The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-02

A1kSAA w" A~N
Well Apply to Any Other People.
On the second of November, 1885,, a mass
meeting was held in the Morris Brown a. NJ.
f.. Church, Charleston, S. c., with Blshop
Shorter in the chair, to consider the condition
aud prospects of the cOlored race in America.
On that occasion the following resolution was
adopted:
Resolved, That the pastors who have addressed
this meeting be authorized to prepare and publish an
address to the races on the subject matter Of this
evenings discussion.
Agreeably with this, the undersigned re-
spoctfully submit the following paper:
The CoIored Race In America.
The position of the colored race in the Unit.
ed States is unique. For two and a half cen
turtles they nave dwelt for the most part with
In the old slave States as the hewers of wood
and drawers of water for the white race. Yet
to-day they are almost as much unknown and
misunderstood by their white brethren as il
they lived on some unvisited island in mid
ocean. Of this ignorance the southern whites
are totally unconscious; they claim to under
derstand the uegro thoroughly.
Everywhere, however, ridiculous notions
concerning the negro are promulgated. A
book of wide circulation through the South
man, but the highest order Of beasts. An au-
thority SO high as the Encyclopedia Brttannt-
ca, on information obtained from Southern
ers, "who know the negro" gravely asserts
tIltlp llit . SAalR t3io AStA - SD 49,
Stituted that he can never reach the mental
development of other races. :,
Before the census of 1880 showed the rapid
growth Of the negro population IN the South
It was declared that the Southern negro,
without the fostering care OF slavery was dy-
ing out. Others affirm, without knowledge.
that the negro is SO improvident and careless
of the future that he can never acquire prop
erty. but must forever remain q pauper and a
servant of servants. 1t Is solemnly asserted
that the Creator made the negro without q
conscience, that he Is born q thief, a liar and
Il sensualist, and that female chastity among
the race does not exist. Time has exploded
these theories, but still the negro Is not
known. Much Of this ignorance is invinct-
BILE. Having once formed an opinion on this
subject men are unwilling to change them.
The Progress of the Race.
It is a lamentable fact that but little atten-
ton has been paid by our friends to the pro
gress of the colored race since the war. Free
dom found the colored people destitute, lg-
norant, homeless and without right or title In
the soil. Slavery had produced moral and in
tellectual encrvation. II would not have
been strange had they turned robbers and
highwaymen. and, in turn. terroriZe and rob
society, as society had for SO long a time ter
rorized and robbed them. Instead, however,
of turning outlaws the black men Of the
South went to work to improve their condi;,
ton and how much they have accomplished
let facts and figures show. Ten years after
emancipation they had deposited in their
savings banks over Sd2,OOOoo1. IL Tue otaIS
pay taxes on S9,000,0D worth of property.
The last census shows that the colored people
of the South are assessed for over 9o,S0,O0 or
taxable property. nthe state OF south Car
olina there are large -pro~perty,holders among
the colored people. Even under the bllshtlnS
influence of slavery free people OF color anu
some slaves acquired conslderaole property
in Charleston; and this has been done under
the most u~nfavorable circumstances. A lace
that accomplishes this certainly shows the
ability to become in time a prosperous people
il q fair chance be generally allowed them.
Axe SOAoSe" e"I'Ae " SeA''A
Nor have thew been u%nmindful of the ad-
vantorrs of moral and intellectual develop
r,ent' The South is dotted all over with nor
mai schools and colleges-eyery State has
themNfor the education of the negro. No
man can visit them wear after year without
acknSwieaga Igno une Cd p priggcins,, iI hv Norihern
benevolence. BE it said, however, to the cred
XIV of Srae ScbnoIs for tho educoti0n of
the coIored youth. It is the uniform testi-
monv Of teachers in ali the schools that the
cniored children. other things being equal, do
,s we'll as whites. And in higher education
the colored Youth show their ability to cope
with students of any race. In Languages, sci
ences and arts they are working their way
,non their own merits. Colored LAWYERS, ed
;tnrs clernvmen physicians. teachers. iner-
chants and artists SHOW what the race has a..
ppn,p1icho6 in every 1nn1rtmpnf OF mental
]oct;v;tv The negro has built churches. par
sonaacs osviums' cmplovcd cultivated minis
ters snd teachers. orpanizcd and conducted
benevolent Societies and SO proved his re-
.nnnt amd venerntion for morality and reli"-
Spuo' Thnroh iawerv Iv,s not - nonj schoo,
1 ~ rn 10 vst tSeye ore men aHd v'onHen
,.;th nhnrocters oleon and snotless trur in
" VIII " ,ho oh" ra, oti to 1iod d md 1nnn We sinh.
vi ~ ,his r.nord Cf tu,antv wcars nf nro.
I'LL I'LL i iS s,tHciant t0 awaken the rerard Of uil
ffnvors of humonitv
Eor fonr hundred wears the present proud
anoio Saxon wore the collar of seryitude. He
60 s1IS With t,e land and never raised q
si%1sr to end his slavery r. took him cen
tmr;es after Columbus discovered America
70 rise to his present Greatness. SO that the
A fricon rore I'm America can challenge the
worlds races TO produce = parallel to It's ad.
Woncement in tile first quarter of q century
~ &c frraio,n
The legal Rights of the 0 Race
in tho South.
Ah 'Ac S"''"'
It Is this race that has accomplished so
much against such odds that now raises its
voice in solemn protest against the cruel
wrongs and Injustice to which it is subjected.
In the Southern States the brethren of Il COM
mon Father dwell together. The white race
1,oocts tint bnhind II are n thousand years OF
nirilizotion. The colored remembers that if
Iros INT Yesterday that H. came out of the
house of Ioudape' The Constitution OF the
1Tnitod States and the laws of our country
SOW that those races are equal before The
F"S q .t,,;,, o;,;I