Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-01-26
AN AFRO.AMERICAN ANNIYEBSA-
RY.
what the Negroes Of the South Have
Accomplished i'm 30 Years or Free
dom.
TspriugasId, Mass, Republican,

ul6., the bright and neWSy organ OF
the colored people of that city, \
printed call for the celebration of
the emancipation anniversary at
New Years. The document, signed
by William ". Browne, President
National Emancipation Associa-
ton" is impressive reading. Ii re-
minds the N groes of the present time
that January is the day made
memorable by the emancipation
proclamation, which went into eff ct
January i, 1868, at which time four
million of men, women and children,
descendants of African races, were
made freemen and citizens and were
enabled thereby TO worship God &C
c0rdiug to the dictates of their con-
sciences. The author goes on to /
eDj Din upon his people the duty Of
meeting IN their sancJuaries to re- /
turn thanks for the blessings of free |
dom, and inculcate upon the rising |
generation grateful recognition of
the responsibilities of citizenship In
the great republic.
AS history ever repeats Itself, this
solemn invocation of the freed slaves
of an alien race In the Western Hem
fcDucTc III JuC 1Otu Ccukuly dllcI
Christ, sounds wonderfully Ike the
words of the Hebrew lawgiver at the
ever to aforementioned anniversary
of the deliverance of his people from
bondage This day shall be
uoto you for a memorial; ye
shall keep 1t least by an ordinance
forever; We shall keep it feast
to the Lord throughout your gene
rations. F" Not greater was the
transition of the jew IRON the heayi
ly burdened bondage of Egypt to bis
high position ia the Hebrew king
dom. than has been that of the Ne
gro slave of aDte-bellum days, to the
place now evecopen, often occupied
by the colOred American citizen.
To theSuperficial observer, noting
" evident color line, the Oft
d story of lynching. the pow
hd degradation of a large pro
n of the Negroes of our land
dld seem that little has been ac
Jlished by the emancipation
consider, that only 32 year,
elapsed since the bOndman wa.
I'd. and the proclamation made
h. i, 1868, did not really go in
ect until the civil war ended II
priI 1865 Contrast the condition
81 the race In our land at the end O
the war, with what 1t Is now. 'Judg
s us not" said Frederick Douglas to
white audience, from the heights Of
which you stand, but from Tia
depths from which we sprung" Thi
however, is Just what the averag
white man will not do, when givin
his O. tIInate OF his African fellow cit
zsn. BE invariably compares th
savage of two centuries ago, til
slave of generation since, with Ii
best element of a race that has Ion
ages of civil alton and freedom b
hind.
Under the slave code the Negr
could not learn to read or write,
could not own property, he coul
not have legal marriage, he had L
name which he could transmit to b
offspring. The dusky host set FIR
by LincOln's proclamation IN Janu
ry, 1868, probably did not averal
4 81 per head ia worldly goods.
this year of grace, 1895, the prope
ty of American Negroes is estimat
at $500, 100000 At that time t
sight of Negro child on his way
school had not been seen In I
Southland; only here and the
among the free colored people of
North. Now go, 900 cOlOred chi
rem are found gaining knowledge
over 20 900 schools. At that dS
no Nsgro~man of the ex-slaves hat
legal right to say Of the mother
his children, "This Is my WIFE,"
Negro woman of her child's faith
This is my husband" Then ia
lies were scattered far and wi
u rarely had father, mother and c
dren known In it's fuiness the sw'
ness of the word, home, ever the
oerest sound from lips of the Eng
speaking races Now many tho
ands of Negro families gather IN
their own vine and fig-tree. The
gro property holder, owning IA no
stead in town or village, or q sI
farm In rural regions, is becOn
an important factor in the land.
A generation of colored yoI
born In wedlock, having known
fostering care OF parents, loOl
forward to the inheritance of p
erty, is coming upon the stage
taking rank with other class Of
zsns possessing those advantage
Among the ex-slaves of 1858 t
could hardly have been found a
gle instance OF a professional I
now thousands of teachers
pre- chers are found, while colt
KlaWyers, doctors, musicians and
Ter artists, beginning to acquire ]
tatiOn, are scattered broad
among us. Thirty years ego
|gro ofiee-hOlder would have
Regarded as a phenomenon,
there are soldiers. surveyors, de
ment- clerks, school superintend
mail agents, custOm-house of
land lighthouse keepers. 10 :
southern towns are prosperous
ders and contractors, with III
Gus mechanics in various trade
Perhaps the most striking ad
in any one line is shown In joI
ism. A Negro editor was unk
I'm the South in ante-bellum
only two or three had after
newspaper work in the free 3
Now .300~inurnals show tho N
desire to report current events
COPY of the Richmond PL
which prints the call to celebrs
anniversary of freedom, tells I
veIous story of progress from
c~o1,tr, Tho odrf0ri