Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-03-01
THE CHILDREN OF HAM.
An Interesting Lecture Given Be-
fore the Ashland Club by James
Allan.


l.. Allen.
a lecture delivered by James Lane Allen,
Thursday evening, before the Ashland club
was SO highly appreciated and contained so
many points Of merit that a synopsis is re-
produced. The subject was "'rhe Exodus
of the Children Of Ham," in which the
speaker affirmed that though twenty-five
years had passed since the ''bondsman went
free yet the closer the student Of social
conditions observed the existent state of af
fairs in the south the more deeply was his
heart moved in sadness and pity. Slavery
was a crime, and how far reaching we
are now but beginning to know. The
brotherhood of man is at last beginning TO
be acknowledged not alone in the good we
do but as well in the ills we suffer. In Gods
retributive Justice the pains Of the slave
are as well visited on the master, the family,
the state, the nation, and the world.
EVERY true picture OF southern life must
Of necessity be marked by the idle hands,
the unthinking minds the low status of la
Dor. the unused capital which are in so great
contrast to the free and developed north.
The exodus Of the children of Ham dates
A. ID. 1865. The wars close found the
negroes largely engaged in agricultural
OF government was all they had known. No
social problem disturbed them not even the
daily struggle for bread. With emancipa
ton came IA period of unrest, in which, fol-
lowing instinct rather than reason, they
segregated together and gravitated toward
the cities. The long years OF hard labor
but served TO brighten the anticipations of
freedom from toll and its accompanying
pleasures which the city must bring to
them
'No pen can adequately portray the pains
and pcrils OF their quarter century's wan
derings the thirst, hunger, nakedness, and
disappointment which accompanied the re
pentant recollectious Of the flesh pots Of
their abandoned Egypt Give man plenty
and 10 spare and his sympathieS may be
large, but deny him fulness and into the
struggle for the loaf the tiger like selfish
ness of mans nature enters Only after
the animal is fed does the intellectual and
moral obtain nutriment Only in long es-
tablished communities do the helpful en-
large their sympathes and only in the high
est civilization do the helpful help each
other What chance then had these UNI
tutored children in this unequal struggle
into which they precipitaed themselves.
| War had impovcIi she'd the people, laws had
! been overturned, customs abolished, and
\ life was cheaper than bread
us il any wonder at such n time that
! these helpless humans are often hungry,
! naked and homeicss ~ asked the speaker as
! he gives "A rea i5tic dream OF the eX slaves
! dream Of homo and peace and plenty as he
/ had known il in the past, so wildly pictured
! as 10 seem a reality, and then he con'r3stcd
| il with the gloomy awakening TO find IL all
| a dream ana the children Of Ham gone out
! Of bon1age-hut into the wilderness. IN
! stead of the old hapDygO lucky freedom
from care which they enjoyed in the planta-
tion days the p anter now demands and Will
have return for each dollar paid. Care now
walks beside labor in the furrow during the
/ daytime and anxiety brOods over the cabin
in the night, fer the morrow may bring sick
! ness and want. The sun shines as brightly
as ever. but IL has more heat than gladness,
! for its coming i but an invitation 10 toll and
| il may be bitterly true thai by and by hard
times comes a-knocking at tire door, and il
truly is my old Kentucky home, good
! night
His picture Of the present home, which, he
| argued, was fairly typical OF that acquired
in the cities by the children OF Ham, was in
/ unfavOrable contrast TO their former cOndi-
! tion as slaves, yet he does mention instances
/ where homes have been bought, and their
| tidy look bctokens the prosperity Of their
| occupants, while others have by frugality
and diligence established FOR themselves a
! local habitation ana name, and even the pro
/ LESSONS find in their ranks a few asp ring
souls from among these children, but In The
/ main, after quarter cen 'urY OF liberation,
| one finds more pathos than plenty in the
SOtldl COlulNloilS VI lutSt Stub.t, EOOl -lcstIl
Oh, improvident children
Quoting from Irwin Russell, who pays
| high tribute to the negro character, ne holds
! that the people are unsurp issed by any in
their unsclhsh love aud loyalty, the few pet
~ vices marking their character being OF
small moment when il is considered that
| murder, raplne, pillage, anarchy have no
abiding place in their midst Meek in
spirit kindly in disposition, patient in toll,
cheerful in adversely, generous in prosper
ity' rcgareful of his fellows, reverent
toward God, and loyal 10 his country, if the
nation does but half its duty by him in the
centuries to come he will prove it.
bulwark and its blessing"
The picture Of Aunt Whey was drawn
with great fidelity, and the aged negress and
her childlke simplicity of manner were most
charmingly pictured in excellent dialect,
the pathetic story OF her life bcing graph
cally told in her own words, and moving
many Of his hearers TO tears, of which they
Were not ashamed. Judge Tuthill returned
thanks for himself and By acclamaton for
the rest of the interested and delighted
audience when the speaker had finished
| Chicago Times.