The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-03
MUST ELEVATE THE RACE.
BISHOP GAMES SERMON To THE
INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE GRAD
UATEs.

UAIEe.
An Excellent Discourse on the Value
Of Trials and Affections In DeveI-
opfuG Christian Manhood - The
Bishop speaks Plainly on the sub
5ert Of the Present Troubles of the
Negro Race-The Race Must Re
Z Elevated Before the Negroes VIII
Receive the Privilege They De-
sire-The Way 10 step LsnchfnEs-
GOV. Atkfnson 10 Address the Grad
untcs To-day.
Tae commencement exercises OF the
Georgia Industrial College a1u be held AZ
. tlz college near Tz1nderool- -ais morning
. Gov. Atkinson wil deliver the annual al
dress and the diplomas The governor.
Judge ": r. Hammond Of Atlanta. one %
th= directors. and Chancellor Boggs Of
re state university. Of which the indus
. trial college IS a branch. VilI arrive ia the
ciry kills morning. They viii be taken
. charge Of by Maj. p. IS. Meldrim. chair
man o. The board % trustees. who will
leave the city Elln the party az - o'clock
FOR the college. Acting Mayor Screven
VIII accompany the party.
The feature % the exercises al the col
Iege yesterday was the delivery OF the bac-
calalreat sermon by Bishop ". j. Gaines
% the a. r. Z. church. Bishop Gaines is
a ane speaker and mis- sermon was an ex-
ceuent one. Ills text was from second
Corinthians. 1871 chapter. verses. s. g and
%. For this thing I besoughr the Lord
thrice that ID might depart from me. And
be said unto me. Ny grace is sufficient for
thee. for my strength Is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore viii 1
rather glory in my inhrmities that the
power Of Christ may rest upon me. There
fore I take pleasure in infrmities, in re-
proaches. in necessities. in prosecutions.
in distresses FOR Christ's sake. for when
am weak then am 1 strong"
The bishop discussed his text at some
length. showing how Christian character
is developed under the most adverse cir
cumstances, and that these inhrmities
Affections ana expressions tend 70 the de-
velOpment Of true Christian manhood.
when borne In the spirit in which the Apes
tie Paul bore them.
Bishop Gaines made his sermon spec
Tally applicable 10 the present condition
prived OF their political rights. treated as
a lower order Of beings, denied equal
rights in civil affairs, and often exposed
20 the most cruel treatment He alluded
especially 70 the lynching and burning
Of negroes charged with the crime Of
rape. These were things which the Apes
tie Paul would have added. had they ex-
listed in his time, he said. THE best
way TO stop the lynching is to stop the
rapins,' said the bishop. If we will
drive out the rapists from among US We
VIII have less lynching TO complain OF.
The only way in which the negro race
can earn the respect and confidence OF
the white people among whom We are
placed and secure the rights which we
desire Is by moral upbuilding. The char
acter Of the race must be elevated.
The work Of character building, he told
them, was a slow one. requiring years of
constant effort. but if the people ana
leaders would constantly seek a higher
plane they would finally attain the de-
sired result.
II l had the power in my right hand,
said the bishop. 'to take all the colorcd
people of the south and throw them upon
the white society of the south. would not
do 1t. They are not prepared for it. It
would cause bloodshed and strife ana
would prove an injury to both races"
Bishop Gaines spoke at length on this
line and his remarks evidently made "A deep
impression upon his large audience To a
Morning News reporter who saw him after
the sermon Bishop Gaines reiterated and
emphasized what he had said in his ser
mon.
when 1 first became "a free man and
acquired a little education" he said. Il
started out with the idea that the whole
negro race would soon be on a level with
| the white race and that the elevation
would be a matter Of only little time.
| 1t took me some time to find that | was
mistaken, but l found II out after a while
| Now | am satisfied to elevate a man here
and a woman there and put them to work
| elevating others of their race with the
hope that after a while in one or two
| hundred years, perhaps, the whole race
Will be brought up to high plane of
moral and Intellectual and material pros
pcrity. 1t is slow work and only by con-
| slant effort can we hope to succeed"
| The exercises to-day will take place at
| II o'clock.
There was a very large crowd of WISH
| tors at the college to hear Bishop Gaines
| sermon. Fourteen cars. which had been
] chartered for the occasion from the Sa-
! vannah, Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope
| The services were held in a large oak
| grove on the campus, and were very inn
| pressive. The singing. which was con
| Quoted by Profs. Morse and Palmer, was
| very fine.
c. l.. AS AND VIGILAN'CS NEAT.