I have been reading up on the condition, attitude, and actions of the United States in the year my father returned home from France as soldier in the United States Army.

I never knew, nor fully understood what was going on in that period.

I have been reading 'Savage Peace' by Ann Hagedorn where this period is discussed in detail...and rather handedly.

The United States government was very aggressive against all Americans of unknown African ancestry, and particularly those who did not 'fall in line' with the program.

I found to my surprise that the May issue of 'The Crisis'...100,000 copies was held from distribution in the U.S. Post Office in New York City, because of this following article by W.E.B. DuBois.

Dr. DuBois had been in Paris, France during the negotiation of the Armistice during which visit he was successful in convening the first Pan-African Congress in that city.

Returning Soldiers
By W.E.B. DuBois, Phd
The Crisis May issue 1919 pp13,14

We are returning from! “The Crisis” and tens of thousands of black men were drafted into a great struggle. For bleeding France, and what she means, and has meant, and will mean to us and humanity and against the threat of German race arrogance, we fought gladly and to the last drop of blood; for American and her highest ideals, we fought in far-off hope; for the dominant southern oligarchy entrenched in Washington, we fought in bitter resignation. For the America that represents and gloats in lynching disfranchisement, caste, brutality and devilish insult – for this, in the hateful upturning and mixing of things, we were forced by vindictive fate to fight, also.

But today we return! We return from slavery of uniform which the world’s madness demanded us to don to the freedom of civil garb. We stand again to look America squarely in the face and call a spade a spade. We sing: This country of ours, despite all its better souls have done and dreamed, is yer a shameful land.

It lynches. And lynching is barbarism of a degree of contemptible nastiness unparalleled in human history. Yet for fifty years we have lynched two Negroes a week and we have kept this up right through the war.

It disfranchises its own citizens... It encourages ignorance... It steals from us... It insults us.

It has organized a nation-wide and latterly a worldwide propaganda of deliberate and continuous insult and defamation of black blood wherever found. It decrees that it shall not be possible in travel nor residence, work nor play, education nor instruction for a black man to exist without tacit or open acknowledgment of his inferiority to the dirtiest white dog. And it looks upon any attempt to question or even discuss this dogma as arrogance, unwarranted assumption and treason.

This is the country to which we Soldiers of Democracy return. This is the fatherland for which we fought! But it is our fatherland. It was right for us to fight. The faults of our country are our faults. Under similar circumstances, we would fight again. But by the God of Heaven, we are cowards and jackasses if now that that war is over, we do not marshall every ounce of our brain and brawn to fight a sterner, longer, more unbending battle against the forces of hell in our own land.

We return.

We return from fighting.

We return fighting.

Make way for Democracy! We saved it in France, and by the Great Jehovah, we will save it in the United States of America, or know the reason why.

PEACE

Jim Chester

quote:

or know the reason why.

quote:

Originally posted by James Wesley


for the dominant southern oligarchy entrenched in Washington, we fought in bitter resignation.

profound!

quote:

Originally posted by negrospiritual:

quote:

Originally posted by James Wesley


for the dominant southern oligarchy entrenched in Washington, we fought in bitter resignation.

profound!

I agree.

I hasten to add that the words are those of W.E.B. DuBois written in 1919.

For your information. this is reported in a book I am reading entitle: 'Savage Peace' by Ann Hagedorn.

I have always had a nagging curiousity about the America my father returned to from in service in WWI.

It was not pretty.

PEACE

Jim Chester

Thanks for the book referral. I have been sort of interested in the constitution lately. I'm currently stuck on that "three-fifths" compromise struck at the constitutional convention which enabled the south to dominate politics and retains slavery... it's all rather fascinating. Black people have been at the very center of every aspect of the development of this government and the definition of what "freedom" and "inalienable rights" are for every american.. Yeah, it was a grand "experiment", but the result ain't in yet

My dad was in Belgium during WWII. I am at the end of a long string of his children. I miss him.

I hear ya.

I also got very involved with trying to understand the 3/5's Rule.

Throughout my life, I had heard varying references with the phrase 'less than a man' being dominant.

In your involvement with the constitution, you should be aware of The Federalist Papers.

These are the documents written by Hamilton and Jefferson...I think...to use in their canvassing of the States trying to achieve 3/4 approval needed for ratification of the constitution

I think No.54, or No.58 addresses the issue of the 3/5's Rule.

A value less than one(1) was said to necessary because the slave was 'debased' to this amount by slavery.

Please also note that slaves were not, nor could they be citizens.

But then the operative word in the constitution is 'residents'.

The fight here was about keeping The South from counting male slaves (no women voting remember) as a full resident.

The number of residents was/is the criterion for a seat in the House of Representatives.

The 3/5's Rule was about reducing the power of The South which held most of the slaves.

Stay cool, now.

PEACE

Jim Chester