The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-10
(Spartanbdrg Hearld 2.)

versary of the emancipation Of slaves
in the United States There was
much interest and enthusiasm mani
tested.
The exercises were held in the
court house, and at l o'clock p. m.
| yesterday vast crowd had assem-
bled in the court room and the out
side space was also thronged and
packed.
Rev. G.. +. Mills gave an intro
ductory address and Wilson Lowry
read the proclamation of emancipa.
ton. Rev. d. H. Kearse read
splendid paper Oh the issues of today.
Editor Lorgan, of the Piedmont
Indicator, WAS master of ceremonies.
About l AS o'clock p. m. the orator
of the day, Thomas e. Miller, ad-
dressed the colored citizens of Spar.
tanburg.
We have met here to celebrate the
day that counts more for the negro
than any other day in the calendar.
With Its reoccurrence, it brings to
us marshaled in their order events of
the past. Events in which are min
gled agonized suffering, buried hopes
and many blessings some of which
are still in Disguise. Disappointments
are among the heaviest burdens that
can be inflicted upon any race, peo-
pie or nation. If a races hopes
have been tirn, their expectation
great and aspirations high, then they
bear disappointment in grief and sore
atfiiction. TO make the burden or
disappointment light, our race must
keep abreast of tho times. 1t is a
hard lesson to learn Ohut is to turn
loose cherished idols around which
clustered shattered hopes) The his
tory Of all mankind teaches this lesson
and it is my self inflicted task today,
to call my peoples attention to the
fact that there is Pharaoh on tho
throne who knows not Joseph. In
this expression, I am not referring
to the rulers of our State, but to the
rnler of our nation, his advisers and
those Of the several State govern
ments, North and South, republican
| as well as democratic.
The central idea Of the Federal
compact, was the Individual sover-
elgnty Of each State. The develop
ment of this idea Of home rule,
whether in peace Or anarchy, was en-
lsrged upon by Jefferson and was
exemplified at all times of our ma
tional existance by every great leader
republican or democrat, whenever
the rights of any one of their States
were into rfered with.
Read the messages Of any one of
our presidents, or all of them, and
You viii ba convinced that there has
never been president in the white
house who has forgotten this central
idea and who has ever failed to en-
phasize the fact, that each State is
a sovereign within its confines, hav-
ing the right TO manage its citizens
and their rights in politics, business
aud property; hence the citizenship
that is weak, tottering and depend
ent upon assistance, is..reduced to but
one alternative; and it is this, to
make the State the guiding star of
their political hope and their material
prosperity. There il another fact
that | wish to call your attention to-,
it is this, that the negro must so live
in the South, as to prove by his acts
that his only hope is confined within
the limit Of the State in which he
lives. 1t is better by far to have
no political hope than to have
one that is prodicatcd upon national
aid, national protection, or national in,
reference in onr behalf.
/ believe that thcro should be nc
taxation without representation, and
if this representation is to como tc
us, it can and viii! only come through
and by the permission of the people o
each township first, second, through
and by the people Of each county
third through and by the people of oul
own State.
This is not what my people wan