St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-05-17

He accordingly resolved to
neighbor; and did in numerous
ways. Whenever the chickens or
livestock Of the colored man
would cross the line, there was
always a squabble and oftimes
a shot gun was used on the trans
crossing animals. But the colored
man offered no word Of hate and
bitterness, which in some cases
would seemingly have been justi-
fled.
This state Of affairs went on for
the first year with no relief in
sight for the colored man and his
family who were the objects Of
the white mans wrath. And then
things happened The white man
fell i'll in midwinter and lowered
between life and death for weeks
and when he was better he could
not prepare his farm for planting,
When the cOlored man was
preparing his own farm for
planting, he let his boys prepare
the land of his white neighbOr
and when planting time had
come he planted the white
mans farm along with his own.
Whenever anything happened
around the white neighbours farm
that the wife could not handle, the
colored man always lent a helping
hand. When the crops were being
tended our colored man and his
family tended the crops through
and through and finally the crops
were made and laid by" without
the turn Of the hand of the white
neighbor. And fine the crops
proved TO be, and when the white
neighbor could creep out and see
what a great thing his colored
neighbor had done for him he was
overwhelmed with surprise and
gratitude.
One morning bright and early
the cOlored man heard knocking
on the door and went out to find
his white neighbor waiting and
asking 10 come in and talk
some things over"
And when he was seated he be-
gan to apologize for all his mean
ness through the many months
and became repentant for the
many evil things he had done to
make life miserable for his color
ed neighbor, Said he, Il am sorry
to my heart that l have been so
beastly brutal and all l am ask
ing now is that you give me a
chance to live down my ugly past.
Il am begging that you viii for
give my foolish ways" The color
ed man, of course, forgave him
and tells the happy story that he
there after never had a neighbor
so neighborly, Life between the
families was as happy at the last
as it had been unhappy at the
first. A mean Negotiating man
had been won over by kindness
and the spirit of Jesus Christ.
The other cheek" philosophy
had won a great victory.
1t will win other victories where
defeat seems inevitable. This bit
Of interracial history was recalled
by recent visits to the South by
two northern Negroes, Jackie
Robinson and A. Clayton Powell.
Both reared in the North and
truly Northern Negroes with the
Northern point of view,
The thing that interested this
writer in the speeches made by
these Northern Negroes to their
Southern fellowmen was their
lack Of bitterness and their under
standing of the situation that
made them tolerant and patient
There was no call for retaliations
and counter hatreds.
Both speakers counseled pa
tience even as Reverend Martin
Luther King of Montgomery has
counseled turning the other
cheek. The "other creek" philoso-
ply sounds good in theory but it
is terribly difficult in practice. 1t
takes prayer and fasting to reach
the sother cheek" state Of the
Christian faith.
But the individual or the race
that can attain unto the other
cheek" spirit and frame OF mind,
has won his battle, even as the
colored minister overcame his
Negotiating white neighbor.
There is always, Of course those
who have not attained unto