The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-01
rur RACE ItRosLra.
The Negro With Uss to Stay and De-
servss Our sympa' ny and Aid in His

The following article by Rev. A. ID.
Mcclure. OF this city, was sent TO Rev.
d. Clay Lilly, the stecretary of color
ed evangelization ffDr the Southern
Presbyterian churchIf and is published
at the request OF THE secretary. Rev.
Mr.. Lilly is locateh at Tuscaloosa,
Ala. at which point the Presbyterian
church has an institute for the training
OF cclored men for tine ministry. and
from which a large nsumber OF earnest.
trained ministers haze beer sent for
ward 90 keep in the work Of elevating
their race. to-wit:
We white people OF the south have
a responsibility and n duty to do all
in our power to helps the race which
has served us in slaveSry and needs our
sympathy and so fari as any general
sentiment OF kindly f&eling goes. de-
serves our help. Tru3. there are bad
negroes. but they aret few COMPARE
lively and of the wofst blood. They
are not approved of Pr even excused
by the better part, amid Ii Is not right
to call the race bad alnd to abuse all
for the vices of even a considerable mi
nority. If IL is right TO do so. then
all the white people lshould be con-
demned for the badnes1s OF a very bad
minority. There is no prospect of this
race leaving our southland. II any go,
the bad viii stay and iErow worse. un-
less something is doneI to secure their
improvement. Som Have tried gen.
eral abuse because of the bad political
leadership ms the blind following.
Others, the most white people. are sim
ply doing nothing, or refusing 10 con-
slider the case. Leaders OF their own
race are considering theI case and COM
ing to some conclusionsi worthy of our
encouragement at leasl. Booker I.
Washington and Professor Counci1l are
urging their people TO Ne Independent
and self-supporting int all industrial
pursuits and occupations. Church
courts are seeking to provide religious
teachers, trained, Intelligent and sound
in Scriptural knowledge. but keeping
to the idea of self-supp4rt and homes
ty in the places they ca n fill.
There is not the right. and in the
better mind of our southland there
should not be the disposition to deprive
the negro of the opportunity to work.
AT an industrial conveIttion recently
held in Huntsville, Ala. Professor w.
H. Councill, president of the college
for negroes at Normal, Ala, delivered
an address entitled THE Industrial
Negro in the IndustrialI South" He
said: II do not ask for the negro the
supreme right to rule, but the God
given privilege to do an honest days
labor. The man who counts me out at
the ballot box may defeat the evil
schemes of selfish politicians. But the
man who counts me outk of an equal
chance to earn a dollarI robs me of
my birthright. sends thet wolf to my
door, and digs a grave for Imy wife and
children. The negro of the south en-
joys blessings know tol his brethren
in any other part of our American un-
ion. To him there are no Panas. no
RockfordS, no Cartersvillls."
That is sound and saf4. 1t should
call a halt to abuse. of the race and
awaken a desire to helpI. Somewhat
more practical and quitd as distinct
are the ut~terances of Pres fdent Booker
T. Washington at the SAND convention:
I'm saying / do today, although
myself a neglo and an ex slave, there
is no white man whose heart is more
wrapped up in every int rest of the
south and loves it more dearly than is
true of myself. The south can have
no sorrow that I do not share. She can
have no prosperity that / do not re-
ioice in. She can commit NO error that
/ do not deplore. She can take no step
forward that 1 do not apprPve.
Different in race. in color, in his
tory, we can teach the WORLD that al
though thus differing it is possible for
us to dwell side by side In love, in
peace and material prosperity. We can
be one, as I believe we will be in a
larger degree in the futurel in sympa-
thy, purpose, forbearance alnd mutual
~helpfulneSS. Let him who would en-
bitter, who would bring strife between
your race and mine be accursed in his
basket and his store. uraed in the
fruit of his body and fruit Of The land.
No man can seek the elevation of an
other race without being himself de-
graded. The highest test of the civili-
cation of any race, is in it's Willingness
to extend a helping hand 10 the less
~tun
THE south extends protecting arms
and a welcome voice to the! foreigner,
all n~ationalities, languages and condi-
lions, but in doing this / praE that you
do not forget the black mani at your
door whose habits you know, whose
fidelity you have tested. You may
mak of others larger gatherers of
wealth, but you cannot make of them
more law-abiding, useful and Cod
fearing people than the negrd who has
been by your side for three centuries.
and whose toll in forest, field and mine
has helped to make the south the
m OF promise and glorious pos
sibility.
Before we can make much progress
We must decide whether or not the ne
gro is to be a permanent part of the
south. With the light that is before us
/ have no hesitation in declaring that
~ JUN VI Nht utSTo POPULATION
will permanently abide in yotur midst.
Any hesitation, any hating DIR doubt
ing as to the permanent residence OF
the race will work infinite HARM to the
industrial and economic interests OF
both races. Here in His wisdom Proyi-
dence has placed the colorAd man.
Here he will remain. Here ne came
without a language, here he found the
Anglo-Saxon tongue. Here he came
in paganism; here he found che reli-
gion of Christ. Here he came in bar |
barism. Here he found civilization.
Here he came with unframed hands.
Here he found INDUSTRY. If these CEN
turtles OF contact with the white Amer
lean has done this, can you not trust
to the wise Creator, aided by the eff
forts of the negro himself and your
guidance TO do the remainder At this |
point are you willing to cease your ef- |
forts and turn the work over to others |
for completion? Your duty to the ne !
gro will not be fulfilled. till you have
made Of him the highest type Of Amer
lean citizen, in intelligence, in indus |