The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-21
a WISE COLORED PREACHER

Rev. Richard Carroll is a colored
preacher at Columbia, S. C. He is a
ma of sense and Judgment. Not long
ago he delivered an address to the
negroes of Sumter county, S. c., and
me gave them excellent advice. His
words were wise and his reflections
eminently judicious and sound. He
pointed to his hearers the sure way
that leads to success and happiness.
He is not a fanatical firebrand or blum
.tierfng adviser. You find nothing of
thai northern negro bishops talk not
Kong ago of social equality and inter
marrying between the races. Preacher
Carroll is far too wise and level head
ed 10 run against that ''stone of
stumbling" He knows, like every
. other man of sense knows, that the
way to trouble in the south is the way
Sf trying to break down social and race
barriers. If anything can precipitate
Il war of races in the south, (Which all
good men must sincerely deprecate) it
would be congressional legislation to
wipe out all race distinctions and
removing all o~bctructions in state
laws to race intermarrying. 1t
is Thought that the northern
Methodist negro rbishOp-Gaines
Se believe is his name-is driving
at that, and is a sort of advance courier
kn the matter of miscegenation. He
x1vT11 lyn 11oolxaI Inv Mont bnrn 6Ar1oao1lO11pa
and enemies of the southern whites,
and will try to manufacture a sentf-
kKlent in the north favorable ITO this
political enormity-ahe prostitution of
The white race. This would, if success
full, make things very lively in the
south, and all along the line.
But in preacher Carroll there is no
yY7Fc.f wild theory and demagOgic fool
ssbness. He rejoiceo in emancipation,
and thanked God for the war that did
ut. He sees the stupendous blunder
made at the very beginning when the
negroes freed became citizens, electors.
He says plainly:
owe were made citizens Of the United
States, with the right to vote and
hold office. The negro exercised TINS
right, and government in the south
Lzas placed on his shoulders. / must
confess that he was mot prepared 10
bear these great responsibilities at unlS
time. He was ignorant, inexperienced
and poor, consequently he failed. Ihe
negro race went UP to the top of the
mountain not round by round, but with
8,ne leap they reached the pinnacle of
eadne and honor, while the world look
I'D. with wonder. The race did not be
sin right. and it viii rave to make an
, other start by laying its foundation
, deep down on the rocks of perma-
nence."
PEARSON Carroll strikes us as wise and
~zazzacious as Booker Washington. He
Says emphatically that to clothe the
p. negroes with such vast power was a
great mistake a terrible blunder.'
E9e is so sensible, so much of a states
man and patriot at this point we must
copy further:
1T was contrary to the laws OF
nature and divinity so to build. He
~1yo breaks the laws of nature will
.sa.ffer. and have not We suffered IN
CONSEQUENCE of these mistakes? We
have aStonished the civilized world by
<sur unprecedented progress and
achievements, though we did not begin
right. We went into politics when we
should have gone back to the fields
We went INTO office when we should
have gone to school. We went tic
rambling when we should have gone tc
church. We went ito making and ad-
tnIniStering laws when We should have
been studying law. We emigrated
-~hen We should have remained where
are were. We went to fighting south