postum in which a northern writer
who announced himself as an Abol-
itionist figuratively stole the show
The meeting was also in Northrup'
He was Truman Nelson, novel
ist, critic and author who declared
he hated the things for which the
white south stands. He said those
who talk about states rights in
the south, really mean white
rights"
Nelson undertook to defend John
Brown, Nelson said of the slavery
question:
IF the slaves, through ignorance
or timidity refrained from exer-
cising their inalienable rights, II
was his (Brown's) duty to, en-
tighten them and assist them and
that any law which forbade his
doing 50 was to be treated as an
invasion Of his own rights and set
at defiance.
Brown had a remarkable prac-
teal mind. He went straight at
whatever he undertook. Doubtless
he was too much Of a iteralist
and possessed too mathematical a
Judgment to take the wiSest view
Of the complicated question Of
American Slavery in all its rela-
tons; he went at his work as he
would solve a mathematical prob
lem. He knew there were 1000
slaves in jefferson County, Viz
ginia. Now, II he could. by a
bold stroke, take off five hundred
of these, he would reduce the
number in that country, one eighth.
If the blow proved successful, 1t
could be repeated again and again
there or elsewhere and so on until
his mission closed with the ter
mination Of his life. That was his
way Of doing his part Of the work
which was the great idea of his
life"
Nelson continued: But what of
now what is there left to set
the seal on his prophecy and place
the crown on his apostleship? For
me, John Browns disable truth
lives in this; that he reaffirmed
and tried to regenerate for a faint
ed and confused nation, the source
Of that revolutionary energy with
which we transformed a moribund
world nearly three centuries ago,
and could again, a new and exalt-
ing unit Of loyalty. A man can
commit treason only against his
unit of LOYALTY which il his