The Seattle Republican., 1900-02-23

at the time. He builded more
wisely than he knew. Based upor
the eternal principles Of justice
equality and religious liberty, and
espousing the doctrine of the
Fatherhood Of God and the uni.
versal Brotherhood Of Man, that
humble sanctuary established .in
the City Of Philadelphia SO long
ago, is today the grandest and
most successful organization con-
trolled by Negroes on the face of
the globe. Year by year it has
grown in numbers. Step by step
its influence has expanded. Little
by little it has increased its fnan-
cial strength. In the year of our
Lord nineteen hundred, the A. M.
E. Church towers in monumental
splendor over all other religious
denominations among us, and its
capacity for usefulness is beyond
computation from a purely mate
rial standpoint.
No point in our life as a people
is free from the saving grace of
this great church. Her 100000
communicates permeate every fiber
Of the races social fabric, and their
leavening force insthe Negro mass
can be readily seen. This immense
clientage d mons tes tn e
church's popularity. A potent
evidence of the soundness of it's
faith is its ability to thus with
stand the test Of such general
investigation.
In church property $8,OOO,OOO
testifies that we have firm footing
in the soil, and have the power to
effect real estate values and land
markets.
Fifteen institutions for higher
learning, with countless tributaries
of minor value, buildings valued
at 100000 engaging the energies
of 300 teachers in the work of
enlightening 1000 students at an
expense of $4,000 per annum, are
an earnest of what is being done
by the A. NJ. E. Church for the
cause Of education.
The collection Of $1O8,OOO, "dol-
lar money for the general fund
during the last fiscal year, and
disbursed through the several
channels, indicate that the Negro
is no longer a cipher in the fnan-
cial and business world. Never
again will a learned divine Of
another race assert from pulpit
that If the Negroes earthly posses
sions were swallowed up in a cata-
clysm, there wouldn't be an extra
pulse-beat in Wall street.
The intellectual standard of the
church, typifed in her nine
Bishops, takes rank with the most
erudite bodies of ancient and
modern Europe, with centuries of
culture and learning back Of them.
The Bishops Of this organization,
studying them as body or as in
dividuals, in general scholarship,
theological trainings, executive
ability on dignity of department,
cannot be duplicated in any demo
mination in our race, and it is
given to few prelates of the other
race to parallel some Of these
ecclesiastical giants in special lines
OF educational inquiry. Thus,
ample proof is offered as to the
intellectual possibilities Of the
Negro, and again does this church
come to the rescue of our people,
and triumphantly acquit US of the
serious charge Of mental incom-
potency.
AS a whole, the A. M. E. Church
stands for the spirit Of unity, the
capacity for organization and sus-
ceptibility to discipline Of the
Negro race. Its methods Of
management are firm, but kind.
Every impulse radiates from a
common center and extends to the
outermost gates Of the church, and
is guided by prudence and ripened
Judgement The interests Of the
few are not permitted to be served
at the sacrifice of the many ''the
greatest good to the greatest num-
Der" being a tenet most religiously
lived up to. In every department
OF human actively, the A. M. E.
Church offers an argument con-
ducive to race pride, and vindi-
Gates by unimpeachable testimony
our capacity for self-government
and concentration of moral and
material forces for the betterment
of civilization. Richard Aliens
seed hath yielded glorious fruit.
In America, in Britain, In Af-
RIGA, and in the islands of the sea,
where her banners proudly wave,
may the grand old African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church grow
stronger, and even more jealous in
saving mankind, through the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!
-Colored American.
A sight that will not soon be for