The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-24
The South Carolina Situation as Seen
ThrousIs the Spceaac1es OF Rev. WIl.
Ham Troy, Pastor OF Second Co.orcd
BapcsSt Churcl, fz, Esfcgsruond

Ham Troy, Pastor OF Second Co.orcd
Baptist Church I'm Efchmond.
The large lectuie.room Of the coloTed Bap.
tist church on Byrd street near Second was
crowded TO its utmost capacity last night on
an announcement that the pastor. Rev. VII.
ham Troy, would lecture on "The Upper
and Working Glasses Of South Carolina" !"
giving the results OF bis observations on
recent tour which he had made through The
State. a Dispatch reporter WAS present,
made some notes under peculiar difficulties.
and makes full abstract Of the lecture.
The Eey. William Troy is q very bright
mulatso, has good voice and manner. is
well educated, anil a fluent aud very effective
popular speaker. He begun his lecture by
saying that he meant to correct certain errors
OF his race, but did not mean to insult aEy
or TO speak in other but the kindtst feelings.
although be should speak in great plainness
and for the glory OF God and the good of
his people.
lie was aware that there was some prciu.
dice against him because it was said thu, lie
was ''a foreigner aud Yankee" He was.
however, a native OF Virginia, though he
bad no regrets that ne Lad lett Virginia
and gone to lreer State, since he could
not have the rights and privileges here
which lie had found urder 1.-THE Union
Jack in good old England. He
cherished gratitude to England for rights
given and privileges granted; but be was
now il full sympathy with Virginia, and
with his people here. lie wanted for their
good 10 speak of some things he saw and
heard among the working classes Of South
Curoliua.
There were cestain things in vogue there,
aud, be regretted 10 say, among his people
here also, which he heartily despised. First.
lie would mention too great Familiarity.
He was in the habit OF always riding ia
fir>t-class car in order that lie might escape
the unpleasant odor Of tobacco and vulyarity
SO common in the secopd-class cars. Now.
as the colored men at Il station would recog-
nIze him as one of their race they would not
hesitate to rush into the coach and address
| him In the language oI familiar acquaintance
lie did not like such conduct. 1t was en-:
tireiy too familiar. Hc did not know and
would not be the aSSocilte OF every colored
man, or even every white man, he me-. :.
There should be grades in society, and no
man should try to push bimself up too fast.
Let him wait 'tili he was prepared to be aJ-
vanced. According to all Tell-established
rules of etiquette, no man should thrust
himself upon the acquaintance Of another
until he was satisfied that it would be
agreeable to him; and he would eXhort his
people TO remember this rule.
Another error he found there (and which
exists here alse) was that ereTy colcred man
considers himself The equal Of eocry other
colored man. He would say with emphasis
that this is not true. Heis not the equal OF
a Sc, -
his equal, and this saue principle applies to
coiored men in their relations TO each other.
Each is honored according to his position
and department. At the enunciation Of
this sentiment, cries of dat isIight, Doc
tor; dat is right" burst from admiring audi
tors.] According to popular theory all must
stand on the same level, but this is all wrong
Let q man go for what he is worth, no matter
what is the color of bis skin. Ii q c0ored
man begius to look up and III Ike something
of himself others will envy him and begin
10 say, "Fme Just as good az he" No; you
are not unless you have Tie same mec;a
and moral qualities. Work is honorable,
but you can't expect the man who works in
the tiel;! to be at home in good ard nteIl-
gent society. He will necessarily be rude in
his manners and Appearance. To illustrate,
he told Of dinner party in England, which
he claimed to have attended in company
with coloIed friend from North Carolina,
who Mortified him and the company by
drinking out OF 4 Gngcr5 bowl, ard cf the
same man who, when dining with The cclc-
bratcd DR.. Mcleod, in Glasgow, diSgustcd
lin sill more by helping the company TO
BAN and cauiiiloWer with he knife and
Jerk with which lie bad been eating. He
here made a fetyid appeal to lis brethren
not to eat with their knives.
lie insisted that the civilrights bill now
before Congress was never intended to force
social eq,.diity, bot only to allow his people
equal rights in public places; and that for
the res: they could ouly Use as they became
cultivated and refined.
The colored people must first learn the
doctrine, "Hcnor to whrm honor is due"
and prepare themselves fora higher position.
Another thing be noticed with regret in
South Caro!ua, and which is also common
here. the cotored people haze httle regard
10 the quality or The cleanliness Of The clothes
in ,chich they tr0rel, and are toi>terous ann
ill., hammered in the cars. They would ire
Quently put on airs and below across tho
curs at L" John,"" =" Tom," and "Sed."
He lampooned the habit also of carrying
all of their baggage-i including, even, hens
roosters, pigs, and herrings-iDto tht
coaches, and told his people that the whites
as rule, do not do this.
He then delivered a pointed and practica
bomily on the importance of cleanines
among his people.
He next passed on to iGsist that many G
the evils he had spoken OF exist among the
poor whites OF South Carolina as we'll q.
among the colored PEOPLE, since they are tht
inevitable coGcomitants Of ignorance an(
vice.
He had not left himself lime to speak O.
the upper classes of South Carolina, but ht
insisted that in the South Carolina LesisIa
ture there is fair proportion of culture and
talent, and cited Hon. William johnson
Hon. William Rainey, and Senator Elliott
as specimens Of the South Carolina
statesmen. But he was constrained
TO admit that all Of the legislators were not
couai TO these. He saw in the whole status
of the race in South Carolina hope for the
fnture, But they Deeded to be more eco
uou,tcdl. Men live there las here) beyond
their means. He insisted that if O man gets
only four dollars per week he should save
one dollar of it. He urged that they should
all have it in view some day TO own home,
and that they should. save money to that
end. He severely lampooned tine dressing
on the pait of poor people, and their dispo-
sition to "cut high dash and swell, carry
canes" &C., when they can't pay their rents
or buy broad. He was very severe on their
wasting their money in luxuries, and espe-
cialIy on whiskey, which makes hole in
the pocket and leaves the wife and children
hungry. ),
The colored reople of South Carolina are
poor now, and always will be as long as
fhey are Like the free man of color in his ma
tive county of Essex (be would cast no re-
proach on the place OF biz birthl, whom be
saw one dsv. when he was boy, come into