The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-02

| pervading all the people OF North caro-
| lima there is no excuse for longer
postponement Of union OF adj ouI
hearts, and all our hands, in one grand
, effort to build up our waste places, de-
velop our magnificent resources, open
up avenues to uneXampled prosperity,
and shut out race antagOnisms forever.
After the reading of the resolutions
Governor Russell was called for. AS
he stepped to the front of the rostrum,
the audience rose. He said:
Il know you do not expect any speech
from me. Your program has been ar
ranged, you have selected an orator and
he is here ready 10 speak to you. The
Governor of your State and the State
officers are here to encourage and recog-
nize whatever is calculated to help the
progress of the race and promote right
spirit among you. And right here |
want to say that you are to be con-
graduated on and commended for the
spirit of amity and good will mani
Tested in the excellent resolutions just
read, toward the race who once held
you in bondage. With this / will ask
you to excuse me from making any fur
Their remarks to-day"
After the reading of the Emancipa-
ton. Proclamation. EX-Congressman
Henry p. Cheatham, Recorder of Deeds,
the orator of the day, spoke. He began
by saying:
"Once more the finger of time points
to a New Year with its hopes and
promises of better things. The old year
is dead and throughout Christendom
man is to-day greeting man with the
wish of a happy and prosperous New
Year. 1t is a day of rejoicing and good
feeling-a great day it is to all the civil
lied world. But to you, my friends, the
day has a special significance. 1t is
a day Of gladness and jubilee to you as to
no other people. Just thirty-fve years
ago to-day the sun of freedom dawned
for you-just thiryt-iye years ago you
ceased to be chattles and became men,
freemen-just thirty-five years ago to-
day nearly 5000 human beings had the
shackles stricken from their limbs and
were elevated to the highest position of
freemen, clothed with all the powers of
citizenship in a free republic. 1t is these
considerations that make this day so
great a one in the history of the negro
race in America y =
The men who wore the gray were
just as much liberated by Lincoln's
proclamation as were the slaves. They
were freed from a false belief. The
going down of the banner that the
Southern army so bravely followed
changed the opinion of the world in
regard to slavery. 1t made North Caro-
lima what the signers of the Mecklen-
burg Declaration of Independence in
tended it should be-a land of true free
dom.
American independence had its birth
in this state "a whole year before it
did in our sister States. i am proud of
my State and of my people Here all
ages, adj colors, all conditions live in
peace and enjoy the greatest liberty and
good will. Truly you have in old North
Carolina fair heritage"
The speaker counseled his hearers to
remember Lincoln and Grant and John
Brown and Fred Douglas and others
who had combatted the theory of slav-
cry. IF your financial condition ever
permits it, build to their memory
monument"
Slavery, he said, had thrown its
bhghting influence over all the nations
of the earth at one time or another,
but the last great conflict in this coun-
try had settled the question for all
civilized people.
1.-The thrift, the enterprise, the edu-
cational progress of our race have
startled our lends, both North and
South. The civil service law was passed
to keep negroes out of office, but what
have they done? They have passed
difficult examinations time after time
and are coming up like black ants out
of the ground for civil service places,
won purely on their merit.
There has always been a prejudice
against negroes holaing office-even to
their being lawyers and doctors. In
some States this prejudice is very
strong; I'm glad this is not true in North
Carolina, I've often wondered why
there is not a prejudice against negroes
preaching. I've come to the conclusion
that it is not because he breaches poor
ly. but because he is poorly paid
The last half of the speech was a
protection, which the speaker said was
South is making in industrial progress.
st is now only two more years till
the close of the century. How will North
Carolina stand then? What viii be the
conalton of her colored citizens? Let
4NUJlueIu SIfDtTpFISe duu kSOuBuCIn Civ
airy be united"
In closing the speaker gave some good
advice to the young men of his race.
"No people can be free long who are
not Industrious Practice industry. See
thou man diligent in business, he
shall stand in the presence Of princes
"But industry is worth little without
economy. thrift and frugality. Extrava-
gance will not only ruin any individual,
but it viii destroy nation as well.
avoid debt Esau sold his birthright
for mess Of pottage. Count the cost
always, and owe no man anything.
mo people can long be free who are
not honest. Jails and penitentiaries
are not built for honest men.
without faith and truth there can
be no progress, no peace, no happiness.
They are the sheet anchors of church
and State.
ABOVE all get knowledge. Education
is the Safeguard of af rec people. II
of cloud by night.
"Whoever will learn the ten command.
ments and keep them will always be
( free-always happy"
| After Mr. Cheatham's address Secre
I tary Of State Thompson and Mr.. j. j
4 Rogers made snort speeches.
1t was a great day for the colored
people of Raleigh. They could hardly
have more fittingly or becomingly cele
brated this, the thirty-ffth anniversary
Of their political and personal freedom