Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-02-23
4 STORY WITH A MORAL.

pists and modern Statesmen have been
controlling public affairs on this Con-
tincnt. Religion, morals and secular
matters have received undivided at
tcntion from the 1900 New England
schools ofclergymcn and theiriollowers,
who enlightened the American Con.
grcss in 1857, by their elaborate pcti-
tion on the subject Of slavery and other
crimes. The names Of Bcecher and
Bowen shown as brightly ON the peti-
ton in question as the morning and
evening stars, and the religious and
secular armament was lit up and
fairly beamed with "virtuc, Liberty
snd Independence" because of the un-
questioned picty and wisdom of the
school indicated
How does heirprcaching harmonizc
with their practices to-day2 Tho ono
stands up and calls tho great Preacher
A LIAR, ADULTERER AND PER
JURER. The preacher rctorts by
calling the brother Bowen, A LIAR
AND SLANDERER. These two men,
tho pulpitecr of Plymouth Church and
the editor of the New York hdepend-
ent, did more to delnge this happy
country in blood and immortality than
all the efforts of any one hundred per-
sons combined, Their teaching has
debauched both races. The demor-
..ss!!zation among the whites in the
the gutter snipe.
To give our readers an inside view
Of the moral trimming of tho negro race
down South, under the Same instruc-
tors, we call to the witness stand &C
year old Methodist negro preacher, Of
Raleigh, North Carolina, who can keep
quiet no longer and therefore issues
the following address to his people.
Read what he says carefully:
TO the Freedmen Of North Carolina:
/ desire to call your attention to tho
fact that among our people crime is ON
the increase stealing, robbery, murder
and crimes in all their hideous forms,
seem TO have taken possession Of our
people, and il must bc stopped. The
penitentiary is filled to overhowng,
the jails and warehouses are no SOON
or omptied than they are filled again.
Fellow. countrymen, you must awake
to this dreadful state OF affairs and gird
on your armor and battle against crime
in all its forms. Ministers Of the gos-
pei, deacons and class-lcaders, 90 to
work, impress upon your people the
danger of entering into the paths OF
crime, which sooner or later, If this
continues, will cngulf our entire race.
This is no exaggerated appeal go
to the courthouses and look at the
dockets; 60 to the jails and you will
see them filled go to the penitentiary,
to the railroads and the public works
and you will see hundreds of our race,
in striped suits, telling and working as
q punishment for crimes committed be-
cause they were too lazy to work be-
fore. During the January term OF
Wake county court over thirty colored
persons were convicted for stealing
only about five were acquitted and
only three white men were convicted
is not this sad reflection upon our
race ? Colored men and women, 20 to
work, stop stealing, stop going to the
courthouse.
Stop stealing and lying and cheating
and go to work, and we will,b happy
and prosperous people. Here are some
of the cases in our last court: One man
sentenced to the penitentiary Tor steal
ing goose; one for stealing a COW
one old, gray-headed woman and her
two sons for stealing hog and sheep.
Fathers and mothers, make your
children work don't encourage idle
ness, the father of crime. Colored
people of North Carolina, you must
arouse to the necessity of doing some
thing to put stop to this thing, or we
are a ruined people. Keep it before
the people, talk to them, preach to
Ihem, exhort them by every lawful
means, to live honestly and in tho fear
of God. In your churches, at horse,
N the school.house, everywhere, keep
alive the fact that crime must be stop
ped. In the name of heaven, i'm
plore every preacher, and every man
)f influence, to 60 to work and do
to put a stop to crime among
our people.
Think of it, ye mothers and wives
md daughters in time, for you know
lot how soon you will see one of your ,
beloved ones being led in shackles and
landcufis to the felons cell. Think of
t in time, and God will bless and re-
ward you for it.
am an old man and / write this in
he hope that may arouse our people
o the Importance Of taking some steps
o put check to crime which is stalk /
ng abroad in our land, and cutting off
n the prime of life so many of our
,eople.
To the preachers of Raleigh, and to
he peachers all over the State, cs-
'ecially look to for some good work.
.et them preach every Sunday and let
hem take their text from the criminal
locket of their county. They will find
,lenty Of cases which win furnish
'bundant material for powerful SER {
non. Bring this matter to the atten.
ion of the people, SO that they may
hink and ponder over it and resolve I