The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-14

a smaller number of lynchings than for any other two months during the last twenty years. Let us uphold in every way the hands of the men who have led in this work. who are striv- ing to do all their work in this spirit l am about to quote from the address of the Right Rev. Robert Strange, Bishop Coadjutor of North Carolina, as given in the Southern Churchman of Oct. s, 1904:
 The Bishop first enters an emphatic plea against any social intermingling of the races; a question which must, of course, be left to the people of each community to settle for themselves, as in such a matter no one community and indeed no one individual--can dic- tate to any other; always provided that in each locality men keep in mind the fact that there must be no confusing of civil privileges with social inter- course. Civil law can not regulate so- cial practices. Society, as such. is a law unto itself, and will always regu- late its own practices and habits. Full recognition of the fundamental fact that all men should stand on an equal footing, as regards civil privileges, in no way interferes with recognition of the further fact that all reflecting men of both races are united in feeling that race purity must be maintained, The
 What should the white men of the South do for the negro? They must give him free hand. fair field, and
 
 working together for their mutual ben- eft and for the development of our comon country. He must have liberty, equal oppor rtunity to make his living, He must have justice, equal rights, and protection before the law. He must have the same political privileges: the suffrage should be based on character and intelligence for white and black alike. He must have the same public advantages of education; the pubic schools are for all the people, whatever their color or condition. The white and respectful consideration to the ex- ceptlonal men of the negro race, to those who have the character, the ability. and the desire to be lawyers, CTS of thought and conduct among their own men and women. We should give them cheer and opportuni- ty to grattfy every laudable ambition and to seek every innocent satisfaction among their own people. Finally, the best white men of the South should nave frequent conferences with the best colored men, where, in frank, they might understand each other bet ter. smooth difficulties, and so guide and encourage the weaker race"
 Surely we can all of us join in sx- with the principles thus laid down by this North CarOlian bishup, this rep resentative of the Christian thought of the South.
 The Spirit eff Lincoln.
 l am speaking on the occasion of the celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, and to men who count 1t their peculiar privilege that they have the right to hold Lincolns memory dear. and the duty to strive to work along the lines that he laid down. We can pay most fitting homage to his memory by doing the tasks allotted to us in the spirit in which he did the infinitely greater and more terrible tasks allotted to him.
 Let us be steadfast for the right; but let us err on the side of generosi- ty rather than on the side of vindic- tiveness toward those who differ from us as to the method of attaining the right. Let us never forget our duty to help in uplifting the 1owly, to shield from wrong the humble; and let us likewise act in a spirit of the broadest and frankest generosity to- ward all our brothers, all our fellow countrymen; in spirit proceeding not from weakness but from strength, a spirit which takes no more account of locality than it does of class or of creed; spirit which Is resolutely bent on seeing that the Union which Wash ington founded and which Lincoln saved from destruction shall grow nobler and greater throughout the ages,
 1 believe in this country with all my heart and soul. I believe that our peo- pie will in the end rise level to every need, will in the end triumph over every difficulty that rises before them l could not have such confident faith in the destiny of this mighty people if l had 1t merely as regards one portion or that people. Throughout our land things on the whole have grown bet ter and not worse, and this is as true of one part of the country as 1t is of another. I believe in the South erner as l believe in the Northerner. l claim the right to feel pride in his great qualities and in his great deeds exactly as I feel pride In the great qualities and deeds of every other American. For veal or for woe we are knit together, and We shall go up or go down together; and believe that We shall go forward instead of halting and falling back, becaues I have an abiding faith in the generosity the courage, the resolution. and the com mon sense of all my countrymen.
 The Southern States face difficult problems; and so do the Northern States. Some of the problems are the same for the entire country, Others exist in greater intensity in one sec. tion; and yet others exist in greater intensity in another section. But in the end they will all be solved: for fundamentally our people are the same throughout this land; the same in the qualities of heart and brain and hand which have made this republic what it is in the great today; which will make it what it Is to be in the infinitely greater tomorrow. I admire and respect and believe in and have faith in the men and women of the South as 1 admire and respect and believe in and have faith in the men and women of the North. All of us alike, North erner sand Southerenrs, Easterners and Westerners, can best prove our fealty to the Nations past by the way in which we do the Nations work in the E,o that our children's children shall in- herit Abraham Loncoln's single heart ed devotion to the great unchanging creed that righteousness exalteth a nation"
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