Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-09
EN- ANCIPATION DAY
COLORED PEOPLE CELEBRATE A
MEMORABLE EVENT.
Services Held in Galbraith M. E.
Church-Addresses by Mr.. n. B.
F. Macfarland and Others.

There was a special celebration last even
ing Of the issuance of the emancipation
proclamation at the Galbraith NJ. E. Church.
and a large congregation listened to several
addresses and the special musical program
which had been prepared for the occasion.
Commissioner Mcfarland presided over the
meeting and also made the opening address.
A letter was read from President Roose-
welt in which he regretted his inability to
attend and congratulated the colored race
on its progress.
In his address at the beginning of the ex-
ercises. Commissioner Macfarand spoke in
part as follows:
Grand Army of the Republic week would
be incomplete without a special celebration
of President Lincoln's emancipation pro-
clamation. for while the war was not be-
gun to free the slaves. 1t could not be end
ed without freeing them. The war was not
for the abolition of slavery. but for the
preservation of the Union, as President Lin
coin himself over and over again declared
officially and personally.
But in the providence of God, the full
ness of time having come, the last civilized
country which still tolerated human sla-
very was to be freed from 1t, and the slaves
themselves were to be liberated. Abraham
Lincoln was the fireatest man of his time.
If not the greatest man in our history, but
he was only a man, and he could not see
the end from the beginning. He butded
better than he knew, as Gods servants al
ways do and, working in his sad sincerity,
he not only preserved the Union, but he
freed the slaves.
The civil war will be more and more
known in history as the war for freedom
and opportunity, well as the war for
the Union. The future, looking back to it.
will seize upon the more human interest
of the emancipation of millions of men and
women and the abolition of the stigma upon
human labor. with it's significance in the
evolution and elevation of the human race,
at least as strongly as upon the political
result which has made this nation literally
the greatest upon the earth.
Special Obligations.
Therefore, while gratitude puts special
obligations upon those who owe their own
freedom or that Of their race to the eman-
cipation proclamation of September, 1862.
we ought all. without regard to race or
color, to rejoice in the great document
which made effective, $50 far as that is pos
sibe, the long-neglected statement Of the
Declaration of Independence that all men
are created equal; that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights; that among these are life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness
I'VE know now, even those who fought
against the Union and for slavery know
now, that 1t was best that slavery should
be destroyed as 1t was best that the Union
should be preserved. We know that the
country itself was freed and that every one
in it, high and low, rich and poor, black
and white, was given new freedom by the
emancipation Of the slaves. Manhood hath
a wider span and larger privilege of life
than man. and the general benefit rises far
above the benefit of the individual. There
fore, we are all debtors for the freedom that
was given the slaves and which brought
ampler and nobler life to every citizen of
the republic"
During the evening other addresses were
delivered by the following persons: ]. c.
Dancy, recorder of deeds for the District;
Bishop Alexander Walters. chairman exec
utive committee Afro-American Council;
Bishops r. S. Williams of Georgia, G. w.
Clinton of North Carolina, R. Cottress of
Texas and c. H Phillips of Tennessee
Vocal selections were rendered by Miss
Georgia Mackell, Miss Lula Hamer Prof
John T. Layton and Miss Sarah Jamifer.
Refreshments were served at the conclusion
of the meeting.