The Colorado statesman., 1912-04-20
The COMING OF The
NEGRO TO The SOUTH

ileve that 1t was in accord with Gods
purpose that America should be the
home of people who should be lead
ers in Christian civilization. And in
the fulness of time America was dis
covered. Then 1t chancellor was 1t
mere chance? that "as the eagle stirs
her nest" conditions stirred the Anglo
Saxon race, which was even then the
foremost race Of civilization, to desire
and to seek a refuge.
They came to America. Soon after,
the Negro also arrived. His intelli-
gence and enterprise did not cause
him to come. The God who makes
the wrath of men to praise him over
ruled for good the mercenary motives
OF the slave trader and caused the
Negro not merely to come. but to be
brought with no concern as to the cost
of passage across the ocean. God
moves in mysterious way"
Can human judgment or spiritual
discernment enable us to see why
chance-or was it mere chance?-
should put thus together the dominant
race with the most backward race of
civilization? Let us reason together:
The Negro on being brought to
America was sold to northern people
as slave. but the God who tempers
the wind to the shorn lamb" had de-
creed that the south, with climate and
soil best suited to his temperament
and for his labor, should then and ever
be the Negroes home?
SLAVERY TO THE NEGRO A
BLESSING IN DISGUISE.
And whether we censure or make ex-
cuse for American slavery, it had
purpose to serve in the realization of
the prayer. Thy Kingdom come, to
clear the forest and lay the founda-
tions for physical conditions and en-
vironment which progressive, Chris
tian civilization demanded, the white
man needed the Negroes splendid mus
cles and Drawn. To shake off his ig-
norance and heathenism, the Negro
needed the knowledge of God that was
gotten in and the discipline and knowl-
edge of the work that was gotten by
the system of slavery. AS the Negroes
needs were greater and more numer-
GUS he received greater benefit from
the system of American slavery than
did the white man.
Viewed from one standpoint, Amer
ican slavery to the Negro was dis
guised blessing. God cannot effectual-
ly use an individual or race that has
not learned to serve. Before Christ
himself was made Lord over all and
all power was given unto him. he be-
came the servant of all. The Jews,
who were Gods chosen people, had
through slavery to learn the lesson of
service. Through the contact incident
to service they became possessors of
of knowledge of God, handicraft, and
and sciences of the Egyptians. Simi-
1arly by the contact incident to serv-
ice, the Negro became the possessor
of knowledge of God handcraft, and
discipline of mind. They learned
hardness" and "by the things they
suffered" they learned obedience. We
serve God by obedience to the author
ity of God only by having learned obe-
dience to the authority of men.
HIS FREEDOM A BLESSING TO
BLACK AND WRITE.
There are reasons too numerous to
mention for the belief that the same
providence that permitted the Negro
to be a slave in the south also caused
him to be a free man with the south
for his permanent home. There is no
such thing as chance, except in novels
and books written by people of shallow
minds for people of minds more shallow
to read. And there are abundant rea-
sons for the statement that freedom,
when it did come, was a great bless
ing to the Negro, but a blessing far
greater to the white man. Viewed from
the sane and right standpoint, the
white man, especially the southern
white man, could and should celebrate
the first day of January, for he too
was emancipated then as well as the
Negro.
The Anglo-Saxon race is unquestion-
ably the leading race on earth. God
has entrusted to 1t influence, power
dominion and not least the Bible. This
race is logically the teacher of man
kind Great and fearful responsible
ity! Now listen yet again:
THE FIDELITY AND GENTLENESS
OF THE RACE.
During the civil war, the Negro
supported the women, children and
old men of the white race and sup
ported even the armies whose success
meant his continued enslavement. His
devotion and fidelity to his owner was
marvellous. He followed his master to
the front. During the masters illness,
the faithful Negro nursed him. When
bleeding and wounded the master fell,
the devoted Negro bore him tenderly
home to die and at his burial shed
tears of sincere regret at his grave.
What race or races would have ex-
hibited such fidelity and devotion un-
der such circumstances so pregnant
with temptation. For, be it remem-
bered that had the Negro resorted to
the torch. to massacre and to number