The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-02-13
The REAL FREEDOM,
"fNiNCIPSTTCN HAS BEEN Our
WORST FOE" SAYS NEGRO
iEADLE.
pc'i>rce ii ALicna:cd thr Southern
Nhi;c Man-AddrcSs in Little R0~.l
Creates Widespread Comment.

l"ttlc i|Ych, Jan. 23.--ln 4 notable
address delivered here 20 negroes. Dr.
Wilkins. Il negro leader. told thcn
that in the matter Of alicnaiin-r the
southern white man from tha nc@ro.
emancipation had been the negro's
worst foe.
His address is going the rounds
Of the country.
Among other things, he said
L say here now. once foY aI. il we
are to celebrate this occasion (Eman-
cipatiOn Gay), We cannot in any cor
science forget those who, in anguish
and pain, still held out to us a hand
without which we must have perishcd
from the carth--our freedom a trav-
eSty, and LincCln'a proclamation would
have had no place except as an cpl
t&ph OF what might have been.
Celebrate White Man's Kindness.
Let us then celebrate this DAY. in
mcmor" OF their helpcu friendship
and in memory that we had the good
"eh%e to prove our wOrtnincss of their
benefactiOns by not resortinc to torch
/ or anarchy and with q blush Of
sh2rlc That anywhere in our beloved
southland any nogro's pretended
, friends supposed that Iincoln's proc
lamation ever contemplated the i'm
mediate elevation Of the cX-slavc TO
place and power that meant tho hu-
initiation, not only OF the nogro's best
friends but the destruction OF that
mutual reliance which was the Irost
Important element in the rcmakin:, OF
thiS southland.
Docs anyone believe that Liacc3n
/ would ever have signed a paper in
, Whi1h he coGlJ have foreseen such =
saturnalia OF wicEodnoss as rc!gnol
over the south during the days oc re-
construction? y period Of our hiStory
That every man who rcmem3ers il
would gladly blot out II he could. No,
II would have been better for that
Srcat heart to be still in that noble
. breast than know that an instrument
OF his making could be so construed
as to produce such a condition in the
land of his birth. God was merciful
in taking him from such q scene. lie
never intended it. No! Not that man.
whose tender heart held no malice.
And like the master of Galilee. he
taught love of ones enemies.
Please excuse this seeming digres-
sion. remember well, as if it was but
yesterday, when old mistress came
into the kitchen and told my moth
or:
aunt Jane, YOU are free. AS free
as am. And you can 60
She worc large gray shawl. and
rs she turned to go saw tears on her
pale checks. Ny mother caught hold
Of her shawl and with streaming. eyes
said:
Miss Jennie, who're shall go?
What shall DO? have nine children
and know no one bat you. Why must
leave you?
We were all crying now.
"Ch. no, Aunt Jane" she said. YOU
need 90 nowhere. You can stay night
here i YOU wisl: and as long as / haye
Il crust of bread you and your children
shall eat. Will pay you what wages |
can. And 50 long as [ live ana you
stay If YOU suffer will suffer. too
I'VE stayed and she did suffer. much
more than We. This scene was at that
moment being enacted in thousands Of
homes ali over this broad land. Those
words were rs thc star Of Bethlehem
on that dark night to every negro
chen on the Plantations or the south.
HS he stood dumfoundcd at seeing old
mistress in tears.
N"nou"CcS C9rpcthaggcr.
""nd when old master came 10 riy
dilapidated home from the war he
said amen 30 every word that old mis-
trCSS had said Guj oN ,oc ny, -,