." "That's the general boast," returned
Mrs. McLane. "And a boast that cannot be gainsaid," said Mrs. Hill.
"Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third
and fourth generation," quoted Mrs. McLane slowly. "Do you believe in
the truthfulness of God's word?" There was no answer. "You all are
willing to admit that the fathers have eaten sour grapes, that the sin
of unlawful inter-mixture with the alien is the fault of the men. But
can we prove that the taint of lust in the blood of the fathers has come
down through the generations to effect the male child only, and leave
the female uncontaminated? God has not so ordained it. Our men sin and
boast in it. Consorting with the women of the alien race to them is only
an indiscretion. While even to acknowledge that in the Negro man are the
elements of genuine manhood would make a Southern white women a social
exile, and make her the butt of ridicule. Does not this account for the
human sacrifices that have shocked the nation? If the Negro's life is
cheap and a frank acknowledgement of preference for him means so much to
her, and knowing that her word is judge and jury, is it not likely that
she would pursue the easiest course? The passing of laws since the war
prohibiting the intermarriage of the races is proof that the men do not
trust us as implicitly as they pretend. The lynchings and burnings that
are daily occurring in the South are intended as warnings to white women
as well as checks to Negro men. Men who constitute these mobs care no
more for virtue than so many beasts; and saying that they are composed
of best citizens does not alter my opinion. Instead of going about as
Mrs. Fells is doing, crying for more of the blood of the black men, and
vilifying defenseless black women as Mrs. Harris of that same State is
doing, we the Southern white women better be doing a little missionary
work among the men of our own race. It is time for us to rise up and let
our voices be heard against the making of our protection an excuse for
crime. Women like Mrs. Harris have done nothing, and would do nothing to
better the condition of the woman whom they vilify. Nathan said unto
David: 'Thou art the man.' This poor wretch will rise up in the judgment
and cry aloud against us as her unnatural sisters who stood upon her and
trampled her in the mud and mire. As inferior and morally low as we may
deem her, it may be more tolerable for her in the judgment than for us.
I