The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-24
4 GREAT ADDRESS
BY D. W. DAVIS
Excellent Advice Given TO Young
Colored People.
THE WHITES THEIR FRIENDS.
Rising Generation Of Negroes Exhort
cd TO Regard the angio-Saxons,
Among Whom They Live. as
Those Who Best Aid Them.


Ger Days, a distinguished colored minister
and educator at the closing exercises OF
the Goiored Normal School of Richmond.
aast week has attracted much attention.
Many prominent white people heard his
remarks and approve of the sentiments
expressed.
Rev. DAVIS said in the course of his re-
marks:
feel especially proud of the great cis-
Iinct.on that has coma 10 me for the sec
end time, in that / am called upon to
address a graduating class of my alma
mater. No greater honor can come TO
one than TO be called upon. by these
by HON he is employed. to speak upon
occasion of such moment and such
peculiar significance. / trust to De IN
sorne degree worthy of the confidence.
Shakespeare says: IF 10 do were as
easy as telling men what 10 do. then Deg
gars had been princes. and novels palaces.
Giving good advice 10 others is assured by
a simple undertaking. The impecunious
wretch, whose scanty appeal might sug-
gest his engaging III the Adamic pursuit
OF aiming fig leaves toget or. can glibly
E5zst2st.rs otissrs ncw 10 obtain fabulous
zssseit.... TIE physical wreck. whose hack
Efig cough exctes the sympathy Of pass
s-rs-by. may be seen innocently hawking
medicines guaranteed TO be an infaliole
cufe for all the diseases that flesh is heir
go: forgetting that 10 him could be spprc-
s,risteiy quoted the scriptural phrase,
s,Physician, heal myself. The immoral
Teper; whose horrible life is a bot IN the
fair face of humanity. may often be
found preaching virtue and morality with
wonderful ferpor and matcilless eioluence.
Yet may l not rnodestly express the hope
that / am 10 some extent an exponent
.-.of the principles ! shall lay do.n for
you, and that the peculiar circumstances
land environment. of tonight may enable
.E.s ~
SnDost fibre of yotit, being and bear bless
ed fruit in your future life.
To You This is one OF the proudest mo-
anents OF your career. II is the reward
of the faithful labor of many weary
year, and the elimination OF your fond
lest dreams. AS I look upon this beautiful
scene the assemblage of the dover Of
our dear city, 1 see mother and fathers
who have longed and prayed for this hour,
"a school board that has done Al in It's
power TO encourage You 10 Truthful en-
kdeavor and a superintendent, principal and
leaders who have done their fun duty
in your development. One and al are
asking themselves the question, what
viii they do with it?'' VIII pour frail
s,arlss he able TO breast the surging bill
lows, or will they drift as dreary wrecks
upon The shores of time?
WORK But BEGUN
i congratulate you. my young friends. on
being born in 4 race where magnificent
opportunity awaits Your every effort. For
cur people real life and civilization 2,avs
but begun. The fertile brain of c few
inventors have brought forth marEels CT
Ingenuity, but There is much land still
no be possessed One thousand al i i"nr
hundred books, the creative children of
negro brain, are on the market, but the
great fields of literature are yet to be
plorcd. a few have accumulated 4 little
wealth. AMI w. w. Broune has opened
up The way. that we might see the gre2
ossibil:-'cs Of The rae. but the Wander
s,.lts, Ioulds and RocketaileTs among Us
are Yet to be born.
These may he the result of peculiar
circumstances, environment or chance, and
so | call you 10 the destiny that God
places within the reach of the hunbIest
of his chiidren-noble manhood and woman
hood. BE this always in whatever POS
ton God may see fit 10 call you.
j shall speak TO you, however, as 2
southern negro. thoroughly identified with
every southern interest, the product of
her schools and yet giving place 10 no man
:n his broad land in love and devotion TO
my people.
Every nation, every civilization has
had It's negro problem. The traces may
be seen IN all the pages of history, both
sacred and isrofane The history Of the
world WAS young when Miriam and Aaron
ch!ded Moses for his union with an Ethi-
op-an woman Greece aad Rene AZ: its
troubles with Hannibal ana Sciplo Arr
canus finds lsiS name ernbia2nned III glow
ing letters uitan the pages Of History as
The direct restslt al negro problem.
France mot lis Toussant L'Overture and
1Iannciar in the Isle of Hayti. and Eng
land met her problem upon the tropical
chores of the Dark Continent The North
had its negro problem and threw ii over on
The shoulders OF the South. and. insdver-
IDENTIFY trust, added immeasural5ls1 TO uiat
problem during the dark daSs OF recon-
struction. The South still ..as its problem
which is fast becoming the problem of the
nation. Let me say. as a simple act of
Justice without asingle thought. save
shat YOU may know the fruyh,. that alone
can make us free, thst. notwithstanding
the fact that tins problem has come
aggeratt5 form the South mas met
its problem better than any other
people With whom, a black race has ever
rome in contact. This IS. 10 my mind, the
browning act of the is5neteenth century
and the most magnificent triumph Of The
Christian religion
THE CIVIL WAR.
The South lost everything during the
years of>carnaGe and yer, with tat IN
Saomitabie couraGe that sustained. war
Tor four long YEARS. whose unequal pro-
portions in men and treasure can only he
squafied by a Pass at Thermopylea- or
charge at Balaiilava, it went 10 work ID
reconstruct its broken fortune .,ni at tie
game time 10 educate its children. The
wlSes; craftsmanship and noble piis;i--
,hrops SAW that ignorance of the blacks
9spla b. a curse 20 whites as we'll as
olaciSs. aGd that the only Christian solu-
ton OF the problem that surrounded them
tes 10 lend a 10 her, black children
through education and financial assist
ance, and bid them rise Virginia did this
h her Iors:1y. ssiicn tie Pass Gas engen-
iiered by war had not subsidized As noble
IONS of 1loate s!res. she viii never DO less
ter her black children, now that white
Winged pesce has settled on her hor-
isrg sai prosperity IS within her palaces
W-s know ne can safely leave ourstnter-
FISTS ia her hands.
THE NEGROES DESTINY.
We have made, We are making. great
I plumbers. Many of US taiilk taat liberty
means license, and forget that no man
has liberty save to do the right We