The Washington bee., 1910-01-29

| EMANCIPATION DAY AT OR.
ANGEBURG, SOUTH CARO-
LIMA
Recorder Dancy Speaks
By Prof. H. P. Butler of the State
College.
It is a peculiar fact of history that
every nation, kingdom or people, ha.
had to pass through doubtful peri
ods of development, settle their vita
issues, and meet critical conditions
on which their future destiny depend
ed.
Magma Charta did the work for
England, the French Revolution ac-
complished it for France, the Ameri-
can Revolution gave freedom to the
white people of America, and the
God of Nations and Races, in his wis
dom, waited until January I, 1868, to
emancipate the Boys in Black"
Since that memorable day, the Ne
gro has been making every New
Years Day a political passover, in
sacred memory of that dark night OF
slavery when the angel of liberty saw
his wasted blood and loosed his chains.
On January I, 1910, however, one sec
ton of our country did greater hon
or to the celebration of Emancipa-
ton Day than did Orangeburg, the
Athens of South Carolina.
Orangeburg is a town situated in
her native Commonwealth like the
heart in the human body-a little to
the left, but always on the right side
of life. The Lincoln Historical So
ciety of Orangeburg arranged for the
celebration of last Emancipation Day,
and no difficulty beset its members
until the question of the orator Of
the day presented itself. The Society
of course, desired nothing but the
best man Obtainable, but to locate
him proved a most difficult PROPOSE
tion until the Rev. DR.. Quick, pastor
of Trinity NJ. E. Church, true to his
name, promptly solved the difficulty
by suggesting the name of Hon. John
c. Dancy, Recorder of Deeds of the
District of Columbia. The reverend
doctors nomination of Recorder Dan
cy must have been inspired, and he
was at once authorized to deliver
the man" which he accomplished af-
ter considerable correspondence
through the mails and over the wires.
On the appointed day, the Reception
Committee, consisting of Rev. DR..
Quick, DR.. NJ. D. Rowe, Hon. !. NJ.
MOoren, Col. n. B. Thomas and Prof.
n. P. Butler, met Recorder Dancy
and extended a cordial welcome. The
moment Recorder Dancy's arrival was
made known, there was tumult in
the city" and it at once became ap-
parent that those of his race who
knew him are fortunate, while those
that have not failed to study the last
twenty-five years of our race history,
in which he has been a prominent
figure and has played a most import
ant part. DR.. Quick, however, had
the advantage of everyone else Tor
he and Recorder Dancy, during the
marble shooting period used to roll
the stones" together, and, in precious
boyhood days, upon the hills of North
Carolina, side by side, they "plucked
the first ripe grapes and bore them
home in childish triumph" Others
present know him in his public career,
so Recorder Dancy did not fall
among strangers, and when he met
the boys" he looked as he did fifteen
years ago, except that he had grown
d little longitudinally.
The spacious auditorium of Claflin
University, one of the best institu-
tions of its kind in the South was
crowded to its utmost capacity by d
truly representative audience COM
posed of the colored people ofk the
city of Orangeburg and adjoining
counties, and the professors and stu
dents of Clafin, the State College and
city graded schools. Music by the
Clafin University Symphony Club
and Prof. Kings Orchestra opened
the exercises, and after invocation by