Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-03-18

evil. The white man has Hogged us, and
fed us like hogs and shot at us like wild
beasts. but, thanks to the blessed Jesus,
/ feel it in my poor ole heart to forgive 1t
all. Let us sing:
You MAJ bea. upol my boly
Bat yoa canno. harm my soul,
/ For I'm jine the fory thousand 10y an by
That's the way to glorify the Lord.
"Mcrchr" said the fiery boy, contcmp-
tuouslv: I've will hunt them with blood
hounds, as they hunt us. We will shoot
them down like dogs, as they shoot us.
Who talks of mercy,
\ din of angry voices followed the out
burst. but in the midst of all could be
heard the trcmulous, solemn voice OF poor
Old joe
Jesus said do good for evil.
He stood his ground in the midst, lean
ing ON his oak stick, cxpo>tulated,
preached and reasoned, and to all the out
bursts Of fury the cracked, trcmulouS
voice of poor Old Joe opposed with the
one inyincible argument:
Jesus said do good for evil.
The gentle. trembling uoicc Of the old
negro preacher calmcd the negroes at last,
and conquered them, and they finally
agreed not to murder their masters, but
simply to join the Yankee army when it
came
Old Joe saved the live, and property of
hundreds of white people that night.
Listen. now. and hear what the white
man did for him.
The war was over and the negroes
were free. The finger of fate pointed to
future when the black mans rights
would be no more questioned than the
white mans. Then the only ambition
that stupid, igcorant old man cvor mani
tested i'll hi, life came out. lou would
never have thought it Of him, but here II
wa, that Old Joe began, in his stupid, old
Niger way. 10 move the world 10 secure
an education for Young Mosr, the only
child he had left New life and new
blood seemed 20 come into his sluggish
vein, for the time. tie sent Nose to
school in the North, Old Joe worked
and "skimpcd," and many a day would
hay. ikcl little more fol his dinner. but
IN the course of time thi, only child WAS
~ediic,ted. well and thoroughly.
Now. though, came the most genuine
l;,.rc-, of al. Cultured, hish-spirited
and nearly white though hc was, there
wa, no place at hi, old home for Mo>c.
White company rcyoltod from him. and
he rcvo!tcd equally from the ignorant herd
Of blacks around him.
II am going away from here, sand
Nose 90 hi, father "ln Louisiana there
Is society of colurcd people, cultured,
refined and wealthy. and powerful enough
10 ask odd, Of no Anglo-SaNon. Thcr
shall find my place. and there | shall be
happy.
-Mosc." said Old Joe, his voice un-
consciously taking on IT, solemn. Mctho-
dist preacher tone, 1.-The happiness OF one
man in TIM, world i, a poor, pititul thing.
Tits the happinc,, in the next world a
man ought to think about.
IL don't believe there is any next
world. said Mo~c III there was God
would hc ever have allowed African slav-
cry in America No. God is a lie and
heaven an old woman dream.
The voice of Old Joe took on more and
more of It's solemn, Methodist preacher
tone. 1t sounded in lis eamcsnc,s even
d, it did that nish; in the bush, when it
checked the slave Instruction. The Old
man stood upon his feet, and leaned upon
the same old staff.
Nose, said the old man, i've tried
to saryc the blessed Master for NOR II forty
years, an know the hope that's held me
UP all them years amt in vain. In the
| blessed Masters own time, no: your time
nor mine, Nose, but His own. the good
day'n come fur the black man in Amcriky.
/ see it all spread ont before me somehow,
as if it was a picter like. an in the time
to come. see all hope for the black man.
When this worn out an weary old body
/ is under the groun' it will come. | sent
Won to school 50 You could work among
our own poor people and lift them up and
help them. so by an by the black man
can meet the white man on level groun' .
South Caroliny is yer State. Nose, an
right here. among these poor, ignorant
critters. is yer place an Yer work. Stand
bv yer own people, Nose. Help EN- an
work for en-. In the breast of every one
of them there Is a little seed of fire that
YOU can kindle and fan till it flames out
and lights up all the soul Of the black
man. Don't leave EN-. I'm a very old
man now, and the blessed Master nigh;
send fur me any time, day or night, and
take me unawarcs. If he sends when
Won don't know ii. Nose, an YOU come il
some day an find me gone, remember tins
as if it was the last words yer old father
ever spoke to YOU: Stand by yer people.
The voice of the old Methodist preacher
had stilled negro insunection once
What wonder ii it could affect the thought:
and the purpose Of one sensitive, impress
sionablc man, and that man the preach
er's own son: There was that in the sol
emn, quayering tones that day whicl
changed Moses life. It echoed in hi
ears by day and whispered in his dream
Of the night.
Atlength beautiful vision Of elcvatina
the negro in America took possession o
his eager Young soul Nose became al
.L,,-;. 10 would e,i,-o L;s lic. ~ IN.