The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-02
He Thinks the Amendment May Prove
Blessing to the Negro Race.
WISE RESOLUTIONS WERE ADOPTED
The Negroes Were Advised to Discountenanc4
Crime, and Warned Not to Protect Grim
ina's. The Negroes Best Friends
Are in the South.


elaboration than any previous occasion Of
similar nature has been.
There was an address by Rev II. B
Delaney that was on high plane and in
which was much good and healthful adj
vice to the members of his race. He
stated that he believed the passage of the
amendment, might operate for the bene
fit of the race. acting as a stimulant in
matters educational. He advised the me-
groes to remain South, stating that here
are the negroes best friends. and urging
them to frown down crime, and to
discountenance criminals.
The Emancipation proclamation was
read and poem written for the occasion
was also read
The president of the dav was W. NJ
Graves. Miss Matte Watts read the
poem, and the Emancipation proclamation
was read by Rev. w. N. Jones.
Music was furnished by the Shaw Uni
versity Glee Club. Several musical Sc
lections Interpreted through the exercises
of the day served to keep The crowd in
lively spirits. Among the humorous Sc
iections was a Chicken song. that pro-
duced much merriment America and
other national airs were given. w. H.
Dowd is the director of the cluh
On motion of j. H. Young. the officers
were reelected They are rs fnlic ~.
Pres:dent-W. H. Graves.
Secretary--C NJ. Hunter.
Treasurer-W. S. Debnam.
The following resolution was passed
unanimously:
Resolved, That the thanks Of this
meeting are due and are hereby rendered
to the city officials and the Finance Com
mittee Of the Board of Aldermen for the
use of the Hall for nominal sum-
A long resolution was passed touching
the condition and outlook of the negro
race. 1t is devoted almost entirely to a
discussion of the amendment, and is very
temperate in it's terms. 1t recites that
Dy the operation of the amendment, prac-
tically the entire negro race in this State
is kept from voting, but it states that
still the race is confronted by grave re-
sponsibility and solemn duties, and calico
their attention to the magnificent appor-
tunities for development, opening up with
the Twentieth Century, In part the ad-
dress is as follows:
1T has been prevalent mistake among
us heretofore that the proclamation of
emancipation and the amendment to the
National Constitution were the only re-
quisites to the full investiture of the
race with all the rights and powers OF
citizenship. These only fixed for us
legal status. The maintenance of these
rights and the exercise of the powers is
work which we must do for ourselves.
Arace cannot be raised to plane of pow
sr by edict of sovereigns, Constitutional
provisions or legislative enactments.
Power is a development and not a be-
stowal. 1t must come from within and
not from without. 1t is a growth and not
creation.
The splendid genius of the proud Anglo
Saxons is not the result of fortuitous con-
dtions. They suffered, they endured,
hey struggled until they wrought out
their own conquering civilization. Their
sufferings and endurance were their dis
cipllne and inspiration; their struggles
we're their strength in accomplishing their
final deliverance. 1t may be that God
has permitted us to be brought into re-
lations which are to call into vigorous
exercise all the higher and nobler powers
increase in power. Every faculty is
strengthened by judicious exercise. With
increasing power will come complete
emancipation. Let us, then. begin the
new century with a resolute determine
tion to become free people. To this end
we earnestly urge:
1. That our people diligently use every
means of religious and intellectual inn
provement now open to them, and that
others be added as rapidly as possible
We should not depend upon the State or
private benevolence in the establishment
OF churches and schools. We can do much
ourselves in this direction and the begin
ming of this work will be the beginning
OF the Great Twentieth Century Emanci-
patton Movement" Unless we begin now
the day will come when we will mourn
the neglect.
2. Let us organize business enterprises
that will employ our own labor. Our
scope OF opportunity is being circum-
scribed each year. There is much that
we can do in the way of helping ourselves
and until We do this we need not COM
plain against others.
8. In the education of our children we
should not neglect their manual training.
We should teach them how to do some
thing which the world needs to have done
and how to do 1t as we'll or better than
the same can be done by others. Let us
all go to work and teach our children to
work. This will prove stimulus rather
than a Bar to their highest intellectual
culture.
4. We commend to our people the en-
tor 30 q n Of
North who. with ample capital propose
the establishment of industrial commu-
mites of our people wherever, favorable
conditions can be secured. We are in
formed that it is the purpose OF these
gentlemen to build factories, and organ
ize other industries by which negro labor
can be utilized. 1t is their view that
communities thus started will eventually
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