The bee., 1883-04-21

CerOuS man, q d1SturDer OF the peace
Of the church. He was guilty of press
ing religion into an improper interfer-
ence with secular things, and making
mischief generally.
In fact. when viewed relatively, low
as was the ground assumed by this
good man two hundred years ago, he
was as far in advance of his times then
as Charles Sumner was when he first
took his seat in the United States Sen
ate. What baptism and church MEM
bership were for the negro in the days
of Goodwin, the ballot and civil rights
were for the negro in the days of SUM
ner. Though standing two centuries
apart, these two men are, nevertheless,
conspicuous links in the great chain
of causes and events which raised the
negro to his present position OF free
dom in this and other lands. Here to-
night, on the twenty-frst anniversary
Of Emancipation in the District OF
Columbia, the capitol of the grandest
republic of freedom on the earth. L
kneel at the grave amid the dust and
shadows of bygone centuries and offer
my gratitude and the gratitude OF SIX
millions of my race to Morgan Goodwin
as the grand pioneer of Garrison, ,Lundy,
GoodelI, Phillis, Henry Wilson, Gerrit
Smith, Joshua r. Giddings, Abraham
Lincoln, Thaddias Stephens and the
illustrious host of great men who have
since risen to plead the cause OF the
negro against those who would op-
press him.
Fellow Citizens-In view of the
history now referred to, the low point
at which he started in the race OF life
on this continent and the many Obsta-
cles which had to be surmounted, the
negro has reason to be proud of his
prgress if not of his beginning. He
is a brilliant illustration of social and
anthropological revolution and
evolution.
His progress has been steady, vast
and wonderful. No people has ever
male greater progress under similar
conditions. We may trace his rise
from Goodwin eontending for his right
to baptism, to Garrison with abolition
ism, and later on to Gillian alarmed at
the prospect of negro supremacy.
His progress is marked with three G'S
Goodwin, Garrison, Gillian. We see
him changed from a heathen to a chris
tian by Goodwin from slave to free
man by Garrison, from serf to soyer-
eign by Gillian.
am not a deciple of Professor Gill
liam, and have neither hope nor fear
of black supremacy, | have very lit
tie interest in his ethics or his arith-
metic. 1t may or it may not come to
pass. Sufficient unto the day is both
the evil and the good thereof. A hun
dred years is little further down the
steps of time than l care to look, for
good or for evil.
When father Miller proved by the
Bible, from whose pages great many
things have been proved, that the
world would come to an end in 1S43,
and proved it SO clearly that many be
gan to make their robes in which they
were to soar aloft above this burning
world, he was asked by a doubling
Thomas, ''But father Miller what if it
does not come? "WelP' said the good
old man ''then we shall wait till it
does come"
The colored people of the United
States should initiate the wisdom
of father Miller, and, wait
but we should also work while we wait.
For after all our destiny is largely in
our own hands. If we find we shall
have to seek, if we succeed in the race
of life, it must be by our own energies,
and our own exertions. Others may
clear the road, but we must go for
ward or be left behind in the race of
life.
If we remain poor and dependent,
the riches of other men will not avail
us. If we are ignorant the intel
ligence of other men will do but little
for us. If we are foolish, the wisdom
of other men will not guide us. If we
are wasteful of time and money, the
economy of other men will only make
our destitution the more disgraeeful
and hurtful. If we are vicious and
and lawless, the virtues and good be-
havior of others, will not save us from
our vices and our crimes
We are now free. and though. we
have many of the consequences of Our
past condition to contend against, by
union, effort, cooperation and by
wise policy in the direction and the
employment of our mental, moral, in
dustrial and political powers, it is the
faith of 10Y soul, that we
can blot out the hand wri-
ting of popular prejudice. remove
the stumbling blocks left in our way
by slavery, rise to an honorable place
in the estimation of our fellow citizens
of all classes, and make a comfortable
way for ourselves in the world
l have referred to the vast and
wonderful changes which have taken
place in the condition of the eolOred
people of this country. We rejoice in
those changes to-day, and we do well.
We are neither wood nor stone but men.
We possess the sentiments common To
right minded men.
But do we know the history of those
vast and marvellous changes and the
means by which they were brought
about? Do we comprehend the philo-
sOphy of our progress? Do we ever
think of the time, the thought, the
labor, the pain, the self-sacrifce, by
which they were accomplished? Have
we just and proper conception of the
noble zeal, the infexible frmness, the