The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1917-04-21
Gifted Young Orator Speaks
at Hampton Institute.
EMANCIPATION HIS THEME
Son Of Well Known Clergyman In
Mastery Address Traces Upward
Struggles of the Race Through slsv-
cry TO Freedom--says Lincoln Was
Worlds Greatest Seer and Prophet.

Charles Satehell Morris, Jr., the pre-
cocious son of Rev. DR.. Morris of Nor
folk, Va, who has been suffering from
a temporary breakdown due to over
work, recently delivered at Hampton
Institute an address on "Emancipa-
tion," which commanded the respectful
attention and admiration Of an au-
dience of more than 1900 representa-
tive colored people. Mr.. Morris is
student at Wilson academy, Nyack,
N. Y, and has made an enviable rec
ord as a public speaker. He has spent
great deal of time and strength In
speaking before large religious bodies.
Prior to his recent illness be was en-
gagged In preparing magazine material
on 1.-THE Exodus of the Southern Ne
gro"
Some excerpts from his Hampton in
stitute address on Emancipation" will
Indicate the style and scholarship
which characterize this young mans
public speaking. He In part said:
"This is the fifty fourth year of eman-
cipation, and 1t is eminently fitting that
there should be an observance OF 1t at
the shrine of Negro education in Amer
lea. Here are displayed in conspicu-
GUS form the gallant deeds of those
whose souls are not trammeled, whose
hearts are not embittered and who
bear their burdens with sense OF
manly pride and complacency. We
come to show that theirs is a patriot
ism which will overthrow every despot
and overcome every tyrant.
what have we accomplished? What
Is the sum total Of our work? We
have produced Benjamin Banneker, a
Phillis Wheatley, Paul Laurence
Dunbar, a Frederick Douglass and a
Booker T. Washington. We have plant
ed schoolhouse on every hill, a
church in every vale, home on every
street, bank on many corners, an in
surance company in every city. We
own 100000 separate pieces Of property,
the sum total of our wealth exceeding
500, 900 900; we have 1000 lawyers,
5000 graduate doctors, 1000 business
men, 10000 ministers, 10000 churches,
$4,000 schoolteachers, who, with pa
triotic fervor In their hearts, are help
ing their race. We love Lincoln. He
broke our bonds. He rent our chains
asunder.
1.-THE white race often boasts of the
fact that we have not intellectually
been their equals. l dare to challenge
this statement. i dare to say 1t Is
willfully false and maliciously untrue.
The Caucasian has had fourteen cen
turtles In which to develop. He, too,
was In slavery for five consecutive
centuries under Roman rule, yet he
dares to assail us because ours was
more recent, which is bad logic and
worse common sense. But the black
man who must of necessity hate a
white man is but half free. The white
man who will hate a black man is but
half free
81 am glad the Negro was brought to
America. l am glad he worked in
slavery which extended over period
of 250 years. / am glad he labored
with a loyalty, a faithfulness. unex-
celled by any people in similar servi-
tude. l am glad he did not falter. 1
am glad he bore this crushing weight
well. l am glad he was crucified on
the cross of American slavery. l am
glad he was buried In the grave and
from that grave cometh a voice and
sayeth, Though dead, yet speak and
live
when the two sections were becom-
ing more and more estranged, when
slavery was the very ground of the
southern Confederacy and when the
north had seen that slavery was a
covenant with death and an agreement
with hell and that she could no longer
support it, there came the great crisis
of the American republic. But God
always has great man ready for ev-
cry great crisis. He had Caesar ready
10 wage the campaign against the Gauls
TO build up Rome: he had Arnold Win
kelried to defend Switzerland against
the Austrians; he had Toussaint
LOuverture ready in Haiti; he had
George Washington ready for the
American Revolution, and he had the
first American, the greatest man In the
worlds history, to guide the ship OF
state through four years Of fire and
blood. Lincoln knew that slavery was
wrong. Lincoln knew that God had
said long before, Let my people go.
Lincoln knew that a republic could not
endure whose cornerstone was slavery.
Henry w. Grady. the south's most
brilliant son, has we'll said of the Ne
gro, TO his eternal credit be it said that
whenever he raised his black and hum
BILE hands that the shackles might be
shaken of, those hands We're innocent
of wrong against his helpless charges
and worthy TO be taken In living grasp
by every man who honors loyalty and
devotion. We are helping our brethren
IN every city; we are trampling upon
our former trivial prejudices When
we can present united front. when we
can really make great contribution TO
American life, the American people
win burst forth In the cry. Behold the
eolored Americana