Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-10
The LeoDdrd5 6Dot5"

in the churches the night before, and held
all-night watches and prayer meetings
They felt that a pestilence worse than the
black death of the middle ages threaten
ed to extinguish civilization.
The Baptist church at Hambright was
crowded to the doors with white faced
women and sorrowful men.
About 10 o'clock in the morning, pale
and haggard from sleepless night of
prayer and thought, the preacher arose
to address the people. The hush Of death
fell as he gazed silently over the audience
for a moment. How pale his face! They
had never seen him so moved with pas
sions that stirred his utmost soul. His
first words were addressed to God. He did
not seem to see the people before him.
Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling
place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought
forth or ever Thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, even from everlast-
ing to everlasting, Thou art God!'
The people instinotively bowed their
heads, fired by the subtle quality Of in
tense emotion the tones Of his voice COM
municated and many Of the people were
already in tears.
Thou turnest man to destruction. and
sayest, return, We children of men.
Who knowest the power of thine an
ger2
Return, o Lord, how long? and let It
repent Thee concerning Thy servants.
Beloved" he continued, 'it was per-
mitted unto your fathers and brothers and
children to die, for their country. You
must live for her in the black hour Of
despair. There will be no roar Of guns no
long lines of cleaning bayonets, no flash
Of pageantry or martial music to stir
your souls.
You are called to go down. man by
man. alone. naked and unarmed in the
blackness of night and fight with the
powers of hell for your civilization.
You must look this question squarely
in the face. You are to be put to the
supreme test. You are to stand at the
judgment bar of the ages and make good
your right to life. The attempt is to be
deliberately made to blot out Anglo-SaUon
society and substitute African barbarism.
"A few years ago southern represent
alive in a stupid rage knocked Charles
Sumner down with cane and cracked his
skull. Now it is this poor cracked brain,
mad with hate and revenge, that is at
tempting to blot the southern states from
the map Of the world and build negro ter
ritories on their ruins. In the madness Of
party passions, for the first time in his
tory, an anarchist, Thaddeus Stevens, has
obtained the dictatorship of a great con-
stitutional government, hauled down its
flag and nailed the black flag of confisca-
ton and revenge to its masthead
1.-THE excuse given for this, that the law
makers of the south attempted to REIN
slave the negro by their enactments
against Migrants and provisions for ap-
premiership, is so weak lie it will not
deserve the notice of a future historian.
Every law passed on these subjects since
the abolition of slavery was simply copied
from the codes of the northern states
where free labor was the basis of society.
Lincoln alone. with his great human
heart and broad craftsmanship, could have
saved us. But the south had no luck.
Again and again in the war victory was
within her grasp and an unseen hand
snatched 1t away. In the hour of her
defeat the bullet of a mailman strikes
down the great president, her last refuge
in ruin!
God alone is our help. Let us hold fast
to our faith in Him. We can only cry with