Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-20
THE COLOR LINE
1t Was the Subject of Dr.. Seaton's Sermon
Yesterday.
He Says the Colored Race Has Been
Oppressed and Downtrodden-
He Urges Frugality.

Rev. DR.. d. P. Seaton. pastor Of Eben-
ezer A. NJ E. Church, Georgetown. preach
ed sensational sermon last night on the
oppression of the negro race. He drew his
text from solomon, chapter 1:6. Look not
Upon me because / am black, because the
sun hath looked upon me. My mothers
children were angry with me and made me
the keeper of their vineyards and mine own
have 1 not kept DIR. Seaton said that he
would have his congregation understand in
the beginning that ii was far from his pur-
pose to make a TRADE upon any who might
be at fault, nor to awaken any feelings of
Indignation against those whose sympathies
were not with the colored people. Such
step would be beneath the dignity of the
ministry and inconsistent with Christian
teachings. He hoped that by taking a sur
vey of the status of the race he might aid
in stimulating 1t to such action as would
lift IL into prominence and insure progress
and prosperity. Like the watchmen in
Scripture, he saw the sword coming and
felt 1t his duty to sound warning. 1t was
not a sword entirely reeking with blood. but
one which sundered the fraternity of man,
which upheld the strong and oppressed the
weak. Frauds against the colored race were
popular in the church and in the state The
officers of the law, the statesmen. the su-
preme Judges and the ministers of the Cos
pei with few exceptions, turned away from
their appeals for justice and fair play. They
were hated without cause. The negro or
America has been looked upon only as wor-
thy to labor for the enrichment or others
He Is shut out from all employments where
in may be found opportunities Tor ad-
vancement and promotion The white race
has barred his progress with every opstacle
which outrage, prejudice and bgotry could
devise. He is damned as a slothful and
non-progressive being, but ever since the
emancipation proclamation he has been
wadng through seas of blood. and has been
ruthlessly hunted by bloodhounds and by
men bloodthirsty as the dogs. He has
been driven from the plantation, the school,
the church. and from his home. He has
been sentenced to prison for long terms for
slight offenses, driven from the polls, re-
fused the right to vote, shot down by day
and lynched by night. He has been the
helpless victim of brutes. Man is man, be
he as white as lily or as black as raven.
No race is superior to any other race by rea-
son of color. The negro is the victim of a
sentiment conceived in prejudice and born
in i'll will. 1t is constantly advertised
against him. White children are trained in
this as soon as they can toddle, and they
drink it in with a greed and relish which
knows no bounds. The beating of negro
gives a white man pleasure.
We are told that if the blacks are per-
mitted to associate with the whites they
will want to marry the fairest daughters
of the white families We have a variety
OF compilations in our own race. from the
blacklist to the whitest. But the shoe is
on the other foot. a colored lady cannot
be seen on the street alone. after night
fall, but what she is followed and insulted
by men of the ruling race: yet they say
we are not worthy of their social cOnsid-
GRAFTON. What if a black man does over
step the line and wed with white girl?
He is only following the example set by
the dominant class for hundreds of years.
and i am sure il is no more than right for
the man who visits my house TO allow me
10 visit his. Why should a man be judged
msjudged by the color of his skin? Gov
Mckinney of Virginia has said in a for
NAL message TO the legislature that
should be segregated in SEPARATE cars. just
as We are in schools. churches, restaurants
and hotels. Mixed schools have been tried
and found successful. In colleges colored
students have always held their own. This
has been demonstrated at Yale. Harvard
and other leading educational institutions.
Mr.. Mckinney was ignorant of these facts.
III our complexion We're not fast colors
there might be some reason in the objec-
ton to us. A religion which favors one
class because of color is not the religion
which Jesus Christ came to establish In
City Road Chapel. London, L helped ad-
q white minister from Charleston, 5. c.,
and gave communion to the ladies who
were with him. Think you this would have
been tolerated down south? The black peo-
pie of this land laid the foundation of ma
tional prosperity. We kept their vineyards
for them. DIR. Sea ton dwet at much length
on the Annie Shipley case. beautiful and
accomplished church worker. who after
years Of service in the church was Ostra-
cised because il was alleged that she was
tainted with negro blood. He closed by
advising his people TO be sparing with their
funds. not to give themselves up to vain
and fancied pleasure. but to be frugal, prov
ident and to look ahead for the glory of
pOSterity