The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-05-30
Character
Building
EMPHASIZED IN Address nv,
RELIGIOUS TRAINING
SCHOOL GRADUATES
PdrkhurSt and Lewis
Give Good Advice at The Commences
ment Exercises Of Thc Durham
National Religious Training
School and Chautauqua.

Durham, N. c., May 27.-The 2nd
commencement of the National Relip
lous Training School, this city, that
ended last Thursday with the com.
mencement Grafton by the great pub.
llolst and preacher, DR.. Chas,-H.- PARK
hurst, OF New York, was an event OF
significance in the educational world
DR.. w. R. l.. Smith, chaplain of the
University Of North Carolina. deliv-
cred the baccalaureate sermon. The
address to the undergraduates by
PRESIDENT Jas. E. Shepard; the mas
terly address to the United Societies
for Christian Work was delivered bv
Rev. DR.. w. E. Steckel, the able pastor
Of the Doyleston Presbyterian church,
Doyleston, Pa; the musical and the
fine exhibits Of the domestic art and
domestic science department were per-
tlnent features of the finals.
F. ointment people from various sec
IONS of the country and every part
of-'he state augmented with the pro-
gresslVe element of Afro-Americans in
this city gave Hon. VIM. H Lewis
Assistant U. S. Attorney General, a
pronounced ovation when he address,
ed the literary societies of the insti-
tuition last Wednesday night, His
address was a mastery effort and brim
full OF sane advice. He in part said: :
Ye shall overcome the world by char
acter, by conduct, by achievement; We
snail overcome it by suffering, by sac
r1hce and by service. Prejudices of
some Kind have always been in the
world and probably always will be, and
BE IL !t adel, The. place Of privilege and
power, Is to be taken, not, by storm
OF denunciation and abuse, but the
porticullis is let down and the Dor
tails open wide to welcome those who
nave been of signal service to their
fellows and humanity ..-.----.-..--~-
Your splendid young institution
stands for the salvation of the race
the saving of young mems bodies as
well as their souls, teaching them how
to live here below in the peace OF
God and the state, the making of
themselves useful and honorable cit
liens, by building character and build
ing homes and filling these homes
with beauty and love.
Remember as you go forth in the
world as teachers and preachers that
nothing is to be gained by dwelling
upon past history Of your race in this
country. The present problems are
sufficient and all engaging. Nothing
is TO be gained by bewailing the fact
that you are not born into another
race. You arc what you are and YOU
cannot change. The bondage of Is
rael today is only an epic poem; the
Greek slave Is only a marble statue
that adorns some palace of art; the
servi are remembered only in Latin
literature; the angles who Gregory
called angels were exhibited as
slaves in the market place of the eter-
nal city. African slavery will soon be
only a myth. / believe in today-the
day here and now. Today is the day
Of days. 1t is the latest day tha
time from it's scroll has yet unrolled
Back of it stands accumulated wisdom
and experience 6f@all ages; all our
gifts, sorrows and pains, wrongs and
expressions Of yesterday are done
They are yesterday $ thousands year
They are one with Ninevah and Tyre. ,
Continuing ito deliver the able an(
| wholesome message to his audience
| he exclaimed: II would forget tn
| past, live only in the future, and if
therefore, there is any work for nj
to do today for God and humanity
that. must do with might and main
This is my creed.
1T matters not that there are sing
ers among other races Of men ant
that their songs may be superior t.
ours, sill in our humble sphere i
we should fulfill our destiny we mus
sing our song regardless Of others
We may not hold our lives as haminJ
torches to the light the by-paths O
humanity, help to better the lives O
the meek and the lowly and to chee
them with a lively hope of their sal
.vation and redemption. More &mt
more the world is coming to be
wiser and better creed--that of rec
ognizing each individual man an
woman according to his or her merits