Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1911-07-21
NEGRO WORK FOR The NEGRO
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY E. c.
MORRIS, D. o., TO THE 6AP-
list WORLD ALLIANCE
AT PHILADELPHIA, PA.

| am asked TO speak upon The Ne
gro Work for the Negro" This theme
as indicated is In plain accord with
the policy OF American Baptists as
we'll as with my own ideas as TO the
most effective way to direct religious
efforts among any people. 1t Is not
to be understood, however, that there
are, or should be any color or racial
lines drawn in the kingdom of grace.
but rather 1t is my purpose to give
emphasis TO the fact that in under
taking any great work. the matter OF
adaptability must be taken into ac-
count in the employment OF factors
There are no examples set or com.
u1ands given by the Son OF God that
cannot be followed with assurance of
success, and in sending forth his dis
ciples on one occasion, ne said to
them. BE ye. therefore. wise as SER
penis. and harmless as doves" and
In going forth to bear the precious
message of the Gospel it Is we'll to
consider this saying of the Master
so as to be fully able to overcome
whatever idiosyncrasies. supersutions,
jealousies and prejudices that may be
encountered In the non-Christian
world
Then again, | may be parduned for
saying that In the employment OF agen~
cies. an All-wise God may choose to
send a Michael 10 a Daniel. or send
him TO defend a Moses against the
Imperialism OF Satan: or he may send
a Gabriel TO Zacharias TO convey
Heavens message as To the forerun-
ner OF the worlds Red eemer. and while
IL is not given 10 men TO reason why.
we know that these heavenly mes
sages were adapted to the specific
duties they performed. and there Is
no ground for believing one to be In
ferior to the other
The late Wendell Phillips in deliver.
ing an address upon the life and char.
acter OF Haiti's military wonder. Tous-
saint L'Overture. said The muse o.
history win put Phoeion for the
Greeks, Brutus for the Romans, Fay
cite for France. Hampden for England.
and choose Washington as the bright
flower OF our earlier civilization" IL
that noted Dhilanfhropist was Justified
in selecting the honored sons OF these
great countries as their natural and
proper representatives, / should not
be too severely criticized for saying
that the most logical and acceptable
ambassador to bear the message of
salvation TO the negroes is negro.
Let me localize my subject for a
brief moment. For a number OF years
following the Civil war in this coun-
try, the great heart OF the Christian
people north and south went out to
the emancipated. and many devouf
white Christians came among the ne
gro people to do missionary and edn-
cational work among them. Their Ell.
forts met with signal success. But
as the negro people became educated
IL developed that they preferred
teachers and preachers from among
taeir own people; hence the strength
of the race was turned towards educat.
ing preachers and teachers, SO as to
supply their schools and churches.
The negroes felt. and rightly SO.
think. that their ministers and teach.
ers should associate with them.
should eat and drink In their humble
homes. and do by contact, by social
example much that could not be done
by anyone in the schoolroom or pulpit
alone. Owing TO the wider race dis.
tfnctions. this could not become a rule
with The white ministers and teachers.
and the most that they could do with
out sacrificing their social standing
among their own people was to preach.
teach and baptize the negroes. The
negroes as a rule were opposed to the
social intermingling OF the races. pre-
ferring to maintain their peculiar ra-
cial identity. Hence the demand for
negro churches and negro preachers
became imperative.
In the matter OF separation in the