Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-31
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND PROTESTS
AGAINST THE COLOR LINE.

Archbishop ireland was a promi
nent figure at the observance of the
twenty. seventh anniversary of the
emancipation proclamation, by the
Afro American League in st. Paul,
Mimi. There were Protestant minis
tiers and Catholic priests in attend
ance and a creditable representa-
ton of prominent Catholic laymen.
Mr.. McGhee delivered the opening
address. He discussed the race prob
lem, stating that the enlightenment
of the colored people had begun in
the west, and would spread through
out the land. He made happy re-
ference to the stand taken by Arch.
bishop Ireland, Rev. s. G. Smith,
and Ignatius Donnelly, as leaders
in encouraging the colored people
to greater progress and privileges.
j. III. Hickman read the emancip-
alton proclamation in clear and
distinct voice.
Archbishop John Ireland, who
was warmly welcomed, made short
but eloquent address. He began by
abiding to the occasion as one to be
proud as it was tie twenty seventh
anniversary of the day when the
chains OF slavery fell from over three
millions of slaves. He regretted that
history had to record that slavery
had ever existed in thus country,
as he thought 1T was sad common,
tary on the plan and principles OF
the Government of the United States,
the whole theory If which was oppo
sed to enslaviug man by his own
kind. Said he -
"Slayery was not introduced by
the Republic. 1t was brought to the
colony of Virginia by the English,
in 1920"
The trouble was in that virus had
been inoculated into the body poll
tic by foreign theory. The Arch,
bishop alluded to the statement hav
ing been made that slavery, III the
abstract, was but Il life contract for
labor, and asserted on a principle OF
ownership Of the body and soul of
the slave. The highest gift of
man was the privilege to know and
to act; but slavery took away the
freedom of the will. Emancipation
began with Christ, and the slavery
of the blacks was against the theory
of the christian religion. The eman
cipation of the blacks did not stop
at freeing the tody, hut it is being
extended to day in IA social way. He
referred to the oStracism from hotels
and cars, and entered a protest
against it. He continued -
"Slavery was wrong, and We
should do all in our power against it
because it was a disgrace. Color
Is the merest accident. The color OF
the face is made up Of various shad
ings in the races Of man. Why select
one color and place a bar upon it ?
1t is baseless prejudice. Some whites
were inferior in intellect to some
blacks, and he advocated intelli-
gence and social graceS as the basis
of equality.
"Give them their opportunity,
and if they are inferior, the white
people will profit by it /; il they are
superior. give them place. 1t is sim.
ply impossible to build up wall of
separation in this country between
the whites and the blacks. | say
admit the blacks Oh the same prin.
ciple that yon admit the white broth,
er. Let marriage be question of
taste. The law is not right when it
absolutely prohibits the intermar.
rage of the races. | would make
them equal socially. | would say let
all people in America be equal soci
ally and politically. Catholic Pilot.