The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-01-04
The Day They Celebcate.

The colored people celebrated "Emauci-
patton Day" last Monday, with imposing
ceremonies. The crowd began gathering
about 10 o'clock in the morning and from
every direction and from all parts OF the
county came the people to lend their re-
ioicings to the day The Silver brass band
and the Manning band discoursed music
for the occasion aud everything went Oh
without ANYTHING to mar the pleasure.
The orator Of the day was Edward D..
Dicke-sor, colored lawyer from Aiken.
who delivered an address two hours IN
length. The writer only heard portion
of the speech and was pleased with the
sound and logical advice given to the audi
erce. Dickerson is a fluent speaker. and
although his audience had to stand ID the
cold, be held them for two hours without
thev showing any signs of WEAKNESS. In
part he said:
The actions of the few are often misun-
derstood, for the actions OF whole nauon
or race; sad that oftilnes our whole race has
to bear the odium and censure for The &C
tons of few of the same race. This IS
oftimes the case when we consider the &C.
tons of the opposite race"
He said that what was needed was clear
and unbiased Judgment, careful dlscrlml-
nation and keen differentiation before CEN
sure is placed for the doiuss Of man or set
of men OF either race.
He said that the Negro was condition
to be changed and not 8 problem to be
solved. change from lesser to Il higher
moral, intellectual and natural condition;
that it could not be changed by discretion.
bv legislation, nor would it be by common
consent, but BY the individual efforts OF the
Negro himself. By laying deep the foun-
dat!ons OF character, by constant growth
and steady growth, indeed by what may be
termed general evolution.
He said that the Negro must know some
thing, be somebody, and have something, and
warned his hearers not to be content by what
might be termed, the remarkable advance
ment made by the race in the last thirty
odd years, but to press forward and do
more and make their growth and prosper
ity commensurate with the growth and
prosperity of the nation. He added that
self-Satisfaction was cause and conse-
ouence of increasing unworthlness; he
would have his race to adopt g;and semi
nal idea for which it should make all rea-
sonable sacrifices to nlaintaiD, and he sug-
cested in that connection light, liberty and
purity as that great idea; spiritual light,
moral light, intellectual light was what his
people needed; be took issue with those men
who are advancing the new idea OF con-
ttacted manhood; he said that he stood for
full manhood rights for every man. every
where, and while he hated the bully he de-
spised the coward and believed that the
way should be for everyyouth Of the land to
rise to such honor and distinction as his
character and fitness entitle him. lie be-
lieyed ID no dual standard Of morality. but
that both men and women should lead
pure and upright lives, keep their bodies
and their hearts pure, and that tie virtue
of a woman should be respected and prac-
tice3 whether the woman had a white or
black skin, whether she dressed IN home
spun or silk.
PROGRAM.
l. S,nging-"My County, 'Tis of Thee.
Read by Rev. C, 5. McFaddin; led by
Misses Maggie DeLaine, Nettie Fraser, Ger
trpde Boyd, Hattie Davis and others.
2. Prayer-By Rev. P. E. Pompey.
). Music-"The Battle Cay Of Freedom" +"
By band.
4. Reading of patriotic poem-By Miss
Minnie Benbow.
5. Nuslc-By band.
g. Reading Of the Emancipation Procla-
mation-By Robert 4. White.
7. Music-By band.
s. Oration-Edward J. DicSerson.
g. Music-By band.
TIE affair wes well managed and the COM
mittee III charge deserve credit. Much OF
the credit for good order lay in the fact that
the dispensery was closed and out of the
1,500 persons celebrating we did not OBJ
serve more than three lnlividuals under
the influence Of liquor and the few had
more fool in them than wniskev.