Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-05-12
THE VIRGINIA BAP7|S7S
Continued from First Page.)


dertaling to establish q providence
for higher ideals Of manhood and
womanhood.
The Eternal Creator, whose justice
can neither be bribed nor diverted,
and which justice should be keenly
. anticipated as an inevitable retribu-
ton for silent or patent deeds, never
intended In His economy Of nature
that man should be other than free.
The trend of civilization from mans
most primitive states, legendary as
we'll as authentic, points to this Di-
vine consummate realization. The
tide of mans liberation from every
petty, sordid hindrance that retards
natural progress Is the tide of reason
and this tide knows no ebb.
Mans struggle for liberty has been
both involuntary and revolutionary.
The grip OF slavery upon body and
mind has been in bonds powerful and
tenacious. There are breakers arti-
1lcially made to keep back the tide Of
freedom and spurious logic encouched
In benevolent didactics has been and
Is being enunciated to discolor the
trutb-and these glittering generali-
ties are sometimes cunningly decep-
tive-but these shadows Of the reality
are devoid Of substance. The human
soul hungers and thirsts after
freedom IN the sense and manner that
God intended it should have.
4. Thomas Jefferson caught the spirit
Of the vision when he cried in OK
clamatory eXhortation, II tremble for
my country when 1 remember that
God Is just" He reflected his spirit Of
justice irrespective of mems social
condition when he wrote the first
paragraph to the Declaration of In
dependence. Thomas Jegerson was
In reality the forerunner Of the great
apostle OF human liberty--Abraham
Lincoln. The birth Of human liberty
may have eventuated with Mr.. Lin
coin as President, but the pains an
tecedent to the delivery were the
anguish and anxiety, the sorrow AMI
i sadness Of the heart of Thomas JEFF
ferson.
His document Is an instrument OF
imperishable history, voucllsafing the
inalienable rights of life, liberty and
the pursuits Of happiness alike to
! the Negro as well as to Anglo Saxon.
Thomas Jefferson's proclamation of
"inalcnablc ri Shts'' Is somewhat an.
& alogous to Christ's cosmopolitan and
ubiquitous scheme OF redemption
1t affects every human soul regardless
! of social status and Ethiopian stamp.
Storms Of criticisms and hurricans
OF vituperations OF most sinister and
venomous dictions are hurled flashing
through Virginia disparaging the
. principles and institutions Of the
/, grand old Virginia Baptist State Con-
vention. Territorial exclusion has
been adopted as the most feasible,
clandestine scheme by which to pre-
vent the invasion Of an intelligent,
sane Interpretation Of the principles
OF liberty to those people who are
circumscribed by intimidation.
And why should any question arise
regarding mans liberty of thought
and action when those who oppose
know that liberty of thought and
action Is the only instrument Of pro-
gress? There can be- no essential
! progress when a race Is embarrassed
by obsolete traditions, false doctrines
and slavish obligations.
The strongest contention the oppo-
sitfon has as an argument Is that the
Virginia Baptist State Convention ex-
emplifies ingratitude. They charge
the advocates Of the Convention as a
groNp of ingrates. This contention
shows much cunning and subtlety.
But 1t falls flat as an insipid argu-
ment. The sublime character of the
spirit that vitalizes the purpose Of
the supporters Of the historic con-
vention Is Self-Help. The primary
end and object Of extraneous benev-
olence and philanthropy Is to fit the
beneficiary for independent self-help.
This Is the end Of all objective con-
trlbution to an individual or group
. OF individuals. This is most reason
ably the positive aspect Of pnilanthro-
ply.
DR.. Mac Vicar declared to the
student body of the Virginia Theolog-
ical Seminary and College, and in the
/ presence Of the Faculty Of that renown
institution that "the time is coming
when your race will be forced to carry
its own burden" 1t was indeed a
sane prediction. The Negro has been
8 going around On crutches with hat
in hand for fifty years begging aims
and relishing the fragments Of edu-
cation. It is pusillanimous coward
ice to ask the white race to do for us
what 1t is possible for us to do for
ourselves. No wonder the "white
mans burden!" No wonder the
white man complains Of this burden,
for 1t Is indeed burden to care
for a race of mutually sick weaklings
The advocates OF the principles and
institutions Of The Virginia Baptist
State Convention are not men OF in
gratitude. A priori they exemplify
a most splendid and charitable ami
mus of gratitude. If tho Northern
and Southern philanthropists in the
beginning Of this religious and edu-
cational endeavors among the freed
1 men of the South had once dreamed
4 that the Negro was destined to be q
helpless object to be carried, provided
! for and protected Indefinitely, we
seriously doubt whether they would
have bargained for the task.
And the question as to whether
their object was to construct out Of