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


the principles and advocates in un-
dertaking to establish q providence
for higher ideals of manhood and
womanhood.
inc 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, sordd 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-
ficially made to keep back the tide ,f
freedom and spurious logic encouched
in benevolent didactics has been and
Is being enunciated 10 diScolor the
truth-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.
Thomas Jefferson caught the spirit
of the vision when he cried in On
clamatory eXhortation, 81 tremble for
my country when I remember that
God Is just" He reflected his spirit Of
justice irrespective Of mems social
l., 4
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 and
sadness Of the heart Of Thomas JEFF
ferson.
His document Is an instrument of
1mperishable history, vouchsafing the
inalienable rights Of life, liberty and
the pursuits of happiness" alike to
the Negro as we'll as to Anglo-Saxon.
Thomas Jeffersons proclamation OF
tinalicnablc ri gifts" Is somewhat an
alogous to Ch,ist'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 vltuperations Of most sinister and
venomous tlictions arc hurled flashing
through Virginia disparaging the
principles and institutions of the
grand old Virginia Baptist State Con-
vontion. Territorial exclusion has
been adopted as tho 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 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 q
group of ingrates. This contention
shows much cunning and subtlety.
But it falls fiat 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-
tribution 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 rem own
institution that "the time is coming
when your race will be forced to carry
its own burden" 1t was indeed
sane prediction. The Negro has been
going around On crutches with hat
in hand for fifty years begging aims
and relishing the fragments Of edu-
cation. 1t 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 a indeed a burden to care
for q race Of mutually sick weddings.
The advocates Of the principles and
institutions Of The Virginia Baptist
State Convention are not men Of in
gratitude. A priori they exemplify
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.
men of the South had once dreamed
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 az to whether
their object was to construct out of