“Another virtue credited the negroes by the society is gratitude. Of all who were aided, with but few exceptions, they alone expressed any appreciation of what was done for them.
“This testimony must be of interest to those who have always insisted that the negro is a chronic beggar and hopelessly dependent. Out of 4,200 cases assisted by the society during the entire winter, but forty six were negroes.”
Thousands of similar words to the above could be said of the black race. There are no noted thieves in the race, such as bank robbers, train robbers, and Government robbers—not traits of the race. We thank our God that no Rŭb Burrows and Jesse James have arose in the race of African descent. We may therefore say with propriety, The black man is worthy of defence. He is worthy of being exonerated from his present imposed state.
Lynching.
With prefatory statements of our indebtedness to Mrs. Ida B. Wells Barnett for her extensive travels in Great Britain and America, delivering expressive and impressive lectures against this horrible, disgraceful, and king of all impositions upon a downtrodden people, we write what we know of the subject, and supplement some cases denounced in “The Reason Why,” by Mrs. Barnett. Lynching has grown to be an event which elicits multitudes, composed of men, women and children, to cheer the participants as though some renowned act of heroism is being performed. The newspapers have given space to eulogize the lynchers instead of condemning them. The journals of to-day have grown so high in public favor that seven out of every ten readers will firmly believe the current reports. Even some of the Northern black people themselves are to some extent in sympathy with the lynchers, believing that their own men are so vile and brutish that they deserve such heinous punishment.
The question is everywhere heard, “Why do they lynch the colored people down South?” The general presumption is that colored men are “struck” after the white women. Why were they not hankering after them during slavery? Why did the master leave his slave to wait on his family during the war of 1861-5, while he engaged in battle? Colored men were honest in the dark days of slavery, and they are honest now. The ascension of the colored people of the South to high seats of honor, and the fear that they will ultimately predominate, have some “say so” in these lynches. I have known blood-thirsty mobs to appoint one of their own men to assault some young woman who would not yield to a member of the mob, to black his face and fix like a “Nigger,” and remain in secrecy until a chance presented itself, then suddenly light upon his prey armed with a revolver. After reaching his highest point of ambition—the mob is called to lynch some innocent black man for the outrageous deed of a man of another color. The visit of Madame Barnett to England in behalf of the black people of America, drew more favor for the race than Hon. Fred. Douglass or some other distinguished colored man could have drawn. It was not a man defending his own sex, but a young lady, having been educated at Holly Springs, Miss., and labored with her own people and for her own people in the South, who went to England in defence of the innocent men falling victims to the mobs, and being deprived of legal hearing or trial. “Rape” is the prevalent charge—the mob is the criterion. This condition of things are grievous—and more so when we see other accusations brought against men, women and children of the black race, and lynchings being the result before proper course has been taken to decide whether they are innocent or guilty, which will be further seen in the following contribution, by Ida B. Wells Barnett:
Lynch Law.
BY IDA B. WELLS BARNETT.
“Lynch Law,” says the Virginia Lancet, “as known by that appellation, had its origin in 1780 in a combination of citizens of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, entered into for the purpose of suppressing a trained band of horse-thieves and counterfeiters whose well concocted schemes had bidden defiance to the ordinary laws of the land, and whose success encouraged and emboldened them in their outrages upon the community. Col. Wm. Lynch drafted the constitution for this combination of citizens, and hence ‘Lynch Law’ has ever since been the name given to the summary infliction of punishment by private and unauthorized citizens.”
This law continues in force to-day in some of the oldest states of the Union, whose courts of justice have long been established, whose laws are executed by white Americans. It flourishes most largely in the states which foster the convict lease system, and is brought to bear mainly, against the Negro. The first fifteen years of his freedom he was murdered by masked mobs for trying to vote. Public opinion having made lynching for that cause unpopular, a new reason is given to justify the murders of the past 15 years. The Negro was first charged with attempting to rule white people, and hundreds were murdered on that pretended supposition. He is now charged with assaulting or attempting to assault white women. This charge, as false as it is foul, robs us of the sympathy of the world and is blasting the race’s good name.
The men who make these charges encourage or lead the mobs which do the lynching. They belong to the race which holds Negro life cheap, which owns the telegraph wires, newspapers, and all other communication with the outside world. They write the reports which justify lynching by painting the Negro as black as possible, and those reports are accepted by the press associations and the world without question or investigation. The mob spirit has increased with alarming frequency and violence. Over a thousand black men, women and children have been thus sacrificed the past ten years. Masks have long since been thrown aside and the lynchings of the present day take place in broad daylight. The sheriffs, police and state officials stand by and see the work well done. The coroner’s jury is often formed among those who took part in the lynching and a verdict, “Death at the hands of parties unknown to the jury” is rendered. As the number of lynchings have increased, so has the cruelty and barbarism of the lynchers. Three human beings was burned alive in civilized America during the first six months of this year (1893). Over one hundred have been lynched in this half year. They were hanged, then cut, shot and burned.