Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-01-18
NEW YE:hR NE:GG55AGE TO
State: bAPTI5TS
Presidout Of Virginia Baptist State
Convent ON Addresses Members
and Friends Of State Work.
TO tho Members and Friends Of
the Virginia Baptist State Convention

TO tho Members and Friends of !
the Virginia Baptist State Convention |
Dear Brethren:
Now that the excitement Of tho |
holidays has subsidized, acccpt>my best |
wishes, not for a Happy New Year, !
but for Happy Whole Year. The ,
clouds OF war have boon lifted and |
Ghe world is laying new plans for the |
future. 1t is our earnest prayer that |
these plans shall cmbody moro right |
BUSINESS, more Of the true spirit OF |
world democracy-not white demo !
cracy, for this may yet traffic in |
human souls and dchauch human |
virtue, not southern democracy, for |
this has lynched and burned at the |
stake fellow citizens, Knocked their |
gronns OF agony and scrcams of an "a,
guish, paid n price for parts OF their |
victims charrod or mutilatcd re. |
Vanains to keep tho spirit Of southern
democracy alive in their breasts and
the memory Of tho occasion sacred to .
such heroes CD
. And even now, while millions of !
human bodies lay dead upon the Euro !
pean battloRclds, and the hitter la
mcntution OF Griof-strickcn mothers
J. and fathers arc burdoning, tho hearts
: Of the truly human almo&' 10 nc
I breaking, it comes to us that this
u boosted southern democracy, steps
forward out Of the smokb of battle,
and orders the brilliant son OF tho
9eeSsSz w ~ - .lama!Iod 2It6nk ars NNash- /
ington to leave his state and never
return on peril Of life for no other
n crime than that OF denouncing
coward lynching mob whose hands
fwore yet red with tho blood OF an
American citizen.
No. not n southern democracy, but
world democracy, cmbodying some
OF tho principles and spirit OF that
great world Kingdom we are fighting
to establish for our Christ.
In these momentous hours while
God is fighting for us on the one
hand, and hell is formentng its fury
against us and frothing ut the mouth
for our destruction on the other; l
call upon you fellow soldiers OF the
n Cross to rise, dare and do for our
selves and our unfortunate fellow
sufferers. Let us consider in laying
our plans and making our prepare.
lions, that tho mountains of ycster
day are bat little hlls>of today; such
deeds as were counted great and
noble yesterday are scarcely notice
able today. This is day CT great
things, and we must do great things
in the light Of present day Standards
The Virginia Baptist State Conven
ton will meet in its ffty-second
annual session "Wednesday May the
fourteenth, in the City OF Petersburg.
p. Mark that date on your diary now,
so that no other engagement may
prevent your attendance. / repeat
with emphasis, my brethren, we must
do great, ye,, greater things today
l.. l,x- l,r 1.,.T act OF
tendance in the history Of the Con-
vention with possible exception OF
the Jubilee, and we are not at all
careful OF any exceptions.
Lot every ColOrea Baptist Church
in the State that has any interest in
the race and the denomination, be
represented by letter, delegates and
money. Let our many friends and
co-lAborers, yes the friends Of the
great and righteous cause we repro
sent from Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York, onnccticut, Maryland.
District OF Columbia and West Nir
ginia meet us in Petersburg. Yes,
come back to the old mother state,
review the old auction block from
which grandmother was sold, listen
to the echoes OF the crashing lash OF
slaye-holding master and those
wicked oaths that tore and dcsccratcd
Gods holy air, hear again in your
recollCctions. the bowls OF blood
.hounds on grandfathcr's track, and
dedicate yonr powers anew to the
building and support of those insti
buttons dedicated over and over to
that holy task OF lifting the unfor-
tunate black man from that horrible
state in which slavery left him, to
the hills Of liberty and the mountain
tons OF achievement
Let this year, the first year after
Tho greatest war and the bittercst
Sstruggle historians have had the pain
to record be 4 year Of thanksgiving
+. jubilee and great achievements. The
time is unOn us when we must take
the bread out OF our mouths and
cease to build bay windows and de-
velop unnecessary cOrpulonce and
build great institutions and develop
great men, and we must not forget
that man is great today not because
of what he has; but because OF what
he gives.
; The white people largely built rus
kegee so far as the money is con-
eerned; but now We are told that
mobs OF white sOutherners, not sat !
isned at lynching the humble defense |
less black man are threatening to fur |!
thor main the often wounded race
~ destroying that massive 1nstitu- |
dor, the fssae Of which. hand in hand
ssdth Its imm ortal founder has erept