The state capital., 1892-05-28
A BYSTANDER'S NOTES.
Ifit be true that
Satan trembles when he sees

II it be true that
Satan tIembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees,
what will be the condition of the devil
of injustice, oppression and barbarism
when, on the 3st of May. he shall see
seven millions of people offering their
fervent petitions TO Almighty God to
be delivered from his cruel thralldom :?
That day the colored people OF the
States have consecrated to fasting and
PRAYER for the deliverenee of their race
from the oppression and injustice which
they experience at the hands of the
white Christians of the great Republic.
This event will, no dc uht, mark an epoch
in the history of American liberty. Let
no colored man Or woman fail to Gift
The heart and bend the Knee that day
in humble prayer for justice with peace,
equal right, equal opportunity. and full
and adequate protection for his people
in every corner Of our land.
~
1t will be spectacle for angels and
men to behold with wonder! Seven
millions of dusky Christian citizens
praying God to shield them from the
injustice and oppression Of a Christian
people whose nationality is builded on
| the immortal declaration, 'all men are
created equal" and which has long
| bOaSted itself to be the ''sWeet land of
liberty" and secure refuge for the op-
pressed of earth.
1t is terrible thing when whole
people prays for shelter and salvation
from the wrong and injustice of an
other people. But these petitioners are
| black and those from whose wrong they
ask relief are white Christians. Will
| God hear them? For two centuries the
American slave prayed for Jubilee" =
the year of liberty. God waited long for
the American people to hear and render
justice of their own accord. When
they refused He punished them through
their own madness and with sword
avenged the blood shed by the lash
Now, the colored citizens Of the United
States ask God that He will incline the
hearts of white Christians to justice
that they may obtain equality OF right
and security in the exercise of just and
lawful privileges. Will God hear them
Will He heed their prayer?
Whether God heeds this pitiful appeal
or not the world will hear, and one car
but wonder how it will be received by
certain classes.
How will the white Christians of the
South regard this appeal to heaven fol
deliverence from the brutality and op
preston which it has not sought to re
move, and which it has very often en-
couraged and approyed-for which it il
wholly responsible, since it is within it
power to prevent. Will they interced
with God to deny the prayer OF thei
colored brethren?
And the white Christians of tn
North. those who profess to love liberty
-. to believe in equal right, and God VIII
is ''no respector of persons, what Wi
they do? Will they echo the prayer @
, the colored believers and ask that jill;
+ tice may be done?
And the world beyond-what will
say Of this strange spectacle? VIII tn
! world be strengthened in it's faith in II
4 publican institutions and the unbelle'
ers gather faith in Christian teachin
from the sight Of black Christians asl
ing God to mediate between them an
a the white followers of Christ?
| X
: Profoundly impressed with the graz
, ity Of these questions the Bystand'
addressed to the representatives Of tt
=, body representing the largest numb
Y of pronounced believers in huma
4 rights and equal liberty among tt
American churches, the General Co
IL ference of the Methodist Episcop
Church of the United States, now
:. session at Omaha, the following mel
orial:
To the bishops and delegates of t
Methodist Episcopal Church of t
United States, in General Conferen
assembled. Men and Brethren
should feel myself obnoxious to t
most lust censure as man, as cltiZe
:, as a humble member of the chur
ID whose interests you are met to consid
y and especially as President of the n
is tional Citizens Rights Associate
er should / fail to invite your attention
conditions not less perilous, as we
n. lleve, to Christian civilization than
ne the peace and dignity OF the Unit
Is States.
I'd While you are met together to CT
rs slider the things which pertain to
kingdom Of God upon earth, most S
niticant events are occurring among
which no Christian soul can afford
on ignore, and for which no Amerlt
jer Christian can hold himself wholly gu
ii less. since he who stands by CONSENT
an to evil in a seif-governing country
TX himself guilty of the wrong done
fellows which might have been T
ra- vented by his action and protest.
or ~ In the very midst OF your consul
os tions seven millions of our fellow c
,ad zens are arranging for day of fast
90 and PRAYER throughout the length ;
of breadth of our land that Colour &
W VI from whose teachings has sprung
n6 earth illuminating thought of the
versal brotherhood Of man-wlll inc
at the hearts of the American slavery
ht. based, and to whom our Christian CT
ard lzation for two centuries and half
re- MED all the rights Of man; who "
to forbidden by law the sacred ordina
'es- of marriage in one-third of the ST
to of the Union. whose eyelids were Sc;
It's in impenetrable darkness, lest
should learn the lessons Of liberty
. den in the words of Jesus of Nazar
IL, who were denied the right OF self
lpn fense. legitimate love, family ns
on no possessory power-everything, lnd
GhS : ms that civilized man holds dear save
W the grace of the master might pei
ht, them to enjoy.
cen GENTRA LII A.
Rev w. III. Denton preache