Huntsville gazette., 1885-06-06
MEMPHIS.
LeMoyne Graduating Exercises---Dr.
Haygood Delivers the Annual
Address.

Correspondence Huntsville GAZETTE.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, June 4th. 1885.
The graduating exercises Of LeMoyne
Institute, class of 1885, took place at Avery
Chapel Friday night, May 29th. large
and appreciative audience was in atten-
dance. and were highly pleased and enter
tanned with the music, songs, and speeches.
Mr. J. D. Hill delivered an Grafton on
'.The Colored Man in History" dealing
severely with his prosecutors and claiming
for the race wonderful progress. snaided
and despite opposition. Mr.. G. 2. Ham.
ilton made an interesting address on Ed
ucation.
REV. DIR. ATTIGUs G. HAYGotD
delivered the Annual Address to the stu
dents. He sat down squarely on young
Hills ideas as advanced in his oration on
the ''Colored Man" as above mentioned.
Mr.. Hill had tried to impress upon the
audience that the colored people OF the
South had made wonderful progress all
alone without any help from the other race;
that he was turned out in the world at the
close of the war, with no shelter but the
skies; that the white people had been un-
kind oppressors before and since freedom.
Had even discouraged US by saying the
Negro had no soul, and lots of other dis
couraging facts which had been thrown IN
the colored mans pathway to progress and
prosperity familiar with our young orators.
DR.. Haygood b-gun his address in his
usual pleasant manner and congratulations
to the race. Babe them look forward with
the bright hopes OF their great future, and
not backward in repinings about past suf>
ferings and mistortunes. Right here be
let talI the
HAMMER OF CRITICISM
on Mr.. Hills oration. "One of your young
orators" said be, ''in his Grafton to night,
seemed to go down in history quite deep.
But l expect / have read as much history
as he, or any one else in the house. de
tells YOU no one lent you helping hand,
and especially not the white people OF the
South.
Why. there has been $50, ,000,0 600 spent on
the coierea man in the last 20 years. Most
of it given them by Southern white men.
Never was SO much spent on any race be-
fore, and there never was any people SO
DOOR as we of the South at the close Of the
wal. Slavery had knocked our white boys
out of labor, and tie war had taken away
all thew had of account Right here I may
say you possessessed much more than the
average whites did at the close of the war.
You had knowledge Of systematic labor,
a greater knowledge Of the English lan>
guage than all of Africa has to-day. Now
no law can be made to hurt the colored
man without hurting the white man also.
Thus you see all you need now to be
prosperous, respected people is
VIRTUE IN YOUR FAMILIES.
For you yonng men want wives you can
trust out of your sight; the young women
want husbands worthy of such wives. Then
you will be as highly appreciated as any
race on earth.
1t is true enough you have done better N
so short time than any other race ever was
known to do Yet you have not done near
so much as you should-not as much as
you could have done. l remember hearing
little girl quote in an essay to-day little
learning is dangerous thing. Well. it is
not the little learning that is so dangerous
but the little big head with it. It can be
relied upon that the Negroes worse enemy
is the Negro" [Cheers of approval and
applause, amidst which the speaker retired.
His address made lasting impression on
the audience. Yes let MS push forward
forgetting the misfortunes of the past, only
remembering that past to learn lessons OF
wisdom and guidance for the future.
The falling of the walls of the old Sta
ton House May % has caused a suit for
damages for $40, 900 to be brought against
the Memphis Taxing District. Parties in-
jnred instituted the suits.
In spite of the good work Of our Pastors
against Sunday excursions they continue to
run in full blast.
w. II. L.