The South's Position
Henry W. Grady in his well-remembered speeches in New England and New York pictured the Afro-American as incapable of self-government. Through him and other leading men the cry of the South to the country has been "Hands off! Leave us to solve our problem." To the Afro-American the South says, "the white man must and will rule." There is little difference between the Antebellum South and the New South.
In his well-remembered speeches in New England and New York, Henry W. Grady portrayed Black Americans as incapable of governing themselves. Through him and other leaders, the South has told the country, "Hands off! Leave us to solve our problem." To Black Americans, the South says, "the white man must and will rule." There is little difference between the South before the Civil War and the New South.
Her white citizens are wedded to any method however revolting, any measure however extreme, for the subjugation of the young manhood of the race. They have cheated him out of his ballot, deprived him of civil rights or redress therefor in the civil courts, robbed him of the fruits of his labor, and are still murdering, burning and lynching him.
Her white citizens are committed to using any method, however revolting, and any measure, however extreme, to subjugate young Black men. They have cheated them out of their votes and denied them civil rights and any legal remedy in civil courts. They have robbed them of the fruits of their labor. They are still murdering, burning, and lynching them.
The result is a growing disregard of human life. Lynch law has spread its insiduous influence till men in New York State, Pennsylvania and on the free Western plains feel they can take the law in their own hands with impunity, especially where an Afro-American is concerned. The South is brutalized to a degree not realized by its own inhabitants, and the very foundation of government, law and order, are imperilled.
The result is a growing disregard for human life. The influence of lynching has spread insidiously. Men in New York State, Pennsylvania, and on the free Western plains now feel they can take the law into their own hands without punishment. This is especially true when a Black person is involved. The South has become brutalized to a degree its own inhabitants do not realize. The very foundations of government, law and order, are in danger.
Public sentiment has had a slight "reaction" though not sufficient to stop the crusade of lawlessness and lynching. The spirit of christianity of the great M.E. Church was aroused to the frequent and revolting crimes against a weak people, enough to pass strong condemnatory resolutions at its General Conference in Omaha last May. The spirit of justice of the grand old party asserted itself sufficiently to secure a denunciation of the wrongs, and a feeble declaration of the belief in human rights in the Republican platform at Minneapolis, June 7. Some of the great dailies and weeklies have swung into line declaring that lynch law must go. The President of the United States issued a proclamation that it be not tolerated in the territories over which he has jurisdiction. Governor Northern and Chief Justice Bleckley of Georgia have proclaimed against it. The citizens of Chattanooga, Tenn., have set a worthy example in that they not only condemn lynch law, but her public men demanded a trial for Weems, the accused rapist, and guarded him while the trial was in progress. The trial only lasted ten minutes, and Weems chose to plead guilty and accept twenty-one years sentence, than invite the certain death which awaited him outside that cordon of police if he had told the truth and shown the letters he had from the white woman in the case.
Public opinion has shifted slightly in a "reaction," but not enough to stop the campaign of lawlessness and lynching. The frequent and revolting crimes against a weak people stirred the Christian spirit of the great M.E. Church. At its General Conference in Omaha last May, the church passed strong resolutions condemning those crimes. The spirit of justice in the grand old party also made itself felt. It secured a denunciation of these wrongs and a weak declaration of belief in human rights. These appeared in the Republican platform at Minneapolis on June 7. Some major daily and weekly newspapers have joined in, declaring that lynch law must end. The President of the United States issued a proclamation that lynching must not be tolerated in the territories under his jurisdiction. Governor Northern and Chief Justice Bleckley of Georgia have spoken out against it. The citizens of Chattanooga, Tenn., have set a worthy example. They not only condemn lynch law, but their public officials demanded a trial for Weems, who was accused of rape. They guarded him during the trial. The trial lasted only ten minutes. Weems chose to plead guilty and accept a twenty-one-year sentence. If he had told the truth and shown the letters he had from the white woman in the case, certain death would have awaited him outside the police cordon.
Col. A.S. Colyar, of Nashville, Tenn., is so overcome with the horrible state of affairs that he addressed the following earnest letter to the Nashville American.
Col. A.S. Colyar of Nashville, Tenn., is so distressed by the horrible state of affairs that he wrote this earnest letter to the Nashville American.
Nothing since I have been a reading man has so impressed me with the decay of manhood among the people of Tennessee as the dastardly submission to the mob reign. We have reached the unprecedented low level; the awful criminal depravity of substituting the mob for the court and jury, of giving up the jail keys to the mob whenever they are demanded. We do it in the largest cities and in the country towns; we do it in midday; we do it after full, not to say formal, notice, and so thoroughly and generally is it acquiesced in that the murderers have discarded the formula of masks. They go into the town where everybody knows them, sometimes under the gaze of the governor, in the presence of the courts, in the presence of the sheriff and his deputies, in the presence of the entire police force, take out the prisoner, take his life, often with fiendish glee, and often with acts of cruelty and barbarism which impress the reader with a degeneracy rapidly approaching savage life. That the State is disgraced but faintly expresses the humiliation which has settled upon the once proud people of Tennessee. The State, in its majesty, through its organized life, for which the people pay liberally, makes but one record, but one note, and that a criminal falsehood, "was hung by persons to the jury unknown." The murder at Shelbyville is only a verification of what every intelligent man knew would come, because with a mob a rumor is as good as a proof.
Since I became a reader, nothing has impressed me more with the loss of manhood among Tennesseans than their cowardly submission to mob rule. We have reached an unprecedented low. We have fallen into the terrible criminal depravity of letting mobs replace courts and juries. We hand over jail keys to mobs whenever they demand them. We do it in the largest cities and in country towns. We do it in broad daylight. We do it after ample notice, even if not formal notice. This is accepted so completely and so widely that the murderers no longer bother to wear masks. They enter towns where everyone knows them, sometimes under the governor’s gaze. They do it in the presence of the courts, the sheriff and his deputies, and the entire police force. They take the prisoner out and kill him, often with fiendish delight. They often commit acts of cruelty and brutality that make the reader see a decline rapidly approaching savage life. To say that the State is disgraced barely expresses the humiliation that has settled over the once proud people of Tennessee. The State, in its majesty and through its organized institutions, for which the people pay generously, makes only one record. That record is a criminal lie: "was hung by persons to the jury unknown." The murder at Shelbyville only confirms what every intelligent man knew would happen, because a mob treats a rumor as good as proof.
These efforts brought forth apologies and a short halt, but the lynching mania was raged again through the past three months with unabated fury.
These efforts brought apologies and a brief pause. But over the past three months, the lynching mania has raged again with undiminished fury.
The strong arm of the law must be brought to bear upon lynchers in severe punishment, but this cannot and will not be done unless a healthy public sentiment demands and sustains such action.
The law must severely punish lynchers. But this cannot and will not happen unless public opinion demands and supports it.
The men and women in the South who disapprove of lynching and remain silent on the perpetration of such outrages, are particeps criminis, accomplices, accessories before and after the fact, equally guilty with the actual lawbreakers who would not persist if they did not know that neither the law nor militia would be employed against them.
Men and women in the South who oppose lynching but remain silent when it happens are accomplices. They are accessories before and after the fact, equally guilty with the people who commit these crimes. The lawbreakers would not continue if they did not know that neither the law nor the militia would be used against them.