The Washington bee., 1907-10-05
tartan or liberal faith.

VIII slavery oppression ana lgIlOI duCCs
something always happens. Ihe two can
not dwell in peace. So when the exper-
iment was tried Of having great souls
Of the liberal faith inhabit the same
country with slavery the result was fail
urc. Slavery, ignorance, oppression, in
justice could not live in the same couu-
try and in peace by the side Of Abra-
ham Lincoln, James Russell Lowell,
Henry WadswOrth LongfelloW, John
Greenleaf Whittier, William Lloyd Gar
rison, Wendell Phillips, Theodore Par
ker, George William Curtis William El-
lery Claiming, James Freeman Clarke,
and our own living saint and sage, Ed
ward Everett Hale. / repeat that when
slavery touched these great souls some
thing happened, and the institution OF
human slavery was forever banished
from our land and the world was con-
vinced anew that it was impossible for
human bondage and oppression to dwell
In peace in the same land with educa-
tion and religious freedom.
Ii ! correctly understand the mean
ing and object Of this great information
al gathering of spiritual thinkers and
leaders, it is to impress upon the world
the fact that religion is not meant 70
esUange men and races, but to acquaint
each with the best that is in the other
and 10 unite them in a common bond of
service This you would do with all
men, no matter what tongue they speak
or in what land they dwell or to what
key grasped him editor Davis) by the
race they belong.
If l interpret correctly the spirit Of
this international and interdeuomiua-
tional organization. it IS to impress up
on mankind the old and fundamental
truth that there Is something IN religion
in the end to be accomplished that is
far above church, creed, name. dogma
somsthing that transcends in importance
denominational statistics or Church
wealth You would concern yourself
with the vital things Of religion, you
would follow the teachings Of the great
Book when it says in effect: Not by
power, nor by might, but by my spirit
shall the world be redeemed You would
put not mere name, not a mere for
mula, but the spirit Of Christ into ev-
cry human being, regardless Of the name
by which II is called. 1t often requires,
1t seems to me, a great crisis in the al
fairs Of races and nations to teach US
how TO rise above all that is little anI
narrowing in our religious life. Within
our country, within recent years we have
had two great lessons: The one was
when for four long years a great battle
was raging between slavery and free
dom between union and the proposed
disruption of the nation The other
was presented when, as a result OF the
war, millions of ignorant and poverty
stricken Negroes were suddenly made
citizens and required protection and ed
ucauon. On each of these supreme oc-
casions men and women lifted them
selves into the atmosphere of Christian
brotherhood and united Christian ser
vice when all was forgotten save the
spirit of the Master and the essentials
of true religion. If this can once be
done, it can be done again. In this con-
nection may l suggest to the credit of
the American Unitarians that they al
ways stand ready TO sacrifice the reward
for work that shows itself merely in
increased church plants, denominational
numbers and financial statistics, in or
der that they may perform the higher
work of spreading the spirit Of service |
and religious freedom, and toleration
Hence 1t is that Unltarians are likely to |
hnd more evidences Of the fruit OF their
efforts outside OF their immediate church !
circles than within them
| do not speak to you as a pessimist. |
Far from that My observation and
experience firmly convince me that the |
spread of religion IS making the world |
better and lifting mankind up to a high |
er plane of living. The world is going |
forward, not backward. Until someone !
Is able to invent and enforce a law which |
viii stop the progress of the civilization |
Of the world, the forces of righteousness
and justice need have no fear of defeat |
Your work is spreading, deepening and |
vitalizing religious thought, and effort s |
not in vain. Christian civilization is /
moving forward, not hating or retro |
grading, and no one IS in a better po- |
sitiOn to realize this than one who be- |
longs, as / do, to what is known as one
of the unpopular races, OF disadvantaged |
races 1t is a long step from Virginia
plantation to the platform upon which /
I speak tonight. repeat, your work is
not in vain. In America and in all coun-