St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-06-30
Rowan LoShes Al
Trumon's Attitude
On Freedom Riders
(COntinued from Page y

ureS and shortcomings IN cOnuuCI
at home do indeed create embar-
rassment and difficulty in foreign
relations"
Rowan continued: Mr.. Rusk did
not say that bus terminal segrega-
ton in Alabama jeopardized the
future and freedom only of the
citizens of Alabama, nor merely
the citizens of Mississippi; his
letter clearly indicates that these
actions place in grave danger the
institutions Of freedom that we all
cherish and are striving almost
desperately today to preserve. How
can then Mr.. Truman or anyone
else suggest that you and should
be complacent when police dogs
are Unbiased on innocent peoples
in Mississippi or when people
whose only goal is to see the noble
principles of the Constition fulfilled
are hauled to Jail on the insulting
pretext that their activities con-
stitute a disturbance Of the peace 1?
There is no peace, and there never
has been peace, in the presence of
racial tyranny"
Labling Trman's attack on the
Freedom Riders, "unthoughtful"
Rowan added: II do not wish to
heap verbal abuse on Mr.. Truman.
I simply wish that ex-Presidents
might retain the wise advisers of
their tenure in office-or that
newspapermen would give them
the special courtesy Of retirement
and of growing old without ques-
tons that incite unthoughtful re-
plies. This charitable attitude, if
indeed it can be called that, is
inspired by my knowledge that a
great many other Americans, no
small number of them Of liberal
persuasion, are inclined to view
these Freedom Riders as med
dlers."
Refers To Peace Corps Program
Continuing Rowan told the audi
ence: May 1 simply point out
that we are about to send to AZ
RIGA, Asia and Latin America a
corps of youngsters full of ideal
ism, dedicated to justice, and
eager to achieve a lasting peace.
Is that youngster whose ideaism
carries him to PARKWAY Tanganyika
any less a meddler than the young
ster whose ideaism carries him to
Tallahassee, Florida?
Statutes Freedom Riders
Rowan said: Il salute the free
dom Riders because in my opinion
they represent a zeal, a courage,
a sense of purpose that must be
embraced by vast millions of other
Americans If we are to win this
struggle against Communist tyran-
ny that occupies the concern and
brain power of so much Of Amer
lea today.
TT will be these Freedom
Riders, Rowan stated, ~and
Americans like them, more than
all the speeches and communi-
ques that we can pour out Of
the State Department and the
US. Information Agency, that
will change the image that so
much Of the world has of the
United States.
Negro No Longer Patient
Rowan ended his speech by stat
ing:
Perhaps you can help those
Americans who are so exercised
over the Freedom Riders to under
stand what the Negro is saying
today: That he will be reasonable
but he be damned If he will be
patient. Perhaps you can help alert
our countrymen to the very sober
ing fact that throughout the world
today patience has very little ap-
peal.
Il would close with a reminder
that we all must know the diff
ference between being courageous
and being pugnacious, that there
is a difference between irrespon-
sibihty and showing a loyalty to
just and honest convictions. But
would say to America today that
II we must err let it be on the side
Of boldness; If trouble finds us, let
it find us in the process of change;
If failure befalls us, let it be be-
cause we have attempted some
thing bigger and grander than our
successes of the past"
Rowan added: This I ask for,
because those Of us who are wor-
ried about the preservation of
freedom must forever live with the
knowledge that for the timid and
the fainthearted liberty always has
been in jeopardy"