The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-04
TO THE COLORED CITIZENS.
A Negro Preacher Addresses Some
Earnest Words of A~dmonition TO
His Race.

l submit the following address TO the
preachers, teachers and to the respec-
table leading citizens Of our race:
1t is with profound sorrow and re-
gret that we note the fact that for the
past IS or 20 years that there are those
among our race who have been con-
stantly charged with having commit
ted the most brutal and fiendish crimes
that could possible be perpetrated by
an animal in the form of humanity, and
according to reports there seems to
to be no relaxation as to the committal
of these crimes, but to the contrary
they seem to spread. The brutes who
commit these crimes do no only bring
disgrace and punishment upon them
selves, but they reflect and bring re-
proach upon the entire race; and very
often when such crimes are committed
the party is held up before the world
as a type of the nero race and to
some extent the innocen and reSpecta-
bic are made to snare the
of their evil deeds. They are mill
stones around our neckS constantly
pulling US down into the great sea of
are endeavoring to rise.
II IS time that something should and
must be done-something more than
lynchlng, something more than de-
nounclng and condemning must be
done. 1t is true that lynching is wrong
and british and should no be toler-
ated in a civilized and Christian land,
where law has been provided and fully
ample to punish the guilty according
to their deeds. 1t is also true thai the
SPECIAL crime for which lyynching is
done is BRITISH, mean and deviliSn
and merits the severest penalty that
the law can inflict. But cruel as
!yncnlng is and has Demonstrating,
burning and cutting into pieces the
nVlhg bodies of those charged with
the crlmes-does not seem to stop it.
rms mas led some of the more respec-
tao!e among the race to be inclined
to doubt the reality Of some of these
charges, but as there is no way or OPP
porunlty TO show to the contrary,
the world accepts the verdict as true,
ana the race stands condemned at the
par OF public opinion. I truly believe
mat voice the true sentiment of nine
tentnS OF the entire race when | say
that n man, blacE or white. who
would make an assault upon a woman,
let ner De white or black, is not fit to
lVe. But he great question with US
now, what must we do to stop this
shameful crime n redeem the race?
Let every preacher, teacher and ev-
some decided n united action. con
demnlng and denouncing such fiend-
lsh deeds, and pledging ourselves that
whenever and wherever such a crime
is committed that We shall leave nc
stone unturned in helping to apprehend
and find the right and guilty party,
and placing him into the hands of the
proper authorities of the law for just
punishment of his foul deeds. Second
~, let us make a united effort, in ref
ormation among the class which would
likely become guilty of such a fou
6na6 q ~ 1irr0 4bora r. 81
in plain words that the way of the
transgressor is hard, not only in the
life to come, but in the life hat now
is. Let US give them to understand
that we hate and denounce uch de-
mons hat are diSgracing the race.
Let our ministers hurl the thunderbolt
of the gospel against these and all
over evil doors. Let US do this until
such charges will be a thing of the
past. and will never De heard of any
more. It no doubt would be helpful in
checking these evils. if conventions
were held in every county at least one
a year where we could meet and dis
cuss these matters n devise ways
and means for the mora n material
improvement of the race. This would
pay far better and would be more ben-
eficial to the race than helping and
encouraging them to run SO many eX-
curSiOnS all the summer as We do nOW.
Let US remember that as a race we will
rise or fall together. it matters not
what may be the standing or the re-
speciality of some: we cannot get
out of the reach Of these hurtful in
f1uences for in some way they will
have a wonderful bearing upon US and
all will be affected. 1t is with US as it
is with the human body, 50 strikingly
illustrated by st. Paul in his Epistle to
the Corinthians. The body is one and
hath many members, and all the mem
49,. 49, ~1 @-I
whether one member suffer all the
members suffer with it." So it is, and
so it will ever be with the negro race.
l lain that the leaders of our race
have a greater work to do than the
leaders of any other race.
We should urg upon u people to
be honest, honorable. respectable. law
abiding n more econOmical-not to
waste their hard earnings in riOtOus
living and in frivolity. such as blind
tigers, d~ispensaries, gambling dens
and so many excursions. These are
some among other evils hat are hurt
full to our people. We should Dear in
mind that the las of our people are
poor and i~lliterate, therefore their ele-
walton will largely depend upon their
preachers and teachers, or in the ext
40 years We may not be very far from
where We now stand. / therefore most
earnestly appeal to all preachers
lIV SldlS IlldI we tdhc
some united action in bringing about
a reformation among this element Of
our people. And I wish to caIl special
attention to our preachers and teach
ers who labor in the country to the
special crime for which lynching is
said to be done, for l have noticed that |
most all, if not all. that such charges
are made IN the country, OF small
towns. l therefore repeat that when !
ever such a crime has been committed
do all you can in helping to apprehend
the guilty party, not to lynch him, |
but to put him into the hands of the
law. |
We are opposed to l~ynching, not be-
cause we have any sympathy for the |
rascal, nor because We deem the pun |
ishment too severe, but because we be- |
lieve with nan of the best men both
north and south, that lynching is |
wrong: that it is murder. and is in ex- |
press violation both of the command |
r ~ --I 49, - 1~~ Il