The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-06
THE CoLoRED MAN In AMERICA


Aud His Relation to Freemasonry. by
Rev. J. II. Blake, Mt the Third Anni-
versary Of Prince Edward Lodge, No. |
IT, r. A. A. Y. NJ, at New Castle, on
Tuesday, July 4tb, 1893.
The question arises. what OF the |
colored man in America What does
he need? l say he wants and needs
leaders who are not ashamed OF his
ruce. Lenders Of character. zeal and
tact. Leaders who will defend the
right and not the wrong. we want
leaders who are friends to classical.
mechanical and agricultural interests.
Therefore much has been written and
spoken OF the colored man in America.
The conclusion is true that the future
condition Of our people will be the re-
suit OF our own efforts.
/ desire to mako few statements,
and trust they will be an incentive
to raise US from the fallen pit OF rut.
ism TO the higher walks of diRnified
manhood.
The condition Of our people In this
country from 1920 to 1883 embraces
period OF 243 years OF as abject barbar-
ism and slavery the world has ever
known or was ever penned in history.
The boats that sailed the Atlantic
coast brought into American harbors
cargoes OF human flesh; many hearts
throbbed, but no man opposed 1t.
sanctioned az 1t was by law and
strengthened more so by usage until
the immortal John Brown sacrificed
his life to secure to the enslaved
Liberty" and the pursuits OF happi-
ness.
Brethren OF the craft. let me say to-
day, let us unite, Let US be onel Let
us stand shoulder to shoulder and lift
ourselves, and prove to the world that
we are as race worthy OF greater OPP
portunities and privileges than we
have received. We stand to-day as
, men acknowledged in heaven and on
, lenrth, under our own legal vine and
, lilg tree where we enjoy peace, and un.
, der the broad shield OF Liberty and
. union" we will rejoice because we
have searched and found light in the
least, and We are travelling to the west
in search OF more.
Unlike Caesar. when he returned to
, Rome from the invasion Of the Britons.
; when the colored man was free from
} the wicked and ungodly lave OF men,
we were at once charged with tho du-
tics of citizenship.
What did We know about being
, citizen. chastity OF the. home or mar.
riage vows2 The colored man of
America had to go for himself. No
E money, no education, no religion, but
he had few friends.
/ MY friends, this may seem prepos-
: ferrous, but is It not sustained both by
> histories OF other races and divine
, revelationsY
l Let us study the Anglo Saxon and
see from whence he came.
: History says his ancestors, like ours,
] were slaves bought and sold in Roman
markets. Hence 1t seems that divine
4 Providence suffered them those trials
that they might attain the heights to
which they have arisen.
!, Tie Greeks and Romans have a
glorious history, but the history OF
= the colored man IN America is provi.
y dental and peculiar. Every page OF
: our history from 1920 to 1868 is writ
d ten in blood and sealed with tears. The
. whole plan was Gods chief means TO
. raise us to higher and nobler purposes
y lin life. To-day we have our doctors,
;, LAWYERS, statesmen, theologians mer-
; Ichants, carpenters and farmers. 70
It Years ago the name of o colored man
e did not appear on the U. ). Currency;
You could not hear them in the legis.
ia latiye halls of Washington; you could
n mot hear the black lawyers pleading at
:. 1.-The bar for his client; you could not
~ see the black doctor feeling the pulse
tof his patient. 20 years ago you could
not come out OH dress parade as you
- do to-day. A few years Of freedom
s, have given us this victory.
Rl To-day the names OF great black
II linen as well as great white men are
h. found written and piled away in the
- archives OF history. II can be said o.
1.-The colored man Of America that he 1t
looming up out OF the wilderness al
Tot, IN q hriO ht aG the
y land terrible us an army with banner
ut In the sunlight Of prosperity. Lool
es at the top OF our banners! Listen a.
It. lour music! Look at these men al
dressed in uniforms. looking like mel
c Iof war. Look at our peaceful citizens
. Look at our children and the babe tina
bangles In us mothers arms; you cal
la read no other story but the sentiment
we are coming, we are coming. lie
o. us swear our lives against the grca
wall of prejudice and ostraeism, a
~ Hamilcar did, when he took his aol
" Hannibal and made him swear eterna
II hatred to Rome. ~
II Let US stand together and wave tn
81 sword as manfully as the great 81
a knight Saladin, who waved his swor,
"a lover the tomb of Christ that was ii
IL possession OF the Turks. and Godfre.
az of Bullion. who refused to wear
j crown OF gold where Christ wore on
OF thorns. Lot US stand as Jonathan
and David. or as Damon and Pythias
Let us be as united as Solomon an,
rn Hiram, because there are huge stone
81 TO be lifted. squared, plumbed ant
,,y'lmade ready for building.
aSs Judgment shall be line and right
90 eousness to the plummet. God place.
20 the arch In the cloud as covenant t
~ Noah, so the royal arch Is to.da
H. plat ed In the cloud of masonry an,
~ expands the universe and has engrave'
e'.'thereon caution, science. Immortality
" charity, obedience. nberality and hu
:. mility,
ct, II we observe them we will be to tn
e.' level and will part on the square wit
,eII,iall tho ranks OF society In tho world
w Listen to the record of the colore
!. man in America. We are representa-
~ ~, lin the Held OF literature, divinity, phi
ugI losophy, medicine and science.
~ In 1850 we had 1000. 600 slaves; to-da
.ef we have Q. 900, 900 freemen, so colleges
81 10, 600 teachers, 1000, 600 pupils. w
,rk pay every year on taxable propert
i, SO, 600. COO to 81. 900. 000, 900.
pe Does not this show marked pre-
~, gress OF the colored man in the last
~ ~ yeors9 II we made this record unde
IA adverse clrcu instances, what would W
'nu do under favorable circumstances? W
- do not enjoy the full meaning to-da
IT, of free America citizenship, for W
~. are shut out OF almost every trad
~" 70 union In the North because they hav
Al, the word white In their constitution
H. III. lie Is shut out of employment o
~, horse cars and electric lines, out {
'~ machine shops and is shut out {
Everything that will be the toundatlo
of wealth, for wealth Is the only M,
dium by which we can rise above th
um level. ...
ogs III we to-day as race expect to ell
ght vate ourselves. we must fiIst exercls
lvy common sense and unity OF spirit !
2o.ellort. United We stand, divided W
cy,lfall."
,on The day is far spent and the walls ,
to prejudice and ostTacism must giN
way. Soon will be heard In ever
. CLINE and in every country that 1t wi
leoon be no longer an opprobium to
mInumbered the ebony sons OF Ham.
" The colored man in America dot
II,lnot want mixed schools nor amalgl
OPlmation nor social equality, but
- wants free chance before the law O
he has before God.
L lie wants free chance In an npe
y field to hoe his own row. He cri,
like Archimedes. give me q plat
upon which to stand and ! will mo'
the world.n
" We must lead the crusade like Il
n grand and noble masonic Peter Il
4 Hermit or Waiter the penniless uni
=. =, every trained young man and wont