The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-29
IN THE RACE QUESTION AGAIN
Episcopal Church Yielding to Law
of Public Opinion
Resolution for the Separation Of the
Race Introduced at the Diocesan
Convention, Recently Held i'm Sails
bury-Dansers i'm the Path of the
Discussion of This Question.

oioho 1>ollH CdTOllna IN It's method
OF treating the colored people as &c
~clesiastical companions" So said Rev.
]. F. Murdoch, of Salisbury, in the
Diocesan Convention last week. in the
course Of his remarks On the PROPOSE
ton TO separate the races in their
church organization. Here is the SUBJ
stance of the resolution which was Of
fered:
The welfare of the church and both
races will be best promoted by a sep-
aratlon OF the races in the legislative
council Of the diocese, preserving in
tact the unity of the Diocese and. as
far as the constitution and canons of
the Church in the United States will
allow, the equal rights of the min
listers and the members of the church.
The secretary is, therefore, instructed
to report to the mex General Conven-
ton that it is the desire of this con-
VentlOn that such an amendment to
the constitution be made as shall limit
the membership of tie convention to
white clergy and white delegates from
white parishes and missions, and that
the secretary be instructed to report on
the first day of the next
an amendment to the constitution
which shall form the ministers and
Ialty of the colored section into a
Missionary organization having the
same rights and duties as a missionary
district organized by the General Con-
Vent1On, except that, until provisions
is made, they shall be under the bish-
op OF the Diocese and governed by it's
canons, while also having power to
pass canons for their w govern
ment."
Thus another, and possibly the last,
of the old denominations in the South
yields to the inexorabie law of public
sentiment. While this seems to be the
only solution of the problem 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 MI. Spruill, who, in discussing the
question after the manner of the poll
tician, made a 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 Or
der to carry the point. There is no
reason why we should embitter the
negro by reminding him of his essen
tan inferiority and recounting the
milleniums of stupid history he has
made as a race. This, it is said, Mr..
Spruill did, directing much of his
speech toward the few colored repre-
sentatives 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 atti-
tude of the church in the south togard
the negro. All thoughtful people know
that. there has been a never-widening
gulf between the negro race n the
white preacher in the south since the
war. While it is true, that, in the
time Of slavery, the southern Methodist
preacher was perhaps the greatest
factor in molding the character of the
negro, and that the race made sub
stantial progress in moral and re-
llglOus character, he mas been effect
ua1ly estopped from all opportunity
to render service to the race since
the war closed. For a while there
seemed to be a feeling, of fraternity
on the part Of the cOlored preacher and
many Of his congregation, and the
white preacher was often invited to
fill the colored pulpit. But this feeling
is gradually dying out and the pros
pect for any sort. of affiliation or CO.
operation is exceedingly gloomy.
yTa ~ n ryo ~ %lo+ ~-1 5:,a..a r
icate question, and one on which it is
easy to be misunderstood and misrep-
resented; nevertheless we have con-
vctions which lay higher claims upon
us than any mere considerations of
expediency. With this in view we do
not hesitate to declare that the over
doing of the question of race separa-
ton in matters of religion is likely
to prove the undoing of the American
church, and to make way for a social
cleavage that will ultimately become
the greatest menace to American insti-
buttons. Two can not walk together
unless they be agreed. If the negro
and white man are 20 live together
in America, the white must be the
teacher of the negro. The negro must
not be driven like a dog to his place,
but he must be pointed to it by the
hand of a loving and sympathetic
teacher. This teacher must also preach
the gospel to him. 1t is an anomalous
state of things hat keeps nearly ten
millions of our people out of hearing
Of the best qualified gospel preachers
in the land. What is it, but an un-
reasonable sentiment on the one hand
and an inveterate prejudice on the 9TH
er, that will not allow these people,
right at our doors, to enjoy some of
the blessings of the ministry of thous-
ands of Methodist preachers, not to
mention the thousands of ministers
of other denominations? Every
preacher in the south should devote
at least a portion of his time to the
help of the brother In black" and the
closet feeling of fraternity should
exist between the ministers Of both
races. Ootherwise, there is little hope