Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-02-16
4. ADVOCATES RACE FAITH

.
,aof. JOSEPH I. WILEY Or Fes-
r'srnpEN, FLA, THE PRINCIPAL
spEAKER At EMANCIPATION
CELEBRATION HELD AT ITALIA
HAssE.
Tallahassee, Fla.--of the many eman-
.,astion celebrations held throughout
-, none occasioned more en-
..us,asm than the exercises held be-
.nr the faculty and students Of the
cate college, at which Prof. Joseph l..
wiley of Fessenden. Fla. made the
n,incipal address. ) g,
"Tbe meaning of this day 10 COM
nm and inspiring to every American
.,t,en 1t commentaries not only
.se bondage and burdens Of 100000
asonle but the life. liberty and pros
rsritv of 10000, 900 people unique in the
ma of nations, because Of Its ability
n mass through troublous times and
i, the time come out surviving and re-
aned by the fires of trial. The day ID
,aaded to help us to remember. and
last we forget as government that
right is right since God is right, and
right the day will win
Tt ia needed to call attention to
the self-evident truths upon which
mat government is based. 1t Is needed
n point men to the pinnacles of the
,rast American house of liberty which
sss been built in theory and is gradu-
Lly being realized in practice. 1t Is
needed to teach liberty the underlying
principles of our happiness. and the
neserving force Of the republic. The
truths, which the celebration calls to
mind Il practiced, will preserve the
sountry in times of political storm and
nbeilion. fl ON within, or assault and
INVASION from without. 1t II a. broad
= the nation and brings again the
picture Of Washington, with his sword
heating back human oppression, and
Lincoln, the great apostle of human
liberty, with his glorious pen, writing
this land as the home of the brave,
md free as we'll.
I'VE speak today not only to fell
eitate with you, but to, congratulate
you on your triumphant march from
ehattel to citizen. You have met and
not been defeated by them, unkind-
ness, cruel caste, unholy custom, en-
forced ignorance and unfairness at
Divers times and in divers places.
with right and God on your side you
cannot fail in your effort to reach in
al things the stature Of the man who
b really free.
I'VE congratulate you, especially, to-
day, because you are changing ignor-
lnce for intelligence, poverty for
wealth, cabins for decent homes. You
IRE to be congratulated upon the large
number of banks, the mercantile insti-
tutions, churches, schools. newspapers
and increase in numbers. Your love
for land and liberty seems to be CO.
extensive. You have now more land
than at any time in your previous his
tory In America. You are to be con-
graduated on your scholars and
vorkmen, your colleges and their
products that find more and more the
employment for which they have been
10 carefully prepared. You are to be
congratulated on the era of home
making and land-getting, which you
have inaugurated.
s. Whose Crime Was III
~ 1T Is fitting that we retrospect
little on these occasions to see how
and whence the race came. II 1t were
crime to enthrall the negro, then
The crime was that of the nation, and
the nation is due to see that proper
restitution be made. It is the duty Of
this nation to see that all the dis
Advantages of an enforced servitude
b removed and that every man be
accorded his natural and constitutional
prerogatives. Our democratic DECLARE
tons to the world warrant such treat
ment. No one section owes such treat
ment to the exclusion of others, but
Oil sections alike should study and find
out the truth In matters touching the
rights and interests of the negro and
the nation.
1t has been conceded that the
church for long time made a mis-
nke to countenance the existence Of
oondage, especially since the church
was not ruled by the state. The church
certainly cannot afford to make any
o!ner mistake along the line Of human
rights and human liberty. Since the
matter has been set right, thus far the
- .a'lon receives glory today and the
saurch stands as one Of the victors.
me truth about liberty Is known and
nen are free. There can never exist
vain on the soil Of this republic any
Vstem Of human bondage.
Forever removed from American
sMe Is that most dangerous and sub
q Institutions which gnaws at the
n'als Of empires or republics. The
lAtlon is purged Of the error and we
~ set our faces to tho future and
u'nx not Of the disadvantages of the
NN' but Of the opportunities Of the
Ne.ent' We believe as progress was
zoe IN liberating the body of the
$50 land it ia thing Of which the
.aaon Is now PROUD, just 90 we are
lsAlns progress toward the fair treat
en- OF this people. We must hang
=. ~. heads IN shame over any humili-
ns law, unfair RECESSION or unchris-
~ ~, attltude exercised toward colored
,.'.ens Of our common country Let
=, Turn to the past a moment to ad.
~ the patience exercised by the
Y hn. uman, as he passed through his
~ critical test Of obedience and SER
,n., However, note that the insti-
s,.a on OF slavery began with the Afri-
4 .or,. as the slave, but ended with a
hsa oslte race which was made up
EAAoly from all Hba - q Is, =