Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-07-02
The Morals OF the American
Negro as ! See Them.
THE HEaRo's LOVE FOX GOD.

THE HEdRo's LOVE FOX GOD.
Because of the Negroes lack Of
demonstrating his religious feeling
by spasmodic outburst as he used
to do, some believe that he is
growing less religious, less reve>
| rental; less obedient; less faithful
| and less in love with God. A
state of things which l do not be.
licve to BIZ true. II | did | would
say SO, however much l would be
grieved at so sad a condition OF
lur people.
The Lord is opening the under
standing of these people, and a
majority part of them are magni.
flying as they are experimenting
him.
He is teaching them duty in
religion, which they are trying to
perform, and when they fully ap-
prebend God in his will respecting
this duty, they will then present to
the world the New Negro with a
life of love, plus law, and 90
sweeping on toward the goal Of
life, loving God more and more.
The Negro in his individual
duty or his treatment Of himself
like every other people the Negro
must try it himself: In accord
ancs with divine rule; each one
must treat himself in accordance
with divine rule, each one must
love himself, study and know him
self, take care of himself, control
himself and have confidence in
himself.
With reference to this portion
of his duty the American Negro
has been and is yet the most low
ing. Yet he is making a decided
improvement even here. Why
he has been and is yet SO unduti-
tul to himself, think needs little
explanation here. l submit the
following as a partial reason or
cause for it:
The place which the Negro was
compelled to occupy among civi>
LIED men tor u period of 2lO years
prior to 1865, was death to self
respect and self improvement.
The Negro was ignorant then and
the sinful men who held him rs
chattels taught him to believe that
the white people were his natural
superiors, and that it was his duty
to revere and obligatc his master
and pay no attention to himself,
and as a natural result Of this,
when his civil liberty came to him
he Negro had but little self re.
spect. A state in which one can
get good view of some of the
fatal effects which slavery had
upon this people. So fatal indeed
was this effect that though this
people has been for 80 years work
ing and making steady improves
ment along the line Of self love
and self improvement it will be
some time before they will have
the proper regard for themselves.
But, as l have already said, the
Negro is making self study and
self love, practical things, and the
results are uplifting and cnnobling.
He no longer thinks that he is the
natural inferior of every other
human being. Nay, but he knows
better; he has read and reread
the scripture quotation, THAT
from one blood God created
all nations Of the EARTH" etc.
until it is now fixed in his mind
that all men are one in nature and
one in destiny, and by him turn
ing his mind and attention inward
The Negro (Amcrican) beholds
himself to be an embodiment of a
great moral possibility divine
idea: a man. a human being, and
with fear and trembling he is
firmly taking hold of and is bring
ing himself into subjection; his
passion and appetites are all being
modified, restricted and brought
more and more to their normal
uses.
His life powers being thus works
ing by their natural laws and to
their proper ends are cultivating
in the Negro self esteem, self love
and self:confdence, for in Gods