The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-01-18
THE NEGRO AND HIS NEEDS

THE NEGRO AND HIS NEEDS
Thomas f. Miller Presents Plain Fact
to His Race.-HIs Best Friend Hi
Southern NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TO b
Expected from the Blind Policy o
the Last Thirty Years.
The following is the emancipation
address delivered by Thomas E. Miller
president of the State Colored College
of South Carolina, IN the court hous
in Spartanburg, S. c.:
Citizens of Spartanburg We hav
met here to celebrate the day tha
counts more for the negro than an.
other day in the calendar. With it
recurrence it brings to us, marshallet
in their order, events of the past
Events in wich are mingled agonizet
suffering, buried hopes and many bies
ings, some of which are still in dis
guise. Disappointments are among
the heaviest burdens that can be in
flicted upon any race, people or nation
If races hopes have been firm, thel
expectation great and aspirations high
then they bear Disappointment II
grief and sore affiiction. To make tht
burden of disappointment light oul
race must keep abreast of the times
1t is hard lesson to learn (that is te
turn loose cherished idols around
Which are clustered shattered hopes.
The history of all mankind teach this
lesson, and it is my self-inf1icted task
today to call my peoples attention tc
the fact that there is Pharaoh on the
throne who knows not Joseph. In th1:
expression I am not referring to the
rulers of our State, but to the ruler o.
our nation, his advisors and those ol
the several State governments, North
and South, Republican as we'll a.
Democratic. ..
The central idea of the Federal com
pact was the individual sovereignty oi
each State. The development of this
idea of home rule, whether in peace OF
anarchy, was enlarged upon by Jeffer.
son and exemplified at all times of oul
national existence by every great lead
err, Republican or Democrat, whenever
the rights of any cne Of their States
were interfered with.
Read the messages of any one, of oul
presidents, or all of them, and you
will be convinced that there has never
been a, president in the White House
who has forgotten this central idea,
and who has ever failed to emphasize
the fact that each State is sovereign.
ty within its confines, having the
right to manage it's citizens and their
rights in politics, business and proper
ty hence the citizenship that is weak,
tottering and dependent upon assist
ance 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 is
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 con
fined within the limit of the State In
which he lives. 1t is better by far to
have no political hope than have one
that is predicated upon national aid
national protection or national inter
ference in our behalf.
I believe that there should be nc
taxation without representation, and
if this representation is to come to US
it can and will only come by the per
mission of the people of each owDship
second, through and by the people Of
each county third, through and by
the people of our own State.
This is not what my people want tc
hear me say, but it is worthless ano
poor physician who has diagnosed the
case, knows the medicine that is need
ed, and knows the medicine that his
patient wants to take will ruin him
but, through fear, or some unknown
reason, permits his patient to drink
the deadly drug. I know the disease
have learned the remedy. and L am
here to administer it. Therefore, ]
pray thee, I entreat thee, In the
name of the negroes unborn, to shat
ter the idol of our hopes during the
past 80 years, the idol that has been
enthroned on the outside Of the State
for it is impotent, though reigning.
1t has hands, but it cannot be unified
in your behalf: it has ears, but it will
hear you not; it has voice, but. the
voice has been hushed; it has eyes, bui
the eyes will not penetrate d
cross the line Of any sovereign
States; it has understanding, but
not for your cause; it has regard
for the rights of the citizens o
the United States, but that citizen
ship must not be clothed in a black
skin. Every act Of this idol of yours
emphasizes Che threadworn dogma o.
ante-bellum times that wherever the
American Eagle spreads its wings
and the Stars and the Stripes are
hoisted in power aud might, the lanC
covered by the two is the home, coun
try and government Of the white race
Do you doubt it? Then OBJ, my peo'
p e, am sorry for you. Can't you
open your eyes and see that [ am tell
ing you the truth? Then if you are
too blind to read the signs Of the times
as have presented them to you am
burdened overmuch, for my task viii
continue to be hard and my self
inflicted yoke of staying in the State
and working for you and our white
fellow citizens is indeed heavy anC
Calling. Perhaps by reciting some o
the history of the past as an object les
son l will be able to open your eyes
About 1885 the State of South Caroline
passed law requiring the sheriff o.
each seaport county to 60 upon any
boat of commerce and take therefrom
any free negro found thereon in the
capacity of seaman, cook, steward or
stewardess, and incarcerate any or al
such persons in the county Jail ol
workhouse and keep them there unit
said boat was ready to embark, at The
expense of the captain of said craft
and warn said person never to return
etc. Should any person persist ir
violating said statute more than once
then said person was to be sold anG
the money DIVIDED in two equal part:
between the State and the informer