The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-17
Comments OnLiying Topics
(By Archibald Johnson.)


| Within the past two or three years we
have read only three novels that inn
pressed us as great. They are the
'1.eopard's Spots, 'lEben Holden" and
David Harum." The Crisis is a
bright and readable story, but like e. p
| Roe's books 1t IS bird of passage. Mary
Johnson's work is wonderfully popular
| but all her books strike us as being far
fetched and wholly unreal '"rhe One Wo-
man, by Tom Dixon is as silly and sense
less as 'Leopard's Spots" is strenuous and
sane We are inclined, however, to be
heve that John Fox, Jr., has struck
high note in The Little Shepherd Of
Kingdom Come" 1t is weakened by the
profanity that stains several pages and the
| hero, chadwick Buford' is about the
weakest stick in the whole book. but
the characters rs a whole are drawn with
the hand Of a master. and the interpreta-
ton of the spirit OF 1865 is altogether
admirable. 1t would be a difficult matter
for a stranger to decide on which side of
the conflict the sympathy Of the author
lay except for the soft and SHY nonsense
with which he filled the head of his hero
Indeed it is Il most thrilling and truthful
picture of the dark and doleful time
when the proud South bowed her head in
ineXpressible sorrow, but kept her warm
heart clean and true! It portrays with
tremendous force the strong and manly
virtues of the Southern people in ante
bellum days, and deity paints vivid pic
ture of the finest civilization the world
ever knew; and with equal eXactness it
pays tribute to the courage, the fidelity
and patriotism of the soldiers CT both
sides. There is a strong glimpse-though
only a glimpse-of the humiliation and
| shame visited upon tender women and old
men who were helpless and defcnceless by
the army stlagslers of the Northern
hosts. One finds it hard to forgive some OF
| these things. We are quite delighted with
the book which deals so judiciously and
! fairly with this passionate period of our
nations life, and which so charmingly dis
closes the virtues of both sides without
magnifying the faults of either We do not
| know the price of the book. The copy we
read was loaned to us by friend; but we
think any library will be greatly. enriched
| by the addition of The Little Shepherd
of Kingdom Come"
| Last week the colored Baptsts OF
ThomasVlile had one OF their Institutes
which it was cur privilege to attend one
afternoon, and which gave US 81 new view
OF the situation and stronger hope tor
the solution of the great race problem
which weighs SO heavily upon the hearts
| of all thoughtful men. 1t was anything
but typical negro meeting. There was
no ranting and beating the air, but
quiet and very intelligent discussion OF
1 m of n 10 ri Ii1tU
| by men who appear to be peculiarly quar-
| flied for the work they are doing. Rev.
| DR.. Whitfield, OF Raleigh, a man OF strong
character and excellent educational train
ing, was the principal speaker. and his
| lectures were sensible and stimulating.
He gives his whole time to this institute
work, his salary being provided by the
| Baptists Of the North and supplemented
| by a small appropriation from the Board
Of missions of our State He told us that
| 8 years ago the<negro Baptists of North
Carolina contributed to all mission OBJ
| iects 5000 while last year the contributions
aggregated $500. This is marvellous
| progresS--far greater than we had sup
posed. In like manner, he said, the ne
groes had improved in their mode OF liy
| ing, their morals and in all respects. We
view he presented OF the outlook before
the Baptist negroes of North Carolina.
We have always believed that if the race
is ever uplifted it must be done by the
negroes, and not through white leaders.
An enlightened negro leader, who is wise
and sensible and sincere, can Do more with
the nogres than forty white men. We
have probably Numbered right at this
point. We have patronized the negroes
too much. They do not appreciate it nor
is it surprising or blameworthy in them
They are capable of managing
their own work and they viii manage it
| if it i ever managed at all. The leavcn
Of righteousness, let us hope, is at work
among them, and if the whole lump is
ever leavened it must be through the
faithful and earnest leadership OF mem
bers OF their own race. They are still OK
ceedingly crude material, and the animal
and emotional dominate their religious
| life, nut we confess that we took heart
again about the future Of he race after
talking with Rev. Whitfield who showed
manifest evidence OF substantial and rap
id progress in the realm Of morals and re-
ligion among the BAPTIST negroes at least
since the present plan of instructing them
was adopted. We speak of the Baptist ne
groes because we know nothing of the
religious conditions among them. of the
other denominations. We rope they are
going forward too. Religion which can
change the lion to lamb and the vulture
to a dove is the hope Of the negro, and
his only hope.
The motto of business man we once
knew was to attend strictly to your own
business and keep your mouth shut" It
is pretty safe rule to follow. Judge
Parker is likely to be nominated for Pre-
| ldent of the United States by adhering to
1t, and many man has profted by hold
ing tight rein OH his tongue.
Perhaps it is a good thing for the cot
ton sections that labor has become so