Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-29
WOESOFTHE NEGRO
His Hardships and Denials Set
Forth
IN LANGUAGE MOST ELOQUENT
BY Silver Tongued Advocate Of Equal
ity IN AL Things Between Whites
and Blacks-Eloquent Periods.

cided sensstlon took place IN the Bethel
African Methodist Episcopal church last
night, when the congregation refused
TO join in singing "Amerlcs.
One man IN the audience arose and
said.
81 don't want TO sing that song until
this country 10 what Il claims 20 be,
Sweet land of liberty"
The preacher then started 'Joh n
Brown" IN which the entire audience
joined IN singing. lnfiammatory
speeches were made by many present
Among others +. L. Burnett spoke and
among other things he said:
Contemplating a picture 90 gloomy as
this, the negro must resolve 70 find
new way out. We have gwen the white
man every exactlon more than honor
could ask or self-respect should grant.
We have earned his bread by the sweat
OF our brow. He repays our centuries
of servitude by robbing us OF the fruits
of our few free years. We nursed his
infant hands; they strike Us in their
strength; yea, while he fought 10 forge
the letters upon our necks We defended
his home and the dear ones about his
appeals TO honor our cause has pleaded
for hearing. But he 10 deaf, dastardly
deaf and heartless. He is incapable of
gratitude. Mercy pleads to him in
vain. Pity is a stranger and remorse is
unknown. The chlvxlry which saves
the weak from the assault of the strong
never stays his vlndicuve hand, which.
reeking with the blood of 10000 butch
Ia. "A t-..a
ltself arbiter of our fortunes and lives.
We nave STOOD this long enough. There
ls such thing as "iast ditch" and II
the negro must find IT let him find It
like man.
Time For Thought.
This is time for thought, deep, earn
est, courageous thought. The super
ficial survey should find no place in
our councils. We must not be moved
by the fiery invechves OF men who
shoot from shelter, nor shall We heed
that cowardly counsel that will emas-
culate life in order to live. "Wnat
shall the negro dor" is q question that
must be answered, not by fiippant
thought nor fiery speech, but it must
be taken TO our hearts and homes. Ii
is a question too broad to be touched
save with n purpose that 10 supremely
unselfish and courageous to the death.
We must think for ourselves. The
white people gave US one John Brown.
If We must have another let him be
flesh of our fiesh and blood Of our
bloood.
There are those who believe that
blood must be washed away In blood.
They have watched the growth Of
southern outlawry which, first excus-
ing itself because of fear of political
domination, has gradually extended
until negro's life mas no more sacred
ness than that OF q brute. Families
are driven from home aud their prop
erty confiscated. women are stripped
to nskedness and lashed, witnesses are
tied to fences and shot. jailers give
their keys to murderous mobs of q
white civilization which In one state
hangs 15-yesr-old girl child TO . tree
until she strangIes to death, and in an
other state ties q man to stake and
saturatee him with oil, calls for a white
woman who strikes the match and sets
him on fire.
Prepare for the Crisis.
We have stood this thing long
enough. God helps those who help
themselves. The crisis is approaching
and We must be prepared. What the
negro needs most 10:
Not forbearance, for he has shown
that until patience has become Q bur-
den.
Not prayer, for he has worried heaven
with his pleading.
Not sorrow, Tor, like the psalmist,
"rlvers of tears' have run down his
eyes.
Not pity, for pity and commiseration
are too close kin.
Not legislation, for the law books are
tombs of statutory bones.
Not friends, for ten thousand times
ten thousand friends nave espoused his
cause in vain.
Not sacrifice. for 300 battles and 3oo,.
600 graves tell the story of vicarious
sacrifice to which history knows no
parallel.
What ne needs is the spirit of martyr
dom, that heroic conservation of life
which has been the price of every on.
ward step in the history of human lib
erty.
Upon this holy dsv, in this sacred
place, in the presence of the altar.
u
on earth and good will toward all men. T"
We must not, even IN thought, APP
prosch TO rashness.
History Oppresses Them.
But the history past arises before us
and oppresses us with the solemn con-
viction that after all the negro must he
the architect of bis own fortune.
Lynch law, hanging and burning viii
continue IN the south until the south
ern white man finds out il does not
pay. How he - 10 learn that lesson
rests with him, but learn IT be must
and shall. TINS much must we resolve,
not with boast or threat. bat with cool
calm, calculating courage, which hsr.
ins discerned the right, dsres 20 do II
or die.
During the years of ouT freedom
more than ten thousand of our race
have met with violent and unlawful
death. s'Ten thousand" TOYS lightly
upon the tongue; but to the thought
fui man 10000 murders means some.
thing. IL means 10. 900 homes shocke
by the brutsl hatchery of loved ones,
10000 families nursing the smolder1nQ
enbers Of hate 20 keep them warm,
10000 crimes for winch some one must
pay.
Today the south stands with reck les.
feet upon . crime-stsined crust t,e.
meath which seeth ard swell TOE
crushed, pent up and psiiiess energy oi
outraged humanity. one murder toe
many. and that spirit wiIl break forth
n one remcfstless sweep Of dsvssta.
ton snd death. Ten thousand more
victires may die, sni a will be ten thou
sand black aud white in zone red bar
"a bient sfod forbs4 that dsy, bat II