Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-21

These reflections are not the fruitage
of selfishness, spite and ingratitude;
the very condition, not TO say nature,
OF circumstances impel and force those
OF us possessed OF righteous and deter
mined ambition to seek Foundation
OF true greatness that will forever hon.
or and give dignity to the race. Let
US face the subject honestly and square
ly-let there be no evasion OF the visi
bic fact: IL is impossible, as yet (snd
we see ne star of future hope other
than the position herein defineu) for
any Negre organisation. for any con-
siderable number of Negroes, or for
any Negro leaders. whether in Church,
state or society, in this country to be
on equitable. equal and respectable
terms with the whites, either as con
stituent Dart OF them or as co-opera-
tive functionsries.
TIE BRxRCH WIDER.
Every day the breech is growing
wider and the bridging of the chasm
mere difiicultl The white man seeks,
both in the north and in the south, 20
get further and further from the black
man in 80 far ~ relates to equal asso-
citation IN the conduct Of religious, po-
litical and social sffairs. He says Co Us
plainly. my brother, you sre helped
by Us so that you may 20 out and work
among your people IL you are q preach
er there are Negro churches for you
IL physician, lawyer, teacher, me-
l'chsnic or whatever you choose to fol-
low other than the humblest servant
l position, rsmen ber my colored broth
or, you have ten millions OF your own
race to work among, In this country. +"
That is the way she white man talks
| and that is what he means.
know the white brother has some
Christian feeling for his colored BROTH
or, but those Christian feelings are as
yet fettered and tied down to well de.
fined moorings and 10 will take the
Triune God in His owl mysterious sad
all-wise providence to fetch him to the
point where he can be equally yokeG
with as in authority, government and
| racial relations. He tells the coopera-
tive Negro, the independent Negro,
the old time Negro, the latter day Ne
gro and every other species of Ne
groes, IF you want to be anything. be
it by your genteel selves" Knowing
this to be the truth will any of us de-
it?
- DRPLoRABLE CONDITION.
Driven from the ballot box, openly
disfranchised, boxed up in separate
coaches, Gagged OF in steamboats,,
denned OF in theatre peanut galleries,
denied entrance into the machinsry
that controls the business world, tied
down to servile labor and domestic
employ ment, unpromoted in schools
where our ablest professors are allow.
ed to teach our own children along
with white teachers, where on earth
can there be found q sensible Negro
who would raise an objection to ef-
forts now being made By the Virgins
Baptist State Convention to control
AMI conduct their own denominational
work. We are not endeavoring to
make an argument against the white
man, touching his wrongs; we have
reached the point where we feel that
verbal reason is not half SO potent as
actual worth founded on wealth, own
ershjp and well organized Christian
citizenship. Therefore, we simply re.
late facts as they are that the think.
ing world may see the ground OF oul
position.
We contend for the rightfulness and
wisdom OF the Negro Baptists in seek.
ing to manage their own affairs in
church, missions. benevclence and ed
ucatioH In manner demonstrative OF
their csPability and respectable
worthiness. The white man, as vet
regs rds not any considerable number
OF Negroes capable OF equal recogni.
ten in the conduct OF religious and
educational enterprises: to him tbs
Negro is Jet . problematic, evoiution-
ary confederation. he is on trial. he
brings sweepingly under his puryiev
all the descendants Of Ham from time
immemoriAl.
TEX HIGHEST POINT.
He swears that the American Negro
is st the highest point In civilization
ever attained unto by any class Of Ne.
groes known to history; yet, the
American Negro 10 TO the white mans