Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-09-07
Echoes of March

comprehensive Interpretation
of the March on Washing
ton" in your editorial en-
titled "The March and Its
Meaning"
Personally, have not been
moved so deeply by any pub
lie demonstration since I
came to Washington nearly
40 years ago. 1t was a man.
moth emotional appeal, and
therein lies the very danger
of 1t. Even Martin Luther
Kings climactic oratorical
masterpiece threatened to
temper the prejudice that I
have accumulated for him
through the years. And as
you say in your editorial, the
shadowy figure of Lincoln
seemed to permeate the en-
tire performance.
May you be wisely guided
in Salvaging all that is best
from this emotional explo-
sion and continue to have a
clear and strong voice in call
ing for the right in these
tumultuous times.
Albert Joseph Mccartney, DID
Minister Emeritus, National
Presbyterian Church.
I was touched and impress
ed by the March on Wash
ington for Jobs and Free
dom" and regret that instead
of attending for a mere hour
or so I did not participate
from the beginning.
The sense of dignity and
calm, even gay, purposeful-
ness Of the people involved in
the proceedings made me
proud to be alive to see
and share in such o warm
and human historical mo-
ment.
Above all, the March made
me proud to be an Ameri-
can.
I should like to commend
The Star for the excellence
of the journalistic coverage
given the various aspects Of
the day. The sympathy, con-
genial humor and sense Of
participation demonstrated
in the evocative images your
reporters included in their
accounts will make your
August %, 1853 edition a val
liable historical source.
Ronald d. Palmer
So
The March on Washing
ton" left many undertones
which might possibly prove
adverse to the Negroes cause.
The most dominant Of these
is the feeling that the Ne
groes and the Negro leaders
were, in fact, led by the
whites in the planning and
execution of the march.
They told the Negroes how
to come to Washington, how
long to stay, how to conduct
themselves, and surprisingly,
what the important issue at
hand was. In this case the
prime concern was that the
Negroes march be peaceful
and restrained. The reason
for the march itself became
secondary when it should
have been the other way
around. In short, Negroes are
told how TO fight white
people by white people,
which is absurd.
The whites, in actually.
controlled the entire march.
This was exemplified when
Archbishop OBoyle refused
to address the marchers I'M
less John Lewis, a Negro
leader, obeyed his suggestion
to delete certain 'unre-
strained" truths from his
prepared speech, while no
one dared to monitor or criti-
CHE the archbishop's pre-
pared speech.
Further, white people, so
very clever. and so aware Of
the Negroes child-like faith
in them quite probably made
themselves present at the
march that they might, still
further. control and pacify
the marchers.
All these factors might we'll
motivate the trusting Negro
TO a role Of new passiveness
and one Of less militance,
which would be catastrophe
TO his cause. Thus, I appeal
TO the Negro citizens to be-
ware Of compliments by
whites when he marches
peacefully and restrained. He
should be joyful only when
his own demands are salts
fled and not the demands OF
the opposing group. For II he
relaxes his guard for one
moment or changes his direc-
ton and directness Of action
by one 'iota" 1t will be "busi-