The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-08-14
NEGROES TO NATION
Public Declaratio Formulated by
Congress Held in Atlanta.
IS CONSERVATIVE IN VERBIAGE
Declaration Was Framed by the Board
ct Directors and Reading ELECTED
Great Applause by Great
Audience,

The declaration of the Young Peo-
pies Congress atAAtlanta to the Amer
lean public is a very conservative doc
ument. In part it is as follows:
The Young, Peoples Negro Chris
tian and Educational Congress having
been called for the purpose Of consid-
ering the moral, religious, educational
and material condition of our people,
sends it's greetings to all the various
types of racial blood and lineage
which In the aggregate constitute our
national life. We join with you in
the hope that our nation, true to God
and true to humanity, The grandest
republic upon which the sun has ever
shone, shall become more and more
under the leadership Of men who fear
God and work Righteousness; and to
this end, We pledge anew our hearts
devotion and our life's 6eS:. ene1 gies.
Our purpose hire has been to deal
with all the problems which confront
the republic in it's complex national
life; but more especially to deal with
those problems that are essentially
the negro's and which, in the very
nature of the case, must be virtually
solved by, him.
Whatever of burdens we may still
have to bear, of wrongs which we
may still endure, Of adjustments
which are yet to be made, we throw
ourselves upon the justice and fair
play of the American people, north
and south, and declare our unreserved
conviction that in the end it will pre-
vail. .,....
The growth of the negro since eman-
cipation is unparalleled. From four
and onehaf millions a generation ago
we are now ten millions, and this
without the aid Of Immigration.
Now, after years Of experience, we
have pleasure in being able to say
that our educational methods are both
practical and effective. While much
has been accomplished in the intellect
ual development of the people, candor
compels us to admit that much yet re-
mains to be done 1t is an encourag-
ing fact, however, that more agencies
are at work for his intellectual uplift
than ever before Nearly 10000 young
coloreds men and women, $4,000 of
whom hold diplomas, have been pre-
pared and sent forth as Christian
teachers. #.5 ...-:s
While there is still room for better
and higher moral life among US, yet
unmistakable evidences of a purer
home and individual life are most
gratifying, Open concubinage has al
most entirely disappeared, and similar
immoral tendencies bequeathed us by
the past are happily passing away. In
fixing our moral status we ask you as
a matter of fair play, do not judge us
by our worst, as has often been done,
but rather by our best.
We are cognizant of the civic and
political inequalities under which our
people are suffering, nevertheless we
urge our people to continue to strive,
to associate their conduct that they
may prove themselves deserving of ev-
cry right. and privilege now enjoyed
by any other American citizen.
As citizens Of this republic we feel
keenly the responsibility Of putting
ourselves in touch with the best ele-
ment OF all races and classes and do
ing all We can to make this truly
liberty-loving nation, guaranteeing to
every one, rich or poor, high or low,
Mongolian or Malay, Caucasian or ne
gro. the fullest protection of the law.
We stand ready to Join hands with the
AngIo-Saxon, learning the same les
son that he learned from the ancient
Greek, ITO lay first the root of civili-
zation, and then with light and learn
ing carry that civilization around the
world, more especially to Africa.