The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-29

you colored brethren have all the rights that
we have, and shame on us that ii has not
sooner been recognized and accorded to
you. The fact that some of the northern
churches do not admit colored ministers
proves nothing. That is just what we have
been working against for twenty-five years.
To colored men he would say, "Love
your enemies. Carry with you the spirit
of Christ. Treated as you have been,
don't know how / should have done. So
far as you can, forget what has been done.
Above all things, don't compromise your
manhood. We must everywhere war against
this spirit Of caste as n sin. Did Christ, or
Peter, or Paul, recognize ii ?"
Rev. j. B. Stowell wished to say that so
far rs the people of western New York were
concerned this spirit was not in them. No
difference had ever been made there in the
case Of colored persons.
Rev. q. L. Dixon had been laboring as
missionary in Virginia, and he wanted to
see nothin"taught except what is sanctioned
by the Bible. 1t panied him to see clash
ings and chickering's among Gods people.
If Il preacher fails to preach the trhOle truth
he is ali unfathful steward. God forbid
that we should quote the North as 4 speci-
men of treatment. There are cOpperheads
there, as there are vipers in the South. lie
had too much self-respect to go into gen.
/ tleman's parlor to he insulted. In the city
of Brooklyn he had sat, and eaten, and
slept with his white brethren. At the South
he did not wish TO force himself where he
was not wanted. This spirit of old fogyiSm,
for it was nothing else, must be got rid of.
1t is with the colored people as well rs with
| the white.
Rev. X. L. Perry moved suspension Of
business to allow him to offer resolution,
which he wished to do before some of the
members left, as he saw them leaving the
house. He then offered Il resolution of
thanks to the citizens of Richmond for the
kind reception and treatment they had re-
ceived, and especially to the pastor and
members of the church in which their
also adopted thanking the reporter of the
! Dispatch for the "tull and impartial re-
ports" of their proceedings.
DR.. Burrows rose and said he hoped that
the brother who had just spoken (Rev. X.
| Cheney, and who was gathering his hat
and satchcl for departure, would not leave,
as he (Dr. Burrows) wished to show that
the speech just delivered was mischievons,
| dangerous, and unchriStian, and he wanted
to say this before his face and not i'll his alb
sence.
Mr.. Cheney said he was compelled to
leave to reach the cars, but that his breth-
rem would see that he had justice.
DR.. Burrows proceeded: No one doubts
the truth of the preamble that we are all one
in Christ Jesus; but it is charged in the rcso-
lutiou that the American churches are all
| Except those connected with this Free Mis-
sion Society sinners against God, and arc
cXhorted to repentance because of what l.
here called their upholding of caste" The
! Churches represented in the American
Baptist Missionary Union, and in the Anne
rican Baptist Home Mission Society, as well
as the churches of the South-that is the
great body of the churches of the country
are involved Ill this sweeping condcmna-
ton.
As he had been invited to express his own
views freely in this body he would take the
liberty to do so with the utmost frankncSs
He claimed to have aS sincere and conScicn
tiols a regard for truth and for gospel prin-
cipleS and willingness to make sacrifices lnl
them as those who made such high and cX
elusive claims.
Mr.. Chccny. in closing his speech, eX
horted You, colored brethren, to Glove your
enemies" acknowledging that it would be
yerv hard indeed for him to love such mcr
if he had suffered so much at their hands Il.
these people had. The spirit of his whole
YOU must love your enemies | cOulC
hardly do it if | were in your place; but i
is your duty to love them and pray lol
them"
Now, if this means anything it mcan
this-thcSe white people are your enemies
thev have done YOU great wrong, but yOl
must Try to love them Notwithstanding.
Now. here for myself, and for my white
brethren in the South, | deny and repcl thl'
charge. We are not and never have beer
the enemies of the black race, and we dc
4, l.., y n q
their friends. The position the coorcd Bap
tist churches now have they owe not to tho
teaching and influence Of northern white
men, but SoicitouS instruction and training
Of southern white men. And this wore
.castc"-what does il mean! 1t is very
easy to use Il big word, and then to aS>o
ciatc with its use all manner Of evils. There
is deal of cant in such phrases. The
word originated in describing classes il
India who held themselves religiously scpa
rated from one auother-Drama gave ori@il
to the "castes," evolving the priests from
his mouth the soldiers from his arms, thf
agricuturists from his loinS, and the la
borcrs or Sondras from his feet.
There Is no likeness or analogy between
these castes and the position OF the blacl
people of this country. They he not beer
held aloof and all intercourse with them re
fused, as is the case between higher ant
lower castles in India. On the contrary
white Christians in this southern countr,
have always labored, and not without grca
success, for the spiritual welfare Of th
blacks. If YOU mean by using this wore
"caSte" that we exclude the colorcd pcO
Pile from religious sympatlics and aborS
that we dislike them, and are opposed L
their well being, and are unWlllln%t to laD0
for their good, | simply meet it with an EN-
phatic denial 1t Is not, it never has been
true. If the word does not mean this, thcl
what does it mean!
DR.. Burrows said that it seemed to hin
that the whole scope Of the resolution anc
of the speeches indicated desire for th
abrocation of all social distinctionS-a re
vival of the doctrines of the French reyo
lutionists that sent every m:ln TO the guillO
tine under the name OF arlStocrat who hap
pcned to possess superior wealth, culture
or birth.
These doctrines are diamctricalIy opposed
to the teachings of the Gospel. The GoSpc
teaches that distinctions among men do pre-
vail. and are to be regarded by the disciple
of Jesus. DR.. Burrows then read from TIT
New Testament several passaGes-viz., Lux
xviii, !, 8; and especially | Timothy, VI.
l.. ). He said this latter passage seemed tt
describe and condemn the whole report o
the address made by Mr.. Cheeney-viz., " ]
anv man teach otherwise he is proud, know
inS nothing, but doting about question
and strifes of words. whereof cometh envy
strife, ratings, evil surmisingS, perverst
disputings of men of corrupt minds an'
destitute of the truth"
Now, if these people are not slaves, a
they were when this passage was written
there still remain the same relations be
tween masters and servants. You canno
abolish "the word of God, which liveth an'
abideth forever"
He begged to enter his earnest protes
against all these levelling, agrarian doctrines
4 .,.L ala tnndnnn,, of 1Nhirh is q hrpak LII