The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-22
Emancipation and Emancipattng.
Wilmington. January ie

Editor Messenger:
There IL OF necessity much character
accredited to that people, who after a
favor has been granted by the Eternal
Himself. show IN the run 81 years
evidences OF sturdy character. az re-
sultants from that which they have
with and for the American negro.
Whatever his trials and hardships.
they can not outweigh the mer- les
that ave come TO him The beginning
OF development in America had
a double starting. Once with his en-
slavement and once with his emanci-
patton. The causes which led up To
this second beginning might be set
forth in the following facts:
Settling the great valley" organi-
zation Of the northwest te~rritory.open-
ing UP OF the territory west OF the Al
leghanies. cession Of louisiana 20
France and its purchase by our gov
eminent. The Missouri compromise.
Mexican war. secession, the Aora-
harnic proclamation. Neither one Of
the sections can claim the act OF lioer-
| ating the negro: for after all the facts
are studied the true student can but
| help see o n strange Providence
brooded owe the destiny OF the Amer
lean negro and ordered Himself that
A WHICH the HceIo IoN cIJoyS- 80
spoken Of this act OF emancipation.
that I might speak explicably OF the
procC:f which the negro is himself
credit4uiy carrying on. Emancipation
is an act accomplished. emancipating
is the process OF emancipation. The
following facts are spoken OF to lend
encouragement to the race. and 20
strengthen its efforts in the same
noble work
POVERTY.
Some argue that after the manu-
mission OF he negro he entered upon
his career in a state OF nothingness.
Nothing is more untrue n i%lliterate
than this idea. The ant can not build
his house. nor the bird construct her
nest without an unmolested opportua-
ity. The negro could moi have achiev-
ed what he has if his southern neigh
Dor and master had not given him a
chance. II some were contentious the
majority were liberal and aiding. With
this given opportunity let US see how
the negro is emancipating from power
". He controls today six banks-onc
ach in Washington, New Bern. Biz
mingham, New Orleans, and two In
Richmond. Va. He publishes three
magazines and 400 newspapers. He
has libraries valued at $500 900, drug
stores valued at $500, 900, school PROF.
erty at $29, 100000. church property ut
$40. 600, 600. 10000 farms valued at
$500, 900. 900, 80, 900 homes at $3.50, 00O,-
600. his personal property not counted.
Whereas this is hardly a sufficient be-
ginning. when we take under consid-
Grafton what we are to do as 10 per-
sonal salvation, II certainly shows tnat
he is in the process of emancipating.
No man nor race can advance in a
state Of ignorance. There is necCes-
sary bondage for every undeveloped
~snl " -@--~ hoe 80 30
his friends south and north, realized
this fact and has begun em~ancIpatlng
from ignorance. There are in the
United States. 2,912.912 negro children
Of school age. Out OF this number
there are in the public schools, ISL
61S. The average attendance Of this
number is 81 per cent. of the enroll
ment. In private school there are
50.000. This every one must confess is
remarkable. Every where the friends
of the negro are urging them to keep
this work agoing. For it is only in
this that there will come perfect tram
guilty to our country north and south.
Through this work of the negro God
is blessing all the people $
HATRED. IGNORANT AND MUIR
DEROUS.
| desire to speak to my people plain
ly upon the subject Of racial hatred.
1 desire likewise to address these
words in the main to what is termed
the new negro"
In a recent speech at Baltimore the
governor Of our state set forth in
q%ueenly language, to ar audience of
his own blood, the best method FOR
national development The enti-
ment Of those words should be writ
ten across the skies Every man
should extract from his heart every
vestage of are hatred that remaineth
therein. Rising TO the dignity OF u
righteous seer. this man impreases
upon the people the great lesson of
love. l want in this word 10 compli-
ment my race for what they have done
by the acquiring of this virtue, and In
the same breath criticise because We
have not done even more. During the
forty n years OF freedom the best
work the negro has accomplished has
been that Of freeing himself from
hatred. When looked at in the right
light that which he has lone along
this line has been marvellous. The
ante-bellum father has b~equeathed to
every negro boy and girl that which
he and she hould guard as sacred-the
spirit to work their way through ways
which they can not now fully appre-
cfate in the spirit OF love. The pain
thing may IS well be said. Every re
gro who cheerishes in his heart ha-
tired towards his white brother hovers
in his bosom the spirit of treachery
and villiany. We are in the process
OF emancipating. but. brothers, we
shall have to halt, lest we discover
that we have carried a weight-ha-
tred-that has INSTRUCTED our further
passage. and defeated US eternally.
FOOLISHNESS WITHOUT PAR
l.
1t does MOI take much logic to argue
that the negro is dependent upon thu
white man for his bread. Nearly
every man among us must seek the
door of his white neighbor for employ
ment. 1 am not ignorant OF the fact.
that when it can be gotten OF the right
sort. g labor is wanted by the
white man south. There ought b..
said, too. that every man is in duty
bound to protect his own house. The
only Limitation to this, in the lam
guage OF Governor Aycock. Is to do No