The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-15
POLITICS AND RELIGION.

1t is q notorious fact that many of the
worst politicians among the colored peo-
pie are preachers, and while pretending
to be engaged in instructing their con-
gregations about the great truths of re-
ligion, they are really endeavoring to
stir up strife between the races, and to
estrange the colored people from those
friendly relations to the white man
which would be of mutual advantage to
both races. Such preachers as these are
the worst enemies of their race and of
society at large that can be found any
where. They are also curse to the
cause of religion, which they profess to
hold up to men, for by their seditious
political teachings they inculcats unrest
and strife into their congregations in the
place of peace and good will towards
men. We think there are several of the
colored preachers of this County who
have done great deal to keep open the
breach between the races, and whose
course should be condemned alike by
both white and colored citizens, but pre-
eminent among these is one Rev. G. T.
Strickland, colored, of Pendleton, who is
not content with inculcating his seditious
doctrines at home, but in a religio-politi-
cal letter to the Christian Recorder, OF
Philadelphia, makes religious CORES
pondence the vein for circulating de.
liberate Misrepresentation of the white
people of this County. This man has
been ccunselling his congregation not 70
work for the customary wages, and on
this subject in his letter says:
Our people labor for a living; there
are not people under the canopy OF
heaven who works any harder than the
colored people do and get less for their
work. The idea of q man getting S., Sc
and $8 per month, and that is promised
to him-he don't get that amount. How
is he to keep his family on such small
amount? Hundreds of men in the upper
country who are now farming have not
got corn nor bacon to run crop with.
They will have to give some white man
claim on his crop and COWS, hogs and
horses, before he can get anything at all,
and when fall comes Mr.. White man will
get it all and give Mr.. Black man
nothing.
In this he misrepresents the state OF
things Intentionally, for the colored peo-
pie know full well that such wages as are
promised are as a rule paid them, and
they more frequently leave owing their
employers than with their employers
owing them. 1t is true that wages are
low, but then money is worth more than
it was formerly, and when a money value
is given for services it is exclusive OF
board, house rent and fire wood, which
makes the amount much more in reality
than in appearance. The effect of his
advice would be to throw the colored
man out of employment altogether, be-
cause they now get as much as their EN-.
ployers can afford to pay. He continues
must say our people are in bad con-
dition in this county. I will say if they
don't get away from here to Africa, they
will wish in q few years they had not
heard of Southern country. I always
was in favor of the Exodus movement.
think better thing could not have been
brought about. A great many of our
people North and South, East and West
are opposed to it, but it don't amount to
anything much. Let me appeal to those
good men who are in front of this Exo-
dus movement, be of good courage, you
are doing work that will never be for
gotten while time lasts; Africa will be
the garden spot of the world at some
future day. -~'S
Now, if his congregation will think OF
it they will see his inconsistency. He
processes to favor emigration to Africa,
but takes good care to stay here himself.
He is only in favor of talking about this
subject to induce the North to believe
that the colored people are greatly op-
pressed here, but at the same time he
neither goes himself nor tries to induce
others to 60, because he knows this is
the best country the colored people can
find.
Speaking of a religious meeting at
Due West, he says:
I was informed by the people of that
place that the Sunday before, q colored
lady was pulled off the street by white
man. What for? Because she would
not get off and let him pass by. 1t is a
shame to see how our colored women are
run over by these lawless white people.
The charge of lawlessness against the
whites of this County is totally without
foundation, for they violate the laws as
seldom as any people in the world, and
whenever they do violate them from any
cause they are promptly tried and pun
ished by our courts. The most blatant
Radical cannot point to single instance
in which the laws have been violated
without the guilty party having been
tried and impartially dealt with in the
courts, whenever complaint has been
made.
Now, from these extracts the people of
this County can judge of the character
of this professed preacher, whose real
mission in our midst is to foment discord
and, as far as possible, trouble between
the races for political purposes. Our
colored people should cease to sustain
this man as their preacher, for when their
spiritual direction is in the hands of such
men they are sure to begin retrograde
in morality. 1t is to the interest of both
races to live together in this State upon
peaceable and friendly terms, and men
who are constantly seeking TO throw fire.