The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-09-17
READ! THINKM ACTIN!
THE AMERICAN LAW ENFORCE.
MENT LEAGUES
open Letter to the Delegates aud Visiting
Friends of the Baptist National Conyen-
tion Assembled at Kansas City Missouri
Septenber Is, 1898,

APPEAL - APPEAL - APPEAL
10 the Delegates and Visiting Friends
OF the Baptist National Convention
assembled, Kansas City, Missouri,
September Is, 1898:
my Dear Brethren:-
Inc matter wish to Law before Won
IS not UNCONVENTIONAL one, but, never
theless, a question of deep concern and
vital Importance to all. We are the
inhabitants Of the greatest continent of
the known world and subjects of The
grandest government of human inven-
ton. The flag under which we sail
stands for more than any other flag
that floats over a civilized peonle@
Liberty, Fraternity. Equality. No
words IN language, however expressed,
can possibly convey to the human mind
broader idea of freedom and justice
than do these. But what of the words
without the realization? They must
have Weight-they must have Power,
and the power must be felt, otherwise
the meaning is of no consequence.
Ihlnk of starving paralytic with
plenty of food within arms reach. with
out the power to reach it; think of
little child locked in a burning house,
with the key in the door, without the
power to turn it; then think of ten mil
lions loyal hearted, patriotic people, be-
ing outraged, Inundated, scorned,
hanged, burned alive and despised, more
or less, under this very flag of which
we so proudly boast, many of US sitting
idly by, criticizing, finding fault and
making excuses, some saying, It's aw-
full, isn't lt?'' What are we coming
to-" "What a terrible condition. of af-
fairs in this country!" yet not making
the slightest effort to ameliorate the
condition of those who are bound by
radical ties, if not of blood relation.
What Deplorable Condition This!
The case of the paralytic is bad enough,
but he would help himself if he had the
power; the little child's condition a pitt
BILE one, indeed, but had it the power it
would turn the lock, open the door and
escape from the flames. What of the
Ten Millions of People, with whom, be-
cause OF their color, prejudice plays a
high hand, even in many sections of
the north, while prejudice, jealousy and
the meanest kind of hatred is rampant
in the south. Hundreds of opportuni-
ties are manufactured to give vent to
these feelings and the result is that
lands are seized, homes are burned,
wives are made widows and children
are made orphans, and yet no voice is
heard, no arm is raised to indicate that
the cries of a humble, dpwn-trodden
people are heard by their lbrethren or
by a people who claim that they lead
the vanguard of modern civilization.
Some of us may live in section of the
country, perhaps, remote from scenes
OF slaughter or depreciation. Can we
then say we have no obligation towards
our suffering brethren in the South? Is
our love of personal security and ma
terial peace so binding that we can
not recognize the demands of justice,
and civilization, or can it be !
that we are so selfish that the sting of
the adder only affects us when bitten !
ourselves? Man must give liberty to 4
others II he would be free himself"
Liberty and labor have given US all |
we have. Remember that all men
have equal rights; remember that the
man who acts best his part, who loves
his friends the best, is most willing to
help others; truest to his obligations,
who has the best heart, the most feel |
ing, the deepest sympathies and who |
freely gives to others the rights, that /!
he claims for himself, is the best man."
- OUR PLAIN DUTY.
We are neither a paralytic nor a
child, but we are ten millions of people
with heart enough, with brain enough.
with money enough, and with arms
long and strong enough-if the force
they represent be combined-to move
the world. 1t is your plain duty and.
my plain duty to do it, and that with |
out delay. We Cannot Afford to Keen
Silent. The blood of the thousands of
our brethren whose lives have been
sacrificed by the cruel hands of angry
mobs will cry aloud against us: The
homes that have been deprived of par
entail care and affection are silent wit
nesses; destitute and Borrowing widows
and orphans will stand as living monu-
ments to remind us of what we have
left undone, If we fail to do our duty as
men and citizens in a land of freedom
and right. We must make the flag of
these United States mean as much to
the Afro-American in the sunshine by
his cabin, with gourd vines growing
over his door, as it does to Rockefeller
and Vanderbilt, with their affluence
and abundant resources, or anyone else
who enjoys the fullest privileges of a
citizen.
In Minnesota we are practically
free from every phase of the indignities
from which our Southern brethren suf-
fer, but we recognize the fact that the
black man in the South. or wherever
he may be, is indeed our brother, and
that sooner or later, we may also suf-
fer many of the ,indignities to which
he is subjected. Nothing Stands Still