The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-12-15
NEGRO HIS OWN ENEMY.
So SAYS THE REV. S. N. VASS, OF
NORTH CAROLINA.
HOW to Avoid Lynching and Race
Wars-SimpIy to do What is Right
knowledge of God the Remedy for
the Negroes Condition-the Need of
industrial Training Next in Impor-
lance.
Baltimore Sun)

Baptist Publication Society among the
colored people of the South and travels
extensively among his people in every
State of the South, preached special
sermon last night in Trinity Baptist
Church, Twentieth street, near Charles
street, on the condition and needs of
his people.
He said the negroes are doing more
to effectually destroy themselves than
the white people. He has Travelled
extensively among his people, observ-
Ing the conditions and needs in all the
States Of the South, and in every case
he has found the negro his own worst
enemy, Instead Of the whites OF the
South being his worst enemies, he is
decidedly of the opinion that tho great
er portion of them are his best friends.
He said that the very things the white
people will not allow the negro to do
are the things in a majority of cases
that would work his destruction and
ruin. He said the white people of
North Carolina are the most friendly
people in the world, and had the negro
been intelligent and wise the results
would have been different. He said
he had learned that practically might
makes right, aud that as long as the
negro is ignorant he will be weak and
powerless Theories cannot help his
race and even legislation is powerless.
The negro is theoretically free and
invested with all his rights, but a man
is only so free and has only such rights
as he is able to enforce. We need the
strong arm Of power, and that power
must be in US. If we are weak the
next best thing to do is to ally our
selves with power. He said his people
must cease to knuckle to irresponsible
men, white or black, and should seek
the friendship of the best class of the
white people. They should further
and especially seek to avail themselves
of the power which is Gods. Said he:
"Be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might
He maintained that this ignorance of
God is the cause Of the races igno-
rance along general lines, maintaining
that proper conception Of God and
His Son and the Spirit must invariably
result in increasing intelligence, and
this conception is not the result of
thought, but the result of faith in
Christ, coupled with a knowledge Of
His word.
He agrees with Professor Washing
ton in the Importance of an Industrial
education, but he feels that practical
conception Of religion will do more
than anything else. He told how de-
voted negroes were to politics, and
thanked God that the circumstances
are such as to make the people doright
when they will not do it otherwise.
He said from his observations he has
come to the conclusion that his people
must decide upon one of two things at
once. They mnst decide whether they
are going to remain in this country or
return to Africa, and said that only
small portion are inclined to leave
here.
1t we are to remain here any sensi-
Bile negro can see what is the proper
course to pursue, and if he does not
| follow it he will be made to do SO or
suffer destruction. He said his people
must adhere strictly to God and right,
although others may succeed in some
other way, the negro will be destroyed
if he does wrong. If we feel that it Is
wrong to lynch negro under any Cir
cumstances the theory is all right, but
the surest way not to be lynched is to
do only what is right. If the negro
will acquire knowledge suitable to bet
ter his condition, especially knowledge
of Christ, our race will continue to find
the South the best place for US.
In New York an inoffensive negro
was recently shot dead, but l do not
remember similar case in the South
There he must offend before he is per.
secuted SO summarily. live at Raj
eigh and nowhere in the land is there
more justice for negro. Wilmington
was the freest town for a negro in the
country and l believe it will still re-
gain its old name. 1t was fortunate
for US that our race suffered there from
designing white men, for we can SCI
that if negroes will cease to be intlu
enced by such men they will no longe
suffer for them. He said that as be
tween the two classes Of whites, thei
the negroes as mass would far prefe
to have the laws administered by tn
older, weather. and more refine'
whites than to submit to the domino
ton of men whose interest is no
backed by law and social state.
He believed that the hand of God
in this matter, and that if negr
would not get the proper kind 0
knowledge God would allow circum
stances to arise that would compt
him to acquire knowledge of His WORD
He said he was not at all discourage
at the outloot if only he can see tina
his people are striving to learn of Goo
He advised them to be upright and re
l ligious, and especially to train up thei
| ,b11-,, "a kpou Cod He felt tbs