Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-06-25
The Morals of the American
Negro as l See Them.

\ Negro as See Thorn.
There are much both said and
written about this type OF the
American people. Some say that
the negro is worse morally than
any other people, and others say
they are not. Thus the negro
comes in for his share of this sort
Of notoriety. There are several
definitions however, for this trite
term. ''morals. !" But the one for
which l lave preference and the
one in the light Of which ! pur-
pose to view my subject is "a
course pursued by moral being
with reference to right or wrong"
The word morals also presupposes
a criterion by which moral con-
duct is to be defined; and for this
standard the most, if not all men
look to their religion to furnish,
for they have found that they first
find deity in their religions; that
there they learn the most about
him and the most about them
selves. 1t is II significant fac
that mems moral standards uni.
fes or diffcrentials according to
their religious knowledge of God.
1t is indeed to this knowledge
that each and every system in
universal moral philosophy and
theology owes their origin. The
Monotheistic Jews, as we might
say, taken for the rule Of this life
and conduct the standard which
God fixed and reviled to them
through the prophets and the
"Mono. Trinslc" christian take for
theirs the standard which God
has fixed and revealed to man
through His son Jesus Christ.
It is with reference to the latter
that shall consider the American
Negroes moral conduct. 1t is a
pleasing fact that this highest
moral mark that God has set for
man in Jesus Christ his dear son
and the importation Of this divine
nature to man which makes it pos
siblc for him to reach this mark is
ever pervading human life, and
changing men from the likeness OF
sin to that OF the righteousness OF
thes on ofGod. God has express
ably commanded through his son
hat every sane human being that
las reached the years of accounta-
oility should in a specific manner
lemean himself with reference to
:hree objects, namely ''God,
self and fellowman." 10 this the
whole lifc.task of the individual
will accommodate itself. Under
he first object comes his Theistic;
he second his 1ndividpa and the
bird his Social duty. The CONS
oleting OF all which, thank God, is
made sure by the soul being gratl>
I'd into Christ, the true vine, and
being nourished by God, the
lusbandman.
The Negroes present attitude
oward God as | see it: Never
before in his history has the Amer
can Negro made so deep and
systematic study of God as he is
low doing. This is the very rea-
son of his being in possession Of a
:rcditable and yet increasing
knowledge of the divine criterion
or human conduct, and also the
reason that he is not so sponta-
neous in his praises to God; not
hat he loves God less than he did
in the past, but that by studing
God he has found that before he
shouts lie must have won a vic>
.ory over the flesh, the world and
he devil. He is getting more
light and is walking in some por>
ion OF it all and in which he is
obeylng God more, his faith
:hough small. Yet the Negro is
rusting in God, this very moment
% bring to him some good condi- ;
ions that seems to be us far away
low as the East from the West.
For instance, his condition in this
country, which is by no means
pleasant to him, but as far as his
Irm of flesh is concerned in chang
ng it the Negro is almost passive,
lot because he is afraid of men or
Ieyils, but it is; first, because he :