The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-05-04


life, and prepares it for better country, esen
the heavenly.
What the providence of God may design for
the colorcd people in the future, iz this eoun-
try, and what lies before you in the generations
to corhc of course We know not. But of some
things we may be sure. To us and to you, to
our children and yours, it is matter Of concern
and interest; ,f'st, that the kindest feeling
should be cultivated on both sides; second
that you should understand and be sure in your
own minds that freedom, in itself will be of no
practical and lasting sce4 &c .he colorcd man,
unless it is connected with honesty, temperance,
industry and thrift; and thirdly, that religion
alone is the living root out of which all these
| virtues grow.
L. Why should there not be Kind feelings
on the part Of the white people toward you
You live i'll the same country with them, and
have always done SO. With possibly here and
! there All exception, have they not always treat
cd you we'll in the past? DO they not feel as
much interest III you, ns sincere desire that
you may do well, us people who never saw and
never knew you could possibly do? I know
what Lam saying, when tell yon that the
trucst and best friends you have In the world
arc the white folks with whom you have grown
UP. They wish to see you contenttt and hap
py doing well, and making the best use you
can Of your freedom. If you believe this, am
sure you, on your side, will be careful
to cultivate the kindest feelings in return.
You will consider it worth your while
to show by your conduct that you moan
to prove yourselves worthy of the respect and
confidence of the white people. They can
help you-you can, in some important respects,
help them. Bonds Of common interest unite
both parties. Let the tic of good feelings be
added
q Your freedom will do You good only so
| far as you learn and know how to control your
selves There arc millions of free people in
| other countrics-tens of thousands in our own
Countrywide have to fight starvation, Distress
i'll hand-to-hand battle every day. Freedom
in itself and by itself puts no bread in peoples
mouths; no clothes on their backs; no shoes
on their feet IF they arc sick, freedom cnn-
not cure them without doctor. If they arc
slcltcrlcss, freedom gives them no house
Bond and free alike have to meet death, and
stand before the Judgment seat. In ST. Paul's
time, freedom was made by some ga cloak OF
maliciousncss. In our time, by soMc- it is
made u cloak to cover all the evils to which
man is subjcct-a sort of good that is to do all
possible good things for the world. Mistakes
of this sort do not, indeed make it in itself an
evil. 1t is good fused lawfully and rightly.
1t becomes an evil when it turns people into
fools lt.is an evil if it leads people to.think
that they arc free to violate Gods holy slaws;:
take plenty to4
husbands; to break thc Sabbath; become
drunkards; to lie, to steal, to bc dcccitrul and
disorderl, to dream of living easily without
working for living. On the other hand, if
freedom is accompanied with personal integrity;
if uprghtncss goes hand i'll hand with it; if it
leads to true sclf-rcspcct; if good sense and
civiliity attend it; if prudent forcthought for
coming rainy day leads to diligence and steady
industry, and every year finds you rising in in
tclligcnce and improving in condition, why,
then, you escaping the cvils-you are gain
ing the true good of freedom.
3. Now want 10 say, l want you to under
stand and believe that RELIGION is the root out
of which all of these things-thcsc virtues of
character, this integrity, sclf-rcstrant, prudent
foresight, industry, civility-all grow. The
difficulty with most people is not that they don't
see and think we'll of what is right, but that
they do not net up to their sense of duty.
What is wanting is not so much light as power.
1t grati6es the appetite to do wrong; it costs
self-dcnial to do right. And now, what is
to make man ''dcny all ungodliness and
worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world?" 1t must be
porer from another world. 1t must be Gods
grace in Jesus Crist. Genuine religion makes
us partakers of this power and grace Then
there is so to speak, new handspring put
into the standstill machinery of mans heart.
Then the watch goes. Then the steam-enginc
moves and the boat goes up stream. Now this
power is, necessary inside of man-not outside
Putting on Sunday clathcs; going to church;
hearing the word taking the sacrament look
ing serious and solcmn-thcsc arc all outside