The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1911-01-21
Great SUMNER
CELEBRATION.
Association For Advancement Of
ColOred People lauds Him.
GRAFTON BY Or. We. B. DU BOIS

Meeting House Of the Ethical Culture
Society In New York the Scene Of
Many Distinguished Persons Gather
cd to Commemorate Hundrsdth An
ntvsrsary Of o Noble American.
BY N. BARNETT DoDsoN.
The speakers at the Charles Sumner
celebration held In the meeting house
of the Society For Ethical Culture in
New York under the auspices Of the
National Association For the Advance
ment Of Colored People were Mrs.
Fanny Garrison Willard, Hon. Moore.
field Story, DR.. Stephen 8. Wise and
DR.. w. q. B. Du Bots. DR.. John Love
Joy Elliott presided
DR.. Du Bots, whose subject was
"Charles Sumner and Peace" spoke in
part as follows:
My thesis tonight Is simple. From the
life of Charles Sumner and from his
teaching wish to emphasize the truth OF
these statements:
War Is cruelty and waste.
The greatest cause of war today IL race
prejudice.
Only In the abatement Of race prejudice
can we hope to eliminate war.
To many minds It must seem almost
accidental that Charles Sumner was at
once the advocate Of world peace and Of
the abolition of human slavery. and yet
the connection between the two II perhaps
more evident today than II was in his
time, for It cannot be disputed that the
present flaming Of hatred and contempt
for certain races Of men Ii not only an
Irresistible invitation to private lawless-
ness and public vengeance. but 1t lies be-
hind nine tenths Of that international an
archy which we call war.
II would be possible to imagine that
from the humanitarian ideal Of the free
dom of a particular race Charles Sumner
would easily drift to the larger ideal Of
human peace for all the world. but this
historically was not the method OF his
mental development. On the contrary. 1t
was from an early and firm conviction Of
the horror Of war and the practicability
Of peace that Mr.. Sumner by natural
even II not fully conscious. logic came to
apply the larger principle to the social
war Of man on men which we call slav-
cry.
Charles Sumner began his public life by
what he himself aptly called q declara-
ton of war on war. His first great speech
by which the world learned to listen to
him was one Of the completest arguments
against war ever made, an argument
which 1t will not be out of place to sketch
here again In swift outline. It was done
In 1s45 on July 4. the birthday Of the ma
ton, and Il opened with the voice of the
fathers Of the nation to their children:
cease to vaunt what you do and what
has been done for you. Learn to walk
meekly and to think humbly. Cultivate
habits Of self sacrifice. Never aim at
what Is not right. persuaded that with
out this every possession and all knowl-
edge will become an evil and a shame
And may these words of ours be ever In
your minds! Strive to increase the in
heritance we have beQueathed to you.
bearing In mind always that II we excel
you In virtue such q victory will be to us
O modification. while defeat will bring
happiness. In this way you may conquer
US. Nothing Is more shameful for man
than q claim to esteem not on his own
merits, but on the fame Of his ancestors.
The glory Of the fathers Ia doubtless to
their children @ most precious treasure
but to enjoy It without transmission to
the next generation and without addition
10 the extreme Of ignominy."
With this beginning Sumner asked:
what Is national honor and glory? Is
Of England7 Can there be-" he cried, Gin
our age any peace which Ii not honorable.
any war that Is not dishonorable? To be
sure, we bewilder the imagination Of the
child with the glamour OF war, but war
is simply q habit. Q custom, trial by
combat as illogical as any that ever dis
graced the childish middle age Of the
world"
But, ladies and gentlemen, Charles Sum-
ner lived to teach US that after thou
sands Of years Of the debauchery Of
blood and iron world peace IL not coming
at the waving Of q well gloved hand. 1t
IL going to cost something to realize q
world peace. and II Ia going to cost you
something.
by submission Of will to will Now, SUBJ
mission may be brought about In many
ways-by persuasion. by reasoning or by
knocking your opponent on the head with
o club-and the picture Of world peace
that floats before many q dilettant's eyes
is that Of having most Of the work sub
NIT meekly and quickly to their own ideas
without the cost Of war.
Consider, for instance. as Charles Sum-
ner was willing to consider. the plight OF
the black man In the United States. Are
we by slavery and caste going to force
these people to be and do and think as
we wish them and then call that peace?
Are they human beings to be reasoned
with and taught and persuaded or are
they to keep the attitude Of the conquered
and the enslaved? In other words. is 1t
worth while to bother with the opinions
Of the helplessf
But II to you. as to him. the vision Of
peace on earth IL 90 vast and starry .
thing that the very air Of its overhanging
heavens means good will toward men, the
disposition to listen to the wants and de-
sires and ambitions OF men not because
you agree with them, but because they
are men, begotten Of the same father and
heirs to the same wide world-unless In
this way and In this spirit you can dare
on earth the democracy Of all races and
classes and seek to rule. II rule you may,
by reason and persuasion and not by the
big stick-unless this II 80 you are not
advocates Of peace, but fomenters OF blood
and war and misery
Anu yet mas not the event proved the
absolutely impregnable position Of Charles
Sumner In the matter OF human freedom
and Negro REIMBURSEMENT and civil
rights2 The same spirit that condemned
black men In 1850 to perpetual slavery
was the spirit that forced the Russo-Jap-
anese war, that Ii making China an arm
cd camp and that II saying to every black
man on earth today that II he ever ex-
poets to be recognized a. q man he has
got to fight.
In tho memory. then, Of this good man.
who hated war and slavery with perfect
hatred and In 90 doing did well even
though II cost him health and social peace