Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-09
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
4::30 pm. all the seats were
filled. In any event, / know that
by GAS there was not only a
crowd packed in the church
proper, but the balcony was full
and there were others listening
by loud-speaker in basement
rooms of the church. The
"press," however. was quickly
steered to a seat by the church
organ.
Before the formal part of the
proceeding started at about 7:15,
the program at least seemed to
be spontaneous, a mixed pro-
gram of individual exhortation
and hymn-singing. This was not
only audience participation, the
audience ran the meeting.
There was great applause as
the Rev. Martin Luther King
entered the church. He is presi-
dent of the Montgomery I'M
provement Association, leader OF
the bus protest movement and
pastor of the Dexter Avenue
Baptist Church. located a mashle
shot from Alabama'S splendid
Capitol Building.
Mr.. King is smallish young
man, 27, attired nattily in a gray
suit. He told me he was born
in Atlanta, Ga, was graduated
from Moorhouse College there
and the Grocer Theological Sem
mary, Chester, Pa. and obtained
a Pho. from Boston University
only last June.
He is an active member of the
National Association for the 40
vancement of Colored People and
among 50 Negroes, including rs
ministers, who have been in
dlcted as a result of the bus boy
colt. Their trials will start the
week of March 10.
The church organist broke of
and the hymn-singing wa
abruptly halted by the raised
hand of j. w. Hayes. presiding
elder of the A. M. E. Zion
Church. He intoned a prayer:
I'VE come tonight" started
Mr.. Hayes. as the audience cried
Eyes, yes" Asking you to
search these our hearts," he
continued amid approving re-
marks from the gathering. IF
you find anything that is con-
trary to Thy will we ask You
to speak now. We realize that
Thou hast brought us to the
kingdom for such an hour as
this. Not only in our fair city
of Montgomery, hut all over the
world idealogies are crashing,
constitutions are falling down
and traditions are being up
rooted. Gracious God cYeah,
from the audience), in the midst
of it all help us be sane. Help
us to be calm eyes, Lordo. help
us to be fortnight and help us
to maintain our integrity,
BY this time, the crescendo OF
the audience had risen to "Yes
Lord. yes Jesus" ....
1--WE realize that the thou
sands who heard our fathers
prayers 80 years ago." Mr.. Hayes
continued, "also heard our groans
on the cotton fields of Alabama
and Mississippi. We pray now
that you hear us in Mont
gomery.'
At this point. the Rev. Ralph
D. Alternately. pastor OF the First
Baptist Church (coloredl and
(also among those indicted) en-
tered and there was more APP
plause. There followed a hymn
beginning "On Christ, the Solid
Rock"
Out to Defeat Injustice
Mr.. King. the first speaker,
said I'VE are not out to defeat
the white man. We are out to
defeat injustice. AS I look at
the face of a white man I can't
hate him because there is some
thing that says deep down in
me that he is my brother. He
is my brother even If he kicks
me around and treats me I'M
kindly he is my brother and l
am responsible for him"
Mr.. King went on to say, amid
cheers, that the struggle here
was larger than Montgomery
larger than Alabama the
eyes of the world are upon us.
We can't let the people OF the
world down"
"Yes sir, you are right"
chanted the audience.
Mr.. Alternately took up the
speech making at this point.
Fellow walkers" he started,
amid applause and laughter
1--WE are determined to walk I'm
til justice prevails. We walk but
we are convinced we walk not
alone. We have the support OF
our friends and of people who
don't even know us in this coun-
try and all over the world"
Mr.. Alternately, who just re-
turned from a speaking tour of
the north. including Washington,
said I'VE are walking. with God
On practical note. ne said