The Wilmingtonian., 1885-05-23
THE AFRICAN.
Notes at the Recent A. M. f. Courer-
ence.


ed to visit the sessions of the recent African
Methodist Conference, held in this city can
of the tremendous strides of advancement
in enlightment, in culture, socially, politi-
cally, in religious sense, and in fact in
all that goes to evidence substantial up
lifting of the colored race
Plentiful proof Of it was afforded upon all
sides in the conference hall 1t is not in
tended that this inference be gathered from
statistics but from personal observation.
The evidence is gained by the casual re-
marks of those around you. By the domoa-
nor and expression of the speakers. And
still more by the air of reliant and sslf-con-
| fident assertion by the rank and file among
| the conference members of thorough grasp
of their full responsibilities as human be.
ings
| For the colored race the era of Mumbo
Jumbo, of fetchism, and youdouism has
| passed away and the African has
now asserted with the true logic of true
premise, the right to all equal recognition
among the Caucasian races. He has accom-
plished it at last not by any pitiful bending
of the knees and supplication for the inher-
ent rights of all men to be applied in the in
terest of his race, but has for the last few
decades been silently and industriously
| working. until, as was exemplfed in this re-
cent conference, colored men stood up as
leaders, who, the writer, in all honesty must
confess, in all things that go to show schol-
arship, ready oratory, words to the point,
clothing the most practical and progressive
theories in language which for beauty of
expression and vigorous scintillating orato-
ry, it would be difficult to find anything su-
perior throughout the land, demonstrated to
any unprejudiced mind their title to all they
claim.
The enactment of the fifteenth amend
ment has been now, as a social measure
fully justified. At the time of its inception
war measure, and for years afterwards
: looked upon by its friends with anxious
eyes as a doubtful social problem, its bold
theories stand completely yindicated in a
social sense. Fears were entertained at the
time as to the racial capability of the newly
franchised people to fulali itf part of the
problem. All fears are now 8ppletely dis
r. lss.. - s.sss
Standing among that crowded audienc
Of hundreds, perhaps thousands of the col
ored race, one cannot escape being pro
foundly impressed by the picture. 1t is un
doubtedly revelation.
To judge by external appearances th'
: question of qualification would appear to b.
3 answered at sight. But what most pro
foundly touches the onlooker is the sugges-
tion that leaps to the imagination--can it b,
possible that these people were ever in bond
9 age as slaves ? As we listen to the flowing
3 rhetoric OF an accomplished speaker, ant
! there are many there, the fact must be own
y ed that he is a teachcr-a teacher in th
5 highest sense, qualified generously well 70
" any audience, not alone in grace or gesture
: or intellectual balance, or natural magnet
10 ism of oratory, all that is self evident, ,-bu
u in the marked grasp of wide informatio
III and the pointed application of subtl
ID thought to subtle problems! And all this
l. done by colored men, and with the east
O. even grace of a Cicero or Demosthene'
III The writer has sat for hours at this recer
le conference attracted, without moment
WEAKNESS, by the speaking of different co
ored men.
A case in point, illustrated in the recoI
Of the Rev. DIR. B. W. Arnett, a colore
clergyman, and financial secretary of IL
African NJ E. Church.
He was one of those present at the confe
ence. This gentleman's career is standir
exemplification of the possibilities of Il
coloIed race. do not intend to refer to b
:, clerical prominence for that need not ha
weight in social problems of this exact Vi
ue.
~ In Green county, Ohio, DR.. Arnett's II
tive place, where he was born in 1888, he
the Republican nominee for the legislatul
i, A nomination in that county which has
nc 2, 800 Republican majority is equivalent
- election. His opponents for the Republic
"a nomination, it is significant and necessary
q, relate were two of the most prominent,
ia cially and politically speaking, gentlemen
r, Xenia the county seat of Green county, Q
-, a rich banker and the other landed pr OF
- etor. Yet in an open field, DR.. Arnet C
~ ried the votes of the populace. 1t is VIII
no population also.
The question arises here, and in all j
tice it must be conceded, that there ex
in this colored man those qualities of lead
ship, personal superiority and all the sui
conditions of moral manhood which are s
ie'- assertive of leadership. There must be t
'ow vim in him, that we Anglo Saxons claim
Ders our birth-right to the exclusion of
,ad- quality in the Latin races-and this is
covered in negro! 1t is strange eth
logical revelation. What would Chal
Darwin say of it? Dr. Arnett's is not a
gether an exceptional case either, for u
the floor of the conference meeting tb
were several other colored men whose
luel ords run parallel course DR.. Arnett