The gold leaf., 1906-07-05
Race Question Again.
Episcopal Church Yielding to Law
of Public Opinion Resolution
for the Separation of the Race
Introduced at the Diocesan Con-
vention Recently Held in Hen
derson.

vention Recently Held in Hen
derson.
Raleigh Christian Advocate.
The Protestant Episcopal churc
is "alone in North Carolina in it
method in treating the colored pee
pie as ecclesiastical companions.
So said Rev. j. F. Murdoch, of Sails
bury, in the Diocesan Convention a
Henderson last week, in the course O
his remarks on the proposition t.
separate the races i'll their churcl
organization. Here is the substance
OF the resolution which was offered
1.-The welfare OF the church and botl
races will be best promoted by a sepa
ration OF the races in the legislativ,
council OF the diocese. preserving intac-
the unity OF the Diocese and. as far q.
the constitution and cannons of tn,
Church in the United States will allow
the equal rights OF the ministers and the
members OF the church. The secretary
Is, therefore instructed to report to the
next General Convention that it is the
desire OF this convention that such al
amendment to the constitution be made
as snail limit the membership of the con
venton to white clergy and white dele
gates from white parishes and missions
and that the secretary be instructed to
report on the first day of the next con-
| VentIOn an amendment to the cOnsti-
tuition which shall form the ministers
and laity OF the colored section into q
missionary organization having the
same rights and duties as q missionary
district organized by the General Con
vention, except that, until provision is
made, they shall be under the bishop of
the Diocese and governed by it's cannons.
| while also having power to pass cannons
Tor their own government
Thus another, and possibly the
last, OF the old denominations in the
South yields to the inexorable law of
public sentiment. While this seems
to be the only solution OF the pro-
blem OF the church, as it now exists
in the South, in its relation to the
colored people, we are panied to read
the utterance of Mr.. Spruill, who in
discussing the question after the
manner OF the politician, made Il
speech calculated to intensity the
feeling between the races. 1t is
enough to say that there was no use
OF resorting to such speech in order
to carry the point There is no
re"s"" 'a'nn NV why we should embitter the
tial inferiority and nee ree6dtlsee 81 hls essen,
n,i,,e,''ul's ,nn1a :. Face. rms, It is said.
nir. VIZ Spruill did, directing much of his
speech toward the few colOred repre-
setatives present. We are thankful,
however, that Mr.. j. c. Buxton had
the courage to reply in behalf of the
negro and make a plea for liberation.
This incident brings to the front
| the question of what should be the
attitude of the church in the South
| toward the negro. All thoughtful
people know that there has been an
ever widening gulf between the negro
race and the white preacher in the
South since the war. Whileit is true
that, in the time of slavery, the
Southern Methodist preacher was
perhaps the greatest factor in mold
ing the character of the negro, anc
the race made substantial progress IL
moral and religious character, he has
been effectually stopped from all op
pOrtunity to render service to The
race since the war closed. For a while
there seemed to be a feeling of fra
ternity on the part of the cOlore(
preacher and many of his congre
CATION, and the white preacher wa
often invited to fill the colored pulpit
But this feeling is gradually dyinI
out and the prospect for any sort Q
afiliatiOn or cooperation is eS
ceedingly gloomy.
We are aware that we discuss a de
icate question, and one on which it i
easy to be misunderstood and misreI
: resented; nevertheless we have cor
| victions which lay higher claims upo
on us than any mere consideration
of expediency. With this in view W
do not hesitate to declare that tn
OVERRIDING of the question of rae
! separation in matters OF religion
likely to prove the undoing OF tt
American church and to make wa
for a social cleavage that will ult
mately become the greatest menat
to American institutions. Two cal
not walk together unless they
agreed. If the negro and white ma
live together in America, the viii
must be the teacher of the negr
The negro must not be driven like
: dog to his place, but he must
pointed to it by the hand OF a loVir
and sympathetic teacher. This te
cher must also preach the Gospel
him. 1t is an anomalous state
OF things that keeps nearly ten mi
ions of our people out Of hearing
the best qualified Gospel preache
in the land. What is it, but an u
reasonable sentiment on the o
hand and an inveterate prejudice
the other, that will not allow the
people, right at our doors, to eni
some of the blessings OF the minist
of thousands of Methodist preache
not to mention the thousands
ministers of other denomination
Every preacher in the South sho,
devote at least portion OF his I'll
to the help OF the "brother in blacl
and the closet feeling OF fratern
should exist between the minister's
both races. Otherwise, there is lit
hope OF a solution of the race pre-
lem. At the foot OF the Cross tn
will be found out a method OF b
! monzing all nations and kindr'
III and peoples. They can be harmoni
nowhere else. So without &C
promising our position as the sot
superior of the negro, it is nevert