The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-17
THE COUNSEL OF y WISE NEGRO.

Now and then a cool-headed, sound
" balanced man of negro blood speaks
with positive wisdom and convictions.
Such an one is Rev. d. w. Davis, a
teacher of repute and a preacher OF
distinction among his own people. He
spoke to the colored normal school IN
Richmond, Va, at it's closing exercises.
We find his address reported in the
Times. 1t created talk and many
prominent white citizens heard it and
endorsed it. We read it with interest
There is much that he said that is en-
pertaining and shows he is far beyond
his race in genuine progress. He told
his young auditors that their work
was but just begun. He told them that
every nation, every civilization mas
had it's negro problem. The traces
NAV be seen in all the pages of history,
both sacred and profane. The
north had it's negro problem and threw
ii over on the shoulders of the south,
and. Inadvertently 1 trust, added I'M
measurably to that problem, during the
dark DAYS of reconstruction. The
south still has it's problem which is fast
becoming U1e DTODISl1 VI IIIC bIlOA
He told them that the south had met
the problem better than any other
people with whom h black race a
ever come in contact" This is true.
Look at the s70,O 900, 900 given for negro
education-the education of the chill
dren of the freed negroes-and at the
asylums and hospitals and yet the GEN.
--%.0 Ennr-1 70 hIG-
tory ever responded in this way to the
necessities of an inferior race, a race
torn from them by the armies of a ire
mendous enemy. Says this advance
preacher and teacher of this noble.
Benevolent conduct of the
whites: This is, to my mind, the
crowning act of the nineteenth century
and the most magnificent triumph of
the Christian religion"
He thought great plumbers were
making by his people. He clearly un-
derstands THE situation and knows just
where the negro race is standing now.
He says to them:
MANY of us think that liberty
means license, and forget that no man
has liberty save to d. the right. We
N1 IED1 We NO INV
So many of us are vicious and mean.
so many are idle and shiftless, but are
there not enough righteous ones among
us to save the city of Sodom?
We rejoice to believe that there are
many progressive. intelligent, thought
full, we'll meaning men and women
among the negro rae who know the
value of education, understand he
power and influence of character, and
who are anxious to help in the uplift-
ing, improving, developing Of their
people making them in all things good
desirable, enlightened citizens. The
speaker thought it certain that the ne
gro would always remain in the south.
If this is true, then he must be-made
to be a moral as we'll as an educated
person The south cannot proper with
SO much Of negro crime, vaga
bondage, immortality. The preacher
urged that he should be educated. He
said he should have given him every
POSSIBLE opportunity for honest EN-.
p1oymenH, to place within his reach
every opportunity OF advancement
and encourage every effort he puts for
ward 20 become an honorable, produc
tive, Intelligent and patriotic citizen
ID then, if, as a race he proves him
@ch unworthy of all this labor and toll
God win cause him to be consumed By