Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-06-01

l% Published 10 the Next Iss,
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Following is the text of the adj.
iress delivered by Bishop Charles b
Galloway, of Mississippi, TO the
Southern Education Conference a,
is recent meeting in Birmingham, Al
printed in the News of that city
The subject assigned TO Bishop Gal.
loway was "The South and the
Negro"
| The subject of this hours discus.
sion is not of my selection. With
the honored invitation to accept a
place on the program of this great
convention came also the request tha,
[ should speak on "The South and
the Negro" The distinguished
honor of this request was accorded
not because | have the capacity to
speak on this subject by the author
ity of fuller and more accurate
knowledge than others, but rather
because / live in the South and am q
friend of the negro.
Some acquaintance with this Sec
tion and its citizenship I ought to
have gained from lifelong residence
and eager observation and unwaver-
ing devotion from birth to this good
hour have lived in Mississippi-the
most intensely Southern of all South.
ern States-and where, because OF
their innumerable numbers, the So
called problem of the negroes is the
most acute. 1t is, therefore, not fol
want of opportunity, if lack infor.
nation, or am possessed of misinfor.
nation.
| shall speak tonight with perfect
candor, if not with approved wis,
dom, and appear not as the parti-
san of one idea, but as an ambassa-
dor of the truth and lover of my
country.
WILL CONSIDER PRESENT CONDITIONS
In offering some thoughts on the
subject assigned shall not review
ancient history, but consider present
conditions. 1t is time for us to cease
discussing who is most responsible
for American slavery. Present duty
has been neglected in an acrimonious
wrangle over history. For, after all,
the only difference between the South
and the North on the slavery ques-
lion is a difference between father
and grandfather. My father was
connected with slavery, and &C was
his grandfather. Our memories are
only little more vivid because some
what shorter.
l would not presume TO speak dog
matically as to the mind of God with
references to the future status of the
negro. Into that infinite and holy
realm | have neither capacity nor
temerity to enter. On what specific
line the race will move through the
coming centuries, l cannot attempt
to prophesy, but do know that all
our dealings with these people should
be in the spirit and according to the
ethics of the Man of Galilee. What
is best for them now should be the
measure of present duty, leaving the
future in His hands who knows the
end from the beginning. And we
must insist that the negro have equal
opportunity with every American
citizen to fulfill in himself the high
est purposes of an ALL Wise and
Beneicent Providence.
UNREST AMONG NEGROES.
Whatever the cause or causes,
there is no disgusting the fact that
there is great unrest and growing
discomfort among the negroes of the
South. They are beginning to feel
friendlcss and helpless. The frequent
lynchings that disgrace our civliiza-
ton, the advocacy by some of limit
ing to the minimum the school ad-
vantages provided for them, and the
widening gulf of separation between
the younger generations of both
races, have produced measure OF
despair.
There are few negroes in my native
State of Mississippi, the owners OF
property, who would not sell out at a
fair valuation. Many of the thriftiest
and most conservative feel, whether
Justly or not, that sentiment is sc
he stile to their race as to make all
their values insecure. And as op.
portunity offers they are quietly
leaving the sections in which they
have long lived and labored.
We need not close our eyes to the
inevitable. We are soon to face in
dustrial disaster unless conditions
are radically changed. Our cotton
lands will lie fallow and our fertile
fields cease to yield their valuable
staples. Already the scarcity OF
labor is the despair of large land
owners.
TO improve or remove these
strained relations is the duty of every
Southern patriot who believes in the
industrial and commercial future OF
these parallels.
POLITICS THE DIFFICULTY.
Unfortunately for this question
and for the best interests of both
races, it has not been eliminated from
local and national politics. So long
as it furnishes an easy and exciting
issue for contending partisans there
will be little opportunity for con.
structive craftsmanship to dea
wisely with the stupendous problem
1t requires but little ability tc
excite the fears and infame the pre-.
judice of a people. Any street
urchin can shout "tire!" and STAN.
pede an audience, even when there
is no danger. And if there be some
occasion for alarm the panic becomes
wild and uncomfortable. Then it il
men refuse calm counsel and wise
suggestion. SO it is with the socia
and political issues that may be used
to play upon the fears of the masses
The old cry of "white supremacy
NAV he imnarillpd La a LraYeatX OF