AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA
"V ENLIGHTENING THE
RACE>
/}fro-/}m^rieap fyeyelopaedia;
OR, THE
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE,
* EMBRACING *•
Addresses, Lectures, Biographical Sketches, Sermons,
Poems, Names of Universities, Colleges, Seminaries,
Newspapers, Books, and a History of the Denomi¬
nations, giving the Numerical Strength of Bach.
In fact, it teaches every subject of interest
to the colored people, as discussed by-
more than one hundred of their
wisest and best men and women.
ILLUSTRATED WITH BEAUTIFUL HALF-TONE ENGRAVINGS.
Compiled and Arranged by James T. Haley.
SOLD BY SUBSCRIPTION EXCLUSIVELY.
No man has a right to bring up his children without surrounding them with good books
if he has the means to buy them. A library is one of the necessities of life. A book is
better for weariness than sleep; better for cheerfulness than wine; it is often a better phy¬
sician than a doctor, and a better preacher than a minister.—Beecher.
NASHVILLE, TENN. :
HALEY & FLORIDA.
1896.
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1895, by Haley & Florida, in the
office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.
All rights reserved.
PREFACE.
Twenty years ago we commenced the subscription book business. Our can¬
vass was usually from door to door, embracing both white and colored. The
scarcity of books by negro authors suggested the idea of the compilation of this
book. The labor connected with such a work as this none can fully appreciate
but those who have performed it. We have tried to compress within a few hun¬
dred pages the momentous events connected with the Afro-American race during
the nineteenth century. The utmost care has been taken in the collation of the
matter in this work, and no expense has been spared to make it not only ac¬
ceptable to.the colored people, but to all classes of readers as well. We can
scarcely hope that each article our book contains will be found strictly
accurate, since authors of the highest repute differ greatly; where there is a
difference of opinion we have endeavored to give the explanation which
appeared to be the best supported. We hope and believe the book is free from
serious error, but if any should be discovered we shall feel under obligation
to those who detect the same, if they will kindly communicate with us, so that
in future editions they may be corrected. The book, however, is one. of
reference rather than one of criticism, an accumulation of facts rather than
of opinions. It furnishes the most authentic information concerning the race,
and we trust it will awaken a more appreciative spirit of enterprise among
them. It has aimed to direct attention to their vast capabilities and resources,
many of which are yet undeveloped. We have endeavored to meet the wants
of the negro, who is desirous of knowing more of the history of his race, and
the achievements of its great men and women (but who are without the
assistance of books that bear upon this subject), by compiling these subjects,
believing that it will incite a more cheerful reading and deeper research, as
the best means of obtaining general information. An effort has been made to
render it so generally interesting that it may "be dipped into here and there
with the certainty of something being found capable of giving instruction to
all classes of readers." The matter contained in this volume can be accumu¬
lated only by years of labor and research from sources not easily accessible to
the general reader, to say nothing of the vast amount that is fresh from the
pens of the most eminent men and women of the race.
Our object throughout has been to produce a u'seful book, therefore, as far as
was consistent with our plan, we have carefully gleaned whatever was of value
wherever it could be found. If at any time we have failed to give credit, it
has been because we did not know to whom credit was due. It would have
been impossible to render this volume as complete as it now appears, without
the sanction of living authors, publishers and owners of copyrights to make
extracts; for th,eir courtesy, and for all information from whatever source we
tender our most grateful acknowledgments. With this preface, we launch
our boat, trusting, hoping and praying that it may accomplish some good.
J. T. HALEY.
Nashville, Tenn., Sept. i, 1895.
o all, 0^ -u^ijafe^ep jjeclierfa lify, 0 elesipe f© ^i)0v5 rr)0pe gf il>e pr0^res3
eiijel ctcl)ie^en)er)fs 0^ f^e race, ar)J especially te> ^.Jpo^s^.ii)gpic®r)s} elel Srjd
y0urjef, kuf n^ope especially fa f]jasz l^elale, caijsecperfeel G^pisfieti) rrierj ar)d
■uSerrjgi), v$l)0 IjS^e pe^dereeI nje sxicl) "$<a:lu2clale erssisfe^ce ir) flje ppeperpecfieg 0J
fl)is ^0P^, is fl)is T^slurrje eleJieetfed.
3B$ tbe Compiler.
CONTENTS.
A Black Moses, ........ .35
A Careless Word, ........ 550
Advice to Young Indies, ...... 276
A Model Church, ........ 417
A Negro Bank, . . . . . . . 532
A Temperance Lecture, by Rev. J. C. Price, .... 190
A Valuable Remedy for Diphtheria and Throat Disease, . . 75
A Wise Negro Editor, ....... 532
Africa and the Africans, ...... 1
African Methodist Episcopal Church, The .... 434
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, The . . . 442
Africanize, . . . . . . . . . , 339
Africanization, . . . . . . . 339
Afro-American vs. Negro, ....... 369
Albino, ......... 230
Alexander, Rev. Charles E., ...... 326
All Things Else, ....... 557
Ambition (sermon), ....... 500
Americanisms Pertaining to Afro-Americans, .... 339
An Educational Sermon on the Needs of the Negro, . . . 451
Anti-Negro, ........ 339
Anti-Slavery, . . ' . . . . . 339
Anti-Slaveryist, ........ 339
Arnett, Bishop B. W., ....... 570
Atwood, W. Q., . . ... • . . . 200
Barksdale, Rev. Jas. D., ...... 594
Barnes, Hon. Robert C., . . . . . 595
Baulden, Rev. J. F., . . . . . . . 222
Baylor, Rev. R. W., . . . . ... . . 609
Benjamin Franklin on the Analysis of Beer, .... 189
Bethel A. M. E. Church, ....... 418
Black Douglass, . . . . . . . 228
Blyden, Rev. Edward W., A.M., D.D., LL.D., .... 38
Boyd, Dr. Robert Fulton, ...... 59
Brown, Dr. T. A., ........ 602
Brown, Miss Hallie Q., . . . . . . 581
Bryant, Jas. E., ........ 209
Business Enterprise, ....... 199
Business Men Among the Race, ...... 202
Canons of Interpretation (sermon) . . . . . 491
Causes of Color, . . . . . . . . 11
Vll.
viii.
CONTENTS.
Centennial of Modern Missions, The (sermon), . . . 477
Central Tennessee College, ...... 294
Christ Bringing us to God by Reconciliation and Glorification, (sermon) 463
Christmas, ........ 547
Christian Truth in Slave Songs, ...... 254
Choice Thoughts and Utterances of Wise Colored People, . . 526
Church History, . . . . . . . .414
Clark, Rev. G. V., ....... 615
Clifford, J. R., ........ 352
Clinton, Rev. Geo. W., D.D., . . . . . . 118
Colored, ......... 339
Colored Catholics, . . . . . . . 415
Colored Congregational Statistics for the South, . . . 640
Color of the First Man, ....... 15
Color of the First Woman, ...... 17
Colored Missionary Baptists in the Southern States, . . . 427
Colored Bar Association, ...... 50
Colored Methodist Church in America, History of, . . . 418
Congregational Methodist Church, Colored, . . . - 414
Contrabands, ........ 339
Crummell, Rev. Dr. Alex., . . . . . . 561
Curtis, Dr. T. A., . . . . . . . 76
Darkness, ......... 551
Davis, Rev. J. A., B.D., ....... 584
Darky, ......... 340
Deshong, Rev. J. M. W., ...... 593
Dixie and Dixie Land, ....... 340
Douglass, Hon. Frederick, in Memoriam of, - - . 579
Douglass, Associated Press Dispatch, ..... 379
Douglass, As an Orator, ...... 384
Douglass, As a Talker, ....... 392
Douglass, By Wm. Lloyd Garrison, ..... 381
Douglass, Dead, ........ 548
Douglass, Extracts from the Press, ..... 398-413
Douglass, The Grand Old Hero, ... . . . . 394
Dupee, Rev. Geo. W., . . . . . . . 611
Duty of the State to the Negro, ...... 142
Duty of the Hour, ....... 332
Emancipation Day, ....... 228
Experience, ......... 556
Extracts from the Colored Press, ..... 530
Extravagance, ........ 283
Farris, Samuel, ........ 207
First Race Newspaper in the South, . . . . 237
Flirting Women, ........ 534
Fortune, T. T., on His People, ...... 537
Free States, ........ 341
Freedman's Bank, ........ 360
Freedmen's Bureau, ....... 237
Fugitive Slave Law, ....... 227
CONTENTS. ix.
Gaddie, Rev. D. A., . . . . . , . 476
God Avenging the Wronged (sermon), .... 470
God's Problem for the South, ...... 20
Goodnight, Douglass, ....... 397
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America, . . . 236
Gray, Dr. Ida, ........ 84
Habits and Associations, ....... 540
Haines'Normal and Industrial Institute, . . . . no
Harper, Mrs. F. E. W., ....... 592
Harrington, W. R., ... 597
Harrison, Rev. Zechariah, . . . . . • . 597
Have a Bank Account, ....... 194
Have Courage, . . . . . . . .214
History of Lane College, ...... 328
History of Livingstone College, ...... 316
Holsey, Bishop L. H., ....... 599
Hooks, Mrs. Julia A, . . . . . . . 563
Humane Education, ...... 267
Improving Negro Homes, ....... 174
Industrial Education for the Negroes, . . . . . 170
Influence (sermon), ........ 509
In Gladness, ........ 556
In Memoriam—The Grand Old Man, ..... 549
Jenifer, Dr. J. T., . . . . . . . 562
Johnson, Rev. Wm. D., D.D., ...... 590
Jones, Madam Sisseretta, ...... 575
Jones, Dr. Sarah G., ........ 75
Kennedy, Rev. Paul H, . . . . . . . 613
Lacks Race Pride, ....... 356
Lane, Bishop Isaac, ....... 352
Laney, Miss Lucy, ........ 108
Langston, Hon. John M., A.B., A.M., LL-D., .... 40
Last Sale of Slaves, ........ 345
Lewis, Edmonia, . . . . . . . 413
Lewis, Rev. W. A., B.D., . . . . . . . 572
Liberia, ......... 5
Liberty, ......... 281
Life's Struggles, ........ 548
Lovinggood, Mrs. Lillie England, ...... 270
Lucifer and His Angels Cast Out of Heaven, .... 546
Maroon, . . . . . . . . 341
Marooner, . . . . • . . . . 341
Maxims, Proverbs and Phrases, ...... 243
McCurdy, Mrs. M. A., . . . . . . 137
Meharry Medical College, ....... 301
Mental and Physical Culture (sermon), .... 458
Mind and Matter, ........ 87
Mitchell, John, Jr., ... . . . . . 206
More Negro Than White, ....... 536
Mortality of the Colored People, and How to Reduce It, . . 64
X.
CONTENTS.
Mother's Treasures, ........ 558
Mulatto (see Negro), . . . . . . . 341
Music and Morals, ........ 222
Names and Authors of More than 100 Race Publications, . . 164
Nature, ......... 265
Nearing Home, ........ 555
Negro, ......... 341
Negro Catcher, ........ 341
Negro Cloth, ......... 341
Negro Corn, ........ 341
Negro Driver, ........ 341
Negro Exodus, ........ 343
Negro Fellow, . . . . . . . 341
Negro Hate, . . . . . . . . 341
Negro Head, ......... 342
Negro Hound, ........ 342
Negro Minstrels, ........ 342
Negro Progress, ........ 203
Negro Worshiper, ........ 342
Newspapers (names and locations), ..... 129
"Nigger," ......... 342
Objects of Education, Morally and Physically, .... 280
Opportunities and Responsibilities of Colored Women, . . . 146
Our Duties as Concerns the Future of Boys and Girls, . . 277
Our Fallen Heroes, ........ 372
Payne, Bishop Daniel A., D.D., Lly.D., .... 556,578
Peculiar Institutions, . . . . . . . . 342
Penn, Prof- I. Garland, ....... 560
Phelps, Mrs. Mary R., . . . . . . .113
Philosophy, . ....... 284
Poems, ......... 544
Population of the World, ...... 622
Population of each State and Territory in the U.S.—Arranged in Alpha¬
betical Order, ........ 622
^Population, White and Colored, of each State and Territory in the
United States, Arranged by Counties, in Alphabetical Order, 623
Porter, Troy, ........ 306
Prayer (sermon), ........ 455
Price, Rev. J. C., D.D., ....... 553
Pro-Slavery, ......... 342
Prosperous Colored People in Richmond, . . . . 211
Quadroon, ......... 342
Race Co-operation, ....... 532
Race Facts Worth Knowing, ...... 224
Randle, C. S.f ....... 210
Robinson, Hon. Geo. T., . . . . . . 620
Rowe, Rev. Geo. C., ....... 589
*The following States which have 'ess than 1,000 co'ored population are excepted: Montana, New Mexico, New
Hampshire, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming.
CONTENTS. XI.
Sambo, ......... 342
Searcy, Rev. T. J., ....... 574
Self-Culture, ......... 354
Sermonic Department, ....... 450
Settle, Hon. J. T 42
Seventeen reasons Why the Negro Should be Proud of His Race, . 357
Shall I Take a Paper? ........ 127
Shall Our Women Extract Teeth? ..... 82
Silver and Gold, . . . . . . . 551
Slave Breeder, ........ 342
Slave Code, ......... 342
Slave Dealer, ... ..... 342
Slave Driver, ......... 342
Slave Hunt, ........ 342
Slave Labor, ......... 342
Slave Liberator, ........ 342
Slave Lord, ......... 343
Slave Owner, ........ 343
Slave Pen, ......... 343
Slave Power, ........ 343
Slave Ships, ......... 343
Slave State, ........ 343
Slaver, . . . . . " . . . -343
Slavery Abolished, ....... 228
Slavery in England, . . . . . . . . 228
Slavery in the North, ....... 359
Smith, Hon. H. C., . . . . . . . 124
Status of the Negro, ....... 348
" Stonewall" Jackson, ....... 544
Sunshine, ......... 177
Taylor, Rev. Preston, . . . . . . .215
Taylor, Mrs. Georgia Gordon, . . ... . . 222
Temperance, . . . . . . . . .186
Temperance Resolutions by the A. M. E. Church, . . . 189
Tennessee, ......... 554
The A. M. E. Zion Church on Temperance, . . . . 188
The African Ostrich, . . . .. . . . . 252
The Colored Cumberland Presbyterian Church, . . . 414
The Colored Man in Medicine, . . . . • . 70
The Crucifixion, ........ 555
The Derivations and Nicknames of the States, .... 238
The Duty of the Hour, ....... 332
The Emancipation of Women, . . . . . .274
The Farm House by the River, ...... 547
The Fleetness of Time, ....... 549
The Free-Will Baptist Denomination, ..... 423
The Future of the Negro, . . . . . • .162
The Good Jesus Factory, ...... 227
The Grand Old Man, In Memoriam, ..... 549
The Great Need of Negro Farmers, . . . . . 251
The Greatest Negro Scholar in the World, .... 228
The Jubilee Singers, ....... 237
xii.
CONTENTS.
The Lord's Anointed, ....... 552
The Low Percentage of Mortgaged Property in the South and its Rela¬
tion to the Negro Population, ..... 368
The Myrtle-Hill Gate, . . . . . -55*
The Negro as an Economist, ...... 173
The Negro in Dentistry, ....... 78
The Outlook for Colored Cumberland Presbyterians, . . . 414
The Penitent Thief on the Cross (sermon), .... 474
The Possibilities of the Negro, ...... 33
The Power of the Press, ....... 167
The Presbyterian Church in the United States and the Colored People, 429
The Providence of God in the Historical Development of the Negro, . 25
The Reason Why, ....... 545
The Responsibility of Women as Teachers, . . . .114
The Richest Colored Man in the United States, . . . 213
The Richest Colored Man in Georgia, . . . . . 212
The River of Death, ....... 554
The Song of Believers (sermon), ...... 483
The Source of all True Courage (sermon), .... 450
The Sunshine Girl, ........ 534
The " Tennesseans," ....... 234
The Value of the Soul, ....... 518
The White Man and the Colored Man as Christian Citizens, .* . 361
Timothy and Clover, ......... 555
Thompson, Clarissa M., ....... 566
Tobacco, ......... 193
Trades for Your Children, ...... 204
Trap for Young Girls, ....... 535
True Christianity, . . . . . . 183
Turner, Rev. Wm. L-. ....... 579
Turner, Rev. James H., . . . . . . . 603
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, .... 102
Union American Methodist Episcopal Church, . . . 414
Underground Railroad, ....... 234
Universities and Colleges, . . . . . . 291
University, Fisk, ........ 322
University, Tougaloo, ....... 307
Value of Old Coins, ........ 195
Vann, Rev. M., D.D., ....... 605
Vaughn, Rev. C. C., * . . . . . . . . 617
Virginia's First Woman Physician, ..... 75
Wade Hampton Defending the Negro, ..... 371
Washington, Prof. Booker T., ..... 84
We Are Rising, ........ 552
Wealthy Colored New York Men, ..... 212
Wealth of Southern Negroes, . . . . . .213
Winter, Lewis, . . . . • • • • 205
Woman's Work in the Elevation of the Race, . . . .271
Woods, Granville T., ...... 576
Worthy the Lamb That Was Slain, ..... 558
Write Thy Name, . 547
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
A. M. E. Church, Bethel, Detroit, Mich 441
A. M. E. Church, St. John, Nashville, Term 435
African Warrior * xvi.
Afro-American Encyclopaedia, Enlightening- the Race—Frontispiece
Barltsdale, Rev. Jas. D., Detroit, Mich 594
Barnes, Hon. Robert C., Detroit, Mich 595
Baylor, Rev. R. W., Columbia, S. C 610
Blyden, Hon. E. W., Liberia, 39
Boyd, Dr. R. F., Nashville, Tenn 60
Boyd, Dr. R. F., Residence of, Nashville, Tenn 63
Brown, Dr. T. A., Memphis, Tenn 602
Brown, Miss Hallie 'Q., Wilberforce, Ohio 582
Bryant, Jas. E-, Paducah, Ky 209
Rev. H. D. Cannady, Georgia 588
Cassedy Industrial Hall, Tuskegee, Ala 99
Church, R. R., Residence of, Memphis. Tenn. 176
Clark, Rev. G. V., Memphis, Tenn : 616
Clinton, Rev. Geo. W., Salisbury, N. C 119
College, Central Tennessee, Nashville, Tenn 295
College, L,ane, Jackson, Tenn 329
College, Livingstone, Salisbury, N. C 317
College, Meharry Medical, Nashville, Tenn. (Four Illustrations) 301, 304, 305, 306
Cotton Picking in Mississippi 253
Crummell, Rev. Alex., D.D., Washington, D. C 561
Curtis, Dr. T. A., Montgomery, Ala 77
Davis, Rev. J. A., Nashville, Tenn 584
Deshong, Rev. J. M. W., Fayetteville, Tenn .» 593
Douglass, Hon. Frederick, Washington, D. C 395
Dupee, Rev. Geo. W., Paducah, Ky 612
Farris, Samuel, Memphis, Tenn 208
Haines'Normal Institute, Augusta, Ga 110
Harrington, W. R., Nashville, Tenn 596
Harrison, Rev. Mount "Vernon, Ind 598
Holsey, Bishop E. H., Augusta, Ga 600
Hut of a Slave in " Old Kentuck " 639
Johnson, Rev. Wm. D., Athens, Ga ^ 591
Kennedy, Rev. Paul H., Henderson, Ky 614
Iyanding Fish at Appalachicola, Fla 201
Eane, Bishop Isaac 353
Eangston, Hon. John M., A.B., A.M., hh.B., Washington, D. C 41
xiii.
Xiv. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Lee Avenue Christian Church, Nashville, Tenn 621
" Mammy " and Her Pet 182
McCurdy, Mrs. M. A., Rome, Ga 138
Negro Exposition Building, Atlanta, Ga 559
Phelps Hall, Tuskegee, Ala 103
Phelps, Mrs. Mary R., Augusta, Ga 112
Plymouth Congregational Church and Parsonage, Charleston, S. C 640
Price, Rev. Dr. J. C., Salisbury, N. C 553
Randle, C. S., Nashville, Tenn 210
Robinson, Capt. Geo. T., Nashville, Tenn. 620
Rowe, Rev. Geo. C., Charleston, S. C 589
Searcy, Rev. T. J., Memphis, Tenn 574
Settle, Hon. J. T., Memphis, Tenn 43
Settle, Hon. J. T., Residence of, Memphis, Tenn 48
Smith, Hon. H. C., Cleveland, Ohio 125
Taylor, Dr. Preston, Nashville, Tenn 217
Taylor, Mrs. Georgia Gordon, Nashville, Tenn 223
Taylor, Dr. Preston, Residence of, Nashville, Tenn 219
Taylor & Co., Funeral Directors, Nashville, Tenn 221
Thompson, Clarissa M., Fort Worth, Texas 566
Trinity Church, C. M. i)., Augusta, Ga 419
Turner, Bishop Henry M., Atlanta, Ga 36
Turner, Rev. James H 604
Turner, Rev. Wm. L-, Russellville, Ky 579
Turpentine Farm Near Savannah, Ga 185
University, Fisk, Nashville, Tenn. (Three Illustrations) 323, 325, 327
University, Tougaloo, Tougaloo, Miss. (Nine Illustrations) 307-315
Yann, Rev. Dr. M., Chattanooga, Tenn 606
Vaughn, Rev. C. C., Russellville, Ky j 618
Washington, Prof. Booker T., Tuskegee, Ala 85
Williams, Mrs. Fannie Barrier, Chicago, 111 147
Winter, Lewis, Nashville, Tenn 205
African Warrior.
Qfrieer anef tfie Qfrieans
AFRICA is one of the great divisions of the globe—the second m
. point of size, but the least important as regards civilization
and progress. Until recently, this continent, so long a land of
mystery, was inhabited by wild and barbarous tribes and untrodden
by the foot of civilization. This great continent of the globe lies in
the Eastern Hemisphere, South of Europe, and is separated from
that continent by the Mediterranean Sea. ~No other land division
of the globe has such a rounded and complete outline. The explora
tions of travelers within the present century have revealed all the
leading topographical features of the country, and enabled us to
form a fairly accurate knowledge of its configurations. Lying- al¬
most wholly in or near the equatorial regions, its torrid climate and
enormous deserts render explorations perilous.
It is southwest of Asia, with which it is connected by the Isthmus
of Suez. It may, however, be described in brief as an insular conti¬
nent, since it has of recent j^ears been disconnected from Asia by
the Suez Canal.
The continent lies between 37 degrees 20 minutes north, and 35 de¬
grees south latitude, and 17 degrees 33 minutes west, and 51 degrees
22 minutes east longitude. It is, therefore, almost wholly in the
tropical regions. The greatest length of this mysterious land, when
we measure from Cape Aquehas, just east of Cape of Good Hope to
Cape Bon, which is neair Bizerta in Tunis, is about 4,330 geographical
miles; while the greatest width, taking Cape Verd on the Atlantic,
side and Cape Gardafin on the Indian Ocean, is 4,000 geographical
miles. Figuring the entire length of the country, excluding Mada¬
gascar and other African islands, we have about 11,300,000 statute
square miles. The explorations of the continent are slowly advanc¬
ing year by year, but with earnest and unceasing progress.
The southern portion of Africa is a vast tableland not generally
elevated, sloping on its northern side to the equatorial plane of Sou¬
dan, and thence to the lowland region which constitutes the greater
part of Northern Africa. Senegambia on the west and Abyssinia oe
(1)
2
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
the east are characterized by mountaneous ridges and plateaus,
which "stretch from the southern, tableland like rocky promontories
into a sea of level country." The only other elevated region of im¬
portance is the Atlas range in the northwest. The coast line is
about 16,000 miles in extent, or about two-thirds of the entire dis¬
tance around the globe. The bodies of water which surround Africa
are the Mediterranean Sea on the north, the Red Sea and the Indian
Ocean on the east, the Southern Ocean on the south, and the Atlan¬
tic Ocean on the west.
This country has been looked upon as pre-eminently the land of
deserts. The great Sahara stretches almost across northern Africa.
It is not an unbroken sandy expanse, but full of variety, broken up
by great oases and green stretches of land. Some of them are 120
miles in length and from three to five miles broad. In Southern
Africa is another desert known as Kalahari. The plateaus of South¬
ern Africa are fertile and thickly populated.
The extent of the mineral wealth of the continent is unknown, but
the precious metals are only found in a limited area. Gold is found
in Guinea, iron and copper are found in inter-tropical Africa, coal
has been discovered along the Zambesi, and salt is everywhere
abundant.
Dense forests with rankest vegetation, teaming with animal and
insect fife, pervade the equatorial regions. The most valuable pro¬
ductions of the vegetable kingdom are dates, oranges, olives, rice,
cotton, indigo, bananas and grains.
The quadrupeds found in Africa cover a wide range of natural
history. The chimpanzee and the gorilla, baboons and monkeys
abound in great numbers. The elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus,
buffalo, giraffe, camelopard, zebra, quagga, antelope, lion, leopard,
panther, tiger, hyena, jackal and camel are all at home on the "Dark
Continent." The camel is used as the principal beast of burden.
There are five great mountain systems. The climate is more equable
in the distribution of heat than that of America. There are many
large and important rivers: The Congo, the Limpoppo, the Niger,
the Nile, the Senegal, and the Zambesi. The Nile is the most
famous and wonderful of all. Many of the lakes are vast inland
seas, whose existence have been verified by recent explorers. The
general form of Africa is triangular, the northern part being the
base, and the southern extremity the vertex.
In the northern part of Africa the Mohammedan religion prevails,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
3
numbering perhaps two-thirds of the entire population. There are
about 700,000 Jews, principally in the cities. Christianity pervails in
Madagascar, Liberia, the British possessions of Southern Africa,
Algeria, parts of Abyssinia and Egypt.
In the providence of God it seems that this great and glorious
country is chiefly for the colored races, and especially for the negro.
Centuries of effort and centuries of failure demonstrate that white
men cannot build up colonies there. That portion of the continent
lying between the Mediterranean Sea and latitude 20 degrees north,
is settled principally by tribes not indigenous, such as Arabs, Turks,
Moors and Frenchmen. They have gained possession of the coun¬
try by conquest. Egypt is partly peopled by Copts, supposed to be
descended from the ancient Egyptians, but they are probably a
mixed race. The greater portion of Africa's population belongs to
two races, the Berbers and the Negroes of Ethiopia. The former
are nomadic occupying the mountainous regions of Barbary and the
Sahara. They are sometimes called the Kabyles. The Berber
nation is one of great integrity. They are warlike and predatory.
Their religion is Mohammedism. In South Africa there are many
Hottentots, entirely different from all the negro race. Central
Africa is inhabited by the Ethiopic race. Mohammedanism and Fe¬
tishism are the prevailing religious of the continent. Some tribes
offer human sacrifices. The principal negro nations are the Mandin-
goes, the Foolahs, the Yolofs and Ashantees. It is estimated by
some writers that 150 languages are spoken in Africa, and that the
population is about 200,000,000.
The principal divisions of the continent are as follows:
Algeria, Tripoli, Morocco, Tunis, Bambara, Senegambia, Liberia,
Ashantee, Dahomey, Gando, Bornoo, Adamawa, Loango, Congo, An¬
gola, Beuguela, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Madagascar,
Mosambique, Zanquebar, Adel, Cazembe, Abyssinia, Darfoor, Kor-
dofan, Waday, Soudan, Sennar, Neubia, Egypt, and Haussa.
The word negro is a name given to a considerable branch of the
human family possessing certain physical characteristics which dis¬
tinguish it in a very marked degree from the other branches or
varieties of mankind.—International Cyclopedia.
The term negro is properly applied to the races inhabiting that
part of Africa lying between latitude 10 degrees north, and 20 de¬
grees south, and to their descendants in the old and new world. It
does not include the Egyptians, Berbers, Abyssinians, Hottentots,
4
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Nubians, etc., though in popular language, especially in the older
writings, it comprises these and other dark skinned nations, who are
not however characterized by the crisp hair of the true negro.
The negroes are said to occupy about one half of Africa, excluding
the northern and southern extremities, but including its most fertile
portions. They have less nervous sensibility than the whites, and
are not subject to nervous afflictions. They are comparatively in¬
sensible to pain, bearing severe surgical operations well; they sel¬
dom have a fetid breath, but transpire much excrementious matter
by means of glands of the skin, whose odorous secretion is well
known. His skin is soft and silky; hair, though called wool, does
not present the characters of it, and differs but little from that of
the other races except in color and in its curled and twisted form.
He flourishes under the fiercest heats and unhealthy dampness of
the tropics, where t£ie white man soon dies.
In addition to Africa, negroes are found in the United States,
Brazil, West Indies, Peru, Arabia, and the Cape Verd Islands.
They are rare in Austria, Europe, and Polynesia.
Negroes were almost unknown to the Hebrews. They were un¬
known to the Greeks until the seventh century B.C. About twenty-
three hundred years B.C. the Egyptians became acquainted with
negroes, who helped them on their monuments as early as 1,600
years B.C.
The African negroes display considerable ingenuity in the manu¬
facture of weapons, in the working of iron, in the weaving of mats,
cloth and baskets from dyed grasses, in the dressing of the skins
of animals, in the structure of their huts and household utensils,
and in the various implements and objects of use in a barbarous
state of society.
Some of them worship idols, and believe in good and evil spirits,
in witchcraft, charms and spells, omens, lucky and unlucky days.
They make prayers and offerings to their idols, and have sacred
songs, and festivals. They sacrifice animals and sometimes human
victims. They have priests who are their doctors. They believe
generally in an after life, without any distinct idea of retribution.
They have great fears of ghosts and apparitions. They become
ready converts to foreign religions. All tribes are passionately fond
of music, and have many ingeniously contrived musical instruments.
They have a keen sense of the ridiculous, and are of a cheerful dispo¬
sition. Naturally they are kind-hearted and hospitable to strangers,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 5
and are ready to receive instruction, and profit by it. They are
quick to perceive the beauty of goodness, and hence they generally
appreciate the services of missionaries in their behalf, and but for
intoxicating drinks brought by traders, they would probably soon
become Christianized.
LIBERIA.
IBERIA is a negro republic in Western Africa, on the upper
coast of Upper Guinea. The boundaries are not definitely
fixed, but provisionally the River Thebar has been adopted as
the northwestern, and the San Pedro as the eastern frontier. The
republic has a coast line of 600 miles, and extends back 100 miles, on
an average, but with the probability of a vast extension into the in¬
terior as the tribes near the frontier desire to conclude treaties pro¬
viding for the incorporation of their territories with Liberia. The
present area is estimated at 9,700 square miles. The republic owes
its origin to the "American Colonization Society," which was estab¬
lished in December, 1816, for the purpose of removing the negroes of
the United States from the cramping influences of American slavery,
and placing them in their own fatherland. The first expedition of
emigrants, 86 in number, was sent out in February, 1820.
About 36 miles along the coast, with an average breadth of two
miles, of the Mesurado territory was purchased in December, 1821.
For a hundred years the principal powers of Europe, in particular
France and England, had repeatedly tried to gain possession, but
the native chiefs had invariably refused to part with even an acre,
and were known to be extremely hostile to the whites; On the 7th
of January, 1822, the smaller of the two islands lying near the mouth
of the Mesurado River was occupied by the colonists, who called it
Perseverance Island. They remained here until April 25th, when
they removed to Mesurado Heights, and raised the American flag.
The colony henceforth grew, and expanded in territory and influence,
taking under its jurisdiction from time to time the large tribes con¬
tiguous. In 1846 the board of directors of the American Colonization
Society invited the colony to proclaim their independent sovereignty,
as a means of protection against the oppressive interference of for-
6
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
eigners, and a special fund of $15,000 was raised to buy up the
national title to all the coast from Sherbro to Cape Palmas, in order
to secure to the new nationality continuity of coast. In July, 1847,
the declaration of independence, prepared by Hilary Teoge, was pub¬
lished. Representatives of the people met in convention, and pro¬
mulgated a constitution similar to that of the United States. Soon
after the new republic was recognized by England and France; in
1852 it was in treaty stipulations with England, France, Belgium,
Prussia, Italy, the United States, Denmark, Holland, Hayti, Por¬
tugal, and Austria.
The constitution of Liberia, like that of the United States, estab¬
lishes an entire separation of the church from the State, and places
all religious denominations on an equal footing, but all citizens of the
republic must belong to the negro race.
The most important tribes within and near the republic are the
following:
1. The Veys, extending from Gallinas, their northern boundary,
southward to Little Cape Mount: they stretch inland about two daysr
journey. They invented some twenty-five years ago an alphabet for
writing their language and, next to the Mandingoes, they are re¬
garded as the most intelligent of the aboriginal tribes. As they
hold constant intercourse with the Mandingoes and other Moham¬
medan tribes in the interior, Mohammedism is making rapid progress-
among them.
. 2. The Pessehs, who are located about 70 miles from the coast,
and extent about 100 miles from north to south, are entirely pagan.
They may be called the peasants of West Africa, and supply most of
the domestic slaves for the Veys, Bassas, Mandingoes, and Kroos.
A missionary effort was attempted among them many years ago by
the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, but it was abandoned
shortly after in consequence of the death of the first missionary,
Geo. L. Seymore.
3. The Barline tribe living about eight days' journey northeast
from Monrovia, and next interior to the Pessehs, has recently been
brought into treaty relations with Liberia. The Barlins are not Mo¬
hammedans.
4. The Bassas occupy a coastline of sixty miles or more, and ex¬
tend about the same distance inland. They are the great producers
of palm oil and camwood, which are sold to foreigners by thousands
of tons annually. In 1835 a mission was begun among these people
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
7
by the American Baptist Missionary Union, whose missionaries
studied the language, organized three schools, embracing in all
nearly a hundred pupils, maintained preaching steadily at three
places, and occasionally at a great many more, and translated large
portions of the New Testament into the Bassa language. Notwith¬
standing this promising commencement, the mission has been aban¬
doned for many years, but the Southern Baptist convention has
resumed missionary operations among the Bassas.
5. The Kroo, who occupy the region south of the Bassa, extend
about 70 miles along the coast, and only a few miles inland. They
are the sailors of West Africa, and never enslave or sell each other.
About 50 years ago a mission was established among them by the
Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions at Settra Kroo, but it has
long since ceased operations.
6. The Greboes, who border upon the. southeastern boundaries of
the Kroos, extend from Grand Sesters to the Cavalla River. In 1834
a mission was established among them by the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions, which continued in operation
for seven years. A church was organized, the language reduced to
writing, and parts of the New Testament and other religious books
translated into it.
7. The Mandingoes, who are found on the whole eastern frontier
of the republic, and extend back to the heart of Soudan, are the
most intelligent within the limits of Liberia. They have schools
and mosques in every large town, and, by their great influence upon
the neighboring tribes, they have contributed in no little degree to
abate the ignorance and soften the manners of the native population
of Liberia.
Agriculture is carried on with increasing success. Sugar is
the principal article of produce, also of manufacture. Arrow¬
root, rice, cocoa, cotton and coffee are cultivated. Lime is made
from burnt shells. Trade is rapidly extending. Palm oil, ivory,
gold dust, cam-wood, wax, coffee, indigo, ginger, arrowroot and
hides are among the principal articles of export. The capital and
largest town is Monrovia, a seaport on Cape Mesurado, with about
15,000 population. Liberia has a population of 1,050,000. But
speaking of Liberia to-day, in his excellent work, "Christianity,
Islam and the Negro Race," Mr. E. W. Blyden says: "No agency
has yet been tried for Africa's regeneration, which promises so
much and is capable of • so much for the permanent welfare of the
8
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
people as the method of the American Colonization Society in the
establishment of Liberia. The United States has furnished Africa
with the most effective instrument of unlimited progress and de¬
velopment in the Republic of Liberia. The basis of the Liberian
political life is the American constitution and laws. But the earlier
legislators of the new State very soon discovered that American
precedents, in not a few important respects, would have to be set
aside; and it is creditable to their statesmanship that they were
able to introduce with prudence such modifications into the Ameri¬
can system as made it applicable to their new circumstances and
practicable for their purposes. Their successors are finding more
and more that as they advance into the continent and develop national
life, new modifications will be necessary. These must take place if
there is normal growth—if the nation is to be the true expression of
the race. The friends of Liberians abroad cannot help them to
national or racial expression. They must fight their own battles and
achieve their own victories, if they are not to be overawed, depressed
and overcome, not so much by the merits and virtues as by the vices
and failings of foreigners,whose literature they read and whose com¬
modities they purchase.
The theory upon which Liberia was founded has thus far stood the
test. It is a theory with definite practical consequences, which
every one who is earnest in the desire for African regeneration and
acquainted with the facts must accept, and which no one in these
days, however antagonistic to the negro in exile, will strenuously
oppose.
In Liberia, the people, with all the drawbacks incident to their
necessarily isolated life, have the legislative control of at least 500
miles of coast, and of an indefinite, interior. They recognize the
necessity—the prime necessity—of the moral and religious emotions.
Their minds are strengthened and expaned by the wide and glorious
prospects which their independent nationality and the vast continent
on which they live with its teeming millions of their blood relations
open before them; and they stretch out their hands to the United
States for the return of their exiled brethren, to increase their
civilized and Christian force. They ask for greater educational and
religious facilities. They could have greater material prosperity;
but they look upon the life as more than meat, and the body as more
than raiment. For more than half a century they have resisted the
appeals of Europeans for an indiscriminate trade in the country, and
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
9
have thus kept an extensive region both on the coast and in the in¬
terior in a virgin state waiting for' their brethren from the United
States, who will know how to protect themselves against the influ¬
ence of a vicious foreign trade, and who will be able to introduce
in a regular and healthful form the blessings of freedom and civilij
zation. As an example of the work in promotion of a genuine Chris¬
tian civilization which Liberia, as an independent nation, whose laws
are final, has the power of performing, see the recent law enacted
against Sabbath breaking, which applies only to the seaboard and to
the proceedings of foreign vessels. You would understand the im¬
port of this fact and its bearing upon Christianity in this country if
you could see how all along the coast out of Liberia the Sabbath is
disregarded by foreign traders,while the missionaries look helplessly
on. In course of time, Liberia will banish the traffic in spirits from
the whole of her domain; and in this effort she will be sustained by
the great Mohammedan trading community on the east and north.
Now, here is an instrument—indigenous, sympathetic and perma¬
nent—for the aggressive work of the American church. If Ameri¬
can Christians will deal with this question earnestly and wisely, they
can in a few years revolutionize the migration countries. America
possesses the elements—the human instruments—now needed for
the work in Africa, and they are anxious to come. Rev. H. N.
Payne says: "Much as the colored people are attached to the places
where they grew up, thousands of them would gladly go to Arkansas,
to Texas, or to any other place where they would better their con¬
dition ; but they cannot raise the money to emigrate, and must stay
and suffer where they are." Now here is disinterested testimony,
put not half so strongly as the facts warrant. The any other place
is Africa; and if these helpless creatures do not name Africa in the
utterance of their tearful longings, it is because thousands do not
dream that there is any possibility of ever getting to this distant
country. I found, during my travels in the South, in 1882, that
hundreds were turning their faces to Arkansas and Texas, who had
never heard of Liberia or the American Colonization Society.
Do not wait until you have trained the negroes up to your ideal—
in your peculiar modes of thinking. You cannot make them Anglo-
Saxons. You never will make them so in spirit and possibilities, if
I interpret the providence of God aright. The Hebrews of Egypt
remained illiterate and ignorant, though surrounded for 400 years
by the splendors of a brilliant civilization. That civilization was
10
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
not for them, though they had, by providential direction, been
brought into contact with it. It was not suited for the peculiar work
for which they were destined. So the children of Africa in the
United States have the possibilities of a great work in the father¬
land. Remove them from the pressure in your country to the free¬
dom and congeniality of their ancestral home, and so open a wider
sphere, for the play and development of their social, moral and
spiritual nature. It is not the best plan to rely upon college training
to fit them for work in Africa.
The fugitive Hebrew slaves, without the learning of the schools,
received the law for1 their guidance—found the truth for their race—
in the solitudes of the desert. In Africa, the merest rudiments of
Western learning will have more power upon the negro than the
highest culture in America. There is something in the atmosphere,
in the sunshine, the clouds, the rain, the flowers, the music of
the birds, that makes the a b c of your culture more valuable to
him than all the metaphysics and philosophy you can possibly give
him in America.
The Republic of Liberia now stands before the world. The
nations of the earth are looking to her as one of the hopeful spots on
the continent of Africa. Travelers in Syria tell us that ^Damascus
owes its fertility and beauty to one single stream—the River Abana.
Without that little river, the charm and glory of Damascus would
disappear. It would be a city in a desert. So the influence of Li¬
beria, insignificant as it may seem, is the increasing source of beauty
and fertility, of civilization and progress to West and Central Africa.
We do not ask that all the colored people should leave the United
States and go to Africa. If such a result were possible it is not, for
the present, at least desirable; certainly it is not indispensable.
For the work to be accomplished much less than one-tenth of the
eight millions will be necessary. The question is not whether cer¬
tain rich men will choose to remain behind, but whether there will
be found worthy men who will choose to lead the return. Plenty of
prosperous Jews remained in Babylon when Ezra marshalled his
band of 40,000, and began a new, glorious epoch in the history of his
race, making the preparation for that epoch in the history of the
the world which has been held glorious enough to be dated from for
evermore.
There are negroes enough in the United States to join in the re¬
turn—descendants of Africa enough, who are faithful to their in-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 1J
stincts of the race, and who realize their duty to their fatherland.
There are many who are faithful, there are men and women who will
go, who have a restless sense of homelessness which will never be
appeased until they stand in the great land where their forefathers-
lived ; until they catch glimpses of the old sun and moon and stars,
which still shine in their pristine brilliancy upon that vast domain;
until, from the deck of the ship which bears them back home, they
see visions of the hills rising from the white margin of the conti¬
nent, and listen to the breaking music of the waves—the exhilarat¬
ing laughter of the sea as it dashes against the beach. These are
the elements of the great restoration. It may come in our own life
time. It may be our happiness to see those rise up who will formu¬
late progress for Africa—embody the ideas which will reduce our
social and political life to order; and we may, before we die, thank
God that we have seen this salvation; that the negro has grasped
with a clear knowledge his meaning in the world's vast life—in poli¬
tics, in science, in religion.
HE various colors seen in the natives in Africa, where amalgama¬
tion with other races is impossible, has drawn forth much criti
cism, and puzzled the ethnologist not a little. Yet nothing is
more easily accounted for than this difference of color among the
same people, and even under the same circumstances. Climate and
climate alone, is the sole cause. And now to the proof. Instances
are adduced, in which individuals, transplanted into another climate
than that of their birth, are said to have restrained their peculiar¬
ities of form and color unaltered, and to have transmitted the same
to their posterity for generations. But cases of this kind, though
often substantiated to a certain extent, appear to have been much
exaggerated, both as to the duration of time ascribed, and the
absence of any change. It is highly probable that the original char¬
acter isticg will be found undergoing gradual modifications, which
tend to assimilate them to those of the new country and situation.
The Jews, however slightly their features may have assimilated
to those of other nations among whom they are scattered, from
12
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
the causes already stated, certainly form a very striking example
as regards the uncertainty of perpetuity in color. Descended
from one stock, and prohibited by the most sacred institutions
from intermarrying with the people of other, nations, and yet dis¬
persed, according to the divine prediction, into every country on
the globe, this one people is marked with the color of all; fair in Brit-
ian and Germany; brown in France and in Turkey; swarthy in Portu¬
gal and in Spain; olive in Syria and Chaldea ;tawny or copper-colored
in Arabia and in Egypt; whilst they are "black at Congo, in Africa."
Let us survey the gradations of color on the continent of Africa it¬
self. The inhabitants of the north are whitest; and as we advance
southward towards the line, and those countries in which the sun's
rays fall more perpendicularly, the complexion gradually assumes a
darker shade. And the same men whose color has been rendered
black by the powerful influence of the sun, if they remove to the north
gradually become white, (I mean their posterity), and eventually lose
their dark color.
The Portuguese who planted themselves on the coast of Africa a
few centuries ago, have been succeeded by descendants blacker than
many Africans. On the coast of Malabar there are two colonies of
Jews, the old colony and the new, separated by color, and known as
the "black Jews" and the "white Jews."
The old colony are the black Jews, and have been longer subjected
to the influence of the climate. The hair of the black Jews is curly,
showing a resemblance to the Negro. The white Jews are as dark as
the Gypsies, and each generation growing darker.
Dr. Livingstone says:
I was struck with the appearance of the people in L,onda and the neighborhood ; they
seemed more slender in form and their color a lighter olive than any we had hitherto
met.
Lower down the Zambisi the same writer says :
Most of the men are muscular, and have large, ploughman hands. Their color is the
same admixture, from very dark to light olive, that we saw in Iyonda.
In the year 1840, the writer was at Havana, and saw on board a ves¬
sel just arrived from Africa some five hundred slaves, captured in
different parts of the country. Among these captives were colors va¬
rying from light brown to black, and their features represented the
finest Anglo-Saxon and the most degraded African.
There is a nation called Tuaricks, who inhabit the oases and south¬
ern borders of the great desert, whose occupation is commerce, and
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 13
whose caravans ply between the Negro countries and Fezzan. They
are described by the travelers, Hornemann and Lyon.
The western tribes of this nation are white, so far as the climate
and their habits will allow. Others are of a yellow cast; others again
are swarthy; and in the neighborhood of Soudan, there is said to be
a tribe completely black. All speak the same dialect, and it is a dia¬
lect of the original African tongue. There is no reasonable doubt
of their being aboriginal.
Lyon says they are the finest race of men he ever saw, '' tall,
straight and handsome, with a certain air of independence and pride
which is very imposing." If we observe the gradations of color in
different localities in the meridian under which we live, we shall per¬
ceive a very close relation to the heat of the sun in each respectively.
Under the equator we have the deep black of the Negro, then the cop¬
per or olive of the Moors of northern Africa; then the Spaniard and
Italian, swarthy compared with other Europeans; the French still
darker than the English, while the fair and florid complexion of Eng¬
land and Germany passes more northerly into the bleached Scandina¬
vian white.
It is well-known that in whatever region travelers ascend mountains
they find the vegetation at every successive level altering its charac¬
ter and gradully assuming the appearances presented in more north¬
ern countries ; thus indicating that the atmosphere, temperature and
physical agencies in .general, assimilate as we approach Alpine re¬
gions to the peculiarities locally connected with high latitudes.
If, therefore, complexion and other bodily qualities belonging to
races of men depend upon climate and external conditions, we should
expect to find them varying in reference to elevation of surface; and
if they should he found actually to undergo such variations, this will
be a strong argument that these external characteristics do, in fact,
depend upon local conditions.
Now, if we inquire respecting the physical characters of the tribes
inhabiting high tracts in warm countries, we shall find that they co¬
incide with those which prevail in the level or low parts of more north¬
ern tracts.
The Swiss, in the high mountains above the plains of Lombardy,
have sandy or brown hair. What a contrast presents itself to the
traveler who descends into the Milanese territory, where the peasants
have black hair and eyes, with strongly-marked Italian and almost
oriental features.
14
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
In the higher part of the Biscayan country instead of the swarthy
complexion and black hair of the Castilians, the natives have a fair
complexion with light blue eyes and and flaxen or auburn hair.
In the inter-tropical region, high elevations of surface, as they pro¬
duce a cooler climate, occasion the appearance of light complexions.
In the higher parts of Senegambia, which front the Atlantic, and are
cooled by winds from the "Western Ocean, where, in fact, the temper¬
ature is known to be moderate, and even cool at times, the light cop¬
per-colored Fulahs are found surrounded on every side by black Ne¬
gro nations inhabiting lower districts; and nearly in the same paral¬
lel, but on the opposite coast of Africa, are the high plains of Enared
and Kaffa, where the inhabitants are said to be fairer than the inhab¬
itants of Southern Europe.
Do we need any better evidence of the influence of climate on man
than to witness its effect on beasts and birds ?iEolian informs us that
the Eubaea was famous for producing white oxen. Blumenbach re¬
marks that "all the swine of Piedmont are black, those of Normandy
white, and those of Bavaria are of a reddish brown. " The turkeys of
Normandy," he states "are all black; those of Hanover almost all
white. In Guinea the dogs and the gallinaceous fowls are as black as
the human inhabitants of the same country." The lack of color in
the northern regions of many animals which possess color in more
temperate latitudes—as the bear, the fox, the hare, beasts of burden,
the falcon, crow, jackdaw, and chaffinch—seems to arise entirely from
climate. The common bear is differently colored in different regions.
The dog loses its coat entirely in Africa, and has a smooth skin.
We all see and admit the change which a few years produce in the
complexion of a Caucasian going from our northern latitude into the
tropics.—The Rising Sun.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
15
Color of tbe jftrst flfcan.
BY REV. J. F. DYSON, B.D.
ft
IfHOSE who are conversant with the Hebrew language will agree
with me in the statement that the Hebrew word Adam, the
^ name given to the first man, means reddish or auburn color, as
well as man; or better, perhaps, red man; the name designating the
color. I therefore claim two points, which, to any reasonable per¬
son, are sufficient proof of Adam's color, namely: The color of the
material out of which he was made, and this indicated his name. Is
it not more reasonable to believe that a man made out of red colored
material, and having a name signifying red color, was red, than to
believe that he was white? And is it not strange that many men
who seem consistent in making expositions on other weighty matters
will agree that the first man was made of red clay, that his name
signified red color, that it was given him because of his red color,
yet he was white? Mystical inference! If the first man had been
made out of chalk, and called Chivvah, which is the Hebrew for
white, what rational man is there under the sun who would presume
to gravely assert that, notwithstanding his formation from chalk,
and his name which implies the color of chalk, yet the first man was
red ? But I must not cross the Rubicon before I come to it. Per¬
haps when I have presented my whole argument some opinions will
have undergone a change. Was the first woman of the color of the
first man? This is a question whose answer will determine my cause
of procedure.
1. Is it possible that the color of the first woman was not of the
same color of the first man? To say that it is impossible is to limit
omnipotence and omniscience. The same wisdom that produced one
color in man, could produce a different color in the woman.
2. It is probable that the first woman was not of the same color- of
the first man, from the presumption that God having manifested
variety of color throughout the several kingdoms of nature would
not make an exception of this rule in the heads of creation. To be¬
gin with, there is the black earth and the white light of the sun; and
16
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
there is the black crow and the white crane; the black and polar
bear; black and white beasts; the black dolphin and white fish.
There is chalk, limestone and lead; coal, granite and iron; black and
white stone and minerals; ebony trees and sycamore trees; black¬
berries and white cap berries ; the dun pansy and the white rose, and
so forth.
3. It is probable that the first woman and man were not of the same
complexion, from the fact of the existence of divers colors in their
offspring, to time whereof the history of man runneth not to the con¬
trary, and the total silence of history, sacred and profane, at the
surprise of any race, or individual of any race, in meeting another
race, or individual of another race of a different complexion, justifies
this probability yet more.
4. It is probable that the first man and woman were of different
complexions, from the fact that all of Noah's children were not of
the same color. The words.alchemy and chemistry preserve in our
own language this meaning of Ham or Cham. They literally mean
the "black art," from Kemia, chem—black. They came to us
through the Arabs from Egypt. That Ham in Hebrew means
swarthy or darkish all linguists are agreed and, as we have before
intimated, that in the early history of mankind names given men
frequently indicated peculiar physical features possessed by those
who bore them, we are therefore to conclude that Noah's second son
was of a complexion darker than that of either the oldest or youngest
son.
Japheth, the name of the youngest son, was no doubt derived from
Yaphah, which means "to be beautiful," hence fair, that complexion
being thought the ideal of beauty among the ancients. But for the
children to be of different colors, it is necessary that the parents be
of different colors, and again their parents must have been of differ¬
ent colors, and so on back to the diversity of color between Adam
and Eve.
What was Eve's color? She could not have been red like Adam,
otherwise their posterity would have all been red. If she were
darker than red, or even Adam's color, their descendants, according
to physiological law, would have been yet darker. If she was jet
black, their children, by the same law, would have been a brown next
to black. These results would have been as stated, provided their
offspring had taken color after Adam, admitting Eve to have been
red, brown or black, and thus, too, accounting for the yellow, brown,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
17
red and black races of those who hold that there are five distinct
races of man. But how about the white race? It seems to have
been left entirely out of the enumeration. "Tliere can be but one con¬
clusion regarding it. If Adam was of a reddish color—as I think I
have clearly shown him to have been—and Eve was of a color which
was neither yellow, red, brown nor black, and as some of their pos¬
terity are a complexion different from either of these just named,
and that complexion is the only one that she could possess, if we
agree with Blumenback that there are but five races of men distin¬
guished by their color, then we-'must conclude that Eve, the first
woman, was white. The argument upon which this conclusion is
founded is both scriptural and scientific, and from this basis, and
none other, it proposes to declare a hitherto hidden truth. Having
established the color of the first man by a draft on Scripture narra¬
tive, etymology and mental philosophy, I shall, in another chapter,
establish the color of the first woman by the same means, perhaps
using the argument of two or three affinitive sciences in addition
thereto.—The Unity of the Human Race.
©©for ©f tfis 1?irgt llJ©m<im.
BY REV. J. F. DYSON, B.D.
ET us first consider Gen. ii. 21-23, wherein Moses, Israel's great
• law-giver, gives the world the only trustworthy history it has
of the creation of woman and the beginning of the world.
"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he
slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from the man,
made he a woman and brought her unto the man. And the man said,
this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called
woman, because she was taken out of man."
I attach more importance to the fact that woman was made out of
man's rib than others do, yet no more than the fact deserves. If
Adam was made out of red clay, which made his color red, it is un¬
reasonable to believe that as Eve was made out a white rib she there-
(2)
18
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
fore naturally received her color from it, or received no color at all,
if. it be contended that white is no color. In all candor, is not this
<a more reasonable, a simpler theory than the unscriptural ones that
are thrust into notice of the reading public ? It puts an end to many
theories heretofore advanced, and silences forever Ariel's bray, and
brands his infamous assertion that the negro is a brute, a malicious
falsehood; it withholds from the murderer Cain and a she ape in the
land of Nod the ancestry of the black race; it shows that the color
of Ham's descendants is not the result of Noah's cursing Canaan,
by proving that the source of their color was in Eden. In a
word, it turns a full light upon the Scripture declaration, "God hath
made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of
the earth," traces it to its true source, and keeps to the text in con-'
tending with those who inadvertently overlook this truth, pervert,
or willfully deny it. It does not require nearly as great a stretch of
faith to believe that Eve took her color from the rib out of which she
was created as to believe that she was created out of the rib; there¬
fore let us bow at the shrine of reason and consistency. In proving
the color of Adam I resorted to the etymology of his name. Does
not the etymology of Eve's name also have reference to her color?
Beyond a doubt it has. The word which we translate Eve is
Chavvah in Hebrew, and means simply life, and no one who is fam¬
iliar with Holy Writ will deny that life and immortality are symbol¬
ized by white, from the Pentateuch of Moses to the Apocalypse of
John, and in human experience from Nimrod until now. Therefore
Eve's color indicated that she was the "mother of all living," or the
source of all living, as much as her name. In order for the woman
to engage the attention of the man she must have been attractive.
"What color is more attractive than white ? For her to claim his pro¬
tection she must have had a delicate appearance. "What color is
more delicate than white? To draw upon his affection she must have
been fair, or, in other words white; and I do not think it more poetic
than truthful for me to say that Eve's color denoted virtue, the
brightest gem in the diadem of her priceless womanhood, and the
most glorious and most valuable legacy left by her to her posterity.
It would be unwise for me to multiply these subsidiary arguments
in support of the fact of Eve's colbr being white, which has been
already made plain, for in doing so I would underrate the mental
ability of the reader to grasp ordinary truth, and see by the clear
light of analogy, illustration and reason.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
19
Next we will consider the complexions of the descendants of
father Adam and mother Eve. At once the important question is
proposed: "If Eve was white and Adam was red, none of their im¬
mediate descendants could have been white or entirely black. Some
of them must have approximated a white color, some a color medium
between white and red, and others must have approximated Adam's
color, or the colors must have graded from nearly, or quite red, up
to nearly white, in several fine shades. Where then is the source of
full white and full black people?" This question is not difficult of
solution. In answering it I shall show, however paradoxical the
proposition may seem, that it is easier to account for the black and
white children from a red Adam and a white Eve than it is to ac¬
count for yellow, red, brown and black children from a white Adam
and a white Eve, white and yellow children from a red Adam and a
red Eve, or white, yellow, red and brown children from a black
Adam and black Eve.
Knowing that there are different opinions as to the universality of
the flood, I shall not insist that all human beings save Noah, his
wife, his three sons and their wives, perished therein. My agreeing
with those who affirm or those who deny this theory would neither
strengthen nor weaken my argument asserting the divergence of
color in the first human pair, and per force of reason in their de¬
scendants whether they were roaming the tableland of Nod during
the flood, or rocking in the Ark upon the billows above Shinar. I
have often stated that Noah's three sons, saying nothing of his wife
or his son's wives, differed in complexion. The names of two of
them indicate this. Ham (Hebrew Cham) means swarthy. Japheth
(Hebrew Yaphar) means fair or whitish. Between Ham's swarthy
complexion and Japheth's fair complexion it is not unreasonable to
believe Shem's auburn complexion had place.
The Scriptures teach that Noah lived after the flood three hundred
and fifty years, but giving no account of his having any other chil¬
dren than those who survived the flood with him and his wife in the
Ark. As the Scriptures are mute on this subject I shall be also.
Not denying that Noah had other sons and daughters born unto him
after the flood, but basing my theory of the re-peopling of the earth
upon the fruitfulness of Shem, Ham and Japhet, and the fruitfulness
of their children and their children's children, whose geographical
distribution alone I shall notice.
I assume as a matter of course that the white complexion did not
20
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
exist after Eve's death until centuries after the confusion of tongues
at Babel, and the dispersion of the three grand divisions of mankind
thence "upon all the face of the earth," as the Hebrew has it, nor
was the very black complexion known until the people distinguished
thereby had subordinated themselves to the circumstances which
produced it. To what do these statements lead ? They lead to the
inevitable conclusion that all the complexions except the white and
black were the naturally direct result of the union of Adam's and
Eve's complexions, but that these were produced by the " influences
of the chemical solar rays, the altitude or depression of the general
level, the difference of geological formations, the varying agencies
of magnetism and electricity, as atmospheric peculiarities, miasmatic
exhalations from vegetable and mineral matter, difference of soil,
proximity to the ocean, variety of food, habits of life and exposure."
God's Problem for the South.
BY REV. A. L. PHILLIPS, TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
OD is the greatest of all problem makers. Neither nature nor
metaphysics nor grace contains a single problem that is not his
by origination and proposal. The mystery of the milky way or
the doctrine of perception or the method of reconciliation between
God and man are not human. Since no human mind has ever fully
understood them, it is but just to infer that they are super-human in
origin. "When God sets a problem before the human mind he usually
indicates general principles by which it is to be solved. He never
ciphers out the details for any man. God told Moses to go lead his
people out of Egypt. "Come now, therefore, and I will send thee
unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children
of Israel, out of Egypt." (Ex. iii. 10.) When Moses had insisted
upon Jehovah's telling him something about the details of the work,
he was at last asked, "What is that in thine hand? And he said, A
rod. Cast it on the ground. He cast it on the ground and it became
a serpent, and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said into
Moses: Put forth thine hand and take it by the tail. And he put
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. i
\
forth, his hand and caught it and it became a rod in his hand; that
they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers hath appeared
unto thee." (Ex. iv. 3-5.) Moses' problem was to lead out the people;
his method of solution was to be miracles. Jesus stood in the midst
of his disheartened disciples on the mount in Galilee, and gave them
the greatest problem ever committed to human head, heart and hand.
"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."
Such a problem had never been given to men in the past history of
the church; it has not been modified one jot or one tittle since its first
announcement. It was original, startling, overwhelming. It gave
the world a new estimate of the power of the human soul, that it
could embrace with loving solicitude the entire human family. The
problem carried within its depths its own solution as a granite mass
bearing its imbedded dynamite. The problem was Go: its solution
Lay in one word—preach. The problem is now before us. It is
divine; so is its solution. The church must, and, by God's good
grace, will work it out.
In working it out, the church in the United States has some
peculiar conditions to meet. It is better equipped in brains, in
money, in spirituality than ever in its history. More people are
easily accessible than ever before. Cries for the preached word
come from every quarter of our own country and in tumultuous mobs
beneath our windows alarm our sleeping consciences. Mute appeals
of unnumbered millions of heathen call us irresistibly to their help.
The Syro-Phoenician woman in the coasts of Tyre begs for crumbs
from the spiritual feast that our Lord spreads before us. Poor
Lazarus, outcast, sore-covered, dog-licked, lies at our door piteously
pleading, "Give, or I die!" Let us attend to this cry from Lazarus
for a little while. We'll not stop to speak of the Chinaman, for he is
removed from us by law, nor the Indian, who is fast being removed
by powder, rascality, and liquor. Our problem in the South is how
to reach the negro with the gospel. It may be solved perhaps by
first reaching the white man. For until his brain is cleared and his
conscience aroused, very little can be done. What are the conditions
of the problem? 1. Many millions of white and black people live in
the same territory. 2. The whites once owned the blacks. 3. The
whites are vastly in the majority, have infinitely more money,
education and spirituality. 4. Against the will of the intelligent
majority, the minority was freed. 5. By law both black and white
are equal citizens of the same government. 6. Powerful influences
22
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
have for years been at work causing ill-will between the two races.
The question that we have to answer is, can these two races live in
peace on the same soil as equal citizens of the same government? If
so, how ?
"What does history say about it ? Before the general diffusion of
Christianity when two alien races came into contact, one or the other
was exterminated or enslaved. Rome and Carthage fought until it
was written Delenda est Carthago. But what lesson do the records of
nations since our Lord's ascension even doivn to the year 1891 teach
us ? An elaborate experiment was made in Spain. But the Moors
were expelled in spite of their superior science and art. Spain and
Portugal came into contact with the natives of Mexico and South,
America only to enslave and destroy them. The Puritan and the
cavalier met the proud red man on his own soil and have killed him
until only a small remnant remains to build the camp-fire and recall the
deeds of ancient braves, with no hope for the future except his ration
of blue beef and abuse. Slave and Hebrew, though not even of dif¬
ferent races, cannot live together unless the Jew will submit to op¬
pression nearly as galling as slavery. What says history? She
says emphatically that the experiment that we are making in this
country is a crime against humanity—that either slavery or death
must be its end.
"What says the Constitution of the United States? Before the
adoption of Article XIII. of the amendments of the Constitution
abolishing slavery, its existence had been simply ignored by that
immortal document. Perhaps no greater experiment in making laws
has ever been attempted than the adoption of the last three amend¬
ments, making citizens out of slaves up to that time kept ignorant by
law. Questions as to the wisdom of their enactment or perpetuation
are purely theoretical. They are there, and nothing short of a revo¬
lution can remove them. What does the Constitution, our highest
and most unchanging law, say about these two races living together ?
It simply says to all alike, "You shall live together in peace!" This
may not be the voice of conscience, but it is the fiat of authority.
The Constitution therefore says to us, say we yea or say we nay, "I
know that history declares it can't be done, but my voice is louder
and my arm is stronger than history. Let there be peace!" The
Constitution sought to create peace and interject it between the dis¬
cordant and warring elements of society. As loyal citizens of our
land and as staunch defenders of the Constitution, we must obey the law.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
23
"What says the gospel of God? "As ye would that men should do
to you do ye even so to them likewise." "Follow peace with all
men." " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." "We are perhaps
too prone to apply these wholesome precepts to the lives of others,
forgetting for the time their direct bearing upon our own con¬
sciences and lives. It is to no purpose that we say that we once did
our religious duty to the negroes. Satifying reflections on our past
performances may soothe us into present neglect. Energetic resolu¬
tions to do our duty in the future may be a subtly delusive way of
calming the cryings of an urgent conscience to-day. A shifting of
responsibility that God has laid, is impossible, for the only method
of discharging responsibility to God is by doing the duties demanded.
A condition of society exists to-day in the South the like of which
has never before been seen. Ignorance and intelligence, poverty
and plenty, have always existed side by side everywhere. But when
in the history of the ages has a people who were never in bondage to
any man, conferred on an alien race, once their slaves, the equal
legal rights and privileges which they themselves have created and
enjoy?
"When we have set aside all political considerations and social
fears, we find that the essence of the whole matter lies in the ques¬
tion of, How shall two men, equal before the law, behave towards one
another? History is eloquent with illustrations, and the Constitu¬
tion speaks with the voice of authority. But to consider this ques¬
tion, neither history nor the Constitution is sufficient. For the
Christian, there is but one code of morals, but one yard-stick for
measuring this cloth, but one voice—and that of law and love united
—that has inherently the power of solution. Political expedients
are, at best, mere temporary aids. The law is useful as an educator,
but it has no power of producing in its own subjects sympathetic
obedience. "We must have a solvent more permanent than party
platforms, more powerful than all law. Something is needed to
arouse the conscience, engage the heart, and direct intelligent effort.
There are three persons concerned in this matter—the white man,
the negro and Almighty God. The [white man knows his weakness,
the negro is expectant, and, unless the Lord show the strength of his
right arm, the pessimism taught us by history and aggravated by
the demands of an unfailing law, will soon change to discord and
open strife. A learned divine once said, 4 4 Unless the gospel solve
this matter, then it will be bang! bang!" Says the apostle "I can
24
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
do all things in him that strengtheneth (iendynamites) me." What
says the gospel? "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel."
"For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth"—"Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." So
long as we walk in such light as that, there is no pessimism, not
even a shade of doubt.
Again, says this same gospel, 1 Thess. ii. 3, 4, For our exhortation
is not of error nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; but even as we have
been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak;
not as pleasing men, but God, which proveth our hearts. That is,
we were made by Christ, at his ascension, trustees of his Gospel, for
the benefit of all mankind. Shall not this stir up our consciences?
A trustee must be faithful. Have we, as individuals, or as a church
of Jesus Christ, done our duty to the negroes? At the judgment
seat of Christ it will be too late to attempt an answer. It is called
to-day. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me," said Jesus, "because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent
me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Man can have
no higher duty, he can enjoy no more sanctifying privilege than to
do the works and speak the words of God to men everywhere. Is
there a finer field in our South-land for preaching Christ than is af¬
forded by the negroes? Humble, bound by Satan in chains of lust,
enslaved to sin, blinded by the god of this world, ignorant of the
time of God's calling—among such, surely ought the gospel to be
preached.
The Southern Presbyterian Church is just entering upon the great
evangelistic period of its history. For the coming of this time God
has been patiently preparing us. He has endowed us with a pure
doctrine and an adaptable polity. He has enlarged our borders. He
has filled our barns with plenty. He has unstopped our ears to the
cry of the heathen. He has opened our eyes to the destitution at
home. He has been perfecting us by the sufferings of persecution,
dissension and discord from within and from without. Uniform and
unified we stand before him to-day. In his own hand-writing he
gives us our ploblems. The great home-problem is how to evange¬
lize our colored fellow-citizens, who are our friends and neighbors.
Surely, God's people will not halt now. To halt will be to retreat.
With heart and head and hand, intelligently, wisely, humbly, pa-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 25
nently, cheerfully, sympathetically, for God's own glory, let us now
lo our whole duty to the negro. Let North, East and West be patient
ind charitable, while aiding us to adapt the gospel to these hitherto
intried conditions. Let all the people conscientiously introduce God
nto this mighty problem. It will soon be solved then, and, until
:hen, never.
£Ebe IProvtbence of (Bob In tbe Ibtstorfcal
^Development of tbe IReoto.
BY REV. A. F. BEARD, D.D.
HE orginal condition of the Negro people was heathenism in
Africa. Then came two and a half centuries of American
slavery with the evils which it bred and fostered. In the
dreadful discipline of slavery, there had yet been a great gain in
condition over the estate of their ancestors. The race had ceased to
be absolutely African; there remained few with wholly African
blood.* Not only by the amalgam of race but in other ways, all had
gained something from contact with civilization. Those who had
lived in towns and cities had taken on certain of the blessings of
civilization. The great majority who lived on remote plantations
had nevertheless seen something of civilization. Mentally and
morally children, their heathenism had been modified by living
among white people. The speech of heathenism had been exchanged
for the rudiments of the English tongue. Besides this they had
learned needful lessons in their hard school of servitude. The
spirit of obedience, the consequent reverence for law and respect
for authority, in the providence of God, were preparations for the
*A Southern authority, in a careful work entitled: " The Resources and Population
of South Carolina," published in 1883 with the State imprint, speaking- of the Negro
people uses the following- words, viz. : " One-third has a large infusion of white blood.
Another third has less, but still some ; and of the other third it would be difficult to find
an assured specimen of pure African blood. If the lineage of these Negroes whose
color and features seem most unmistakably to mark them as of purely African descent
be traced, indisputable evidence may often be obtained of white parentage more or less
remote."
26
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
day of emancipation. While most of them imperfectly apprehended
the meaning of a religion which meant character and conduct, yet
nearly all had absorbed a sense of the government of God, which
was strong and in some ways controlling. All this was progress in
condition over the estate of their African ancestors; a great gain
over naked barbarism.. This was not the purpose of man, but it
was in the providence of God.
When Christian faith and love said this redeemed people must now
be educated and helped into worthy Christian manhood and woman¬
hood, this was another step in the movement of divine providence.
When the race history began, it began at zero. Four millions of
people had existed, but as yet there could be no history. That there
may be history, there must be legal marriage, family name, con¬
tinuity of family life, and possession of property. The Negro had
none of these.
A score and a half years have passed and the Negroes number
seven millions of people. Two millions have learned to read.
Many have pushed on bej^ond elementary education, and a small
percentage have made attainments which are prophetic of power
and position for the race in the times to come.
While it is true that those who cannot read to-day are in excess of
the original four millions when they were set free, and that the
Negro left to himself has even degenerated from the Negro of
slavery, it is also true that a single generation has witnessed in the
life of hundreds of thousands a wonderful evolution in manhood
and womanhood. The growth of the race in honorable self-hood has
been for such, like the story of Narcissus in the myths of the
ancients. Narcissus, you remember, had fallen from the knowledge
of his high birthright as a descendant of the gods, and was living
low down unmindful of his high origin. But one day at the water
side for the first time he saw his own image reflected back to him as
from a mirror. It was not a clear vision, but. to him it was a revela¬
tion. * He saw that he was not like the brutes. He felt that he
ought to be more than he was. His thoughts within him were
stirred. The sense of his high origin and birthright slowly came to
him. One thought quickened another, and he found himself rising
to his thought until he felt the fire of his divinity. He grew in his
purpose toward that which he held in his mind. He cast aside what
was low, and he resolutely left all that pulled him down. Thus
leaving* the things that were behind, he pressed forward, and so
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
27
became transformed in thought, in character and in life, passing
from achievement to permanent possession, until the glory of the
gods was his, and he took his place among them.
Thousands upon thousands of the Negro people have had this
vision and revelation. The idea of self-hood, and the reaching
forth to it, in a single generation of the Negro race has been a
wonderful prophecy of possibility in the significance and quality and
nobility of life. This is seen to be the master key to unlock the
door of caste and hindrance for their entrance to the rights of man-
hood and womanhood, and to the dignities of life. This is the
power that is to settle at last the standing and the recognition of
race. This is a gain greater than that which can be tabulated in
statistics. This is the highest achievement of this generation of
the Negro race-. It means a people who are capable of storing
strength and character. It means the uplift of race life.*
We are not to conclude, however, that a true and living progress
of the race is to come easily or in a short period of time.
The fact that millions are in degradation and are not getting out of
it, and that more children are growing up in ignorance than are
being educated, is one of gravity, and must excite concern. It will
trouble future generations more than it does the present one. It
must not only qualify the progress of those who would rise, but it
must also make the question of white and black people living side by
side in peace and in respect for civil and Christian rights more diffi¬
cult of solution, and more uncertain in respect to time.
"We may expect no little trouble in such conditions. The aliena¬
tion between the white and black people will be likely to widen and
*When the race history began there was not a school for the Negro; there are now
more than 25,000 schools.
Then there was not a Negro pupil; now there are enrolled 1,309,251 pupils in schools.
Then the number of Negro people who could read "were not worth the counting;"
now 2,000,000 people have leafned to read since 1865.
But elementary education is not all. ' There are 25 colleges, 8,396 professors and
students ; there are 25 schools of theology with 755 students ; there are 5 schools of law,
and 5 schools of medicine.
Where a Negro teacher would have been a subject for jest and also of arrest, there
are now 20,000 such teachers in common schools.
Where their churches had the ministry of ignorant and immoral preachers these are
being displaced by those who are intelligent and worthy. Purer churches are being or¬
ganized. We sometimes think the progress is slow. It is no slower than Christianity is.
The Negro who possessed nothiilg is acquiring property. The estimate of taxable
property gained since emancipation for 7,000,000 of people is 264,000,000 of dollars.
28
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
deepen. True peace and cordial relations depend upon conditions
which as yet exist but in very small degree.
The moral evolution of mankind is a very slow process. The de¬
velopment of purity of mind and heart is a long way from perfection
yet, in peoples most powerfully affected by Christianity. The de¬
velopment of conscience so that it shall rule the life of man has not
been such as to make the best communities unduly elated. The
development of civil society which depends upon the development of
man, upon the expansion of his mind and the regulation of his moral
nature, is slow even when the hindrances are fewer than the helps.
Consider now a people among whom chastity was an almost un¬
known virtue, among whom superstition overlaid conscience, among
whom conscience was in the alphabet of development, among whom
the first principles of civil society and duties were never thought of,
and he would be unreasonable who should even in favorable environ¬
ments expect any permanent progress which shall come in other than
in long and patient years. Then remember that for the most part
the environments are not favorable. There is the prejudice of race
to be overcome—prejudice which lives cruelly and dies slowly.
The Negro' people have not to make their first acquaintance with
oppression and injustice, and no one can tell when they and their
wrongs will part company. It will be a long time before the Negro
race will have even-handed justice. The race will be tolerated, per¬
haps, and some Christian souls will cherish friendliness and give
helpfulness. But to most the Negro will be a social and political
burden. He will be discriminated against. If recent events in the
South teach anything the negro may not expect his civil rights and
perhaps not the protection of equal laws for many a year. We may
hope for gradual amelioration with gradual education. We may hope
that brute force and violence and personal cruelties will not long
continue, but we have no reason to expect that the time of discipline
is nearly over. This people are to remain a separate race, who can¬
not be absorbed with the people by the side of whom they are to live,
and yet to live without a separate national existence—always in the
minority—always the weaker among the stronger. Here, on the
same soil the struggle of life must go on, are two races—the juxta¬
position of two nationalities—that differ in physical externals, in
distinctive characteristics and in sympathies ; the weaker condemned
to the discouragements which grow out,of their weakness, and with
no alternative but the generosity of the stronger when any conflict
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
29
of interest may arise. Until Christ shall possess the hearts of men
as he does not yet, it requires no prophet to tell us that the history
in many respects must be sad, and it may be fearful. There are
difficult facts to meet when we consider the development of this race.
What shall we say as to the providence of God in this history?
Let us get our bearings. For the sake of comparison suppose we
recall the history of the development of some other peoples during
this period of two hundred and fifty years, peoples who were civ¬
ilized when the first shipload of slaves landed in Virginia.
Our Anglo-Saxon people. It has not been always a sunny day and
an excursion of pleasure in the forward movements of our own race.
During this same period of time more people in England have lost
their lives in their struggles to come where they now are, than have
perished in this land through slavery. Not to mention ruder days,
two hundred and fifty years past have witnessed stormy times in old
England. The dethronement and beheading of a king, bloody wars
under Cromwell, persecutions for opinions' sake; imprisonments
and executions in the restored monarchy; insurrections in Scotland,
conspiracies in Ireland, massacres in all three islands, and that on &
large scale. How people suffered for their opinions! How property
was taken from them! How families were exiled and scattered! It
is a crimson history.
If we take France, e.g., in the same period, there are the Hugenot
persecutions, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and its attend¬
ant horrors, St. Bartholomew's day and its murders, and for centu¬
ries men hunted down like beasts and driven from their country to
keep their lives; the French Revolution; the Reign of Terror;
the Goddess of Reason and the Scourge of Unreason. Germany
with its continuous wars poured blood of men on the soil like water.
All this and more in many lands became history while the Negro
was in the tobacco plantations and in the cotton fields. There is in
the lesson of history certainly no ground for discouragement for the
Negro people in the fact that struggle means struggle, and that
struggling up means time, a long time. Said the apostle, "For we
know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain to¬
gether, until now." This is what other peoples have been doing all
the ages "until now." The stages of advancement and attainment
in the history of peoples are, if you please to call them so, the evo¬
lutions in these processes God's providence. The kingdom of truth,
of order, of reason, of justice and, finally and supremely, of love,
30
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
that is, the kingdom of God comes in these processes; in and
through the conflicts of human thought and the struggles of human
will not only, but most often by means of them. The philosophy of
the history which records the movement of men's minds through
darkness into light, through obstacles and painful transformations,
over oppositions and adversaries, the errors and the evils, the dis¬
cordances and distractions are all in evidence that these very con¬
ditions in the providence of God, furnished not only the occasions,
but the reasons and methods for growth out of weakness into
strength, for the expansion of intelligence, for better laws, for bet¬
ter and larger life. History is full of movements which themselves
were big with injustice, and from which were painfully envolved the
very arguments to overcome them, and to- deliver the people from
their evils. The progress of mankind has thus been through storms
and against head winds. The course has seldom been a straight one
as men planned, but a crooked one as men made it, like a ship beating
its way against hard and furious weather. When the evils in one
form had come to be at last too grevious to be borne, then under the
impulsion of necessity there is a new course of thought and action,
and the ship tacks about. She does not point to the goal always but
there is a gain in the stretch. The movement is zig-zag, and often
apparently away from what is desired, but the resultant of these
movements is progress toward the final good. From every century
and every race comes this same story. It is this, the law of struggle
is the law of life, a severe law, but in the providence of God, and in
the long run the law through which comes all human achievement
and progress. The peoples who are welded are welded in the fire.
Now the Negro people will prove to be no exception to this law,
unless they are always to be a subject class. If in their hard condi¬
tions God has some better things for them they cannot get this in
an easy way nor in a short time. They are taking now their first
step in their historic life as a people. No people ever got as far as
their advanced guard has, more easily or more rapidly.
If now under the dispensations of God's providences these who
have moved up from the lowland to highland look back into the bogs
to see millions of people there with little movement to better life and
get discouraged, or if they see the difficulties and dangers, the inevit¬
able hostility to which they are subjected, and get apprehensive, we
can say to these, other people have been through floods and under the
waters. Governments and institutions and races are but human na-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
31
ture on a great scale, and what the word of the Lord says to persons
is true for aggregations of persons, "Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange
thing happened to you." It must needs be that peoples which have
not been through the fiery ordeal, which is God's school of develop¬
ment for the accumulated strength of trial, must remain in weakness.
The accumulated strength of a patient overcoming on the part of a
soul or on the part of a people, is a permanent possession, and in the
end is worth all the cost. Ideas that have been wrought in by pain
and wrought out by patience are those which are permanent. The
working and the waiting, the injustice and reactions to the confirma¬
tions of justice, the wandering in the wilderness on the way to the
promised land, and the dying without the sight of it; the violence of
opposers as well as the hand of Christian sympathy, the hostility of
caste as well as brotherly kindness, these are all in the process.
This discipline, development, evolution, all in the end make for the
regeneration of the generations. If the process is hard, it is yet a
process in the providence of God, and it prevents weakness. No peo¬
ple who have a history have been exempt. All have found in this
way their inheritances. If this stumbles you, does it stumble you
any more than the fact of sin in the world ?
Again, if the missionary, or the philanthropist, or patriot, is likely
to be discouraged or disheartened because that which will surely take
many generations is not secured in one generation, he may call to
mind the fact that the providence of God is a continuous providence,
and as the great historian of France says, "its logic is not the less
conclusive for reasoning slowly." As Christians we may not forget
that the first fact of history is sovereignty of God. Men may oppose
this, and suffer and cause others to suffer, but they cannot hinder it.
The Omnipotent will is ceaselessly working. It has neither change
of purpose nor repose. Every detail of history, every attempt to
hinder and destroy that which God has purposed, works on and all
work together in combination and dependency until God's clock of
time shall strike the hour of his providence.
Very truly did Ex-Governor Bullock, of Georgia, recently testify
as to the present avowed purpose in our Congress to practically
annul the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to our Constitution,
which confirm to white and black alike the rights of freedmen and
the privileges of citizenship, in saying, "this is not only unpatriotic,
but for our section is bad politics." Yes it is, and it is one more of
32
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
those false movements intended to reverse the providence of God
and to secure the will of man, but which always turn out for the fur¬
therance of the divine purposes. The brethren of Joseph took coun¬
sel together to hinder the purposes of God. The stronger sold the
weaker a slave in another land. But as time moved on, these sinners
and brothers must needs go "way down into Egypt land." Then
conscience extorted the confession from them, "We have verily been
guilty concerning our brother." The one whom they proposed to
degrade in servitude God had highly exalted. "Ye thought evil
against me, but God meant it unto good." Man is free, but God
rules.
What God in his purposes may have in store for the people whom
his providence brought from the jungles of Africa, and whom his
providence prepared for the emancipation which he himself or¬
dained and brought to pass, we cannot know until his providence
shall have ripened. But this we have learned, that God has over¬
turned the purposes of man. When men proposed to make the
chains stronger, God snapped them. Enough already has been con¬
cluded to give us a pledge of God's purpose that he intends this peo¬
ple to be at least really and truly free, and to have their opportunity
for manhood and womanhood. That which has been settled in heaven
will not be unsettled on earth. Prividence takes no step backward.
The chariot wheels of God turn only one way. On man's part posses¬
sion may wait, must wait upon preparedness. The fullest manhood,
the truest brotherhood, the best life, is not a gift which one may
take and say, "I have it." It is a salvation which one must needs
work out with fear and with trembling, as God works it in. As to
time, this salvation of a people will move on with the movement of
Christianity and Christian faith in our land.
Finally, we who are working together with God are engaged in
that which is assured. There is no uncertainty as to the result.
The prayers of good men and good women, the schools and the teach¬
ers, the churches and the preachers, the forces that make for right¬
eousness, the promises of God for the accomplishment of his pur¬
poses among men, "the stars in their courses," will bring forth
judgment unto truth. There may be oppositions, hindrances, and
what are to us discouraging delays, but he who came "to bring forth
judgment unto truth will not fail, nor be discouraged." And when
God shall explain his providences and justify his ways to man, it
shall be seen that human history is something more than the fact
THOUGHTS, DOINGS. AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
33
that men can choose, and that one event thus follows another coming
and going, but that while they choose there is One who both governs
and judges. To the degree that we believe this we shall be faithful
and we need not fear.
Whatever happens on the way to this day of God, it is for us to
labor on, confident in his redeeming grace, in the certainty of his
holy government, in the pledge of his omniscience, in the help of his
omnipotence, and in the amen of his accomplishments.
3^o£rSriMUti£fir of the itlcgrcu
BY THE LATE SENATOR LOGAN.
Extracts from His Washington City Address in the A. M. E- Church.
Tfr FTER dwelling at length upon the marvelous progress of the col-
j|l| ored race in the United States, he then pointed out the negro's
faults:
If there is any one thing that will clog the wheels of your mate¬
rial progress it is the fact that some of you try to overreach your¬
selves. Do not become dazzled at the splendor and magnificence of
those who had hundreds of years to make this country what it is to¬
day. No man is a success who has not a fixed object as a sign-post—
an aim in life to attain unto. A man should get that kind and that
amount of education that will best fit him for the performance and
the attainment of his object in life. Too much Greek will do you no
good; what does a man want with Greek around a table with a white
apron on ? I do not say that you should not study Greek if you intend
to fill a chair in some institution of learning; I do not say that you
should not read medicine if you desire to become a physician, or law
if you wish to follow that profession. But I tell you our white people
are fast growing indolent and lazy. If you watch your chances and
take timely advantage of the opportunities offered you, your race will
be the wage workers, the skilled artisans, and eventually the land
owners and the wealthy class of this country, I advise you to learn
trades; learn to become mechanics. You have the ability and capac¬
ity to reach the highest point, and even go further in the march of
progress than has yet been made by any people.
3
34
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
I predict that the time will come and it is not far off when we will
have a negro poet from the South. He will set the magnificent splen¬
dor of the "Sunny South" to music. His muse will touch the lyre
and you will hear the sweet murmur of the stream, the rippling
waters, and we shall • see the beauty of that country as it was never
seen before. It will come; and after him other still greater men. But
it takes labor to become a great man just as it takes centuries to make
a great nation. Great men are not fashioned in heaven and thrown
from the hand of the Almighty to become potentates here on earth,
nor are they born rich. I* admit that there is, in some parts of this
country, a prejudice against you on account of your color and former
condition. In my opinion the best way to overcome this is to show
your capability of doing everything that a white man does, and do it
just as well or better than he does. If a white man scorns you, show
him that you are too high-bred, too noble-hearted to take notice of it;
and the first opportunity you have do him a favor, and I warrant you
he will feel ashamed of himself and never again will he make an exhi¬
bition of his prejudice. The future is yours and you have it in which
to rise to the heights or descend to the depths.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 35
A BIiAGK MOSES.
BY THADEUS EDGAR HORTON.
ISHOP HENRY M. TURNER, of the A. M. E. Church, who
has stood for many j^ears as one of the foremost representa¬
tives of the negro race in this country, has attracted attention
of late by his advocacy of the return of the black man to his native
land. His published views on this subject have been extensively
discussed, and because of the bishop's prominence and his reputation
as a student of the A fro-American problem, have had great weight
attached to them.
The bishop is himself an interesting personality. He was born in
Newberry, S. C., in 1834. His parents were free, but while a boy he
was "bound out" to a slave owner and worked side by side with
slaves in the fields until his fifteenth year. Then, tiring of the hard
labor and ill treatment, and with restless longings for something
higher than the farm hand's fate, he ran away from his master and
entered the service of a firm of attorneys in Abberville, S. C., where
John C. Calhoun once practiced law. His employers, attracted by
his aptitude, especially in spelling, taught him the elementary Eng¬
lish branches, and in the intervals of his duties as office boy he read
law, often pouring over his books late at night, when his "bosses"
had gone home.
At twenty years of age young Turner became a liscensed minister
of the M. E. Church, South. After a few years of itinerant service,
during which his fame as an eloquent preacher spread through the
surrounding country, he determined to go to Africa as a missionary.
About the same time he transferred his allegiance to the A. M. E.
Church, and entered Trinity College, in Baltimore, where he studied
for four years, completing the courses in divinity, Latin, Greek and
Hebrew.
The war was in full blast when he ended his college term and he
was assigned to the pastorate of Israel Church, in Washington. His
Bishop Henry M. Turner,
Of the A. M. E. Church.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
37
reputation and his congregation grew rapidly, and when the enlist¬
ment of negro troops was decided upon, on the recommendation of
Chief Justice Chase and Secretary Stanton, President Lincoln made
him chaplain of the first regiment of colored troops that was mus¬
tered into the service of the Government. He was the first negro
chaplain ever appointed and possibly the first colored officer to re¬
ceive a commission. At the close of the war, so excellent had been
his record, he was recommissioned a chaplain in the standing
army by President Johnson. Later, he was detailed for Preedman's
Bureau service and sent to Augusta, Ga.; but finding so much relig¬
ious and educational work to be done among his people, he resigned
that place and re-entered ,the regular ministry of the A. M. E.
Church, delivering lectures on educational and industrial subjects,
and advising the negroes how to adapt themselves to their new con¬
dition of freedom.
During the reconstruction period he became known as one of the
most powerful stump speakers in Georgia. He was elected from
Bibb County as a member of the Constitutional Convention, and was
afterward chosen to two successive Legislatures. When Congress
passed the Civil Rights Bill he resolved to abandon active participa¬
tion in politics and has never since been an aspirant for an elective
position. He was made postmaster at Macon, Ga., being the first
Negro postmaster in the State; but resigned on account of the bitter
opposition of the white people, and was appointed custom house
officer at Savannah.
In 1876 he was chosen by the General Conference of the A. M. E.
Church, publisher-in-chief, with headquarters at Philadelphia. Four
years later the General Conference held at St. Louis elected him
bishop. During all his other duties he had preached regularly, and
had become known as perhaps the greatest revivalist of his race.
He often preached three times on Sunday and every night in the
week for three or four months at a time, and he has a record of thirty
thousand additions to the church to his credit.
Bishop Turner is one of the best informed men on the Negro
question in this country. He has three times visited Africa., once
on a flying trip and twice in his official capacity. In 1891 he went to
the Dark Continent to look after the missions of his church there,
and organized conferences in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The past
spring he visited Africa and spent several months on the west coast.
The bishop is the general consular representative of the Republic of
38
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Liberia to the United States, regularly accredited by President
Cheesman and Secretary of State Gibson.
The bishop believes that his race will ultimately return to Africa
and that it is the duty of the government to help them do so. He re¬
gards slavery not as a divine but as a providential institution of temp¬
orary duration, brought into existence for the purpose of bringing
the negro in contact with the Caucasian—the great race of the world.
He thinks the black man will rise faster in a republic to himself, and
that that alone will bring peace and quiet to this country. He de¬
clares that for two races of people to be living in the same country,
under the same institutions and subject to the same laws with no so¬
cial contact, is an anomaly and can be productive only of evil results.
Bishop Turner's home is in Atlanta, Ga., where he is held in high
esteem by the best people of both races. He was married a few weeks
ago for the second time.—Once A Week.
HEV. EDumSfc UX> BIiVDEN, A.JVL, HIi.D.
BY HON. SAMUEL LEWIS.
I^DWARD WILMOT BLYDEJNT was born in the Danish Island of
P> St. Thomas, "West Indies, and is of the purest Negro parentage.
Inspired in early youth with a love for the fatherland, and a de¬
sire to labor for its amelioration, he went to the United States in his
seventeenth year, with a view of pursuing certain studies to fit him¬
self to work in Africa. Influential friends endeavored to secure for
him admission to some institution of learning there, but so strong
was the prejudice against his race at that time that the effort proved
unavailing. He was advised to proceed at once to Liberia, where the
Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the
United States was about to establish a high school under the care of
Rev. David A. Wilson, M.A., a graduate of-Princeton College, now
Dr. Wilson, of Missouri. After a few months' residence in Liberia,
young Blyden entered the new institution among its first pupils.
By diligence and perseverance he soon rose to the headship of the
school, and, after filling that office for three years to the satisfaction
of all concerned,was, in 1862, elected to a professorship in the newly-
founded college of Liberia. In 1864 he was appointed Secretary of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
39
State by the President of Liberia, and managed for two years to
combine the duties of that office with his educational work. In 1869
he made a journey to the East, visiting Egypt and Syria, chiefly with
the view of studying the Arabic language in order to its introduction
into the curriculum of the college.
In 1871 he resigned his professorship and after a brief visit to
Europe soent two years in Sierra Leone, during which time he was
Rev. Edward W. Blyden, A.M., D.D., Iyl^.D.
sent by the Governor of this Colony, which was then under the ad¬
ministrations successively of Sir Arthur Kennedy and Sir John
Pope Hennessy, on two diplomatic missions to the powerful chiefs of
the interior. His report on one of those expeditions was published
at length in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society.
In 1877 he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic
of Liberia at the Court of St. James', and was received by Her
40
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Majesty at Osborne, July 30, 1878, being introduced by the Marquis
of Salisbury, then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He was
soon after elected an honorary member of the Athenasum Club. In
1880 he was elected a Fellow of the American Philological Associa¬
tion. In 1882 he was made a corresponding and honorary member of
the Society of Science and Letters of Bengal. In 1884 he was
elected Vice President of the American Colonization Society. The
honorary degrees of Master of Arts, Doctor of Divinity and Doctor
of Laws have been conferred upon him by different American col¬
leges. In 1885 he was nominated by the Republican party of Liberia
a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic.
Dr. Blyden has in the course of his labors been brought into con¬
tact—epistolary or personal—with some of the most remarkable
literary men of his day. Among them may be mentioned Lord
Brougham, Mr. Gladstone, Dean Stanley, Charles Dickens, Charles
Sumner.
He seems from his earliest years to have had a central idea, a
dominant conviction about the Negro and his country, which has, all
along, guided and sustained him in his efforts. He believes his views
to be true, and he is only gradually elaborating the exact method by
which they may be brought home to others.
The following articles, though written at different times, will
appear, when read carefully, to be linked together. They are not
only the sentiments of a careful observer and diligent student, but
they are the exponents of a purpose, the patriotic purpose of a lover
of the race.—Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race.
Hon. John M. Langston, A.B., A.M., LL.D.
ONE of the greatest negroes in America is the subject of this
pj sketch. He was born upon a plantation in Louisa county, Vir¬
ginia, on the 14th of December, 1829. He was born in slavery,
and takes the name of his mother. His father was his owner, and
upon his death, John was set free and sent to Ohio where he grew up
to- manhood, receiving in the meantime a fine education, graduating
at Oberlin College in 1849. He chose the law as a profession, and
graduated in that department at Oberlin College in 1853. He was
Hon. John M. Langston, A.B., A.M., LL,.D.
42
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
elected clerk of the township of Russia in 1856; in 1857 he was elected
City Councilman, and two years later he became one of the Board of
Education of Oberlin. In 1867, through the influence of Hon. Salmon
P. Chase, Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court, he was made inspec¬
tor of the colored schools, and in July of this year he made a trip
through the South, speaking at every prominent place. This same
year he was admitted to practice in the United States Supreme
Court. In 1869 he accepted a professorship in the Law Department
of Howard University, Washington, D.C. He was dean of this de¬
partment for several years, receiving in the meantime the degree of
LL.D. He was appointed by President Grant a member of the Board
of Health of the District of Columbia in. 1871. In 1877 he was ap¬
pointed minister to Hayti by President Hayes. Here he remained
until July 1885, when he was elected President of the Virginia Nor¬
mal and Collegiate Institute. This school was founded by the gov¬
ernment in 1882, and "supported by popular appropriations of
twenty thousand dollars annually." This duty he performed with
credit to himself and his people until December 1887 when he re¬
signed much to the regret of the students for all held him in the
highest esteem. He was elected a member of the Fifty-first Con¬
gress to represent the people in the Fourth Congressional District
of Virginia in 1888, the first and only colored representative in Con¬
gress from the "Old Dominion." Mr. Langston is among the most
scholarly men of his race. He is a man of wealth and lives in lux¬
urious style in his "Hillsdale Cottage" in "Washington, D. C.
Hoi}. <J. T. Settle, Mentis, TeiW.
cTOSIAH T. SETTLE was born among the mountains of " East
Tennessee," September 30, 1850, while his parents were "in
transitee" from North Carolina to Mississippi. His father was
Josiah Settle, of Rockingham County, North Carolina, His mother be¬
longed to his father, who unlike many prominent slave holders of
that period, had a deep and sincere affection for his children and
their mother. After several years residence in Mississippi he
manumitted the mother and her eight children according to the laws
of the State. He feared, however, that their freedom even then,,
Hon. J. T. Settle;,
Memphis, Tenn.
44
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
might not be secure, and in 1856 lie moved the family to Ohio and
located them at Hamilton. It was at this time the highest evidence
of his Christian manhood and nobility of character were shown, when
in the presence of his family and many prominent citizens of Hamil¬
ton he lawfully married the mother of his children, giving the chil¬
dren a legal right to their name and their mother a right to the
sacred name of wife. Giving them all the tardy justice which the
conditions of slavery had until then rendered impossible.
He spent his summers with his family in Ohio and the remainder
of the year upon his Mississippi plantation until the war came on,
when being a "Union man" he came North and remained with his
family until his death in 1869 in the 70th year of his age, he having
been born in 1799. Josiah T. Settle, the subject of this sketch, at¬
tended the public schools in Hamilton and vicinity until 1866, when
his father sent him to Oberlin where he prepared for, and entered
college in 1868. He was one of three or four colored boys in a class •
of forty or fifty, yet he was chosen as one of the eight class orators
to represent the class when he entered college, an honor much sought
by all students. He completed his Freshman year and entered the
Sophomore Class at Oberlin. In 1869 having lost his father, who
had indeed been a father to him in the broadest sense of the word, he
left Oberlin and went to Washington City and entered the Sopho¬
more Class of Howard University, where he pursued his college
studies and taught in the preparatory department. During a por¬
tion of his "college course" he was a clerk in the Educational Division
of the "Freedmen's Bureau." In the latter part of his Senior year
he was elected Reading Clerk of the House of Delegates, (the Dis¬
trict of Columbia then being under a territorial form of government).
He graduated from the College Department of Howard University
in 1872 together with James M. Gregor, now professor, and A. C.
O'Hear, theirs being the first class to graduate from that depart¬
ment. At the time of his graduation he was performing the duties
of Reading Clerk of the Legislature, teaching a class in Latin and
one in mathematics daily at the University and pursuing his own
studies at the same time. Immediately upon his graduation from
college he entered the law department of the same institution, then
under the control of Hon. John M. Langs ton, from which he gradu¬
ated in 1875.
While a citizen of the District of Columbia, Mr. Settle took an
active part in politics and held many positions of honor and profit.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
45
On July 9, 1873, lie was appointed a clerk in the Board of Public
"Works of the District of Columbia at $1,200 a year by Governor A.
R. Shepherd, which he held until some time in 1874 when the Board
having ceased to exist, he was on August 29, 1874, appointed clerk in
the "Board of Audit," a Board consisting of the first and second
comptrollers of the United States Treasury, to adjust the indebted¬
ness of the late Board of Public Works. He continued in this position
until the Board had completed its work and expired by act of Con¬
gress. He was also trustee of the public schools of the District of
Columbia, serving in that capacity several years.
During the presidential campaign of 1872 he canvassed several
counties of Maryland and Virginia in the interest of the Republican
ticket, where his youth and brilliancy created considerable attention;
he also made speeches for the ticket in Ohio, speaking at Hamilton,
Dayton, Cleveland and other places. Upon his graduation from the
law department he was selected as one of the orators to represent
his class. He was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia, but having determined to practice his chosen
profession in the South, he left Washington in the spring of 1875 and
located in North Mississippi and at once began the practice of law.
He returned, however, the same year and married the refined and
cultured niece of Mr. J. C. Bishop, of Annapolis, Miss Therese T.
Vogelsang, and again made his home in Mississippi. In August of
the same year he was unanimously nominated by the Republican con¬
vention for the position of District Attorney of the then Twelfth
Judicial District of Mississippi in which there was, at that time 2,000
Republican majority. The result of the elections in Mississippi in.
1875 was a revolution in the politics of the South, and the virtual
death of Republicanism in that part of the country. Mr. Settle was
of course defeated with all the rest.
In 1876 he was one of the delegates from Mississippi to the Na¬
tional Republican Convention which met in Cincinnati. He was the
* only delegate from Mississippi who voted for the nomination of
Roscoe Conkling for president, and continued to vote for him as long
as his name was before the convention. This same year he was
chosen one of the presidential electors for the State-at-large on the
National Republican ticket, and made the canvass of his State for
Hayes and Wheeler.
In 1880 he was presidential elector on the "Garfield and Arthur"
ticket. In 1882 he was strongly urged to become a candidate for
46
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Congress in the Second Congressional District of Mississippi, but in
the convention declined the nomination and himself placed General
James R. Chalmers in nomination. He was made chairman of the
Republican Congressional Executive Committee, and made a thor¬
ough canvass of the district which resulted in the election of General
Chalmers by a handsome majority.
In 1883 Mr. Settle was nominated and elected to the Mississippi
Legislature. He was elected upon an independent ticket, being
strongly opposed to the fusion his party made with the Democracy.
It was during this canvass that he made the most brilliant efforts of
his life. He was met by the ablest speakers of both of the old parties ;
but before the people he was irresistible and was triumphantly
elected by more than 1,200 majority. Though elected upon an inde¬
pendent ticket, for local reasons he never swerved from his Republi¬
canism, and was one of the recognized leaders of the Republican
members of the Legislature. Though his party was in a hopeless
minority in that body, his ability and genius were fully recognized,
and upon the adjournment of the Legislature he was presented with
£L gold-headed cane as a token of the esteem in which he was held by
his fellow members. The correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Dem¬
ocrat writing from Jackson, Miss., Jan. 4, 1884, of the personnel of
the Mississippi Legislature said of him:
"A colored orator—but the palm for natural ability as an orator—
is borne by a colored man, J. T. Settle, of Panola County. He comes
of the famous North Carolina family of that name, is well educated
and a lawyer by profession. He is of spare figure, light of color and
good looking. When he gets the floor he speaks in a manner to com¬
mand the attention of the entire house."
Upon his return from the Legislature he determined to abandon
active participation in politics and devote his time and energies to the
practice of law, and left Mississippi and located in Memphis, Tenn.
About two months after his location in Memphis his success in prac¬
tice having won for him the respect and admiration of Gen. G. P. M. *
Turner, the Attorney General of the Criminal Court, he appointed
him Assistant Attorney General, which position he held for more
than two years. During this time he conducted the greater portion
of the public prosecutions. The manner in which he discharged the
responsible duties of prosecuting attorney is thus put in a letter
written by the Hon. Addison H. Douglas, who was at that time upon
the bench of the Criminal Court:
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 47
"It is at all times a pleasant duty to offer commendation to those
whose exemplary professional deportment has been such as to chal¬
lenge attention. This is peculiarly appropriate in reference to those
who have had the good fortune to be admitted to practice in the
courts of the country; for in that capacity, with all its surroundings,
of contact and associations, a man more readily and certainly de¬
velops his true character than almost anywhere else. I am led to
these observations in part by closely scrutinizing the general deport¬
ment of members of the bar, both from the bench and as an associate
practitioner. A remarkable instance occurs to me at present in this
connection in the character and conduct of J. T. Settle, Esq. He set¬
tled in Memphis about the year 1885, having recently served in the
Legislature of the State of Mississippi-, and shortly after locating in
the practice in this city he was appointed Assistant Attorney Gen¬
eral, which position he continued to fill two or three years with
marked ability and fidelity. His uniform attention to official busi¬
ness, his manly courtesy and amiability won for him the esteem and
respect of the bench, the bar and litigants, and went very far to
break down the existing prejudices against his color in the profes¬
sion. His talent is fully recognized, and his integrity has in no
instance been in the least questioned from any source.
"He prosecuted without acerbity and with fairness, but neglected
no legitimate resources to fix conviction upon the really guilty.
"He is such a master of elocution and displays such fluency and in¬
deed brilliancy, that he invariably captivated those who listened- to
him.
"He is remarkably simple in his manners and utterly without os¬
tentation, and an honor to his profession. Respectfully,
"A. H. Douglas."
In the spring of 1888 Mr. Settle lost by death his devoted wife,
who had indeed been a helpmate to- him in every sense of the word.
She left him no children, their only child, a little girl, having died
years before in infancy.
This same year he was made a member of the Republican State
Executive Committee of Tennessee and served continuously for six
years. In 1892 he was a delegate to the Republican National Con¬
vention at Minneapolis.
Though Mr. Settle takes some part and interest in politics, such
as he believes the interests of his race demand, he is by no means
'?
Residence of Hon. J. T. Settl,e, Memphis, T'enu.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
49
diat may be called a politician, and seeks no political preferment.
Ie prefers to devote his entire time and energies to his profession
ind by his success demonstrates the capacity of his race to success¬
fully measure arms with the Anglo-Saxon in the professional walks
)f life. Mr. Settle's course at the bar demonstrates the fact that it
.s possible for a colored American to succeed in the practice of law,
if he will thoroughly prepare himself for his professional work and
then give it his whole time and energy. He enjoys the confidence
and esteem of the entire bench and bar; his practice is large and lu¬
crative, and he is rapidly accumulating a competency. He is now in
easy circumstances.
In 1890 he married Miss Fannie A. McCullough, one of the most
beautiful and accomplished ladies in Memphis. She was distinguished
for her superior vocal qualities, and at the time of her marriage had
charge of the musical department of LeMoyne Institute. This posi¬
tion she resigned upon her marriage. Mr. Settle owns a beautiful
house in one of the most desirable localities in Memphis where their
friends always find a cordial welcome. Their marriage has been
blessed by two extremely intelligent and handsome boys, Josiah T.
Settle, Jr. and Frances McCullough Settle, both of whom give great
promise for the future. This man's' life, thus far, demonstrates
what the colored American can do, and is doing in the South.
4
50
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
COLORED BAR ASSOCIATION.
[An address of the Hon. J. T. Settle, delivered at Greenville, Miss. Some stirring-,
new and novel thoug-hts advanced by an eloquent Memphis lawyer before the first Sfate
Bar meeting- of his race held in the South.]
SENTLEMEN of the Colored Bar Association of Mississippi, I
have listened with, pleasure and profit to your excellent ad¬
dresses on different legal topics, and I can pay you no higher
compliment than to say you are an honor to the profession. I look
upon this meeting as the dawn of a new era in the history of our
race. It is no new thing for us to meet and participate in the public
assemblages of men; in fact one of the misfortunes of our people
has been a too great love for meetings and conventions of every
kind, out of which little if any permanent good has ever accrued to
us. The emotional side of our nature has ever been so easily
reached that we have been too often used as instruments in the
hands of others in promoting their own selfish ends.
This organization, of which this is the first annual meeting, marks
the advent of the colored citizen into a new field of labor. It evi¬
dences the existence of a sufficient number of colored lawyers in
Mississippi engaged in active practice of the law to form a State
organization to promote their interests individually and collectively
and in doing this they cannot fail to promote the interests of the
entire race and to contribute to the general welfare of our common
country, for we are as much a part of our composite nationality as
any element it contains. It is no new thing for the residents of this
beautiful delta to see gatherings of colored men. Politics and re¬
ligion have given us conventions and conferences at short intervals
until some have come to believe that we take to them as naturally as
birds to the air and fishes to the sea. But whoever thought that
here in this beautiful city—queen of the valley—beside this great
inland sea, would meet the first colored bar association ever organ¬
ized in the United States? And I think I may safely say that never
in the history of the race has there been a meeting fraught with
more significance. It shows that the various and trying ordeals
through which we have passed during the last fifteen or twenty
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
51
years in this beautiful southland, have envolved a class of men—
educated, thoughtful and conservative—indeed, men who are alive to
the present and prepared to meet the demands of the future.
To be members of this "Bar Association," you must be members
of the bar of Mississippi, and this means a great deal; it means
that you bear the great seal of the State to a good moral character,
and to your possession of sufficient learning in the law to be ad¬
mitted into the professional brotherhood of her greatest sons, and
no State in this beautiful galaxy of States can point with greater
pride to her bar than our own beloved Mississippi. Among jurists
and advocates, her Sharkey and her Prentiss have few equals, and
no superiors, and a long list of those who have emulated their great¬
ness has distinguished Mississippi in the highest courts of our
country and of the national legislature. Each member of this asso¬
ciation has subscribed to the same oath and presented the same
qualifications as were required of Sharkey and Prentiss, of Walthall
and George. We are all equals in the world of intellect; though
some of us may be small and some great, here there are no distinc¬
tions of race or color; circumstances may control the use of our
attainments, but our acquisitions of learning are only circumscribed
by the limitation which Deity placed upon our minds in the hour of
our creation. Most of us here have spent many years in the prac¬
tice of our chosen profession, many of us began the practice under
adverse circumstances; none of us probably had fathers or kinsmen
in the profession who could take us into their offices and induct us
into the practice; then there were few if any members of the race
old enough in the profession to render us much if any material as¬
sistance.
Many of our friends and all of our enemies discouraged us by
saying that this was the one profession in which we could not hope
to succeed. We have been compelled to realize that we are the rep¬
resentatives of that race which has labored in mental and physical
servitude and suffered from political and social degradation since
the planting of civilization on this continent. We realized in the
beginning that the undertaking to become practical lawyers, and to
acquire such a mastery of the law as to enter favorably upon its
practice, was a serious one and doubly so to us.
We have met unreasoning prejudice which denied us excellence of
any kind—which declared that we were without intellectual vigor
and inventive power, and destitute of strength to grasp, and per-
52
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
sistency to retain and master any complex and profound proposition.
In many instances we have commenced our trial before a jury whose
pre-formed judgment would disqualify them from sitting in any
other case. We have often found, not our client, but ourselves on
trial, and not ourselves alone, but the whole race with us—a race
which is condemned for the failure of its individuals, while the suc¬
cess of every member of it is pronounced exceptional and due to
incidental conditions.
We have made good soldiers and successful teachers, we have pro¬
duced some great preachers and distinguished speakers, and this meet¬
ing demonstrates the fact that we are equal to the hard, tough and long-
continued struggles of the bar, in some respects the severest test
that can be applied to a man; and yet the world may be slow to admit
our success until, perhaps, we have produced an attorney-general or
a justice of the supreme court. We have met these and many other
trying difficulties. Most of us here began our professional career
alone and unaided, and such success as we have won has come, as
come it will, through years of diligent application and earnest en¬
deavor. We find many obstacles in our professional paths, but they
are not insurmountable; they are rather crucibles into which we
have been placed where the dross is purged away and the best ele¬
ments of professional manhood refined and elevated.
I do not mean to say that every young man of color who has begun
the practice of the law has succeeded; no, not by any means. Nor
is this true of the young men of any race, for along life's highway, in
all of the professions, are many wrecks which mark the weakness and
frailty of human character; and here I think I may safely say that
one of the principal causes of failure in the legal profession is the
want of sufficient preparation. Some persons unwisely think that all
that is necessary to constitute a successful lawyer is an oily tongue,
a vivid imagination and a great capacity to lie; in fact some people
profess to think lawyer and liar synonymous terms. Such persons,
it is needless for me to say, know but little of the law and still less of
the lawyer. They forget, or do not know, that the contests of law¬
yers are not "ex parte." They confront each other before learned
and astute courts and in the presence of the world, where lies and
frauds have the least possible chance of success and where exposure
would usually prove fatal to a cause.
No lawyer can build a splendid professional career upon an insuf¬
ficient education any more than he can build a monument of stone
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
53
upon a foundation of sand. I do not mean to say a collegiate educa¬
tion is absolutely necessary to a successful career, but it is a great
help. Few men ever reached distinction in the law who were not thor¬
ough scholars. Many also fail who are well equipped intellectually
because they depend upon the oily tongue and vivid imagination
rather than real earnest work. I know that there are manj^ preju¬
dices against our profession. It has been said that it is full of petti¬
foggers, who pervert the law to purposes of trickery; with quacks,
who sacrifice their clients through ignorance, and with hungry hang¬
ers-on, who are continually stirring up law-suits. It is also said that
lawyers delight in tricks and chicanery, that they will argue as stren¬
uously for the wrong as the right, for the guilty as well as the inno¬
cent, and hire out their conscience as well as their ability to any one
who is willing to pay a fee. I, for one, am ready to admit, to some
extent, this truth. Ours, above almost any other profession, abounds
with opportunities and temptations to abuse its high functions, and
it would be strange indeed if it had not some, nay many unworthy
members.
We see many unworthy members of other professions, and there¬
fore take no particular shame to ourselves that some are found in
ours. We also take refuge behind the maxim that the supply simply
meets the demand. Were there no dishonest clients there would be
no dishonest lawyers. Our profession, therefore, does but adapt it¬
self to the community in which it is exercised. Blackstone says
"that the law employs in its theory the noblest faculties of the soul,"
and further he declares "that it exercises in its practice the cardinal
virtues of the heart." Let no man make the fatal mistake of entering
our profession as a sinecure, for lawyers dearly earn all they obtain,
whether of honor or emoluments. Genius may sometimes distin¬
guish a man in some other walk of life, but not here. Here he must
toil unceasingly; here there can be no drones ; here no fertile imagi¬
nation can supply the place of patient investigation. A well-balanced
mind might easily suggest what the law ought to be, but actual in¬
vestigation alone must determine what the law is.
An eminent jurist addressing a class of law students once said:
"Let those who would prepare themselves for untying the knots and
solving the problems of jurisprudence first of all make up their minds
to hard work. Let them weigh well the fact that to scorn delights
and live laborious days is the indispensable condition of professional
eminence; on somewhat easier terms they may prepare themselves
54
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
to prowl in courts of law for human prey, but nothing short of reso¬
lute, emulous study can raise him to that height which alone should
satisfy a generous ambition.''
When we examine for a moment the popular impressions against
lawyers they resolve themselves into popular delusions. The law
rightly practiced is one of the noblest professions that can command
our time and employ our faculties. Its effects upon the mind and
soul of the practitioner are at once to enlarge and exalt, whatever the
world may say or think. Its practice calls into constant exercise his
best qualities of intellect, and familiarizes him with the use only of
the most honorable means,, while as a result of his contests in the
presence of the world, those contests are necessarily of the most
honorable, and often of the most chivalrous character. As one con¬
sequence there is almost a total absence of feuds, animosities and
jealousies among the members of the profession, and few tales or
slanders concerning its practitioners find inventors or bearers in
the atmosphere of the law.
The rule of absolute integrity is the rule of the first-class lawyer,
and he may (as he frequently is) be entrusted with the dearest pos¬
sessions, and the most sacred of human confidences, with the cer¬
tainty that good faith will govern his entire conduct in the discharge
of all his duties. The practice of the law enlarges and strengthens
all the faculties of the mind, and naturally leads to various attain¬
ments. The constant dealing with the business and affairs of men
makes him an adept and expert in all the varied branches of industry
and enterprises. His habit and business of advising in difficult and
complex transactions makes him a cautious, safe, and skillful coun¬
selor. His constant intercourse with men renders him a master of
human nature, the working and weaknesses of the human heart, the
play of human passions, and the springs and motives of human con¬
duct. He sees rather the worst of men, and would grow cynical
and misanthropic, if he was not constantly surrounded with the illus¬
trations and manifestations of man's better qualities in the persons
of his professional friends. His habit of investigating everything
and of taking things only on proof, makes him incredulous, and hence
he is seldom imposed upon and is never visionary. His love and
veneration for the law render him somewhat conservative, while his
skill and ability as a public speaker—a real power in a free com¬
munity—always attract to him the popular admiration, and open to
him the highest position his ambition may covet.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 55
The successful lawyer unites in his person more of the elements
of a popular leader than are usually found in another, and neces¬
sarily the members of the bar, although numerically smaller than
any other trade, calling or profession, can, and usually do, directly
exercise a larger influence among a given people than any other, and
by concert could do much to control its affairs and shape its des¬
tinies, and it is certainly no discredit to them that the aggregate of
his power and influence has always been exercised to promote and
build up those institutions that advance civilization, extend the field
of human effort, encourage education, promote science and the arts,
purify the morals, extend the franchises of the citizen, protect
virtue and secure religious toleration.
The bar has necessarily exercised the whole judicial power of this
country. It has furnished the controlling influence in its varied leg¬
islation, and contributed out of all proportion to the executive of¬
ficers. In the main this influence has been enlightened, liberal and
patriotic; and in no instance has it attempted to advance its own in¬
terests as distinguished from the masses of our people.
This, gentlemen, is a subdued and colorless sketch of our profes¬
sion from the modest standpoint of one of its humble members. The
law, as a profession, comes to us with the commendations of a remote
antiquity. Sages have heaped upon it lofty panegyrics. It has
been said not only to embody "the gathered wisdom of a thousand
years," but also in sober truth "the perfection of human wisdom;"
and he who would win her favors must consecrate himself to her and
to her alone, for she is indeed a jealous mistress, and never flirts or
coquettes. She will have nothing to do with the danglers, and re¬
serves her favors for those who woo in good faith and with the most
honorable intentions. And here I trust you will pardon me if, from
practical observation, I refer briefly to some of the elements of char¬
acter absolutely necessary to every lawyer who would succeed. In
this, above all other professions, is honesty the most essential ele¬
ment to a successful career. He who begins his practice with the
idea that anything is permissible by which he catn secure a fee, may
as well stop among the sharks and pettifoggers, for he will never
rise above them. No profession demands of its members a higher
standard of honesty and integrity, and no man ever became a great
or moderately successful lawyer who was not an honest and upright
man. Yet honesty is one of the first elements of character which
ambition is likely to overthrow; to sophisticate the truth for any
56
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
purpose in the practice, breeds rottenness at the foundation of all
personal power. Sooner or later the career based on dishonesty will
crumble and fall. Nature is against dishonesty. God is against it.
All the conservative and restorative forces of society are against it;
it vitiates all the currents of power that flow out of it. The history
of this country is full of instruction on this point. Memory does
not have to reach far back to recall a list of eminent men who built
themselves up by honest endeavor into positions of great personal
power and lost such positions by intrigues and compromises into
which they were tempted by the desire of place and power.
A great man turned demagogue presents the pitiable spectacle of
a Samson shorne of his locks. Will is another element which cannot
be overestimated. No man can be called a strong man who is not
strong of will. Will may indeed be called the backbone of power,
into which all the other elements of character articulate, and to no
character is this element more essential than to the lawyer. The
will power of Martin Luther was the most potent factor in the re¬
formation of the sixteenth century. It was the indomitable will of
Stanley that revealed the secrets of the "dark continent," and gave
to mankind a new world to Christianize. When Disraeli, afterward
Lord Beaconsfield, attempted to make his first speech he was openly
laughed down; he turned, and shaking his fist in the face of his
revilers, hissed in their teeth that the time would come when they
should hear him, and the influence of this wonderful man upon the
history of Europe does but show how powerful was his will.
Will has the same office in every walk of life. It may indeed be
called a spark struck from Divine might. So long as it flows through
honest channels there is nothing more truly divine. Willfulness is
not will, it is simply a form of obstinacy. Will is positive and pro¬
jects a current of vital force, which we break up into words or shape
into actions. No weak, easy-going, yielding, good-natured man ever
succeeded at the bar, and never will. Courage, moral and physical,
are both necessary elements of character. It is the especial privi¬
lege of a lawyer never to give up a case. Lord Erskine, confessedly
the first of English advocates, had not the courage to defend Hast¬
ings, and absolutely failed in the House of Commons through fear of
Pitt. It is said that Cicero lost the case of Milo for the want of
nerve; he had not the courage to deliver his argument in the spirit
m which it was prepared, and Milo in exile said that if it had been
pronounced with courage he had not been banished.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
57
There is probably no element of character that inspires so much
admiration and creates so quick and enthusistic a following as this.
A man who is afraid of nothing in the discharge of his duty, afraid
of no consequence personal to himself, has his battle half won before
he strikes a blow. So great is the popular admiration of courage
that it has always been surrounded by a halo of romance.
In the common thought the test of courage is the test of manhood.
In multitudes of minds there is no unpardonable sin but that of cow¬
ardice. The truth is that he who plants courage of any kind raises
friends. Earnestness and enthusiasm are also so essential that I
cannot refrain from mentioning them in this connection. I name
them together because they are so nearly akin; indeed, enthusiasm
is only earnestness carried to white heat; they are the only qualities
that can take the place of personal magnetism in compelling sym¬
pathy. Earnestness comes from strong conviction and strong feel¬
ing ; enthusiasm rising out of it is the fusion and sublimation of all
the elements of power within a man, and is strong in proportion as it is
rational; the moment it becomes mere passion it becomes weakness.
The world refuses to be moved by men who are not in earnest.
Human nature is very much like iron—if you would bend it or shape
it you must heat it. Earnestness is the furnace; enthusiasm the
fire whose flames need only to envelop other minds to make plastic or
ductile. Truth is often unpalatable and offensive, but borne in the
menstrum of a strong enthusiasm, we accept the draught which
would otherwise have been refused. These are some of the elements
of character most essential to success in any sphere of life, but
especially so to those of us who are engaged in the practice of the
law. Coming, as you do, from every part of the state, you are indeed
a representative body of men. You represent the intellectual and
moral worth of the race, which has survived the political revolutions
which have swept over the state during the past few years.
We have learned in the hard school of adversity that we are not
the wards of any political body; that the improvement of our condi¬
tion in life is not the solicitude of any particular section of our coun¬
try, and that the days of our political bosses are over forever ; that
we are the architects of our own fortunes and the arbiters of our
own destinies. That with the various walks of life thrown open to
us we are to enter and win victories or defeats upon equal condi¬
tions with every other race or condition of people.
We are citizens of this country by nativity, not by choice or adop-
58
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
tion, and here, under God's providence, we mean to stay, and strike
glad hands with all lovers of justice, work out our own destinies and
vie with every other nationality in developing the material resources
and contributing* to the greatness of our beloved southland. Agita¬
tors may discuss the so-called race problem, but in the busy, active
duties of life we have no time for theories. We should prepare our¬
selves by every energy of mind and soul to solve the problem put to
us by those by whom we are surrounded, and with whom we live,
viz.: "The survival of the fittest." Citizens by nativity, we have
no other land to love. To this we have given our labor for more than
100 years ; in defense of her flag we have given our lives; to sustain
her integrity we have contributed whatever was demanded of us.
At all times have we been faithful and reliable.
We have never been numbered among our country's enemies. We
have never been found in the ranks of the Socialists and Anarchists
in their attacks upon social order and our free institutions. Yet we
have lived under a condition of things at times unequaled in the
history of civilized government. We see the political party to which
we have given a blind devotion for a quarter of a century growing
tired of our allegiance. We see our rights in Mississippi, together
with those of some of our unfortunate white fellow-citizens, dimin¬
ished and taken away. I must confess these are not incentives to
awaken sentiments of "armor patriae" in our hearts. Though
sometimes discouraged we are not despondent, and behind the clouds
that overhang our horizon we think we can see the silver lining, and
challenge any race or condition of' American citizenship to a greater
love of country.
Erin's sons were never truer to the Emerald Isle, nor the Hisrh-
' o
lander to Scotland's cliffs and crags than we to the laud of our birth.
What member of any race ever gave expression to loftier sentiments
of patriotism in the American Congress than the distinguished
lawyer and scholar, Hon. John M. Langs ton, of Virginia, when from
his seat in that august body he said: "Ah, my white fellow citizens
on the other side of the house, and on every side, black as we are, no
man shall go ahead of us in devotion to this country, in devotion to
its free institutions, for we hold our lives, our property and our
sacred honor in pledge to the welfare of our country and of all our
fellow citizens. Do you want us to fight for your flag? Call on us
and we will come. Do you want men to tarry at home and take care
of your wives and children, to take care of your homes and pro-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
59
tect your interests? Call on us and we will sacredly keep and
perform every trust and obligation." Every member of the race
echoes these sentiments, and in the years to come, when man's pas¬
sions and prejudices-have subsided, impartial history will give to no
race a prouder place in their country's history than we shall possess,
and no race or condition of people will be prompted by a purer or
loftier patriotism than we, in our efforts to make our beloved South
the home of a happy, prosperous and contented people.
jEtcdrcrt 4rultmt
fHE subject of this sketch was born on a farm in Giles County,
Tennessee, where his early boyhood days were spent. His
mother was taken from him before the time for weaning and
he never lived with her very much from that till he was nearly
grown, and yet he has always been a most devoted son. "When the
great civil war broke out his mother was carried South and there re¬
mained till 1866, when she returned to Giles County and carried her
two children, the oldest of which was Dr. Boyd, to Nashville. At
the age of eight years he went to live with Dr. Paul F. Eve, one of
the greatest surgeons of his day. It was there that our hero first
conceived the idea of making a physician of himself. While living
with Dr. Eve he attended night school at the old Fisk School, now
Fisk University, where he learned to spell and read in McGuffey's
First Reader. In 1868 he was put to work on a farm in Giles County.
Here he worked till 1871 when he returned to Nashville and began to
work at the brick trade. He had not yet learned to write and knew
but the elements of reading. His soul was kindled with the hope of
an education. His ambition was aroused so in 1872 he hired himself
to General James H. Hickman, a real estate agent, to work half the
day for something to eat, and he attended school the other half. He
kept up this contract with General Hickman for three, years, at the
end of which he was doing all the outside collections and doing the
entire bookkeeping of the office. The General never paid him any
money during this time, but when he found that the Doctor meant to
quit he offered him $20, $30 and $50 per month to stay and do the
same work that he had been doing for his meals. But our hero had
Dr. Robert Fulton Boyd.
Nashville, Tenn.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 61
higher ambition and more lofty aspirations. He left General Hick¬
man in the early summer of 1875 and entered upon the profession of
school teaching at College Grove, Williamson County, Tennessee.
His soul was in the work and he impressed the people with his earn¬
est, energetic, conscientious spirit. At the close of a most successful
term here, he returned to his studies at the Central Tennessee Col¬
lege. In the summer of 1876 he wont to Giles County and began
teaching. Here he gradually rose from the country schools to the
principalship of the male school of 170 boys in Pulaski. In 1878 and
1879 he was principal of the female department of the public schools
in Pulaski. In 1880 he entered Meharry Medical Department of the
Central Tennessee College, where he graduated with the first honors
of his class in 1882. After graduating the Doctor went to New
Albany, Mississippi, where he took the principalship of a high school
and practiced medicine till the fall of '82, when he returned to Nash¬
ville and was made adjunct professor of chemistry in his Alma Mater.
He entered upon his work at Meharry and at the same time he en¬
tered the College Department of the Central Tennessee College from
which he graduated with honors in May 1886. From 1884 to 1888 he
was professor of physiology in Meharry. He graduated from the
Dental Department of this college in 1887. In 1888 and 1889 he was
professor of anatomy and physiology in Meharry. In the summer of
1890 he took a post course in the Post-Graduate School of Medicine
at Chicago, and in the summer of 1892 he took a special course in the
same school on the diseases of women and children. While in Chicago
he did work in all of the big hospitals there under some of the great¬
est men of the profession. While connected with the Central Ten¬
nessee College as a student he taught in the various departments of
the school, and was during the whole time professor of hygiene and
physiology. In June 1887 he entered upon the practice of his profes¬
sion in Nashville, Tennessee. He did not ask nor expect the better
classes who were able to employ experienced and well known physi¬
cians to patronize him; but he went into the alleys, old cellars, dilapi¬
dated stables and unhygienic sections of the city. Under his treat¬
ment nearly every case got well and the incurables were greatly bene¬
fitted. His success was unparalelled.- In all difficult cases he freely
sought the consultation and advice of the physicians and surgeons of
high standing.
His work has steadily grown in quantity and quality till it is
second in importance to that of no physician in the city. Really he
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
does more work than any other physician in Nashville. He goes to
the homes of high and low. He goes in the parlors and lowest tene¬
ment houses. Whether there is money in the visit or not* he goes.
He boasts that he has never denied any person his professional
services. He is a blessing to the people of Nashville and they
realize it. The people there know him well, love him, trust him and
honor him, as is demonstrated by the fact that in 1891, they nomi¬
nated and ran .him on the Republican ticket for the General As¬
sembly. In 1892, when both the Democratic and Republican Exec¬
utive Committees refused to allow colored men to have a say in
nominating candidates for Mayor and City Council, the colored
citizens met in convention and put out a full city ticket, at the head
of which for Mayor was Dr. Boyd. A great many whites were in
sympathy with the colored people and voted for this ticket. Colored
voters rallied around the ticket to a man, and by so doing forever
wiped out the color line in Nashville politics. In May, 1891, his
alma mater conferred upon him the degree of A.M. For the years
1889 and '90, he was professor of physiology and hygiene. For the
years • 1890 to 1893 he was professor of physiology, hygiene and clini¬
cal medicine. Since 1893 he has been professor of the diseases of
women and clinical medicine. He is at the head of the college hospital
and gives two hours free to the sick and indigent poor every Wednes¬
day, Friday and Saturday during the college year. Hundreds attend
his free clinic and are helped, benefitted and cured of all kinds
of maladies. While the Doctor does a larger charity and benevolent
practice, yet he does a good paying practice. He has made money
right along and invested it wisely. He owns several pieces of good
property among which is a magnificent three-story double brick on
a corner opposite the Duncan House, one of the largest and most
popular hotels in the city.
His office, library and instruments will compare favorably with
those of our most wealthy physicians and surgeons. His horses and
vehicles are of the best. Dr. Boyd is a typical example of what a
young man can be in spite of the greatest oppositions. He is a hard
worker and uses all of his power to elevate the race and bless man¬
kind. He is at present one of the Tennessee commissioners for the
Southern States and International Exposition at Atlanta, Ga.
Residence of Dr. R. F. Boyd, Nashville, Tenn.
64 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
THE MORTALITY OF THE COLORED PEOPLE
AND HOW TO REDUCE IT.
[Read before the Tennessee State Convention of Colored Teachers, held at Nashville,
Tenn., June 11-14, 1895.]
GREAT deal has been said and written about the great mortality
of the colored people in the South, especially in the large cities.
The statistics are alarming, so much so that the less thoughtful
are expecting the race to become extinct. And why not, since the
actual figures show that we die three and four times as fast as we are
born in large cities of the South ? What is the cause and how can it
be diminished ? There is no longer any doubt in the minds of physi¬
cians and the well-informed laity as to the cause of disease and the
real possibility of reducing the mortality of a community and
thereby prolong life. Under hygienic rules and regulations the
health can be improved and the cause of disease entirely removed.
The profession formerly understood and defined hygiene as the art
of preserving the health; but under modern investigation it is made
to increase as well as to preserve the health. The term applies to
the place as well as to the people who live in it. We now go further
than this, for we include under hygiene the examination of the con¬
ditions which affect generation, development, growth and decay of
individuals, nations and races. On its scientific side it is co-exten-
sive with biology, the science of life. It includes both sociology
and physiology and whatever can cause or help to cause discomfort,
pain, sickness, death, vice or crime. And whatever has a tendency
to avert, destroy or diminish such causes are matters of interest to
all who are interested in our subject. The old belief that disease
and death are due to a special providence or the vengeance of an
offended deity still lingers in the minds of many with regard to the
great epidemics; but to the more intelligent cause and effect do not
thus seem. Some would attribute all disease to vice For this
there is an apparent reason, but a deep investigation will convince
us of their mistake. Vice and disease are close, their relations are
very close, yet each has its separate origin; and in each the public
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
65
is equally interested. Every city and well-organized community are
being awakened from their stolid indifference of centuries to a sense
of the importance of hygiene; and well they might for all the powers
moral, intellectual and physical depend upon a proper knowledge and
an obedience to the laws of hygiene—the fundamental principle of
all efforts to improve and preserve the health. For man is 'an or¬
ganized being just, as subject to organic laws as the inanimate bodies
which surround him are subject to mechanical and chemical laws,
and we as little escape the consequences of neglect or violation of
those natural laws which effect organic life through the air we
breathe, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the exercise we take
and the circumstances surrounding our habitation, as a stone pro¬
jected from the hand or a shot, from the mouth of a cannon can
place itself beyond the bounds of gravitation.
A proposition well established by an extensive observation of facts
is that a human, supposing him to be soundly constituted at first,
will continue in good health till he reaches old age, provided certain
conditions are observed, strict hygienic rules, and no injurious acci¬
dent shall befall. At what age he will die we cannot say. There
has been much speculation as to the natural term of man's life.
Physiologists have fixed it at a hundred years, which is nearly in
accordance with the law indicated by Florens. He states that the
period of the life of an animal is five times that required to develop
perfectly the skeleton. At present the actual duration of life is
less than half this time. But there is satisfactory evidence that it
can be increased in civilized countries under hygienic rules and
regulations. The ancient estimate of the duration of life is ex¬
pressed in David's declaration that "the days of man are three¬
score years and ten, and if by reason of strength they be four-score
years, yet is there strength, labor and sorrow."
Kolb, a careful and reliable statistician of our times says that the
maximum age reached by man has not changed in many centuries, but
the number of persons who now survive infancy, and those who
reach ripe old age under hygienic laws and regulations has decidedly
increased, and this opinion is sustained and concurred in by Mr.
Lewis, the secretary of the chamber of life insurance of New York
City. He points out while civilization largely interferes with the
laws of evolution by survivorship, it aids by encouraging the waste
which occurs in its absence. He says under natural selection when
variation in capacity arises, thousands of them are wasted. While we
5
66
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
have no record of the duration of life in Ancient Greece and Rome, it
is quite possible that it was greater than in Western Europe during
the middle ages which formed a period of retrocession from a sanitary
view. The early Jews and the ancient Romans were clean in their
person and dwellings, they undoubtedly had a much smaller degree
of mortality than the people at the time when dirt became the odor
of sanctity. It is impossible for me to speak truth certainly of the
vote of mortality of the ancients because statistics are not at our
command. But I can and do speak of the good results of modern
hygienic rules and sanitary regulations. When properly observed,
they increase the longevity of life, decrease the mortality and bring
greater health, comfort and happiness to the individual and the com¬
munity at large. Then if we would preserve for ourselves and the
community in which we live what is justly esteemed the greatest
earthly blessing, good health, and live out the naturally appointed
time, we must observe ten essential rules:
1. A constant supply of pure air.
2. Cleanliness of the person and of the surroundings.
3. A sufficiency of nourishing food properly taken.
4. A sufficiency of exercise to the various organs and the system.
5. The proper amount of rest and sleep.
6. Right temperature.
7. Proper clothing.
8. Sufficiency of cheerful and innocent enjoyment.
9. Exemption from harassing cares.
10. The proper habitation.
If individuals and communities will conform strictly to these rules
all avoidable diseases would be completely annihilated and epidemics
would be unknown. The physicians would then be employed to pre¬
vent rather than to cure. On the other hand wherever hygienic and
sanitary science is not enforced, filth, decaying and putrifying matters
are sure to accumulate. These are the suitable material for the
propagation, generation and development of the disease germs, bac¬
teria micrococci, micro-organism spores, microzomes, etc., which are
the cause of all communicable, contagious and epidemic diseases.
These germs all have the power of self-propagation in unhygienic
surroundings in warm climates such as we have in Southern cities.
A population under the influence of filth, poorly housed in crowded
dwellings or low, damp localities, where no rules regulate the habits
of eating, drinking, sleeping and exercise, the mortality is sure to be
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
67
great. Under these conditions infectious diseases spread, become
epidemic and stalk through the land carrying death and destruction.
I need not tell you that the greater part of the sickness and mortality
of the human race are due to these causes, due to the epidemics, and
yet these diseases are all avoidable. They can be stamped out by
personal efforts. We have a thorough knowledge of how to prevent
most of the diseases that enter the body through the respiratory,
digestive, cutaneous, circulatory, nervous and genito-urinary sys¬
tem, and yet they are frequent and their effect is great. Now if
what I have stated is true, and it is, not only do health and longevity
depend upon laws which we can understand and successfully operate,
but man has in his power to modify to a great extent the circum¬
stances in which he lives, with a view to the promotion of his well-
being and preservation. Everybody knows that the draining of a
marsh pond banishes malaria, a change from city to the country re-
invigorates, and those who live in the high, well-drained portion of a
city have the smallest degree of mortality; and that the greater com¬
forts possessed by the rich and affluent secure them longer life
than the poor. To diminish the mortality of our race will depend
both upon our individual efforts, as well as upon the public measures
of the legally constituted authorities. We must begin in the homes.
The dwellings of our people must be improved. The old dilapidated
stables in the narrow filthy alleys are not fit for human habitation.
The low, damp, dark basements and cellars often beneath the level of
the ground with insufficiency of both light and air are occupied by
our people. The cluster of homes built in the bottoms and low
places, the closely pent up, back to back, so built as to cut off and pre¬
vent free ventilation, with only one entrance to each and a privy in
the centre, the dirty neglected portions of the cities where heaps of
rubbish, animal and vegetable matter, are allowed to decay and send
their poisonous odors from house to house are the habitations of
colored people. And to add to the woful condition of things, these
uninhabitable quarters are over crowded. I don't think I miss it far
when I say that one third of the colored people in our Southern cities
live in just such dwellings as I have here described, while most of
the white population live in well built houses in the healthy portions
of the cities. Then is there any surprise that there should be a
great disproportion in the mortality of the two races? Do you
wonder that the colored people die so fast? Suppose we add to the
disgraceful inhumane dwellings of our people the quality of food
68
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
they eat, you will have more light on the mortality of the race. As
you know our people are the working classes in the South; they go
to the markets Saturday nights and buy the spoiled meats and vege¬
tables on which the flies and smaller insects have preyed all day. In
these vegetables are the seed of indigestion disorders and death. The
vegetables and meats which are left over and not sold in the market
and grocery houses are put in wagons and driven to the colored set¬
tlements where they are sold cheap for cash. Do you wonder that
the death rate of the colored people is so great? If the white people
were similarly situated would their death rate be as it is to-day?
Compare the statistics of all the large cities of the North and of
Europe and you will find that under similar circumstances this same
disproportion exists between the upper and lower classes where the
dwellings and food have the same difference. But this same differ¬
ence exists nowhere else in the world as it does here in our own
Southland. In most of the Southern cities it is impossible for a col¬
ored man to rent a first-class uptown building, no matter how much
money he has, and in many places not even a respectable dwelling
can be rented. But the low, dark, damp, confined, ill-ventilated cel¬
lars, basements and alley houses are rented to colored people for as
much as good comfortable quarters ought to bring. I assert without
fear of a successful contradiction that any other race of people
situated as the colored people are in the South would be exterminated
in twenty years.
In his last annual report Dr. N. G. Tucker, the efficient health of¬
ficer of Nashville, states that the entire number of white people who
died during the year 1893 was 786, and of colored people 839. He
says in his report, "As usual the death rate among the colored people
exceeds that of the white. If we were to consider alone the death
rate of our white population the exhibit would be an exceedingly
favorable one for our city." The good doctor gives facts; but he
does not tell the city why the death rate of the colored people is so
great, nor does he give a remedy for it. Of course the sanitary
measures which he recommends are for the good of all; but the key
that will unlock the mystery of high death rate among the colored
people is to better their condition, improve their habitation, enact
and enforce laws against allowing people to sleep in the basements,
cellars, old stables, alley houses and pent up cluster houses in low
malarial sections of our Southern cities.
Make the penalty against landlords so heavy that they will not
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 69
rent such places for dwellings. Regulate the kind of tenement
houses to be rented and the number of persons who shall sleep in
one room. Enforce the laws against selling tainted meats and decay¬
ing vegetables to the poor. Break up these late church meetings in
poorly ventilated houses. Prohibit the collection of large numbers of
persons in the dens where dancing and whisky drinking are indulged
in till the wee hours of morning and the mystery will be solved. By
the proper legislation and enforcement of laws we will have preven¬
tion. The whole system of medicine is now turning upon preven¬
tion rather than the cure of disease. The time has come when
physicians must be employed to prevent as well as to cure. If
this is done there will be less sickness, and epidemics will be a thing
of the past. Then sanitary science under strict hygienic observance
will reach perfection. The rude,* careless and gross habits of living
will be corrected and a system of perfect drainage and pure ventila¬
tion will be inaugurated. The pure air and a good water supply will
be furnished to every public and private house. Then, only pure
and unadulterated foods will be allowed in our markets and grocery
houses. Every hotel, private and public boarding house will furnish
properly prepared foods, and universal cleanliness will be the law,
and the death rate among our people would reach its minimum.
To reduce the mortality of the race we must begin with the new
born. Thedeath rateof colored infants in thecities and towns is alarm¬
ing. More than half of the children born in the cities die before the
third year, and about one half of the remainder die before the twelfth
year. Of course the circumstances and condition of the parents
affect the children and greatly increase their mortality, but still a
greater part of it comes f romi the ignorance of those who handle the
mothers and their infants. The ignorant grannies and meddling old
women are very largely responsible for the death rate of colored
children. None but trained nurses and educated mid-wives under
the direction of a physician should handle mothers and their infants.
The infant mortality will be reduced at least one half when our
people learn that the care of a good, well-informed, conscientious
physician is necessary from generation and development through the
entire stage of adolescence, not so much to look after the sick but
to prevent disease.
Another most potent remedy for diminishing the mortality of the
colored people in the large cities of the South is the establishment
of hospitals in which the members of the churches and various
70
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
societies can be treated and have the constant care of trained
nurses. The churches and societies with the benevolently disposed
people could easily support a hospital in every city. The hospitals
would afford an opening lor our young women to become trained
nurses, and whether they give their services to the public or use
their training in the schools, they would be a blessing to the race and
the country in which we live. The good physicians everywhere
would lend their aid and give their services to these hospitals. Me-
harry Medical College would furnish interns whose services would
be given free of charge, and the good people everywhere help. The
mortality of the colored people must be diminished. Let us all turn
our attention to this particular work of urging upon the people bet¬
ter homes, better food, better clothing and better habits of living.
Let us urge upon law makers to pass such laws as will help us in our
efforts and the call upon the legally-constituted authorities to enforce
them. If we will all do our duty a change will soon come, and we
will prove to the world that under proper hygienic laws the colored
people will die no faster than other peoples; but, on the other hand,
where all things are equal, they will live longer.
[Delivered by L. T. Burbridge, M.D., at New Iberia, L,a., January 1, 1895, at
Emancipation exercises.]
fAD I been called upon to select a subject upon which to address
you on this occasion, I doubt my ability to select one more
appropriate to my thoughts and feelings, and more suitable
to this audience and this occasion than the one given me by its pro¬
moters, viz.: The Colored Man in Medicine. Although I am as yet
but a young disciple of the healing art, I believe in common with
most young practitioners who have had ample leisure to reflect upon
the hopes and possibilities of the medical profession so far as the
colored man is concerned there is for him a bright and promising
future. I, therefore, thank you for the privilege of addressing you
on this subject and on such an auspicious occasion, an occasion (if
C
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
71
you will allow me to say) when the heart of every true and loyal col¬
ored man should turn in thankfulness to God for his great deliver¬
ance from the greatest curse that ever afflicted any Christianized
people. Thank God we to-day are living under entirely different cir¬
cumstances to those existing previous to the time this day is intended
to commemorate. Under the blessings of freedom we enjoy a purer
air, a more lofty existence than before, and the sunlight of peace,
prosperity and intellectual growth is shedding softened rays upon
our pathway, lighting up the darker places and beckoning us on to a
future as bright and promising as any ever enjoyed by any other
people. May it shine more and more unto the pefect day.
Having been so recently released from bondage, burdened with all
the ignorance and superstition which that state implies, it would
appear that the colored man had had short time in which to prepare
himself for the learned professions. Not so however. With his
characteristic power of imitation, and his readiness to adapt himself
to the study of scientific medicine with the same zeal and earnestness
he had manifested in working his old master's crops, naturally quick
of perception and kind and sympathetic in disposition, be made rapid
strides in the most difficult of sciences, and the medical history of
the last few years furnishes ample testimony to his success.
Had I statistics at my command I could furnish some interesting
figures of the growth and progress of the colored man in medicine.
It is sufficient to say, however, that thirty years ago, there were few
if any Negro M.D.'s to be found, while to-day there is scarcely a
Southern town and a large proportion of the Northern towns and
cities that cannot boast of one or more colored physicians, regular
graduates of authorized Medical Colleges. While this is true we are
compelled to admit that there is a field for many more. It is esti¬
mated that there is one white physician to every 300 of his people,
while there is only one colored doctor to every 20,000 of his people.
This furnishes an idea of our need, for we feel assured that when the
colored physicians become more numerous so as not to be a rare
object then he will be more respected by all classes of people. Then
too we feel proud to state that the practice of the colored doctor is
by no means confined solely to his own race. For even here in the
historic old State of Louisiana, whose fertile vales have often echoed
to the cry of the oppressed, the Negro physician enjoys in many in¬
stances a small, but growing white patronage. This in itself is a
confession of a recognition of skill and ability, wrung as it were from
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
*
the lips of the oppressor. And what has been the reception of the
Negro physician from his white professional brother? Has he been
laughed at, and scoffed upon as being unworthy of any consideration
as a scientific man? By no means is this true. "While we admit that
in all cases he has not been received with open arms due, more per¬
haps, to petty prejudices and jealousies than any doubt of his medical
skill, still on the whole he has received many marks of respect and
appreciation, and many kindnesses in the loan of books and instru¬
ments from his white professional contemporaries, for which he has
been duly grateful. And in many instances the white physicians
have not hesitated to avail themselves in consultation over grave
cases of his sound common sense and superior medical and surgical
skill. The outlook, I say then, is hopeful yet the path of the Negro
doctor is by no means strewn with flowers. Isolated, as many of
them are, from a daily intercourse, with colored men of their own
profession and despairing of any assistance from the opposite race,
often their only recourse is their books and journals. Under such
circumstances the Negro physician sometimes finds himself con¬
fronted with a deep and seemingly impassible gulf over which it
seems impossible to leap and around which he can see no way.
Turning back is not to be thought of, go ahead he must. Then
it is that his self-reliance and manhood, if he has any, show themselves.
If he stops to reflect he will remember that others have passed
the same way, and why should he not do likewise? So summon¬
ing all his skill and strength for the effort he makes the leap,
lands safely on the other side and has won. I will cite an instance:
A surgical operation of importance is to be performed, and the
case falls into the hands of the colored doctor. He knows that there
is little hope of any professional assistance from the neighboring
physicians and his future reputation and success depend, perhaps,
upon the issues of the case. The responsibility is a grave one but
does he hesitate? Not for long, but he resolutely goes to work, de¬
termined to do or die, with no help but that afforded by untrained
bystanders; and he usually achieves success. These are not the
only difficulties that confront a Negro doctor, but he meets serious
drawbacks in the lack of race pride, and confidence which some of
his people manifest toward him. It seems that many of our good
people have not as yet learned to appreciate the merits of the doctors
of their own race. There are those who not only fail to give their
own patronage, but take every reasonable opportunity of throwing
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 73
obstacles in the way of their progress. This, I am glad to say, is
rather the exception than the rule, still it is an exception that
occurs entirely too often for the comfort of the doctors, and for the
welfare of the race he represents. The advent of the colored man
into medicine worked an era of better sanitary protection, and bet¬
ter medical attention generally for his people than they had ever
enjoyed before., because of the competition it excited. It would ap¬
pear then that the colored physician instead of arousing their
animosity, should be an object of their confidence and respect, The
colored physician does not ask patronage on the score of color, and
on the other hand he does not want to be denied work on that account.
He does not ask that allowances be made for his deficiencies because
he is a Negro, and on the other hand he does not want to be denied
the privileges that skill and ability should demand for any medical
man whether he be white or black. A recognition of skill and com¬
petency is all that he asks regardless of color. In other words he
wants to be treated as a man—one who has fully prepared himself to
do the work as thoroughly and skillfully as any other man of what¬
ever nationality. The Negro physician realizes the fact that this is
his only hope for successfully overcoming the many discouraging
features of his work, and with this fact in view he has ever bent
diligently to the accomplishment of the task set before him. One
has not to go far to judge of his success. Here in your own thriv¬
ing town you have a specimen of a diligent, hard-working, aspiring
Negro physician, Dr. Jefferson, who has been with you now about
two years, deserves much credit for the success with which his
efforts have met in this community. This, I judge, he has won not
from the fact that he is a colored physician, but from the manifest
skill and ability with which he has undertaken, and accomplished
difficult work. So it is that in spite of opposition, in spite of dis¬
couragements, in spite of the numerous obstacles which arise to im¬
pede his progress, the Negro doctor is steadily moving onward.
In November last the colored doctors of Florida, and adjacent
states, met and formed a Colored Medical Association. At this
meeting papers were read and discussed that would have done
credit to any medical association of this country, and the daily
papers in commenting upon this association spoke of its action as
being highly creditable to the colored medical profession, and to the
Negro race at large. Is not this encouraging, and does it not bid us
to look hopefully forward to the future?
74
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
The advantages offered to the colored man for a medical education
are good. Meharry, New Orleans and Shaw Medical Colleges, in
the South are doing good work, and in the North but few if any
doors are closed against the colored aspirant; while England,
France and Germany all extend to him a welcoming hand. And if
as yet we have not a Treve, we have a Newman, if we have not a
Koch we have a Stewart, and if we have not a Sims we have a Boyd.
These are among1 the pioneers of the Negro medical profession, and
where they leave off their posterity will take up and carry on the
work so well begun. I repeat that the colored medical profession is
yet in its infancy. If in thirty years they have accomplished so
much what may we not hope for a century? When we reflect that
our white professional brother has not one, but many centuries
back of him, does not that encourage us to look for brighter
things for the Negro physician? May we not hope that the day will
come when the Tulane and Vanderbilt Medical Colleges will open
their doors to all regardless of color, where the white and black
doctors of the South will travel side by side in the same railway
coach, when there will be no white or black medical associations,
but all be united in one band of harmonious fellow workers with but
one object, and that the relief of suffering humanity? We smile at
the thought, but history has repeatedly chronicled greater and more
wonderful revolutions than these, and so will it again. Then with a
firm reliance on self, and an unwavering trust in God, the great har-
monizer and peace-maker, we press manfully onward in our struggle
for truth and right, believing that in the fullness of time all things
will end well.
" Let us then be up and doing",
With a heart for every fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing-,
Learn to labor and to wait."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 75
A Valuable Remedy for Diptheria and Throat Diseases.
FEW years ago, when diptheria was raging in England, a gentle¬
man accompanied the celebrated Dr. Field on his rounds to
witness the so-called "wonder fur cures" which he performed,
while the patients of others were dropping on all sides. The remedy
to be so rapid must be simple. All he took with him was powder of
sulphur and a quill, and with these he cured every case without ex¬
ception. He put a teaspoonful of flour of sulphur into a wineglass of
water, and stirred it with his finger, instead of a spoon, as the sul¬
phur does not readily mix with water. When the sulphur was well
mixed he gave it as a gargle, and in ten minutes the patient was out of
danger. Sulphur kills every species of fungus in man, beast and
plant in a few minutes. Instead of spitting out the gargle he recom¬
mended the swallowing of it. In extreme cases when he had been
called in just in the nick of time when the fungus was too nearly
closed to allow the gargling, he blew the sulphur through the quill
into the throat, and after the fungus had shrunk to allow it, then the
gargling. He never lost a patient from diptheria. If a patient can¬
not gargle, take a live coal, put it on a shovel, and sprinkle a tea¬
spoon full or two of sulphur at a time upon it, let the sufferer inhale
it, holding the head over it, and the fungus will die. If plentifully
used the whole room may be filled almost to suffocation; the patient
can walk about in it, inhaling the fumes with doors and windows
shut. The mode of fumigating a room with sulphur has often cured
most violent attacks of cold in the head, chest, etc., at any time, and
is recommended in cases of consumption and asthma.
FIf*ST UXOf/LRJi P^VSICIflfl.
§ARAH G. JONES, M.D., the first woman to be licensed to
practice medicine in Virginia, is a daughter of George W. Boyd,
the leading colored contractor and builder of Richmond. She
was born in Albermarie County, Va., and educated in the public
schools of Richmond, being graduated in 1883. She then taught in
76 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA:
the schools of this city for five years. In 1888 Miss Boyd was mar¬
ried to M. B. Jones, who, at that time, was also a teacher, but now is
G. W. A. Secretary of the True Reformers. Mrs. Jones entered
Howard Medical College, Washington, D. C., in 1890, and was grad¬
uated this year with the degree of M.D. She appeared before the
State Medical Examining Board with eighty-four others and received
a certificate, which entitles her to secure a license to practice her
profession. Mrs. Jones received over 90 per cent on the examina¬
tion in surgery. . Out of the class of eighty-five, twenty-one white
graduates, representing several colleges, failed to pass. Dr. Jones
and her husband are representatives of the best society of colored
people in the State, and are well-to-do-people. When a school teacher
she was known as one of the brightest young colored women in the
city." She will practice among her race.—Noted Negro "Women.
HOMAS A. CURTIS was born at Marion, Perry Count}', Ala.,
November 30, 1862. His parents were slaves, but by earnest
toil and study his father became State Senator of Alabama.
His son, Thomas, inherited his father's love for knowledge, and
therefore took advantage of every opportunity to develop his mind.
He graduated from the State Normal School at Marion, 1881, and
begun teaching in his native State. He afterwards went to Texas
where he taught for five years. Abandoning the profession of teach¬
ing, he entered Meharry Dental College from wThich he graduated in
1889 with honors, being the best practical dentist of his class. For
this excellency he received a gold medal. His success as the first
colored dentist of Alabama was marvelous. During the first year of
his labor as dentist he earned more than $2,000, and every succeed¬
ing year finds him making improvement both in proficiency of his
profession and increase of his practice.
Dr. T. A. Curtis,
Montgomery, Ala.
78
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
THE NEGRO IN DENTISTRY.
BY THOMAS A. CURTIS, D.D.S.
ERODOTUS, the father of history, who traveled in Egypt the
fifth century B.C., devoted one of his books to the description
of the manners, customs, art and science of the Egyptians.
Herodotus, speaking of the ancient Colchis, whose inhabitants were
originally Egyptians and were colonized when Sesostris was King of
Egypt, said: "I believe that the ancient Colchi to be a colony of
Egypt because like them they have black skins and frizzled hair."
Volney says, in noting these remarks of Herodotus, "It showed that
the ancient Egyptians were real Negroes of the same species of all
the natives of Africa." Diodorus, another ancient historian, in¬
forms us that the Ethiopians considered these Egyptians as one of
their colonies.
Egypt, the mother of science and art, claims dentistry as her
elder daughter. She was the first nation of the world to adopt dent¬
istry as a branch of medicine. It is not known how far the specialist
of that day had advanced in this a:: t; Herodotus, however, five hun¬
dred years B.C., noticed that medicine was divided into branches,
among which was dentistry. Evidence in abundance is found to
prove that the ancient Egyptians understood the art of filling teeth
with gold and the manufacture and setting of artificial teeth.
Museums contain mummies from Thebes with gold filled teeth, arti¬
ficial teeth of sycamore wood set in gold; therefore it is evident that
the Negroes are the originators of the art of dentistry. He is now
beginning to re-enter the dental profession, and may do for its per¬
fection what his ancient ancestors did for its infancy. But little
progress was made in the practice of dentistry until the last century.
During this period it has outstripped every other branch of medi¬
cine, and now stands before the world as a specialty equal in import¬
ance to any branch of surgery, in fact it may justly claim what
medicine cannot, to have risen from an art to the dignity of a science.
Prior to 1776 there was not a practicing dentist in this country.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
79
All operations were performed by the general practician or surgeon.
The key, that instrument which came near debasing the profession,
was the only instrument in use. Dr. Woffiendale, of London, arrived
in New York in 1776. Although he was the only man in the entire
country devoting his time to dentistry, the public so little appre¬
ciated his services that he was obliged to return to England in 1787,
being unable to support himself. In 1783 Dr. Jas. Gardetta came to
this country and settled in New York. He afterwards removed to
Philadelphia and continued there as a successful practician for forty-
five years.
Dr. Hyden commenced the practice of dentistry in Baltimore in
1804. He was a man of great energy and ability. It was he who
first realized the importance of a higher standard for the profession.
He induced a number of gentlemen to join him in petitioning the
Legislature of Maryland to establish a dental college. From this
time on dentistry has made rapid strides, until it now numbers
among its practicians some of the most scientific and enlightened
men of this country. From a mere itinerant existance it has risen
to a position equal to any branch of medicine, and is decidedly the
most remunerative of all.
Dentistry now opens to view a broad, lucrative and inviting field
for the aspiring and educated Negro youth. The opportunities it
furnishes have not been grasped in the past as readily as I hope the
possibilities will warrant in the future. Our young men have drifted
into a stream which has flown steadily into the medical profession.
A very few have stopped to ask the all-important .question, "Am I
better fitted by nature for the practice of dentistry than for the
practice of medicine?"
Prior to 1862 we hear nothing of the Negro in the dental profes¬
sion, but at the close of the war he is remarked as being established
as a successful practician of dentistry, born and matured, as it were,
in a day. "When the surprised public had time to ask the question,
"Who are these men?" on investigation, they were found to be the
former office boys of their masters, who picked up the fundamental
principles of dentistry, and now emancipated, practiced it with con¬
fidence and ability. The State of Georgia appears to take the lead
in producing these noted pioneers, among whom are the Dr. Badger
Brothers, of Atlanta, and Dr. Zeque, of Augusta. All of these gen¬
tlemen won distinction and wealth in their professions, had as their
patients some of the best white families of Atlanta and Augusta. I
80
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
have examined with a degree of surprise and satisfaction some of
their gold fillings, which at the time, was more than twenty-five
years old. Artistic and durable, their work stands a monument to
their ability and profession. Many of these old pioneers have
passed away, but I am proud to have had the pleasure of saying to
Dr. Badger, of Atlanta, that it was from his success that I caught
the inspiration to adopt dentistry as my life's work.
The late Dr. ¥m. J. Simmons, of Kentucky, a noted Baptist di¬
vine, entered the office of Dr. DeLangie, a dentist in Bordentown,
N. J., he learned rapidly and was soon able to do good work. Though
often rebuffed by the white people, he operated on some of the best
white families in the city. But he was unwilling to remain in the
profession without the thorough knowledge of dentistry, such as
only could be given in a dental college, and on being refused admis¬
sion to a dental college in Phildaelphia, he therefore abandoned the
profession.
Dr. Smith, of Little Rock, Ark., also one of these early pioneers,
has won wealth and fame in the dental profession. He is one of the
wealthiest JSTegroes in Little Rock. The dentists of to-day are too
numerous to mention. There are now about one hundred Negroes
practicing dentistry in the United States, graduated from dental
colleges. Some of the most prominent are as follows:
Dr. Grant, of the Harvard Dental Faculty, has acquired great dis¬
tinction as a practician and professor of dentistry, having lectured
before the Harvard Dental School for a number of years. His prac¬
tice is said to net him ten thousand dollars a year.
Dr. C. E. Bently, of Chicago, Ills., is one of the foremost young
men in the profession irrespective of color. He has several times
been honored with positions in the Dental Associations of Chicago,
and is now one of the assistant editors of the leading dental journal
of the "West.
Dr. J. R. Porter, of Atlanta, Ga., is a practical dentist, a gentle¬
man, affable, refined and cultured. He graduated from Meharry in
1889, and was valedictorian of his class. His success in Atlanta is
assured. Day by day he is building monuments of gold and silver
that will attest his worth and ability.
Dr. Fields, of Memphis, Tenn., and Dr. Ferrill, of Houston, Texas,
enjoy the confidence and respect of all who know them. They are
the leading young men in the dental profession in their respective
States. There are other young men as prominent and successful in
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
81
the practice of dentistry as the ones I have already mentioned. In
fact I have yet to hear of a single young* man who properly prepared
himself for his work who has made a failure.
As an inducement to young men to enter the profession of dent¬
istry in this country, we cite as a fact that the Americans have the
worst teeth of any people on earth. The reason for this is we change
the proportion of the various food stuffs we eat more than any people
on earth. What nature has stored up in food to build up hard tissue
we constantly eliminate, consequently we do not take the proper
material into our system that would be carried back atom by atom
to take the place of this tissue metamorphises. "What is true of the
white people under the same circumstances is true of the Negro.
There seems to be a prevailing, but erroneous, opinion that Negroes
possess better teeth than the white people. There might have been
a time when this statement was correct, but since the Negro has
adopted all the civilized modes of living like the Caucasian his teeth
are no better than his, if as good. The advantage the Negro has
over the white people as to predisposing causes he looses in exciting
causes, carelessness and wanton neglect.
In conclusion; we do not evolutionize by the advancement in civili¬
zation made by other people as much as we advance and become
civilized to the extent we are able to evolutionize ourselves. This
evolution is nowhere more noticeable than in the practice of dentis¬
try by the Negroes, the establishment of schools of dentistry, the
graduating of young men from these schools to take care and pre¬
serve our teeth, mark an epoch in the history of our civilization which
only future generations will be fully able to comprehend and ap¬
preciate.
6
82
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Shall Our Women Extract Teeth ?
BY DR. D. P. REED, IN "NEW YORK AGE."
fJHE time has long since passed when the availability and fitness
I of woman for the practice of dentistry can be questioned; and
whatever may have been the differences of opinion as to her
qualifications, both physical and mental, for this work, when
measured by the standard of male requirements, the fact remains
that in dentistry, as in all other branches of the "healing art,"
woman has found and successfully occupied a field of usefulness in
which the sum total of those distinctively feminine qualities, which
go to make up an ideal womanhood, have been invaluable.
Why should not a woman, if qualified, practice dentistry as well as
medicine? Dentistry is only a specialty in medicine, and it takes
nerve to practice either with success. But remember that dentistry
requires coolness and steadiness of nerves. A frail, nervous woman
has no business in this profession. Good health is especially req¬
uisite for dentists, because they must do most of their work stand¬
ing, inhale foul and unhealthy breaths, be indoors most of their time;
and when all this is added to their business cares, they must have a
good constitution not to succumb to these depressing influences. I
am told by a practicing woman dentist, who is a graduate of a repu¬
table college of dentistry, that the question her patients usually ask
is, "Can you pull teeth?" Her answer is, "Why, yes; pulling teeth
is only an art!" I saw her attempt to extract a tooth one day, and it
certainly required more strength than art. Very few dentists can
extract teeth properly, and for this reason dentists are now specializ¬
ing, performing only such operations as the cases require.
There are about seventy-five women dentists in this country, and
of this number about twelve are practicing in Philadelphia, which
seems to be their centre. There they have organized a society, and
at their first meeting about half of the women dentists from all parts
of the United States attended. Notwithstanding the fact that only a
few colleges will graduate them, they are rapidly coming to the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
83
front. Our New York College has several times refused, to my per¬
sonal knowledge, to admit the fair sex; and it has been only since
the Philadelphia Dental College has been graduating them. I had
the pleasure of graduating with a woman dentist, and during our
college days we spent many a pleasant hour together over our
cadavers. She was an American and full of genius. We have
about four practicing in this city and they are doing comparatively
well. There is Mrs. Lydia C. Clare on Eighth Avenue taking care
of her husband's practice. There is one now on Madison Avenue
and one on Third Avenue. The first woman dentist to open an office
in this city was Mrs. Dr. Olla JSTeyman, the daughter of Madame
Clara Neyman, the writer and lecturer. With these women already
in the field demonstrating the capacity of their sex in this profes¬
sion, there is no reason why some of our able, enterprising and
energetic young women should not take up and successfully prac¬
tice the science of dentistry. I hope these remarks will come under
the eye of some watchful, capable young woman and stimulate hei
to make the effort. As a rule it certainly hurts a sensitive woman
to inflict pain, although eventually, she becomes used to it and main¬
tains her sympathetic nature through it all. Thus this very sympa¬
thy would attract to her the sensitive and nervous of both sexes
and men as well as women and children would rather submit £
troublesome and aching tooth to the gentle ministrations of a woman,
than to the harsher manipulations of a sterner and less sympathetic
man. It is difficult for the average individual to associate the idee
of profound learning and sciencific attainments with the fair counte
nance and unassuming grace of a girl graduate, even when the
bright, intellectual eyes look up at him and he has the ocular demon
stration that she is skillful even to the tips of the dainty fingers thai
' can quiet a throbbing nerve, plug a fulsome cavity or use the forceps
if necessary, with a dexterity equal to some of our old D.D.S.'s.
84
AF.ROAMERICAN ENCYCLOP42D f A.
DR. IDTK GRKV, Dentist.
T the writing of this sketch, Miss Gray is among the leading
Afro-American dentists. She resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, and *
is highly respected by all classes. She was educated at Gaines
High School. From there she entered the University of Michigan,
graduating from the dental department in 1890. After the comple¬
tion of her course, she returned to her home in Cincinnati where she
opened an office on Ninth Street, and commenced the practice of her
profession. The success of Dr. Gray only demonstrates what can be
accomplished by an Afro-American lady when they manifest the
necessary pluck and energy. In the past few years Miss Gray has
built up a lucrative practice, her patients being about equally divided
between white and colored. Miss Gray is a very accomplished lady,
and is spoken of in the highest terms of the press without regard
to nationality.
Prof. Booker T. Washington.
[Principal of the Tuskeg-ee, Alabama, Institute—How and Where the Great Educator
Grew to Distinction.]
R. WASHINGTON, of Tuskegee, Ala., was born a, slave at'
Hale's Ford, Va., April, 1857. He belonged to a family by the
name of Burrows. Very soon after the war he went with his
mother, Jane Ferguson, his stepfather and the remainder of his
family to Maiden, W. Va., to live. Here he worked in the salt fur¬
naces the greater part of each year and went to school during three
or four months. Mr. Washington usually secured some one to teach
him at night when not permitted to attend school in the day. After
working in the mines and furnaces for a considerable time, he se¬
cured employment at the house of Mrs. Viola Ruffner, a lady of New
England birth and training, and who, though very exacting regard-
Prof. Booker T. Washington,
Tuskegee, Ala.
86
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
ing all matters of work, was very kind and showed her interest in
the education of young Washington in a number of ways. In 1871,
in some way, Washington heard of the Hampton Institute in Virginia.
He at once made up his mind to enter that institution. With his own
small earnings, amounting to $6 per month, and with what his family
were kind enough to give him, he found himself in Richmond, Va.,
but friendless, shelterless and homeless. Casting about, however,
he soon discovered a hole under a sidewalk that offered a night's
sleep. As luck would have it, when he awoke next morning he found
he was near a vessel that was unloading pig iron, and application was at
once made to the captain for work, which was given. Mr. Washing¬
ton worked here until he had enough money to pay his way to Hamp¬
ton Institute, which place he reached with a surplus of fifty cents.
He remained at Hampton three years, working his way through, and
graduated with one of the honors of his class. After graduating
and teaching in West Virginia, his old home, for a while, and spend¬
ing a year in study at Wayland Seminary, Washington, D. C., Mr.
Washington was invited to return to Hampton as a teacher. In this
capacity he remained at Hampton two years, till 1881, when applica¬
tion was made to Gen. S. C. Armstrong by citizens of Tuskegee,
Ala., for some one to start an institution at Tuskegee on the plan of
Hampton.
Mr. Washington was at once recommended for the position. Upon
reaching Tuskegee he found neither land nor buildings, nothing but
the promise of the State to pay $2,000 annually toward the expenses
of the school. The school was started in an old church and shanty
with thirty students and a teacher. The history of the school and
its present condition are already known to the readers of this book,
and to the world for that matter. It is enough to say that the insti¬
tution with its 1,900 acres of land, its 28 or more large buildings,
with its 1,000 or more teachers and pupils, its wealth in live stock
and its valuation of over $250,000, is a. prodigy of development. Prin¬
cipal Washington has met with unusual success in making the ac¬
quaintance and securing the confidence of prominent and wealthy
people throughout the country. This is attested by the fact that he
succeeds in raising from $50,000 to $60,000 each year with which to
carry on the school work. Several individuals give from $3,000 to
.$10,000 each annually toward the support of the school. Mr. Wash¬
ington's services are in constant demand to speak at associations,
clubs and prominent churches. The speech that brought him first
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 87
into prominence was before the National Education Association,
Madison, "Wisconsin, in 1884. Soon after he was invited to address
the Boston Unitarian Club, the most intelligent and wealthy club in
the world, he being the first Afro-American to address the club. He
has spoken at Plymouth Church (formerly Henry Ward Beecher's);
Trinity Church, Boston, (formerly Phillips Brooks') and many other
of the most prominent churches in the country; also before the Polit¬
ical Science Club, of Cornell University; the Congregational Club
and the Twentieth Century Club, of Boston. The "Outlook," one of
the greatest Christian journals in this country, published in '93 the
cut of Prof. Washington, along with those of the presidents of twen¬
ty-eight of America's leading colleges. Mr. Washington is regarded
as one of the leading men of the country and is held in high esteem
in Massachusetts, as was shown by his being made the guest of
honor at the governor's table recently. Mr. Washington is among
the foremost men of this country and time. .
jptinfr ant* flatter*
[An address delivered by Booker T. Washington, Principal Tuskeg-ee (Ala.) Normal
and Industrial Institute, before the Alabama State Teachers' Association, Selma, Ala.,
June 5, 1895.]
Mr. President, L,adies and Gentlemen:
HE question comes before me to-night with a greater force than
ever, it seems to me, To what extent is our education reaching,
penetrating the heart of the masses of people by whom we are
surrounded; to what extent is our education affecting the heart, af¬
fecting the hand, affecting the head, the whole man, of the masses by
whom we are surrounded in such counties as Bullock, Lowndes, Wil¬
cox, Dallas and Montgomery? Now I understand that there are
favored ones in all parts of the State, but an education that does not,
sooner or later, lift up the masses, has its weak points. The question
arises to what extent is the education that we are getting in our uni¬
versities, academies, high schools, common schools, reaching the
heart of the masses of these people, and to what extent are we able
to appreciate an improvement in the condition of the masses by
reason of the education we are getting from day to day?
88 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
There was an incident which happened sometime ago up in the
State of Kentucky, which aptly illustrates what I am speaking of.
There was a man who had spent a good many hundred dollars in educat¬
ing his son known as Solomon. This man and his wife, both of whom
were very ignorant so far as books are concerned, began sending
Solomon to school when quite young, keeping him in school four and
five months each year. During vacations Solomon would earn two
and three dollars a week, which he gave to his father and mother
regularly. When he grew older, Solomon was sent to college where
he remained seven or eight years at the expense of his father and
mother. Finally Solomon received his diploma and returned to
his old home. It was not very long before the old folks began to
note a change in Solomon's appearance and especially in his disposi¬
tion to work. There was a kind of restlessness about him. The old
people began to notice that he cared little for home, that he did n't
go out into the field each day and help his old father as he used to do
before going to college, and that at the end of each week Solomon
didn't bring in the usual two or three dollars. They noticed that he
did nothing but walk around the streets with his hands in his pock¬
ets, and that as one Saturday night drew near, Solomon got nearer
the old man, and asked him for fifty cents with which to buy a silk
necktie. The old man scratched his head, but said nothing. And
Solomon continued to walk about the streets with his hands in his
pockets and stand on the corners. When the next Saturday night
came around, Solomon asked his father to give him four dollars with
which to buy a new pair of shoes. The old man had never heard of
a pair of shoes costing more than two dollars, and started to speak
out, but kept his tongue and gave Solomon the four dollars. These
requests and the great changes in Solomon began to make the old
man think about Solomon and his college education. Finally there
appeared in the town, a man from Massachusetts. Solomon's father
one day went to this man, whose acquaintance he happened to make,
and said, "I want to speak with you about my son Solomon. He has
been to college and has a good education. I am sure of that; but my
friend, for God's sake take Solomon aside and tell him what to do
with that education."
Now my friends, wont you agree with me that there are a good
many Solomons getting scattered all through the South? Aren't
there entirely too many of our people whose heads are full, but who
don't know how to use it?
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 89
This Massachusetts man took Solomon aside and said to him,
"Solomon, what did you study in college?" "Chemistry, sir."
"Well, that's good, but what are you going to do with that chemis¬
try ? " "I don't know, sir,'' replied Solomon. " Well Solomon, your
father is a farmer; you take your chemistry and go out into that field
and show him how to enrich his soil. What else did you study at
college?" "Geometry, sir." "Well Solomon, isn't it possible for
you to go out there with your father and show him how to check off
that land, how to run his corn rows straight instead of crooked?"
"That is true, I had never thought of that," said Solomon. Then
Solomon began to think, and by reason of that good, sound and timely
advice, joined his old father and began to apply his education; and
to-day, my friends, in the whole State of Kentucky, I venture to
say, you cannot find a more intelligently conducted farm than Solo¬
mon's. (Applause.)
Now my friends, I believe there is no difficulty, however great, out
of which we cannot find our way. The story is told that at one time,
two unfortunate frogs fell into a jar of milk over night. After kick¬
ing for several hours, endeavoring to get out, one of the frogs said
to the other, "It's no use kicking, I'm going to give up and sink
to the bottom. The sooner it's over the better." Not so with
the second frog, who kept on kicking until morning when the milk
turned to butter, and he once more found himself on terra firma. We
must all get out of our difficulties by kicking.
We are born, so far as our educational career is concerned, in time
to take advantage of all the mistakes the white man has made during
the last two thousand years, and the question is, simply, Are we
going take advantage of these mistakes he has made, or are we
going over the same rough ground and learn by the same hard ex¬
perience what the white man is just realizing? (Applause.) I for
one, am in favor of taking advantage of these mistakes, and making
the most of them. If you have watched the trend of education for
the past fifty years, you have noticed that it has tended in one direc¬
tion, namely, the cementing of mind and matter. It has tended in
the direction of making mind a part of matter. In this city to-day
there is extended to the poorest and most humble child the oppor¬
tunity of receiving a better education than was given the child of
the President of the Union fifty years ago. Fifty years ago the
little boy of four or five years went to school and was taught to
count abstractly, one, two, three, etc.; to-day he goes into the school
90
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
room and counts, one apple, two definite apples that lie can lay his
hand on. Fifty years ago this little boy learned to read by pro¬
nouncing abstract and often meaningless words ; to-day he reads of
a dog, not some dog far off in the distance which he cannot see and
feel, but one that really exists and upon which he can lay his hand.
Fifty years ago he studied about chemistry, he sat up in a school or
lecture room, and was told about chemistry, and the chemical experi¬
ments which were made; to-day, instead of studying about chemis¬
try, the student feels, handles and comes in immediate contact with
the matter about which he studies. He performs with his own hands
the experiments which, fifty years ago, were lectured about.
Now my friends this brings me to the question that I have es¬
pecially in view to-night; it is what we are wont to call industrial
education, the application of mind to matter, and to the conquering
of the forces of nature. A few days ago I visited a certain institu¬
tion where mechanical drawing is taught. I went into the room
where a class in this study were reciting. I noticed on the black¬
board, this problem: "Draw out, design and create a plan for dairy."
The teacher told me that none of his students had ever seen the
kind of building he had in mind, yet he wanted them to draw from
their own resources and create a dairy.
What is education? By education the mind is strengthened,
whether through the study of the classics, or through mechanical
drawing, or through the carpenter shop. No matter how he gets it, a
man is educated w-hose mind is so strengthened that he has complete
control of the organization and use of his mind. And so this teacher
told his students to create a dairy. My friends, is n't that educa¬
tion ? Compare an education like that with merely having a boy sit
down and memorize something that happened a thousand years ago.
Now, my friends; I never plead for less education. I believe in
the highest development of the mind. I believe with the poet—
" Had I the power to reach the pole
Or grasp the ocean with a span,
I 'd still be measured by my soul,
The mind's the measure of the man."
But we must remember that I am pleading for the use of the mind,
for the use of education, no matter whether it is little or much ed¬
ucation, no matter whether it is secured in this way or that way, I
am pleading for the use of education.
We had just as well inculcate this in our pupils once for all, that
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 91
the world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is
what the man or woman is able to do that the world cares about.
An educated man standing on the corners of the street with his
hands in his pockets is of no more value to the world than an ig¬
norant man doing the same thing. In almost every community in
the South and throughout the North they have what is known as
"smart men," men of education and culture. You go into any city
and it will not be very long before the news reaches your ears that
there is a very smart man in that community. I saw one of these
smart men some time ago. I had heard a great deal about him, and
asked some'one who he was. "O that's Mr. Soandso, and I tell
you he's a smart man," "What does he do?" I asked. "O he
is n't doing any thing in particular just now; he 's just a smart man,
that'sail." (Laughter.) "Can he build any houses?" "O no, he
never builds any houses." "Drow the plans for any ? Does he farm,
raise hogs?" "Oh, my, no! He doesn't do anything like that, he
would n't be caught raising hogs for any thing. He's just a smart
man, but just now he is n't engaged in any particular line of work."
Now, my friends, when we speak usually of hand-craft, the aver¬
age man gets the idea that it is something to teach a man to work.
When you speak of industrial education, he is immediately preju¬
diced. He will say, "My son or my daughter knows how to work
already." My friends, never was there a greater mistake made than
this. I do not mean to say that the Negro does n't work. Whether
you find him in the Mississippi bottoms, on the sugar plantations of
Louisiana, on the rice swamps of North Carolina, or the cotton fields
of Alabama, the Negro works hard from morning till night. And he
works at a tremendous disadvantage, and he does everything in the
most costly manner. I will tell you what industrial education means :
It means teaching a man how not to work. That, is what industrial
education means. It teaches a man how to harness the forces of
nature and make them do his work instead of working out his brains
and strength, accomplishing very little good.
Sometime ago, while traveling through the State of Indiana, I
saw a man engaged in planting corn. Instead of following a plow he
was seated on a large machine called a cultivator. Hitched to this
were two fine horses. The man was not only sitting down, but was
holding a large umbrella over him, and all the strength he had to ex¬
pend was in holding the horses back to prevent their working them¬
selves to death. This machine plowed up the ground, laid off the
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
furrows, dropped and covered the corn. Besides, instead of plant¬
ing one row at a time, two rows of corn were planted. On another
occasion I saw a farmer plant corn in Alabama. Instead of being
perched upon a cultivator, he had an old plow that was loosely
tacked together, and about four inches wide. Hitched to this plow
was an old mule that traveled about a mile an hour. Instead of rid¬
ing this fellow was following this plow, barefooted, and carrying
with him a long hickory pole which he occasionally laid on the back
of the weary-looking mule. Nearly every time he reached the end
of the furrow, he would have to stop and repair the plow, and very
often the harness, which was composed partly of rags and partly of
leather, and too, the mule had only one eye. In addition to plough¬
ing the ground, he had to go over it with the same old one-eyed mule,
and then another man came along to drop the corn and then another
to cover it. He was what you call one of these "one-gallused"
farmers, and he very often found it necessary to stop and repair his
suspenders in order to keep his pantaloons in position. Now here
was this farmer in Alabama competing with this Indiana farmer?
(Laughter.) This man in Indiana had learned how to apply his edu¬
cation to agriculture. And still people tell me that the black man
does n't need industrial education. "What I mean by industrial edu¬
cation is getting the black boy to the point where he can sit upon an
instrument of that sort that the Indiana man used, and raise more
corn than the Indiana farmer can raise. (Applause.)
While education brings with it certain privileges, it brings with it
also certain responsibilities and certain opportunities. Here it
brings an opportunity to compete for the American dollar, and there
is nothing that has so little sentiment, so little prejudice in it. "We
are going to be mortgaged in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and all
over the South, we are going to continue buying corn from the In¬
diana farmers until we can get our boys to raise corn just as fast and
just as cheaply as the man in Indiana.
At Tuskegee we have in operation what is known as the Aladdin
Oven, a machine or vessel for the purpose of teaching a woman how
to cook a meal and take a nap at the same time. Would n't you like
to cook that way ? I claim that industrial education is meant to teach
a person how not to work, how to make the forces of nature work
for him; and in this vessel a woman can cook a piece of tough beef
by putting a lamp under it, and by morning she will find it ready for
the table, tender and nicely cooked. -This is industrial education.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
93
I was in a dairy a few days ago where I saw men making butter,
and in only a few minutes after the milk came from the cow, it was put
into a separator, out of which I saw the milk come out of one little tube
and the cream out of another. This cream was then transferred to
another vessel, a churn, I believe it was, and a man began to turn a
crank for a while, and in a very few minutes from that I saw laid off
in nice square blocks, some of the finest butter I ever saw. This
man hardly touched the butter with his hands. The man who made
this butter has had a college education, has studied chemistry. That
is the way he applied his education. That is industrial education.
To be a little more practical. There are some things which we
have got to learn to do. If we are going to hold our own in this
Southland, right about us, we have got to learn, in the first place, to
dignify labor, and in the second place to put brains into labor. Now
is it common sense to take a girl and teach her to analyze Mars,
bound Jupiter and at the same time neglect to teach her? Now I
don't say it is wrong, but is it common sense to teach a girl to do
that, and at the same time neglect to teach her the composition of
the corn bread that she is compelled to eat three times a day?
(Laughter.) Is that common sense?
It used to be true throughout the North, as it is now throughout
the South, that a great many colored men made their living by white¬
washing. The old colored man came along with his pole and white¬
wash bucket, and would occasionally get a fence to white wash, and
less frequently, some one would let him in their parlor to white wash
the walls. He would not only white wash the walls but would also
touch up the pictures, curtains and carpet. (Laughter.) When he
was done the whole thing would be pretty well white washed. That
sort of thing went on, and when anyone wanted any white washing
done they always sent for Uncle Joe, and so for many years Uncle
Joe was the chief white-wash monopolist. But soon the white man
began to think. The white boy went to college, to the school of
technology, and learned chemistry, geometry and physics, and came
out and applied his knowledge of these branches to mixing materials,
figuring and decorating. He went into the house which old Uncle
Joe used to white wash and took his job away from him, and wher¬
ever that white man has gone Uncle Joe can never go again. But you
don't call that young white man a white washer ; you call him a house
decorator. He has taken that once common occupation, raised it up,
put brains into it.
94
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
You know it used to be true that every large and paying" barber
shop in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and other large northern
cities, was in the hands of colored men. Go into either of these
cities to-day and you will not find a single paying barber shop con¬
trolled by colored men. "When the colored man had a paonopoly of
this business, he went on in the same old way day after day without
thinking and educating himself, without planning how to enlarge his
business and advance the work. The whiteman saw his opportunity
and opened a barber shop in which he put a newly made chair, a nice
carpet and hung some pictures on the walls, and then he published a
journal relating to the interests of the trade. He had a desk put in
the shop at which he sat and kept his accounts. Thus he dignified
that labor. But you don't call that man a barber; you call him a
tonsorial artist, but he has got the black man's job just the same.
(Laughter.)
I think I do not exaggerate when I say that three-fourths of the
colored families in the cities of the South are supported by washing
clothes. Recently I had an investigation made into the condition of
twenty-seven families in the city of Montgomery, and there was not
a single one that did not support itself in part by washing. We have
had a monopoly of that, but, if you will notice closely, you will see
that it is passing away. The white boy leaves school to-day with a
knowledge of physics or mechanics. He sets up a steam laundry.
He introduces a machine that washes two thousand shirts a day by
electricity, and at a much less cost than many washwomen can do it.
Now how long are we going to sit still and let this thing go on? The
fact is, we have neglected too long to put our brains into these com¬
mon occupations of life.
We are a great race of consumers, but we produce very little. We
consume steam cars, but produce none; hats, but produce none.
Suppose a law was passed preventing colored people from wearing
hats made by white men; how many of us would go bare-headed?
(Laughter.) Did you ever see a colored man who manufactured
toothpicks? Of course you have seen plenty of men manufacture
one perhaps for his own use out of a piece of dry goods box. You
con't afford to do that, can you? The idea of an educated colored
man manufacturing toothpicks! He has got to teach or preach. I
was up in the State of Maine a few months ago, and found there men
who were many times millionaires, and I asked, in one case, how they
got their start. I was told that a certain man, one of these rich men,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 95
vould go home at night after his day's work on the farm was done,
md with a jackknife which he had bought whittled out several dozen
toothpicks, and finally he was able to buy another jackknife which he
rave his wife, and she whittled. Both would sit around the family
ireside and whittle toothpicks, and they kept on in that way until they
vere able to buy a small piece of machinery, and after a while added
mother piece of machinery j then applied steam. Thus that man got
to be a millionaire by making these little things that we chew up and
spit out and think nothing of.
You have perhaps heard the story told by Henry W. Grady of a
Durial that took place in Pickens County, Georgia. It is said that
the grave was dug through a solid bed of marble, but the marble
lead stone came from Vermont. The burial took place in the midst
}f a pine forest, but the coffin in which the dead man was buried
3ame from Cincinnati. An iron mountain overlooked that grave, but
the picks and shovels used in digging it came from Pittsburgh, Pa.
The wagon that hauled the dead man's body came from South Bend
[ndiana, yet there was an immense hickory grove near by. The
shoes that the dead man wore came from Boston, his pant's and coat
:rom Chicago, his shirt from Troy, 1ST. Y., and the cheap white cravat
?ame from Philadelphia, and the old one-eyed mule that drew the
3orpse was bought years ago in the State of Tennessee, and the only
thing that Pickens County produced for that burial was the hole in
the ground, and the dead man, and had it been possible these would
lave been imported also. (Laughter.) I fear that as a race, we are
3retty much in the same fix as those people in Pickens County.
But I am talking about a practical thing, whether or not it is a prac¬
tical thing for the teachers who know something of agriculture to
take their knowledge and go into such counties as Lowndes and Wil¬
cox where the schools are lasting but three months during the year
md get the patrons to let you have their children for a half day each
lay and with their help raise enough cotton and corn to extend your
school term four and five months, instead of the usual three months,
[f our young men and women who are taught agriculture cannot use
t in extending the school term it does seem to me that, that educa-
ion is, to a large extent, useless. And the old colored people on
hese plantations are beginning to think about this thing. I was at
he Georgia State Teachers' Association last year, and some one
ead a table of statistics relative to the colored people's educational
>rogress, and it was stated that they were not giving so much atten-
96
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
tion to college education now as formerly. I do not say that this is
true, but if it is, I think I know the cause. The old colored farmer
worked hard some years ago, saved every cenfc that he could get hold
of, sacrificed in order that his son might remain in college. But he
noticed that as soon as John got his college education he was not sat¬
isfied to come and live with mother and father and help them, but
wanted to go back to Nashville or Atlanta just as soon as pos¬
sible.
Since then John hasn't gone home any more. After awhile another
son in that family wants to go to college; he wants to go to the same
college that his brother John attended. He lets this boy go, but he
thinks of John and his college education, of how much money he has
spent on John, and that he has not seen John since he got his diploma.
Very soon the time comes for the third boy to want to go off to col¬
lege; but the old man refuses point blank.
Now, what you want to do is to take that old man's boy in Wilcox
county and so educate him that he will take his knowledge of chem¬
istry and gemoetry, etc., and go back and show his old father and
mother how, by reason of his education, by reason of his increased
intelligence, on the same acre of land where only ten bushels of corn
were formerly raised, to raise forty bushels on the same acre. Do
that, and every man in the State of Alabama who has a son will be
willing to sacrifice in order that his son may go to college.
Now, somebody is going to say, "You are too utilitarian in your
plea, you overlook the moral and religious." No, I don't. I know
that I tell you that we must have a certain amount of industrial and
material foundation on which to rest our moral and religious life.
The most moral and religious people to-day are to be found in
New England. It is easy for a man to be a Christian when he has a
hundred thousand dollars in the bank.
To come out flat-footed, as the old man said, the trouble with us is
we are hungry. I don't mean to say that you people here in Selma
are hungry, but in the broader acceptation of the term—shelter,
clothing, provisions for a rainy day, we are a hungry people; and I
know some of these ministers will agree with me. The hardest thing
that the minister has to do is to make a good Christian out of a hun¬
gry man. You can't make a good Christian out of a hungry man; I
don't care how much he gets up and shouts in church, if, after he
goes home from church at night and finds nothing there, he is
tempted (and very often succeeds) to find something before morning.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
97
This is human nature the world over, and I don't say that it is con-
ined to the black man.
As a race you know we are very emotional. The white man can
}eat us thinking, but when it comes to feeling the white man isn't in
t. We can feel more in five minutes than the white man can in a
lay. The colored man spends much time in preparing to live in the
lext world. Analyze the average colored preacher's sermon, and
fou will find that three-fourths of it is devoted to an imaginary
lescription of heaven. It tells about white mansions above, while
;he members of his congregation live in log cabins; about wearing
golden slippers, when more than half his audience are barefooted.
He talks about living on milk and honey in the next world, but when
le goes to take dinner with one of his sisters he is given cornbread
md peas. (Laughter.) I was on a plantation some time ago and
aeard a preacher preach, and the whole burden of his sermon was,
' You get religion and give up the world." Now, I am not speaking
irreverently; I have no patience with that sort of thing. I happened
to know the people in that community, and I knew that there were
a.ot tw(^ persons in the whole community who owned land, hogs, cattle
md who were not mortgaged. I said to this preacher: "My friend,
what have these people to give of the world; what is it you want them
bo give up ? " That is not the kind of doctrine to preach. The people
want to be taught to get hold of the world, and mix in with their land,
2otton and corn a good bank account, and when they get that, they
have a religion that you can bank on seven days in the week.
There is nothing that is going to be so eifective in removing what¬
ever friction that exists between the two races in this country as the
idea that I have been trying to enforce, the idea of letting the
solored man's education tend in the direction of producing something
tangible, something that somebody can feel and see. When I went
into the town of Tuskegee, fourteen years ago, there were some
white people who wouldn't look at me. I went on for awhile. After
i while these same white people wanted some bricks and they came
bo us to get them. That relation has gone on, so that now we have
ao warmer friends anywhere than in Tuskegee. When we began the
manufacture of buggies they came to us. They came to our print¬
ing office to have their printing done, and to-day the main Democratic
paper of Tuskegee is printed in our office. I don't say we edit it, we
Dnly print it.
You will find that the friction will pass just in proportion as the
7
98
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
blaek man gets something the white man wants. Nobody cares any¬
thing for a man that hasn't something that somebody else wants. A
white man doesn't care anything about another white man unless he
has something, property, influence or perhaps a daughter, and that
something brings the two individuals together and makes friends and
neighbors of them; and the same thing is true of races. I remem¬
ber that when I first went to Tuskegee there were some poor white
people who were always talking about driving that nigger school
teacher away from town. I would meet one of these old fellows and
try to impress my importance upon him, but it didn't work. I knew
a little about Latin, Geometry and Physics, but what did they care?
After a time we began to put up a large brick building. The building
brought them and they became our best friends.
And so we have gone on putting up building after building until
now we have 37 on the school grounds, the larger part of them
being built wholly by the labor of the students. Our property is
valued at $215,000. The annual expense of carrying on the school
is about $75,000 or about $250 for every day the school is in session.
"We have some 250 head of live stock of various kinds, thre^ steam
boilers, and thirty-five or forty buggies, wagons, carts, etc. In all
the school owns nearly 1,800 acres of land, 600 of which are under
cultivation. There are twenty-two industries including the follow¬
ing : Carpentry, wheelwrighting, blacksmithing, tinning, foundry and
machine work, shoe making, harness making, dressmaking, millinery
work, stock raising, horticulture, dairying, brick making, brick
masonry, plastering, printing, cooking, laundering, agriculture,
mattress making, agricultural and mechanical drawing, tailoring,
painting and saw milling. These industries involve a thorough
course in mechanical and architectural drawing. Since the organi¬
zation of the school over a half million dollars have been collected
and expended in building up the work. Students have worked out
during the past year $41,000. The whole property as well as the
control of the institution is in the hands of a board of trustees.
There is no mortgage on any of the property.
We try to surround students in Tuskegee with an air of thrift
and business, so that the spirit of industry gets deep into one's
blood and bones, as well as to make the institution an object-lesson
as to the capability of the Negro and of Negro civilization. There
are over 800 students, representing seventeen States and one Terri¬
tory. Sixty-six instructors, all colored, are employed. The average
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
99
age of the students is eighteen and one half years, none being ad¬
mitted under fourteen.
I have no patience with that class of people who say that the
Negro cannot find use for his education after he has obtained it.
There are opportunities all about us which we are not using. How
many educated horticulturists among the colored people are there in
this country? How many educated agriculturists and landscape
gardeners are there? Not only are horticulturists needed, but me¬
chanical and civil engineers, architects, brickmakers, trained nurses,
educated cooks. If our educated young men and women will turn
their attention more and more to the physical, they will find them¬
selves more and more in demand.
Cassedy Industrial Hall.
My friends, there is an unexplainable influence about a black
man's living in a brick house that you cannot understand. When the
black man can make his education felt in producing a brick house or
something that somebody wants to get hold of nothing causes fric¬
tion to pass away so soon. Suppose someone would go into the city
100
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
of Birmingham and make the assertion that the Germans as a race
are lazy, shiftless, good-for-noting class of people. Will any heated
argument be necessary to prove that he didn't know what he was
talking about? No. Some one would say, "Do you see that large
block of brick buildings over there ? It is owned by a German. Do
you see that large cotton mill? That is owned by a German." And
there the argument will end. When Thomas doubted whether Christ
had arisen from the dead, he did not enter into a long argument with
him; he said, "Thomas, do you see where the nails entered my
hands and feet?" That was the most convincing, the most tangible
argument that could have been produced.
We had just as well acknowledge that after the war we made some
great mistakes. We began at the top when we should have begun at
the bottom. We spent time and money trying to go to Congress
that could have better been spent in becoming the leading real estate
dealer in our town. We spent time in making political stump
speeches that could have better been spent in operating the finest
dairy or truck farm in the country. We spent all this time uselessly
instead of laying a material foundation upon which we could have
stood and demanded our political rights.
Now in conclusion, my friends, there are a good many rights with¬
held from us, and wrongfully too, yet we must not spend too much
time in giving attention to our grievances and neglect the many op¬
portunities that are about us. We are denied the opportunity in
many Southern cities of riding in a first-class car, even after we
have paid for first-class fare, but in Dallas County, and all through
the State, I tell you of an opportunity that is not denied us. We
have the opportunitv of living 365 days in the year in the neatest,
most attractive and comfortable house in Dallas County, and nobody
objects to that. The average colored man has the opportunity of be¬
ing denied accommodation in a first-class hotel about twice in a year,
yet at the same time he has the opportunity all through Alabama, of
living and sleeping in the neatest and cleanest room to be found, and
no law will say he cannot do it. The average colored man is denied
the privilege of sitting on a jury about once m two years, but there is
no law to prevent our young men and women who are being educated
from owing and operating the finest dairy farm from which butter
that is eaten by every man who does sit on the jury is raised. What
I mean to say is that he who holds the dollars, brains and intelligence
will, in the long run, hold the offices.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
101
We expect too often to get things that God did not mean for us to
have in certain ways. At one time an old colored man was very
anxious to get a turkey, and he prayed and prayed for the Lord to
send him a turkey. The turkey did not come, and finally the old
man changed his prayer somewhat, and said, "O Lord, send dis
nigger to a turkey," and he got it that night. (Laughter.) God
means for us to get many things in about that same way, that is
by working for them rather than by depending merely on the power
of mouth.
At one time a ship was lost at sea for many days, when it hove in
sight of .a friendly vessel. The signal of the distressed vessel was
at once hoisted, which read, "We want water," "we die of thirst."
The answering signal read, "Cast down your bucket where you are,"
but a second time the distressed vessel signaled, "We want water,
water," and a second time the other vessel answered "Cast down
your bucket where you are." A third and fourth time the distressed
vessel signaled "We wpit water, water," "we die of thirst," and as
many times was answered "Cast down your bucket where you are."
At last the command was obeyed, the bucket was cast down where
the vessel stood and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from
the Amazon river. My friends we are failing to cast down our buckets
for the help'that is right about us, and spend too much time in sig¬
naling for help that is far off- Let us cast down our buckets here in
our own sunny South, cast them down in agriculture, in truck garden¬
ing, dairying, poultry raising, hog raising, laundrying, cooking, seiving,
mechanical and professional life, and the help that we think is far off
will come and we will soon grow independent and useful.
102 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
TUSKEGEE IflOUST^IAIi INSTITUTE—
THlHTEEflTH RHHVKli H&POHT.
TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL
INSTITUTE, TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA.
GENTLEMEN :
HIS report marks the closing of the thirteenth year of the his¬
tory of this Institution. Beginning July 4, 1881, without a
dollar except an annual appropriation of $2,000 from the State
for tuition, during the thirteen years there has come into our treas¬
ury $511,955.42 in cash from all sources. Of this amount $73,000 has
come from the State; $5,162.50 from the Peabody Fund; $15,500
from the John F. Slater Fund; $51,450.91 from the students toward
their expenses. The remainder, $413,842.01 has come in the form of
gifts from individuals, organizations, concerts and the county of
Macon. During the thirteen years the students have done labor for
the Institution to tjie value of $203,612.52.
Beginning in a small church and shanty with no property, the
property of the Institution, including land, buildings, live stock,
outfit and apparatus, is now valued at $215,000, and there is no
mortgage on any of it. In all the school owns 1,810 acres of land.
Counting large and small there are thirty-one buildings used for
class work, industrial training and dormitory purposes. There are
256 head of live stock, consisting of horses, mules, cows, calves,
hogs, etc. The first enrollment consisted of thirty pupils and one
teacher. The enrollment for the present year is 809 students and 66
instructors. Including the present class 166 have graduated and
are doing excellent work as teachers in the class room and as indus¬
trial teachers in other schools, farmers, mechanics, housekeepers,
etc. Besides at least 400 under-graduates are doing excellent work
in the lines just mentioned. The demand for our graduates is
usually larger than we can supply. There are no loafers to be found
among those who graduate at Tuskegee.
Since May 31, 1893, the close of our last financial year, to May 31,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
103
1894, the income of the shool from all sources has been $73,107. Of
this amount two-fifths have gone into the permanent plant, and three-
fifths into the current expenses of the school; $7,911.28 has been
paid in cash by the students toward their own expenses ; $3,000 from
the State, and the remainder has come from generous individuals
and organizations. Students have done work to the value of $41,-
893.20 for this year. The average salary paid the teachers is
$395.58 per year.
In connection with the growth of the Institution, it is encouraging
to note the following: During last year the John F. Slater Fund
Trustee Board increased its appropriation to the school for the
present year from $2,000 to $4,000. During the month of February,
Dr. J. L. M. Curry, Chairman of the Educational Committee of the
Slater Fund, in company with Dr. D. C. Gilman, the President of the
Slater Trust, visited and thoroughly inspected the work of the
school; and as a result of the visit and report, the Board ha-s just
notified us of its decision to increase the appropriation for the com¬
ing year to something over $5,000.
Phklps Hall.
Phelps Hall, the beautiful and commodious building given by Miss
Olivia E. P. Stokes, of New York City, for Bible study, has been
completed and furnished at a cost of about $12,000—the whole ex¬
pense being borne by Miss Stokes.
A lady who wishes to be known simply as an "Elderly Northern
Friend," has given $2,000 toward a permanent fund of $10,000 to en¬
dow the Nurse-Training Department. $1,000 of this is invested in
the Macon County Bank at 6 per cent interest.
Following is an explanatory letter from the donor of this fund:—
104
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
To the Trustees of the Tuskegee Normal aud Industrial Institute:
" Enclosed please find one thousand ($1,000) dollars toward the ten
thousand ($10,000) dollars needed for the establishment of Perma¬
nent Fund for the Nurse-Training Department of the Tuskegee Nor¬
mal and Industrial Institute; this Fund to be designated as the
Lafayette Fund.
"One-half of the annual interest on the above one thousand ($1,000)
dollars, and, also, on whatever sums may be added to this Lafaj-ette
Fund from time to time by the present donor, or by other donor or
donors, orn by accrued interest, is not to be expended, but to be
added to the principal, until the needed amount of ten thousand
($10,000) dollars accrues.
"Meanwhile, the remaining one-half of the annual interest is to be
used annually for the benefit of the Nurse-Training Department of
the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute.
"After the required sum of ten thousand ($10,000) dollars has ac¬
crued, then the entire interest thereof shall be used annually to
defray the expenses of the Nurse-Training Department of the Tus¬
kegee Normal and Industrial Institute.
"Or, at the discretion of the trustees of said Tuskegee Normal and
Industrial Institute, part of the annual interest of this said Lafayette
Fund of ten thousand ($10,000) dollars, may be used for hospital
needs of said Institute.
" May 12th, 1893."
Mrs. Mary E. Berry, formerly of Macon County, Ala., but now re¬
siding in New York City, has given the Institution a deed to a plan¬
tation ten miles from Tuskegee, that contains four hundred acres of
land; has on it several buildings, including one brick building with
nine rooms. The estate with improvements is valued at $10,000.
The Fund of $2,000, given some time ago by Miss Olivia E. P.
Stokes, for investment—the interest to be used in helping students
having the Christian Ministry in view—is invested as follows:
$1,200 temporarily invested in the supply farm, " Marshall" Farm;
$800 lent to A. A. Torbert, for building.
A gentleman and his wife, residing in Boston, who do not care to
have their names made public, have established the "Dizer Fund,"
the object of which is described in the following letter:
To the Trustees of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Tus¬
kegee, Alabama:
I hereby donate to the Trustees of the Tuskegee Normal and In-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 105
dustrial Institute, Tuskegee, Ala., ($1,500) one thousand five hundred
dollars, to be known as the "Dizer Fund," and to be used by them in
the following manner:
As fast as practicable, I desire the trustees to lend the above-
named amount to colored people in sums of $50.00 to $300.00, in a way
to enable them to secure comfortable homes. In all cases where
loans are made, I desire that the Tuskegee graduates or students be
given the preference. The loans are to be secured by mortgage on the
real estate, and the rate of interest charged is to be 8 per cent, per
annum. It is further my wish that the trustees so len<^ the money
as to cause to be built in as many different communities as possible,
at least one model Christian home. The annual income from the
Dizer Fund is to be used by the Trustees of the Tuskegee Normal
and Industrial Institute in any manner that they deem best for the
benefit of the Institution, and if at any time, in the judgment of the
trustees, the good of the Institution requires it, they are at liberty
to use the Dizer Fund for the immediate wants of the Institution, in¬
stead of in the manner specified in the foregoing."
At present this fund has been loaned to graduates and others on
the conditions named, and it is accomplishing great good. It is
eagerly sought after by graduates, and there are many applicants
now waiting to secure a loan.
Mr. Henry L. Stearns, of College Hill, Mass., has established a
scholarship in memory of his father, Maj. George L. Stearns, by the
gift of one thousand dollars, which has been invested at 6 per cent,
interest.
A few years ago Rev. Frederick Frothingham, of Milton, Mass.,
who has been interested in this Institution almost from its begin¬
ning, left by will $20,000 to the American Unitarian Association, of
Boston, the income of which was to be used for all time to promote
education among the colored people. The American Unitarian As¬
sociation, at a meeting last fall, voted unanimously to give the income
from the Frothingham Fund to this Institution; $10,000 left the In¬
stitution some time ago by the bequest of Mr. Horace Smith, of
Springfield, Mass., was paid by the executors during the month of
March.
Mr. A. H. Parker, of Brooklyn, N. Y., has recently given us a sec¬
ond mortgage for $1,000. The money, when collected, is to be used
in erecting on the school grounds, a Model Home, to be occupied by
the girls of the Senior Class. The mortgage is at present in the
LOG
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
hands of Mr. Parker as a matter of convenience for collecting the
interest and principal.
Three new cottages for teachers' residences have been built on the
school grounds during the past year. In connection with the liter¬
ary work, there are ait present 23 industries in operation, which are as
follows: Carpentry, painting, architectural and mechanical drawing,
brick-making, brick-masonry, saw mill work, plastering, wheel-
wrighting, harness-making, farming, shoe-making, tinning, printing,
mattress-making, nurse-training, dress-making and sewing, stock-
raising, b^acksmithing, laundrying, tailoring, house-keeping and
cooking.
There has never been a year in the history of the school when so
much improvement has been made in the teaching of the industries.
Most of the industrial work now has as its foundation a thorough
course in mechanical and architectural drawing. The article to be
manufactured in the shop is first drawn by the student and then
manufactured in the shop. Every student now receives three-
fourths of an hour each day bearing upon the principles and theory
of his trade or industry in addition to the practical work. This has
greatly increased the interest of the students in the industrial
work as well as added to the value of the industrial work. One of
the greatest needs in the industrial work is more teaching force, so
that the head of the department can have more time for planning,
research and study. The colored people throughout the world are
beginning to demand industrial education in a way that they have
never done before. All of our industrial departments have been
full, and many students refused for lack of room.
A large number of other schools and individuals are applying to
this institution .for information that will assist them in starting or
improving an industrial department, and this furnishes another
reason why everything at Tuskegee should be done in the best man¬
ner. In a word, an increasing number of institutions are using us
as their model.
The Bible Training School, founded by Miss Olivia E. P. Stokes,
of New York, about eighteen months ago, is meeting with very
satisfactory success. The enrollment for the present year is forty-
three, consisting mainly of ministers or those intending to be minis¬
ters. Perhaps the most interesting and unique feature of the Bible
Training School is the fact that theology in the usual sense is not
taught, and the question of denomination is wholly ignored. The
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
107
students, as a rule, are about equally divided between Baptists and
Methodists, but other denominations are also represented.
The teaching as far as possible is also confined to the simple truths
of the English Bible. Special stress is laid upon having the stu¬
dents receive practical training in applied religion, especially in
its relations to the industrial and moral needs of the masses of
the colored people in the "Black Belt." The simple presentation
of the abstract truths of the Bible from the pulpit is not all that
the masses of the colored people need. Not much religion can
exist in a one-room cabin and in an empty stomach. The prospects
now are that the attendance in this department will be greatly in¬
creased next year.
This institution perhaps never did a wiser or more helpful thing
than when it inaugurated what is known all over the country as the
"Tuskegee Negro Conference," which has now held three meetings,
the objects of which have been the bringing together for quiet con¬
ference, not the politicians, but the representatives of the hard¬
working farmers, mechanics, teachers and ministers, to find out the
actual condition of the race industrially, educationally, morally and
religiously, and to suggest remedies for present evils. The confer¬
ence devotes itself, not to the discussion of wrongs perpetrated
upon the race, but to the race's opportunities to better their con¬
dition. The good these conferences are doing is very apparent.
Some of the most urgent needs of the school at present are closer
attention to the improvement in matters that concern the nicer and
smaller details of the work in every respect; also during the coming
school year much attention should be given to making the literary
and normal work more thorough and effective.
A building to contain sleeping rooms for young men and recita¬
tion rooms are badly needed; also a chapel that can be used for large
gatherings. Greater efforts should be put forth in the future in
securing an endowment fund upon which the school can rely in a
large^measure for its income. Booker T. Washington,
May 30, 1894. Principal.
108
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
MISS LUCY LANEY.
MONG the colored female educators of the South, the subject of
our sketch stands pre-eminently first. In speaking of her, Rev.
George C. Rowe, of Charleston, S. C., says: "Miss Laney is
a graduate of Atlanta- University, and has taught school for a num¬
ber of years in various places in Georgia. She left Savannah in
1886 where she was receiving a salary of $400 per year, and went to
Augusta for the purpose of establishing an industrial boarding
school, without the promise of aid from anyone. She rented a large
house, became responsible for the support of teachers and the board¬
ing department and began work. The first year her school en¬
rolled 140 pupils; the" second, 250, and it has steadily increased in
numbers, power, and influence." This school is under the auspices
of the Presbyterian Church, but is open to all who will comply with
the rules and regulations. A few years ago a benevolent Northern
lady gave her $10,000 with which a site was purchased in a desir¬
able locality and a handsome five-story brick building was erected,
and four years after it was founded Miss Laney transferred her
school to this handsome edifice. We are not surprised at the suc¬
cess with which Miss Laney is meeting since she has associated with
her such competent assistants as Miss M. C. Jackson, Miss Irene
Smallwood, and Mrs. Mary R. Phelps. Miss Laney is a model for
her numerous pupils in everything that the word implies. The
"Palmetto Poet," Dr. George C. Rowe, puts it this way:
Not on the height of Bunker Hill
Nor Concord's battle ground,
Nor on the field of Vicksburg, will
Our heroine be found.
Not in the annals of the wars
That history records;
Not in sayings 'neath the stripes and stars
Shall we hear her thrilling words !
But where the ranks of the coming men
And women may be found,
With books and slates and ready pen,
I/O, there is her battle ground !
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
109
Not where the din and conflict reach—
Nor hidious bugle toot,
But where the patient teachers teach
Ideas how to shoot I
To reach the top her mind was bent;
Patience and faith her rule ;
To-day she sits as President
Of Haines Industrial School I
Among1 the women of our race
We know of few, if any,
Who fill a nobler, worthier place—-
Thou earnest L<ucy I^aney.
110 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
J-laipes formal apd Industrial Institute.
VERY significant mission school in the South is that one located
at Augusta, Georgia, and known as the Haines Normal and In¬
dustrial Institute. It is the life and effort of a young Negro
woman, Miss Lucy C. Laney, who when very young conceived the
idea of founding a school for the uplifting of Negro women. The
idea wTas too noble to perish. Upon her own responsibility the school
was founded in 1886 in rented buildings. Four years afterward
the work was transferred to a handsome, spacious, five-story brick
building.
Haines Normal and Industrial Institute.
In that building, together with a smaller wooden building, are taught
sewing, printing, and laundry work. The first story of the brick
building contains a very large engine used for heating the different
recitation rooms and the building ri general. The second story con¬
sists of a very large assembly 1 reception room, dining room,
kitchen, music room, and tw 1 < ion rooms. The third story has
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. Ill
six recitation rooms, one music room, library, cloak room and Miss
Laney's office. The fourth and fifth stories are rooms neatly fur¬
nished and sufficient to accommodate about sixty young ladies, aside
from the two bath rooms and reception room. There are small cot¬
tages used as dormitories for the young men.
There are two departments of this school, viz.: A normal and col¬
lege preparatory. The normal prepares the students for teachers
and to fill the many openings for our young people. The college pre¬
paratory course fits those wishing a higher education to enter col¬
lege. Sometimes the young men leaving Haines and going to Prince¬
ton, Harvard and Lincoln Universities, etc., on examination make
the junior college course, so thorough is the training given in this
Institution.
We feel that we would do Haines an injustice not to mention the
special training class for teachers presided over by Miss M. C.
Jackson, the assistant principal of Haines. Those wishing a thor¬
ough knowledge of "theory and practice" and all or most of the new
methods of teaching the young idea how to "shoot," will find them¬
selves greatly benefitted by becoming members of Miss Jackson's
training class. There is also a class for training nurses for the sick.
How- important it is to know how to care for the sick; many die be¬
cause of ignorant nurses. I would that all Institutions had depart¬
ments for training nurses. Some of the young women after having
finished a course in the training class, nurse in private families for
very good salaries, others attend in hospitals as matrons, etc.
One of the recent features of the Haines school is the establish¬
ment of the Kindergarten department, which is so ably presided over
by Miss Irene Smallwood, a graduate of the Kindergarten Training
School in Buffalo, New York. In this school little children from
three to six years old are taken and put through a thorough and
practical drill in many things which train the intellect, direct the
imagination, and tend to make the little ones skilled in the use of
their hands. They sew, learn to call things by their names, learn to
distinguish colors, and in a hundred things do they receive a training
that is indispensable to them when they enter the school room proper.
Haines' School is under the auspices of the Northern Presbyte¬
rian Board, with Miss L. C. Laney as its principal. The average
enrollment of the school has been about four hundred. This is the
only Presbyterian mission school in the State of Georgia, and for
that reason it is a very interesting part of the Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Mary R. Phelps.
Augusta, Ga.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
113
MARY R. PHELPS.
Mrs. MARY R. PHELPS is the daughter of Hilliard and Ade¬
line Rice. She was born in Union County, South Carolina.
She could read when but four years old, at the age of five she
entered the public school. She had a wonderful memory, could re¬
cite from memory every dialogue, every piece of poetry, and every
page of importance in her school books. When only thirteen years
old she was asked to take charge of a large school. With her
parents' consent she accepted, was examined and received a teacher's
certificate and taught the fall and winter term of said school. Her
parents noting her improvement and aptness, notwithstanding her
limited advantages, determined to have her educated. They sent
her to Benedict Institute, Columbia, S. C., where she remained one
term, making one hundred in her examinations. During that vaca¬
tion she taught as usual, and the term of 1881-2 she entered Scotia
Seminary, Concord, N. C.,where she completed both courses, graduat¬
ing from the higher course in 1885. While attending Scotia she was
noted for her high style of writing, and for her worthiness received
a two years' scholarship in Scotia Seminary. After graduating she
was principal of the public schools at Glenn Springs, S. C., three
years.
In 1890 she resigned at Glenn Springs to accept a position in the
Graded School, of Rome, Ga., where she taught a part of two terms.
For the term of 1890-91 she was elected Assistant Principal of the
Eddy School, Milledgeville, Ga. On the 25th of October, 1891, she
was married to John L. Phelps, of Milledgeville, Ga., at her home,,
Helena, S. C. In 1893 she was elected Assistant Principal of Cleve¬
land Academy, Helena, S. C., and resigned before the term closed to
accept a position in Haines Institute, Augusta, Ga. Aside from these
named schools she has taught school in Newberry, Chester, Union,
Lexington, Laurens, and Spartanburg, Counties, South Carolina, and
Gordon County, Georgia. She has taught more than a thousand
children from the age of thirteen to the present. Mrs. Phelps is
also a great Sunday school worker. She spends her vacations in the
rural districts teaching the country boy and girl, and on Sunday
you will find her gathering the children into the Sunday school. If
8
114
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
the community has none she will organize a Sunday school. The
women in the country look forward with eagerness to her coming, for
she assists in whatever they do, especially in dressmaking. She
has written articles for several papers, and some of her friends have
urged her to write, but she holds to what she feels is her peculiar
calling, that is, the schoolroom.
"The Responsibility of Women as Teachers."
BY MRS. MARY RICE PHELPS.
HAVE a nature somewhat poetic, and might try to please you with
simile, metaphor or trope, but the simplest way of saying things is
best. To show you the importance of our subject, we would smite
you with the wand of imagination and lead you through "Eden" of old
to behold man as he languished, surrounded with all the beauties of
nature, in a garden of variegated grandeur, till one more perfect
came to bless his home in Paradise. Or we might wander with you
through ancient days, in the dark ages of the world's history, and
there, among the musty volumes of other ages, the dusty archives of
long forgotten generations, read of woman's worth from one parch¬
ment, and on another behold the world's wretchedness while she is
excluded from society. She was bound by fetters of corruption to
endure that which was degrading in itself. Yet we find a sense of
pure principle and noble purpose found wherever she is found.
In the dawn of the Christian era she threw off the manacle which
society had placed upon her, and rose, step by step, from one degree
of usefulness to another, filling almost every honorable position, till
she comes forth as man's equal and companion. We wish to speak
briefly of her responsibilities and the preparation necessary to meet
them, trusting that we may say something or suggest some thought
that will help the young women of our race to place more value upon
opportunities, and to more thoroughly and thoughtfully prepare
themselves for the great work of moulding a more perfect negro race.
There are manifold reasons to pause on the threshold of womanhood
and ask ourselves: "What is the responsibility of women?" If we
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 115
ask this question it is because it is grave; because society asks it;
because we have a responsibility. This in itself is significant.
The first and most important question with every woman should
be: "What did God mean for me to do? Am I preparing myself to
meet the demands of my people? Am I equiping myself with the
elements that make a true woman ? " She who seeks to make herself
what God intends her to be is sure of success. Woman's responsi¬
bility as teacher is great, grand and awful. Great and grand because
of the material used; the thoughtfulness and discretion with which
she must labor to make a success. The combined influences, the
steadfast purposes, patience and several dispositions that constitute
the true man and woman must be so simplified and so developed as to
appear so desirable that they will in time become a part of those
taught. The responsibility is awful because of the results that will
follow. Have you ever thought what a fearful thing it is to shape a
character for future usefulness, and instil right principles in an im¬
mortal soul?
The field is vast; more than eight millions of negroes in America;
the majority to be taught loyalty to one another, and what it is to be
true men and women; for the time may not be far distant when they
will be called to fill positions of trust. Who can tell what event will
begin a new epoch in the history of our country ? Who can tell when
the balance of power will be equally weighed among American citi¬
zens, and the sons of Ham will be a power? We have everything to
hope for, though we sometimes murmur and think that stern Justice
takes his nap unusually long. So long, until we have cried in our
inmost souls, "How long, O Lord, how long?" But this is deviating
from our subject.
To what extent does woman teach, and where does her tutorage
begin? Every woman is a teacher, whether she be worthy or un¬
worthy; whether educated or ignorant. In the home circle, and
-around the fireside, her teaching begins with the first dawn of intelli¬
gence. This is her inalienable right, the charter given by the
Almighty hand.' It is she who first points out those paths which are
so full of pleasantness and peace, and directs the innocent minds to
a heavenly Father. She makes her own life a daily example (we speak of
the true woman) of all that is pure and ennobling. She it is who teaches
those qualities that are so essential to any race or tribe of beings,
morality, the cornerstone in the building up of any race; Christianity,
the thread that must make the warp and woof of a prosperous people;
116
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
economy, one of the foundation stones that cannot be dispensed with.
It is woman's responsibility to teach the coming generations to live
inside of their means, and to reserve extra pennies for rainy days
(they will be sure to come), and secure a home for old age. How
many are paid large salaries, "live high," unmindful of the future,
and end their existence in the almshouse?
The time is fast approaching, so near that we can hear his footstep
in the distance, when nobody will care for that class of persons who
are content to live in poverty. Such have neglected opportunities,
misused means and wasted time. They are content to know little,
and possess less, a universal sentiment, because it is a universal
experience. "Woman's responsibility is great, and its importance
vast, when we analyze it. She alone has the power to set at naught
the monster, "ignorance," uproot "base desire," break down the
barrier, prejudice, and bury the race problem under the black pall of
oblivion, beyond the possibility of a resurrection. Why should they
fill positions as public teachers? Why, because our educated men
are needed for so many avocations that the work of teaching is left
almost wholly to women.
True we have little or no part in the political arena, but that gives
time for preparation and thought. Seeing the awful blunders that
politicians now make will but give a clearer insight to them when it
is theirs to act and to do. While they may be debarred from the
ballot-box, and we cannot even offer them a clerkship after having
worked manfully to acquire an education, we know of other field s. We
need jewelers, machinists, engineers, lawyers, merchants, physicians
and an educated ministry. We need leaders, not only in politics, but
in the pulpits, in the pews and everywhere.
Thirty years have passed since we were liberated from a condition
of servitude and extreme degradation to enjoy the rights and privi¬
leges as citizens of America. We have waited and looked for a
leader these thirty years with such anxiety as did our ancestors two
hundred and fifty years ago for the glorious light of freedom. It came.
So will a leader. Woman's work in the world is great and multifa¬
rious. It is a work which she alone can do. We do not mean to
compare her with a man, but compare woman with woman. Judge of
what I can do by what I have done; of what women can do by what
they have done. She can inspire when man fails. 'Tis hers to up¬
lift, purify and adorn. What great cause of the world has brought
about the desired result without woman's help? She did not bring
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
117
down the lightning and connect electricity with thought, that differ¬
ent countries could talk to each other; but what did not the Reforma¬
tion owe to the clear, womanly insight of Catherine Von Bora? Does
not American independence owe much to the courage and stead¬
fast resolution of the wonien of the Revolution ?
She did not soar on telescopic wings and poise on ethereal pinions
amid the fiery planets of the blue canopy to make a catalogue of the
stars and discover the laws that govern them, and " unlock their com¬
plicated movements;" but we find her shaping character and mould¬
ing the minds that sway the government of our country. What does
not missions. owe to the Christian women of our country ? It holds
true that
" Warriors and statesmen have their meed of praise;
And what they suffer men record;
But the long sacrifice of woman's day
Passes without a thought, a word of praise."
'Tis woman's responsibility to teach the young men what it is to
be true men; what it is to be a loyal man; "a man" in every sense of
the word. To teach the young woman to be womanly; that it is hon¬
orable to work; that fashionable and frivolous women who live only
in self-indulgence and to have a "good time" are a dead weight upon
their parents and a blot in society. In the age of chivalry and knight¬
hood the laws of human nature were expressed when the crowning of
the victor was assigned to woman's hand. As on the knightly fields,
so it is on the great battle-fields of life, contestants and combatants
are animated and encouraged by woman's approval and cheering
words. If you fail, young women, to use this power, you fail posi¬
tively, not negatively; so fail that you will drag down instead of ele¬
vating. This power is yours, and you cannot change it. It belongs
to you as women.
Catherine de Medici urged and Protestantism died in France.
The women of Rome became dissolute, and the Romans were con¬
quered by the barbarians from the North. Esther pleads, and a
doomed nation is rescued. Abigail intercedes, and her household is
spared. She teaches the king to think of the folly of rashness.
Young women, if you are weak, wicked and worldly, men will follow you
as if you were pure. They will seek you, learn of your wicked ways
and follow you, even to destruction and death. Knowing these
things, equip yourselves with all that make a true and noble woman.
If you have never been a factor in the upbuilding of your race,
118
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
count up the cost and begin to do your part. If you have never
thought of race pride, think now. Not only think, but act well your
part. Without the ennobling power of the woman we can never be a
great and noble race. If young men aspire to reach the highest pin¬
nacles of fame, they rise but to fall lower, unless the women are pure
and will demand respect. Learn to resent insults, young women.
Learn to respect and defend the women of our race, young men.
I would that I had a thousand tongues, and every tongue a thou¬
sand voices, and every voice a thousand echoes that could reach from
America to the utmost parts of Africa, and I would speak in loudest
tone, with animating voice to every negro woman, and bid her take
up woman's responsibility, come together and begin to act, begin to
do, and exert her power in the right direction, and the world will
feel it. Not as it would feel an earthquake shock, but as the globe
feels that grand cohesive power which cements its heterogeneous
masses and binds them in one harmonious band.
REV. GEORGE WYLIE CLINTON, A.M.
EDITOR OF THE " STAR OF ZION," THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH.
fHE subject of this sketch was born in Lancaster County, South
Carolina, March 28, 1859. His father having died when he was
but two years old, he was brought up in the home of his grand¬
parents, with whom he and. his mother lived until he was sixteen
years old. He received the training of the common schools of Lan¬
caster County and entered the senior class of the preparatory de¬
partment of the South Carolina University, an institution which has
sent out some of the first men of the South, in both the civil and
the ecclesiastical spheres. He remained in the South Carolina Uni¬
versity until he had completed his sophomore year in the classical
department. This was the year 1876, when "Wade Hampton was
elected by the Democratic party Governor of South Carolina, and as
a consequence colored students were compelled to withdraw from
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
119
the university. His education being thus suddenly broken off, he
returned home, assisted his mother and grandmother in harvesting
the crop of that year, and then began his career as a teacher in the
public schools of his native State. It may be observed here that
young Clinton was very much devoted to his mother, and that this
devotion was largely the natural result of the pious training which
she had given him. The death of his father when he was so young
necessarily brought him more fully under the care and training of
his mother and more constantly into her association. Without any
disparagement to fathers, may not such a situation, together with the
fact that the boy must more largely rely on himself, explain the ad¬
vancement and success of many a young man ?
Rev. George Wyeie Clinton, D.D.,
Salisbury, N. C.
While at home young Clinton was appointed to the position of clerk
in the office of C. P. Pelham, Auditor of Lancaster County, and re¬
mained in this position till called to larger fields as a teacher of his
120
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
race. One incident in connection with his experience m this office
deserves special mention, because of its suggestion of the guidance
of the unseen hand of Providence. In connection with his other
duties he began the study of law in the office of two leading Demo¬
cratic lawyers of Lancaster, and, as it was recommended by Black-
stone, he undertook a close and earnest reading of the Bible. His
interest in the Bible soon outgrew his interest in Blaekstone and
Kent; and, having believed on Him who saves to the uttermost, he
abandoned law as a profession and was licensed to preach on Febru¬
ary 14, 1879. This was the turning point in his life. He continued
preaching and teaching until November, 1891, when he joined the
South Carolina Conference of the A. M. E. Zion Church, and forsook
all and followed Him.
From this time on Rev. Mr. Clinton's history is a part of the history
of his church in South Carolina and ,in the nation as a preacher and
religious teacher with both tongue and pen. His first appointment
as an itinerant preacher was near Chester, S. C. He resided in the
town and in order to complete his college course connected himself
with Brainard Institute, a high grade institution located there. This
was another characteristic and significant step. He must complete the
foundation upon which he proposed to build the education of a
lifetime.
While studying in this institution he so commended himself as an
earnest and successful student that he was given by Rev. Samuel
Loomis, A.M., the principal, a position as teacher which afforded
some remuneration and at the same time permitted him to carry out
his resolution to complete his college course. He graduated with
high rank, and entered more regularly upon the work of the intinerant
ministry in his conference. He continued in this capacity seven
years when he was transferred by Bishop S. T. Jones, D.D., to the
Allegheny Conference to take the difficult appointment of John
Wesley Church, Pittsburgh, Pa., perhaps the most important ap¬
pointment west of New York. In this appointment he followed one
of the most experienced and successful men in the entire connection
and one who, it was thought, had carried "John Wesley" to its high-
water mark. But our subject made a new mark for her, and gave
her a record and standing which alike astonished and delighted the
membership and the chief pastors under whom he labored.
The proof of the success of his management of this church was
given in the manner in which it entertained the great General Con-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 121
ference of 1892. This appointment may be considered to mark the
end of the first stage of Rev. Mr Clinton's career as a rising young
divine of his church.
Before proceeding to review the second stage of his career, it
would be proper to remark that during almost the entire period of
Rev. Mr. Clinton's itinerancy in the South Carolina Conference he was
without question the leading man of the conference, confessedly the
standard by which the best material of the conference was gauged.
He was a sort of standing secretary of the conference and perpetual
compiler and publisher of the minutes. This distinction was due in
no sense to an inclination to favoritism on the part of the confer¬
ence. He won it by his merit as an accurate, painstaking, scholarly
worker, and nobody thought of anything else than that this business
of the conference was in his hands. When he was transferred he
was conference steward or connectional treasurer of the conference,
showing that his colleagues saw in him not only scholarship but
sound business methods and unwavering integrity. These char¬
acteristics of Rev. Mr. Clinton had already opened up to him the columns
of the leading papers of his State, like the Charleston News and
Courier, the Charleston Sun, the Century, the Union Times, and the
Landcaster Ledger, and all the colored journals sought him.
His contributions to these periodicals always furnished evidence
of thought, literary tastevand scholarship. Editor Clinton's popu¬
larity in his conference and his influence in his State were the means
by which the writer first came to a knowledge of his usefulness and
prospects.
Returning now to the beginning of the second stage of his career,
we find him the accomplished, eloquent and popular pastor of John
Wesley Church, Pittsburgh, Pa. From this time on South Caro¬
lina can claim him only in common with other portions of the great
church of which he has now become a leading figure. Even before
he left South Carolina, as a representative of his conference in the
General Conferences at New York and New Bern, N. C., his merits
were acknowledged by the general church in his being chosen as¬
sistant secretary at both these conferences ; and at the latter he was
also created one of the commissioners of the A. M. E. Zion Church
to confer with similar representatives of the C. M. E. Church on
Organic Union. But along with his appointment to Pittsburgh,
the church urges consideration of him as a suitable man to succeed
Hon. John C. Dancey as editor of the church organ, the Star of Zion.
122
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Rev. Mr. Clinton had long ago demonstrated his right to such consider¬
ation by his luminous contributions to the papers above referred to
as well as to the Star of Zion, and in Pittsburgh as editor of the
Afro-American Spokesman, to which position he was chosen by the
colored ministers of Western Pennsylvania of all denominations, he
proved beyond a doubt that he had talent and calling in that direction.
But he gives further and conclusive demonstration of his fitness for
the position that was evidently looming up for him by projecting,
founding and runnning the A. M. E. Zion Church Quarterly. This ef¬
fort showed not only his genius for organization but his ability to
manage successfully a large and important literary venture. He
ran the Quarterly on his own resources for two years and then turned
it over to the General Conference in Pittsburgh without a cent of
cost to the connection. The Quarterly is now one of the established
institutions of the church, and if Editor Clinton had originated and
established no other great enterprise this would be sufficient to give
him perpetual fame in the church. But brilliant and creditable as is
this effort of his it is only the door by which he enters into larger
avenues of usefulness to his church and his race. At the General
Conference in Pittsburgh in 1892, he was elected by a good majority
to the place of editor of the Star of Zion, his church organ. He was
by this choice elevated to one of the most responsible and distin¬
guished positions in his church—a position of honor and one matched
only by the Presidency of Livingston College in its requirements
for scholarship, broad culture and sound judgment as a good busi¬
ness man and high executive officer of the connection.
Editor Clinton's genius to originate is powerfully evidenced also
by the following fact: In February 1893 while attending the Florida
Conference, he conceived the idea, and planned its execution, which
has culminated in the Varrick Memorial Hall and Publishing- House
of the A. M. E. Zion Church in Charlotte, N. C. He presented his
plan to the Board of Bishops in its semi-annual session in Birming¬
ham in March, 1893, and the fruit thereof will be the connection's
great plant at Charlotte, N. C., which in its development will un¬
doubtedly become an honor to the mind that'conceived as well as to
the church which carries it to success.
By way of incident, but a very significant incident, it may be re¬
marked that it was Editor Clinton who proposed the organization of
our Sunday School Union and who headed the committee that formu¬
lated the plan for carrying out the organization. Editor Clinton has
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE KACE.
123
been progressive not only in the sense that contemplates personal
advancement, but he has also manifested a noteworthy philanthropy
and public spirit. As an evidence of his philanthropic spirit it may
be related that he has assisted seven students through Livingston
College, some of whom have gone forward to advanced scholarship
and have already achieved considerable success in the professional
walks of life. His public spirit was signally illustrated by the brave
and courageous part which he took in the famous Flemon-Yeddell
case. His earnest and untiring efforts to secure to Flemon justice
and his perilous trip to Western South Carolina during the trial
were no small part of the means which brought about the acquittal
of Flemon.
No sketch of Editor Clinton would be complete that did not include
some reference to his relation as husband and to the influence of his
wife on his young manhood. At the early age of twenty-one he mar¬
ried Miss E. J. Peay, of Rock Hill, S. C., who was also a student at
Brainard Institute, the alma mater of her husband. This was a most
happy union and it is but just to say that Mrs. Clinton was a large
factor in the rapid progress and advancement of her husband. The
writer was an eye witness of the halo of grace and gentle inspiration
which her presence cast around the home of which she was the cen¬
ter. But alas! As the bud fadeth in the time of its sweetest fra¬
grance her soul eluded the grasp of time and was transplanted to the
great beyond where it fadeth not for evermore.
The memory of the General Conference of 1892 becomes poignant
only in the vididness of this other precious memory, but its poign¬
ancy becomes soothing when we remember what sister Clinton illus¬
trated in her life and won in her death. But the picture must be
changed for the final view. Editor Clinton's life has been hallowed
in her taking away and his consecration is only increased. He is
moving on to brighter goals of success. He is now bending all his
energies toward making "The Star of Zion" thoroughly worthy of
the great organization which it represents. He is a fair specimen of
Zion's coming men, and is making a conspicuous, record not only for
himself but for his church. One of the proofs in point is the invita¬
tion extended to him by Principal Washington, of Tuskegee (Ala.)
Institute, to deliver a series of lectures on the Bible in his institu¬
tion. He is thus chosen as the representative of his church, to do
this service calling for theological learning and a wide acquaintance
with letters. It will be according to his custom to fill this engage-
124 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
merit with credit to himself and profit to his hearers. He is char¬
acterized by a lucidness of speech and a forcefulness of utterance
which mark for him a towering place among the leaders of his church
as a preacher and public speaker, and his logical and earnest style
together with his sterling integrity guarantees to him no decline in
his ascent of the higher heights of Zion.
HON. H. C. SMITH.
[For eleven years editor and proprietor of the " Cleveland Gazette," and a member of
the Ohio Legislature.]
BY PROF. W. S. SCARBOROUGH.
HE well known subject of this sketch was born in Clarksburg,
West Virginia, on the 28th of January, 1863. He was taken to
Cleveland, his present home, in 1865. Here he attended the
schools of the city from an early age, finishing in 1882. During the
next year he devoted his entire time to the study of band and orches¬
tral music. In this he also reached distinction. The same desire to
rise above mediocrity and thereby demand respect for himself and
race because of his fitness and thorough preparation for the work of
life, took possession of him here as in his earlier life. He lost no time,
but continued to plod upward. The result is, that as a young man of
scholarly attainments, of comprehensive views, as a journalist and
musician—especially a cornetist—he stands to-day facile princeps
among the first colored citizens in the State of Ohio.
In addition to his editorial duties, for years Mr. Smith was leader
and musical director of the famous Excelsior Cornet Band, of Cleve¬
land, Ohio. His compositions have found ready sale, especially his
song and chorus, "Be True, Bright Eyes," now known throughout
the country.
In August, 1883, H. C. Smith, with three other gentlemen, launched
the Cleveland (Ohio) Gazette upon the sea of journalism. Since that
time, however, he has become sole owner and proprietor. This paper
has proved a success, and is now by far the best colored paper pub¬
lished in the State of Ohio, and is one among the best edited by col-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
125
ored journalists in the United States. It is vigorous in tone, fearless
in its defense of right, an uncompromising enemy of prejudice in all
its forms, a strong advocate of equal rights to all men without dis¬
tinction, and a staunch Republican in politics, with principle rather
than expediency as its basis.
Mr. Smith has always wielded a fearless and able pen for right
and truth. He has fought squarely in behalf of his race, demanding
for it recognition wherever denied. No other proof of this is needed
Hon. H. C. Smith.
Cleveland, Ohio.
than the Gazette itself. The Hon. Frederick Douglass wrote: " In the
midst of hurried preparations for a long tour in Europe, I snatch my
pen and spend a few moments to tell you how completely I sympa¬
thize with your political attitude." Then, again, he adds: "I do ex¬
hort your readers to stand by you in your effort to lead the colored
citizens of Ohio to wise political action."
Though at times Mr. Smith has been severely criticised, he has
never varied from what he considered his duty. He believes that the
Republican party conserves the best interests of the Negro, and
thereupon he becomes its able and active defender. His articles are
read with both pleasure and profit, to which fact is largely due
the increased and increasing circulation of the Gazette.
The Republican governors of Ohio are indebted to Mr. Smith about
126
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
as much as to any one journalist, colored or white, in the State. The
colored members of the Ohio Assembly have always had a strong
supporter in the editor of the Gazette. A few years ago he was
appointed a Deputy State Oil Inspector, at Cleveland (the first Afro-
American in the North so recognized) and held the position four
years, until the election of a Democratic governor (Campbell). This
appointment not only fittingly recognized the race, but the individual
in the choice of one in every way qualified for the position and especi¬
ally deserving of the appointment. The bond required was $5,000.
This he soon secured in the persons of three of the oldest and most
respected colored citizens of Cleveland. Mr. Smith is what we might
call a self-made man, as it is through his own indefatigable efforts
that he has reached his present position in life.
He is the author of several pieces of music for the guitar, in addi¬
tion to compositions for the voice and piano. His various public
utterances rank him as an active, wide-awake observer of passing
events. Broad in his views he is withal charitable, zealous and con¬
scientious. He is, perhaps, the first colored member of a white press
association in the North, and is one of the youngest of our leading
editors.
H. C. Smith is one of the young men of whom we all may feel proud
and from whom we may justly expect an ever increasing career of
honor and usefulness. His election to "the Ohio Legislature at the
election hteld November 7, 1893, by a majority of over 8,000 over his
Democratic opponent (white) in a county (Cuyahoga) which polls over
40,000 Republiacn votes (about 2,000 being those of Afro-Americans),
is indeed a fitting recognition of Mr. Smith's ability and worth as a
man.
In order to secure the nomination, he had to contest with a very
popular white Republican wTho had served in the preceding assembly.
Nominations are made in Cuyahoga County under what is termed
"the popular vote plan." That is, Republicans go to the polls on
the day of the primaries and vote direct to nominate as all voters do
to elect on election day. The same care is taken by the Board of
Elections with the vote of the primaries as with the election day
vote. The following from the Indianapolis (Ind.) Freeman, is per¬
tinent.
'' When the voters of ' Old Cuyahoga,' in Ohio, were casting about
for a representative to send to the legislature, the Freeman shied its
castor in the ring for Editor Smith, of the Gazette, as a proper and fit
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
127
person to be selected for the honor. Mr. Smith received the nomi>
nation and was triumphantly elected, and his record as he has made
it up to this time has amply vindicated the choice and judgment of
his constituents. Mr. Smith has quickly and easily taken first place
among the three Afro-American representatives selected by the
voters of the Buckeye State to assist in making laws, and is in fact
one of the few marked and growing young members who have suc¬
ceeded in making themselves noticed and esteemed for the merit and
value of their work. A few days since the colored citizens of Oberlin
held a mass meeting, at which the following resolution was reported
and adopted:
Resolved, That we do most heartily commend Hon. H. C. Smith, our representative in
the Ohio Legislature, for the manly stand he has taken in behalf of equal rights for all cit¬
izens of Ohio. Thomas Jenny, Chairman.
Geo. W. M. L/ucas, Secretary.
His bill against lynching, drawn upon lines suggested by Judge
Albion W. Tourgee, attracted even more attention than the "Civil
Rights bill he had passed. Mr. Smith did good work for his white
constituents also, which they thoroughly appreciate. His term ex¬
pires November 7, 1895. It-is customary to elect members for a
second term who make a good record. There is no doubt of his re-
nomination and re-election should he desire it. Two of Cuyahoga's
eight legislators are Afro-Americans. Our lives are measured by
what we accomplish and hot*by "paltry years of existence."
gthall Jl ©uke a $Jcqjer?
W T this season of the year, when publishers are making special
rJr offers to the reading public, we are all debating the mental fare
with which we shall spread our table in 1895. We ought to have
first a good church paper thoroughly representative of our denomi¬
nation.
The Methodist ought to have the South- Western Advocate, published
it New Orleans; the African Methodist ought to have the Christian
Recorder, published at Philadelphia; the Congregationaljst ought to
lave The Congregationalist, published at Boston, or the The Advance,
published at Chicago; and so on for the Baptists, Episcopalians,
128
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Evangelists and other denominations among' us. Each home ought to
have its church paper. Next to that stands some good clean helpful
race journal. Get one, in the columns of which the editors are seeking
to help the race up, and not working to pull it down. When you sub¬
scribe for a race journal get one in which the editors display not pes¬
simistic, but optimistic views of the race.
It will be well to remember that it takes brains to edit a newspaper,
and men who have not been trained to think are hardly men to be en¬
trusted with the perilous task of giving direction to public opinion.
The editorial chair requires more than that culture gotten from the
reading of newspapers. The editor who is sending out week by week
his paper into the world ought to be able to grapple with the prob¬
lems of the day and think them through. There is too much guess¬
ing on the grave social problems of the day by editors. Riots and
mobs are the result of false teaching, both on the part of the hot¬
headed anarchists and incompetent editors who are not anachists.
In selecting your race journal for the next year find one whose edito¬
rial columns show moderation, and one which is not always squared
off with a chip on its shoulder daring someone to knock it off. The
paper which busies itself with fighting its contemporaries cannot be
of very much help to you. When you raise the question about taking
a race journal remember there are two reasons especially to be re¬
membered why you should. The first is a duty you owe to yourself
to keep up with the movements among your own people. Second, you
owe it to the race to support laudable enterprises which look to the
betterment of the race. Let us remember, too, that the press, the
pulpit and the platform have been the great liberators of the nations.
In this land of ours we need the influence of all of these to plead our
cause up and down the length of our land. Put some good race
weekly on your list for 1895.— Cleveland (Ohio) Gazette.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
129
NEWSPAPERS
The following is a list of newspapers and magazines edited and
published by and for Afro-Americans. Alphabetically arranged by
States:
Alabama.
1 Birmingham , Harrison's Pet Weekly.
2 " Wide Awake
3 " Southern Broadaxe
4 Eutaw . Weekly Blade
5 Huntsville Huntsville Gazette
6 " Huntsville Journal
7 " Southern Freeman
8 " The Independent
9 Lovan The Eagle
10 Mobile Southern Watchman
11 " Ferret Journal
12 " Weekly Sentinel
13 " West Alabama Advocate
14 Montgomery The Argus
15 " Baptist Leader
16 " Odd Fellow's Journal Monthly.
17 Opelika The People's Choice Weekly.
18 Selma Student's Voice "
19 Tuskegee The Tuskegee Student Monthly.
Arkansas.
20 Fort Smith The Post Weekly.
21 Helena Helena Progress
22 kittle Rock Arkansas Dispatch
23 " Baptist Vanguard
24 Osceola Afro-American Leader "
25 Pine Bluff The Fcho
California.
26 Los Angeles The Vindicator "
27 " '• The Fagle "
9
130
afro-american encyclopedia.
28 Los Angeles The Hustler .... ."Weekly.
29 " " Weekly Examiner "
30 San Francisco The Elevator ''
31 " " "Western Outlook "
Colorado.
32 Colorado Spring's "Western Enterprise '*
33 Denver Exponent "
34 " Denver Statesman "
35 Pueblo Pueblo Times "
Connecticut.
36 New Haven Zion's Trumpet "
Delaware.
37 Wilmington Twilight "
District op Columbia.
38 Washington The Bee "
39 " The Colored American "
40 " The Globe Daily.
41 " The Pilot Weekly.
42 " Woman's Tribune "
43 " National Baptist Messenger Quarterly.
44 " The Zion Methodist '....Weekly.
Florida.
45 Gainesville Florida Sentinel "
46 Live Oak Florida Baptist "
47 Jacksonville Southern Courier "
48 " The Daily American Daily.
49 " The Advocate Weekly.
50 Winter Park Winter Park Advocate "
Georgia.
51 Athens : The Clipper "
52 Albany The Dispatch "
53 Americus People's Messenger "
54 Atlanta The People's Advocate "
55 " Voice of Missions Monthly.
56 " The Georgia Speaker "
57 " Spellman Messenger "
58 " Hope Spellman Seminary "
59 " Atlanta Times Weekly.
60 " Southern Appeal "
61 Augusta Georgia Baptist "
62 " Augusta Sentinel "
63 " Methodist Union "
64 " The Haines Journal Monthly.
65 Blakely The Mouthpiece Weekly.
66 Brunswick The Gleaner "
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
131
67 Cartersville The Negro Educational Journal Monthly.
68 Dalton Dalton Argus Weekly.
69 Eastman Negro Exponent "
70 Rome Baptist Banner "
71 " People's Journal "
72 " The Woman's World Semi-Monthly
73 Savannah Labor Union Weekly.
74 " Recorder •. "
75 " Tribune "
76 Valdosta Black and White "
Illinois.
77 Chicago A. M. E. Record. "
78 " .Appeal "
79 " Bee
80 " Brotherhood "
81 " Chicago Legal News "
82 " Chicago Standard "
83 " Chicago Clipper "
84 " Church Organ
85 " Conservator "
86 " Christian Science Monthly.
87 " Free Speech Weekly.
88 Peoria The Negro Problem "
89 Springfield State Capital "
Indiana.
90 Indianapolis The Freeman "
91 " The World "
92 Terre Haute Afro-American Journal "
Indian Territory.
✓
93 Lee Creek Nation Weekly Sun "
Iowa.
94 Des Moines The Avalanche "
95 " The Bystander "
Kansas.
96 Atchison The Blade • "
97 Coffeeville Afro-American Advocate "
98 " Kansas Blackman "
99 Kansas City American Citizen "
100 Leavenworth Leavenworth Herald "
101 Parsons Weekly Blade "
102 Topeka The Call "
103 " State Ledger "
104 Witchita National Baptist World "
132
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Kentucky.
105 Hopkinsville Indicator W eekly.
106 Henderson Gleaner "
107 Lexington The Standard "
108 Louisville American Baptist "
109 " National Baptist Messenger Quarterly.
110 " Ohio Falls Weekly.
111 " Zion's Banner "
Louisiana.
112 New Orleans The Crescent Monthly.
Journal of the Lodge ' "Weekly.
Christian Herald "
Crusader Daily.
People's Reporter Monthly.
South Western Christian Advocate Weekly.
The Ferret "
The Monitor "
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
Maryland.
120 Baltimore Afro-American Weekly.
121 " Church Advocate "
122 " Prohibition Advocate "
123 " The Colored Harvester "
124 Flkton The Dawn ...Monthly.
125 Marlborough The Crusader Weekly.
Maine.
126 Augusta The Wide World Weekly.
Massachusetts.
127 Boston The Courant "
128 " Watchman "
129 " Advocate "
130 " Woman's Era "
131 " Woman's Journal Monthly.
132 " Woman's Column "
133 " Boston Banner Weekly.
134 " The Republican "
Michigan.
135 Detroit American Catholic "
136 " Detroit Plaindealer "
137 " National Independent "
138 " The Beacon Light "
Minnesota.
139 St. Paul The Appeal
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
133
Mississippi.
■0 Columbus New L,ight Semi-Monthly
H " Baptist Reflector Weekly.
\2 Jackson People's Defender "
1-3 " The Jackson L/ig-ht Monthly.
w " The Messenger Semi-Monthly
15 Meridian Fair Play Weekly.
16 Natchez The Brotherhood "
W " The Reporter Monthly.
18 Senatobia The Baptist Herald Weekly.
19 Shaw The News "
Missouri.
50 Hamilton Baptist Standard "
51 Kansas City Future State "
52 " " Gate City Press "
53 " " The American Citizen "
54 " " Kansas City Messenger "
55 Independence The International Monthly.
56 Moberly Christian Recorder Weekly.
57 " Western Optic "
58 Pine Bluff The Echo
59 Sedalia Sedalia International Monthly.
60 " Af ro-American W eekly.
61 St. L<ouis St. Iyouis Advocate "
62 " Missionary Record Monthly.
Nebraska.
63 Omaha Progress Weekly.
64 " .'.Enterprise "
65 " Afro-American Sentinel "
New Jersey.
66 Newark New Jersey Trumpet "
* New York.
67 New York The Fcho "
68 " The Age.
69 " The Examiner "
70 " Union Times "
71 •' National Temperance Advocate "
72 '' Home Mission Monthly.
73 Brooklyn National Monitor Weekly.
74 Buffalo The Basis "
North Carolina.
75 Charlotte Afro-American Press "
76 " The Messenger "
77 " Baptist Pilot Monthly.
78 Raleigh The Gazette Weekly.
79 " North Carolina Sun "
134
afro-american encyclopedia.
180 Readsville Baptist Headlight Weekly.
181 Salisbury Star of Zion "
182 " ! Livingston Monthly.
183 Winston The Student "
184 Wilmington A. M. E. Zion Quarterly.
185 " The Afro-American Presbyterian Weekly.
Ohio.
186 Albany The Diadem "
187 Cleveland The Gazette "
188 " Ring-wood Journal of Fashion Monthly.
189 " Voice of the People Weekly.
190 Cincinnati American Catholic Tribune Monthly.
191 " Journal and Messenger Weekly.
192 " .The Race Problem "
193 " Old Hughes Monthly.
194 Ring-wood American Journal "
195 Springfield The Beacon Weekly.
196 Toledo Afro-American Standard "
Oklahoma.
197 Langston City The Herald "
Pennsylvania.
198 Philadelphia The Christian Banner "
199 " Astonisher "
200 " The Speck "
201 " The Christian Recorder "
202 " Independent Advocate "
203 " Masonic Herald "
204 " Weekly Tribune "
205 " Standard Echo "
206 " A. M. E. Church Review Quarterly.
207 Pittsburg The Spokesman Weekly.
208 " TheBroadaxe "
Rhode Island.
209 Providence New England Torch Light "
210 " The Sun "
South Carolina.
211 Aikin Court House Little Observer Semi-Monthly
212 Beaufort New South Weekly.
213 Bennettsville Pee Dee Educator Semi-Monthly
214 Brunson Hampton County Elevator Weekly.
215 Charleston Enquirer "
216 " -....Messenger "
217 Chester South Carolina Herald "
218 Columbia People's Recorder "
219 Florence Baptist Herald Semi-Monthly
220 Valcluse South Carolina Tribune Weekly.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE KACE.
135
Tennessee.
221 Athens W atchman W eekly.
222 Clarksville Montgomery Pilot i "
223 Columbia Headlight Semi-Monthly
224 Fayetteville Colored Presbyterian (Cumberland) "Weekly.
225 Jackson Christian Index "
226 Knoxville The Herald "
227 " Negro World
228 " Weekly Gleaner "
229 Lebanon The Gleaner "
230 Memphis Head and Hand Monthly.
231 " .• Afro-American W eekly.
232 " The Baptist Messenger "
233 " The Christian Herald t "
234 " The giving Way
235 " The Watchman "
236 Nashville The Citizen "
237 " Fisk Herald monthly.
238 " Central Tennessee College Record "
239 " Tennessee Baptist. Weekly.
240 " The Bugle Blast "
241 " Immaculate Headlight
242 " Hope Monthly. •
243 " The Bulletin Weekly.
Texas.
244 Austin Herald.
245 Beaumont Beaumont Iyeader "
246 " Weekly Advertiser '*
247 Corsicana The Reflector "
248 Dallas Missionary Reporter
249 " Southern Mercury Weekly.
250 " The Baptist Star "
251 Fort Worth. The Item "
252 " The Organizer "
253 Galveston .• Freeman's Journal
254 " Galveston Witness "
255 Houston The Texas Freeman
256 Hearn The Hearn Academy Monthly.
257 Kaufman Kaufman Pilot Weekly.
258 Navasota The Echo
259 Prairie View State Normal Monthly.
260 San Antonio The Texas Globe Weekly.
261 " " The Blade "
262 Iyeguin The New Test "
263 Waco The Searchlight "
Utah.
264 Suit I^ake City Western Recorder..
265 " " Womens' Exponent
136
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Virginia.
266 Alexandria Z ion's Leader Weekly.
267 " The Christian Clipper "
268 Boydton Midland Express "
269 South Boston The Boston Banner "
270 Berkley Atlantic Baptist "
271 Cappahosic Clancester Letter "
272 Danville The Methodist "
273 Graham Headlight "
274 Lawrenceville Southern Messenger Semi-Monthly.
275 Lynchburg Counselor Herald Weekly.
276 " The Laborer "
277 Manchester Manchester Weekly "
278 Newport News The Caret Monthly.
279 Norfolk The Speaker Weekly.
280 " The Rambler
281 " Recorder "
282 Petersburg The Herald "
283 " The Recorder "
284 " Petersburg Lancet "
285 " V. N. and C. T. Gazette "
286 " National Pilot Quarterly.
287 Port Royal The Press.. , Weekly.
288 Richmond The Planet "
289 " Southern News "
290 " Woman's Weekly—"Vlirginia Reporter "
291 " Young Men's Friend Monthly.
292 " The Times Weekly.
293 " The State
294 " The Weekly Cyclone "
295 " The Performer "
296 " Religious Herald "
297 Roanoke Roanoke Daily Press Daily.
298 Suffolk Christian Visitor Monthly.
299 Vanna Grove Henrico News Weekly.
West Virginia.
300 Martinsburg Pioneer Press "
301 Montgomery The Baptist Pioneer "
302 Parkersburg The Freeman "
Wisconsin.
303 Milwaukee Northwestern Recorder.
Washington.
304 Seattle The Seattle Republican.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 137
MRS. M. A. MGGURDY,
EDITOR OF THE "WOMAN'S WORLD."
N 1852, when all England and many persons in the United States
were greatly enthused and cited to action in defense of the
Negroes of this country, who were being crushed and demor¬
alized by the cruel hand of slavery as portrayed by Mrs. Harriet
Beecher Stowe in her famous book known as Uncle Tom's Cabin,
there was born to Alexander and Martha Harris, on the 10th day of
August, 1852, in the little village of Carthage, Ind., a girl child who
was destined to become an instrument in the hands of God for the
defense of her people and the cause of temperance. I refer to the
lady whose name graces the head of this article, which is a bio¬
graphic sketch of her life. Mrs. M. A. McCurdy acquired the
rudiments of an education in the mixed schools of Rush County,
but deprived of the privilege of attending any other college, by the
death of her father, nevertheless she was so determined fco fit her¬
self for usefulness that she sought diligently for knowledge obtained
from books that prepared her for teaching a county school near her
home, long ere she was nineteen years old. Soon after the close of
her school she was wedded to J. A. Mason, and for more than eight
years filled with profit and precision the worthy position of wife
and mother, never failing in the meantime to embrace opportunities
presented wherein she could glean knowledge necessary to fit her
for the promotion of causes that honor God and elevate humanity.
During the course of time mentioned the all-wise Giver of good
gifts and one who doeth all things right took to heaven her four
jewels and suffered her to become deprived of her husband. Thus
left to herself she became more anxious to do something to elevate
humanity, and accordingly became identified with other ladies of
Richmond, Ind., in the temperance cause.
In the year 1884 she became first the secretary, and in a few weeks
the editress of the only temperance paper at that time in the city.
Through the columns of the paper she became widely known as a
staunch advocate of the temperance cause, and was the first person
D Mrs. M. A. McCurdy,
Rome, Ga.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
139
to sound the alarm of prohibition. At a public meeting held by the
white people of that city, being of a philanthropic and missionary dis¬
position, a desire to go South where the greatest good could be done
for her race, seized hold of her, and through the kindness of Rev.
J. M. Townsend, Bishop H. M. Turner and wife offered her a
home. Therefore, on the 26th of January, 1886, she landed in
Atlanta, Ga., the Gate City of the South, and became a member of
the good Bishop's family, and when that learned divine caused to
appear on the 25th of September, 1886, the neat journal, known as
the Southern Recorder, she became its efficient secretary and served
as editor pro tem of the same for at least half the time that it was
the property of Bishop Turner, and was therefore styled the mother
of the Recorder by many of its supporters. The good Bishop en¬
joyed frequent hearty laughs over many things said in other papers
concerning the wise sayings in his paper that were thought to be his
but were things said by Mrs. M. A. Mason, the secretary.
She is neither a poet nor a fiction writer, but is indeed a ready
writer upon subjects of solid and philanthropic character, as has
been seen or proven by her utterances in papers South and West.
During her four years' stay in Atlanta, Ga., she built up a fine mis¬
sion in it, St. James A. M. E. Church, of that city. She served as
superintendent of the Sunday school in the above church for three
years; visited the chain gang in the interest of the temperance
cause; acted as secretary of local and county W. C. T. U., and did
so much other Christian work, that when Rev. C. McCurdy, of Rome,
Ga., did on the 16th of July, 1890, take her unto himself as wife
there were many hearts made sad in the Gate City of the South.
SKETCH OF HER LIFE AND LABOR IN ROME, GA.
BY REV. A. B. ALLEN.
Her coming to Rome has proven to be a great blessing to all the
people in many ways. Socially, she has contributed no little to
society. She has entered the homes of the people and has been the
means of inspiration as well as the means to incite them to greater
excellence in morals and religion. She has never had in mind this
140
afro-american encyclopedia.
thought,- that virtue and intelligence are the greatest interests of a
community including all others, and worth all others, and the noblest
agency is that by which they are advanced. She is ever active in
fostering the truths which are calculated to fit the people into whom
she plants them, for the greatest usefulness to God and man. In
this she has been eminently successful. She visits daily damp and
dark cellars where the people are found in squalor and destitution,
and like the good Samaritan she comforts the sorrowing, pours oil
upon the wounds of the wounded, feeds the hungry, clothes the
naked, and like a messenger from the celestial world points the lost
and straying to Jesus, the world's Redeemer and heaven. No home
is too humble for her to enter, no person too base for her to labor
to save.
Industrial Work.
The industrial work which has been done by her has been a bless¬
ing to the people throughout this city with its fifteen thousand in¬
habitants. An organization known as the "Rome Branch of the
Needle "Work Guild of America," was organized two years ago, in
which time it has grown to an immense proportion. Three hundred
and three garmfents have been made and distributed indiscriminately
throughout this city and vicinity, also to orphans' homes of At¬
lanta, Ga.
Secretary of State.
She is now serving as Corresponding Secretary of State of the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union for the State of Georgia,
performing the arduous and difficult work with apparent ease, and
certainly she gives the highest satisfaction. Her eminent fitness
and ability to do the work make her one of the foremost women of
the State, if not the foremost in the State. She has served as
editress of the temperance column in the National Presbyterian. In
this position she is apt to teach the reading public and thereby
leaving upon them the impress or her noble spirit. One has only to
read her articles to become a total abstainer. The truths which she
has sent forth have at all times been sharper than any two-edged
sword. Certainly if the people knew the good that has been ac¬
complished by her they would be convinced more than at any age
that "the pen is mightier than the sword." She is a cogent writer;
always forceful and impressive whether writing or speaking. Her
productions must always live because they will be read with interest
by all the peoplle, whether erudite or otherwise.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 141
Superintendent of the Juvenile Work of the Knox Presby¬
tery of the Presbyterian Church.
In this department of the great church which has for many years
sought to secure the good of man and the glory of God, this great
woman is actively engaged in leading the child out while his mind is
pliant and susceptible and preparing him for his life work. She is
beyond any reasonable doubt better qualified for so great a cause
than any of whom it has been my privilege to meet. Her intellect¬
ual culture,, her religious stamina and her interest in the youth of
our land give her the essential merits which the importance of the
case demands.
Superintendent of Presswork for State W. C. T. U. No. 2.
All who know anything about this work know how difficult it is to
do this work accurately. Yet the subject of this sketch has done
this work most acceptably and creditably. Her broad experience
upon all lines of work makes her useful almost to a limitless degree.
President of Missionary Work in the Presbyterian Church.
In the first place she is loyal to her church. The pastor has ever
in her a faithful ally; the church an unceasing and untiring worker;
the Christian Endeavor and Sunday school, a loving, wise and dili¬
gent teacher, one who is in every way possessed with the sublime
capability of pushing forward the cause which she so earnestly ad¬
vocates. The work has been enhanced greatly by her effort. In¬
deed there is doubt in my mind as to whether anyone has been able
to do so much work for God and the whole people as she has done.
Editress of the "Woman's World."
This is a paper devoted to the intellectual, moral and spiritual in¬
terest of the people. It has met with marked success as it has gone
forth, laden with rich things to bless and uplift and strengthen the
minds of the people in their home, like autumn leaves to enrich our
earth. It has been wisely and ably managed. The editress is an
ardent and firm advocate of woman's suffrage. Seeing she is presi¬
dent of the local W. C. T. U., she believes if women had the right
of franchise the infernal liquor traffic would be banished from the
land so as never to return to blot the pages of the history of our
fair country. In either of these departments of work she has not
only made herself known and felt in this city but throughout the
State and in all of the important cities. She is the beginner of
142
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
reforms in society; as such she is deservedly popular, esteemed and
honored by all. During last Christmas the Mayor of this city had
all of the barrooms and drunkerries of this city closed. It is known
by many that such an achievement in the history of this city was
never accomplished before. It was due to the strong Christian
influence of this noble woman. She is an uncompromising foe of
this liquor demon and is bent upon his utter destruction. The
paper she edits is arrayed against him, her speeches, her articles
and her prayers. The difficulty with which she has sustained and
kept the W. C. T. U. in this place, where drunkerries meet the gaze
of the eye, is in many respects remarkable and bespeaks volumes
for her, and must finally result in the downfall of the monster and
the final triumph of her tears, prayers, faith and work. She uncon¬
sciously throws herself into all she says and does. She is put¬
ting spirit into the age, old and young; she labors upon immortal
nature ; she is laying the foundation of unperishable excellence and
happiness. Her work will outlive empires and the stars.
DUTY OF THE STATE TO THE NEGRO.
BY MRS. M. A. M'CURDY.
" Whate'er thy race or speech, thou art the same,
Before thy eyes duty, a constant flame,
Shines always steadfast with unchanging- light
Through dark days and through bright."
HEN the Negro was brought to America as a slave and thus
held for more than two hundred years, he was robbed of all
privileges allotted to mankind to compete morally, intellect¬
ually and politically with other races, and as a natural consequence,
his five senses became dormant to an alarming extent, and thus made
him a subservient creature with but a faint hope of ever being re¬
lieved and allowed to exercise his faculties in common with other
men. Time upon fleet wings rolled on, the Negro ever submissive
and obedient to his earthly master, trustful, prayerful and always
confiding in his Heavenly Father, did so ingratiate himself to many,
as to cause them to conceive the idea of liberating the slave and then
place him on equality to a limited extent with other races of this
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 143
country. This being done, more than 4,000,000 souls found them¬
selves in great need of improvement from a moral, intellectual and
financial standpoint, and accordingly sought the aid of friends, who
came from the North and other points to their rescue, and have
assisted very largely in placing the Negro on the road of intellectual
success by the public school system, the erection of colleges and
other institutions of learning, that have benefited him quite materi¬
ally. But all that does not suffice to make him the peer of others in
character, morals and political requisites. True, churches can be
seen with their spires pointing upward in every village, town and
city throughout the United States, owned by the Negro, but they do
not serve to save the great number of souls in the higyways and
hedges who are starving for the want of that Heavenly Manna that
is in the hands of the Anglo-Saxon and Afro-Americans, who employ
them to serve in the capacity of servants and come in contact with
them as they go about their daily avocations; neither do the churches
serve to right the political wrongs. Duty in that respect has not
shown itself, it seems to have taken leave of its "strong aid, cham¬
pion conscience," consequently thousands of human beings are now
writhing in the agonies of sinfulness in their forlorn and poverty-
stricken homes, while the penitentiaries and other prisonhouses of
the land, poorhouses, insane asylums and the few reformatory schools
known are oftener crowded than otherwise by those who have been
neglected at a time in their lives when they could have been ap¬
proached and saved from sin and utter distraction of mind and
morals, and thus escaped the pangs of deranged senses, the excruti-
ating pains and scorching fevers that prey upon the vitals of physical
wrecks, the horrors of dungeons and cells in prisons, untimely graves
and the judgment of an avenging God who says that none but
righteous shall see his face and live with him in glory. Then more
and more manifestly appears the Duty of the State to the Negro
from a political standpoint. True the right of equal franchise is
said to have been given to the Negro (males) in a very short time
after his emancipation, and we doubt not but that his emancipators
fully intended that he should take an unmolested part in the acts of
life that make up the mighty drama, and in that way prove himself to
be the equal of other races in thought, word and deed, and thus
assist mightily in supporting the constitution of the United States,
and die, if it need be, in defense of the flag of this great republic;
but in many instances he has been deprived of a free exercise of his
144
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
franchisement by office seekers and profligates, who ever take ad¬
vantage of the ignorant by the use of money, whisky and other
things as bribes, and have thereby caused men to cast votes for
nominees and thus insured the election of many who otherwise would
have been defeated by men more worthy of the position than they.
Then again many have been cheated out of a free exercise of their
franchisement by wicked men who seek to scare and drive men into
subjection by the use of weapons of war.. This and many other
things have been allowed to come to pass, because of the fact that
those who are in power and are acknowledged upright men have
failed to do their duty toward the Negro from a strict sense of the
word. The Negro forgets, it seems, that "men who sell themselves
are slaves" and the buyers prove to be (beyond disputation) dishon¬
est and unprincipled.
The ignorant need to ever remember that they are always at the
mercy of the unprincipled and allow the knowledge of the fact to
serve as an incentive for high endeavors that will enlighten the
mind, purify the morals and thus prepare them for usefulness and
excellency in the political field of battle; notwithstanding all that
and the possibility of great changes being made in the future by
individual exertion in particular instances and locality, we realize
that there is need to plead with those who are in power, to throw the
law's strong arm of protection around the Negro. Do their whole
duty in the premises and thereby give the Negro a chance to enjoy
his freedom as other men. We realize that the Constitution of the
United States is beautifully constructed and its diction perfect in
every part, yet there is a lack of conformity to the spirit of the law
practiced by many who profess to be one of its supporters, and it is
the Negro who suffers most from the result of the non-conformity.
Then we dare to insist upon the State doing its duty to the Negro
(males), and in the meantime forget not the thousands of women who
are pleading to-day for equal franchise. Yes, women who are worthy
of much consideration; women who would prove most valuable to the
State on account of their executive ability, their culture, learning and
wisdom, the four great somethings that assist mightily in bringing
to pass those things that make for the good of all concerned. Then,
there are women who can expound the law of the State in a precise
manner and are therefore fully equipped for service in that capacity
in this progressive age, while in the performance of your duty to
the Negro (males). Emancipate the Anglo-Saxon and the Afro-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 145
American women who are wearing a yoke of oppression, the equal
of that which did hold the slave in bondage for more than two
hundred years. Do this and cause such changes to take place as
will result in the annihilation of many evils. With all that we
remember that there are many moral and intellectual Anglo-Saxons
and Afro-Americans who fail to remember that "man does not live
for himself alone," and that the sphere of " duty is infinite;" but
they go steadily on acquiring knowledge, amassing wealth, striving
to save self, seeking honor and fame, and ever pushing aside the
inebriate, the poor, the weak and sinful whom they could save in
many instances by a kind look, a gentle stroke of the hand, a six-
pense or more added to pleasant words, serving to remind them of
God and his blessed commands. They (the moral and intellectual)
seem to forget that the creatures whom they push aside carry with
them the "hidden spring of force" and "creative power" to a large
extent "the flower," "the germ," "the potency of life" that has
never been cultivated, but could be quickened, caused to grow and
to so expand, that there would be no occasion of our reminding the
State of its duty to the Negro; but we would be able to exclaim in
part as did Wordsworth of duty:
" Stern law giver ! yet thou dost wear
The Godhead's most benignant grace ;
Nor know I anything so fair
As is the smile upon thy face ;
Flowers laugh before thee on their beds,
And fragrance in thy footing treads ;
Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong,
And the most ancient heavens are through thee fresh and strong.'*
10
146 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Opportunities and Responsibilities of Colored Women.
[Delivered before the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Whittier Association, of Memphis.]
BY MRS. FANNIE BARRIER WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO.
Y heart has been, so warmed by the generous kindness of wel¬
come extended to me continuously since my arrival in your
city that I shall always be happy to add my testimony to those
who have been delighted by Southern hospitality. When some of
your good women honored me with an invitation to visit Memphis
and speak as best I might in behalf of our women who yearn for a
larger freedom of development, I was not sure of my fitness to
speak acceptably in a part of our country to which I am so much of
a stranger, but your generous cordiality has given me such confi¬
dence of heart that I feel at home and in sympathetic touch with
women who can do me more good by their soulfulness and sugges¬
tions of duty than I can return by any words of advice or inspiration.
My own sense of happy surprise in this my first experience of
Southern hospitality and eagerness of welcome suggests what we all
need, who are respectively on the opposite sides of that imaginary
line dividing the North and South is a more perfect understanding of
our relationship to each other.
It is said of that genial easayist, Charles Lamb, that when he was
asked on one occasion why he hated a certain person he answered,
"I don't know him, that is why I hate him." The point of this story
aptly suggests that a more perfect knowledge of each other will re¬
move mistrust, hatred and conflict. This radiant Southland, so fair
and full of the brightness and abundance of nature and promising, as
I want to believe, all the excellencies of social order and human hap¬
piness, and yonder North, so buoyant and powerful, with its mighty
sweep of commerce, vast intelligence and resources, need a closer
union of sympathies and interests in order that national progress
may be broad enough and intense enough to helpfully reach, protect
and inspire every man, woman and child under the flag of the republic.
We of a peculiar race with our faces ever turned toward the West-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
147
era star of hope and advancement especially need the help that
comes from knowing" each other better. We who live in the North
need to understand better than we do the many peculiar advantages
and disadvantages, promises and discouragements that belong to
those of us whose homes are under Southern skies. We will think
more and better of you and become more respectful in our interest
in all that concerns you when we understand more clearly that in
spite of the many agonies of the past and the many distressing limi¬
tations of the present the progress of the Negro race along the high¬
est levels and in the most surprising instances has been right here
in the South. That nearly all the money earned, accumulated and
saved by the Negro race since emancipation has been accumulated
and saved by our Southern men and women.
Mrs. Fannie Barrier Williams.
Chicago, 111.
That our men of real wealth are nearly all Southern men; that most
of the men and women who have risen to public importance are of
Southern birth and education, and that it is easier for our boys to
learn a trade and successfully follow it in the South than it is in the
North. I say when we of the North know and appreciate all this
our sense of race pride will increase and we will be able to place a
higher estimate upon the possibilities of our race. Men and women
who can so proudly signalize their freedom and under conditions dis¬
couraging in the extreme by so many evidences of real worth
are an inspiration to all mankind. On the other hand we of the
North who have much freedom and little work, but who are in touch
148
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
with all the forces of intelligence, morality and the regenerating
spirit of reform that are fast making for the better weal of our
republic, are not understood by our Southern kinsmen in a way that
makes for race unity and progress. The young men" and women
who have been educated in those great free institutions of the North
should be the great leaders and teachers of our generation. They
are needed as the messengers of newer gospels of love and hope and
inspiration. They should be encouraged and welcomed to this ample
South where there are so many inspirations to high duties. These
young men and women ought to be made to feel that here in the
South where their talents are needed so much the highest premium
is placed upon brains, character and industry.
But without further comment on this line, I want to say that I
come here in the spirit of good will. I want if possible to bring
her a message of hope and inspiration to higher resolves. I gladly
come at the bidding of your committee, not to attempt a discussion
of the race problem. If I can say anything that is helpful it is not
to suggest problems and difficulties, but to suggest duties and re¬
sponsibilities that our women must begin to feel and exercise if we
would 'become a part of the forces that are working everywhere
about us for the things that deeply concern the kingdom of woman¬
kind. Nothing in the whole realm of questions that effect home,
religion, education, industry and all phases of sociology command
more interest than the growing power of woman. Interest in woman
and her possibilities is so widespread and intense that whatever she
does or says or proposes receives more public attention and comment
than any other theme of current history.
Does this absorbing interest in woman and her progress, does this
advancing power of woman in all the important determinations of
American life concern and affect colored women in any important
way ? Does the progressiveness of womankind in all things suggest
to us any opportunities, duties or hopes that have failed thus far to
influence us? Can we say that we'are preparing ourselves suffi¬
ciently to use and exercise the privileges and responsibilities of that
larger and more inclusive citizenship toward which other women are
progressing, and for which they are fitting themselves by all kinds of
experience ? Is it too much to say that no class of women in the
world have such rare opportunities for signalizing their worth as the
colored women of America ?
If it can be a good fortune for women to come into possession of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
149
freedom when the heart of civilization is open and responsive to all
the complaints, wants and demands of womankind; if it can help to
make women strong in sympathy, in unselfishness and in the love of
humanity to live in the midst of countless opportunities for heroic
devotion, for self-sacrifice, and for the invention of ways and means
to help a whole race of people to reclaim itself from the debasement
of servitude, then our women are many times blessed. The thing
for us to consider is what we can do to become a conscious part of all
the agencies at work for the elevation of those of our women who
are in, but not a part of, our civilization. Alas! to most of us this
question suggests only discouragement and hopeless problems.
Our philosophers and leaders have talked so much and confusingly
about the vast difficulties in the way of Negro advancement in Amer¬
ica that we too have been more or less unfitted to see and do the
simplest duties incumbent upon us.
There has been so much looking toward Providence and so little
exercise of our senses and confidence in ourselves that most of us
have become useless and stupidly indifferent to the inspirations of
the hour. Surely we need no oracle to tell us what to do to be better
than we are. A whole race of women whose only heritage has
been ignorance and isolation needs no philosophers to lead them to a
higher state. Their needs are elementary, and the duties of Chris¬
tian women in their behalf are near, direct and easy of comprehen¬
sion. If the colored women who are sufficiently intelligent and
warm-hearted to share in the' responsibilities of helping where help
is needed, could be aroused from their do-nothing, unsympathetic
and discouraged condition, and could be conscious of their opportu¬
nities for accomplishing good deeds, there would at once come the
dawning of a new and better era for the American Negro. We
would then understand that the question is not what we ought to de¬
mand; but what can we do, not what are our rights, but how can we
best deserve them, not so much how to condemn prejudice, but how
to remove its cause. The hour is not for the lamentations of Rachel,
but for the hopes, courage and duty becoming women who are called
by large opportunities to noble work. If we would have the public
interested in us and our needs, we must become interesting, and we
will become interesting just as soon as we begin to help ourselves to
the utmost extent of our opportunities.
One of our first duties is to inform ourselves as to what has been
done, is being done, and what needs to be further done to help our-
150
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
selves. It should never be said that colored women know less about
the status of colored women than is known by women of another
race. Nearly all the great churches of this country and scores of un¬
denominational societies have for the past thirty years been carrying
on missionary work that aims to reach every phase of the general
condition of the colored people of this country.
The reports and literature of these churches and societies are full
of encouraging and sugsestive information. The facts and figures
to be gleaned from this source form a most interesting history of the
mental, religious and material development of the colored people
since 1865. You will find in this annual library of interesting in¬
formation a message, an invitation, an appeal and challenge to every
woman's heart. These reports of work done, and to be done, are
procurable without cost by any one interested enough to ask for
them. I can but wonder how many of us avail ourselves of this
opportunity to learn the lessons of our advancement and further
needs.
The one thing that should appeal most strongly to our hearts is
the need of a better and purer home life among our people in many
parts of the South. I scarcely need tell you that our most embarrass¬
ing heritage from slavery was a homelessness and a lack of home
ties. All the sanctities of marriage, the precious instincts of moth¬
erhood, the spirit of family alliance, and the upbuilding of home as an
institution of the human heart were all ruthlessly ignored and
fiercely prohibited by the requirements of slavery. Colored people
in bondage were only as men, women and children, and not as fath¬
ers, mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. Family re¬
lationships and home sentiments were thus no part of the preparation
of colored people for freedom and citizenship. It is not agreeable to
refer to these things, but they are mentioned merely to suggest to
you how urgent and immensely important it is that we should be act¬
ively and helpfully interested in those poor women of the rural South
who in darkness and without guides are struggling to build homes
and rear families. When we properly appreciate the fact that there
can be no real advancement of the colored race without homes that
are purified by all the influences of Christian virtues, it will seem
strange that no large, earnest, direct and organized effort has been
made to teach men and women the blessed meaning of home.
Preachers have been too busy with their churches and collections,
and teachers too much harassed by lack of facilties, and politicians
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
151
too much burdened with the affairs of state and the want of offices to
think about the feminine consideration of good homes. Money,
thought, prayer, and men and women are all freely and nobly given in
the upbuilding of schools and churches, but no expenditures to teach
the lesson of home making. Colored women can scarcely escape the
conclusion that this work has been left for them and its importance
and their responsibilities should arouse and stir them as nothing
else can do. Let us not be confused and embarrassed by the thought
that what needs to be done is too difficult or far away. There should
be no limitations of time and space when man needs the helping sym¬
pathy of man. If our hearts are strong for good works, ways and
means will readily appear for the exercise of our talents, our love,
and our heroism.
The first thing that should interest us, is the fact that thousands
of colored families in the South are still living in one-room cabins.
Though the South is filled with our professors, ministers, and smart
politicians, yet few have attempted to teach these people the differ¬
ence between a slave cabin and a Christian home.
Booker T. Washington, who has done more for practical education
of the colored people in all things than any other one man in America,
tells us that the one-room cabin is the very root of all social evils in the
South. It also appears that this indiscriminate huddling together of
a whole family, large or small, in one room, is due more to ignorance
of a better way than to poverty. The reform so earnestly needed in
the mode of living in a large part of the South should not be left to a
few chance individuals who are struggling to effect it.
Colored women in every part of this country, who know what good
homes mean to the well-being of the colored race, should come together
in organization to study the situation, and earnestly put in motion
every possible agency for reform. Such organization would learn at
once, to their surprise and shame, how many things they could do
that are not being done. They will learn that those who need our
hearts, hands, and advice, are not suffering so much for want of equal
rights, and political rights, and some easy escape from prejudice, as
they are for the simplest necessities that make for decency, order,
and the sanctities of home making. Thousands of our women in the
South are eager to learn some of the primary lessons of houshold san¬
itation, moral guides, mental stimulants, and the purifying environ¬
ments for the children of their hearts yet; these yearnings are heeded
not by those who can help and comfort them.
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Bright and promising children by the thousands all over the South
are without clothing to attend either school or church, yet a dozen
zealous colored women, in any small town of the beautiful North, or
the larger towns of the South, could obtain and supply, almost with¬
out cost to themselves, clothing enough to clothe the mothers and chil¬
dren of a whole community.
Thousands upon thousands of colored children in the South are out
of school for want of schoolbooks, yet there are millions of second¬
hand books in all houses that are lost and wasted every year because
no one asks for them to be sent where they are needed for the mental
salvation of a whole generation of children. Thousands of capable
young men and women, who are eager for enlightenment and culture,
are without books, papers, and pictures, yet good literature and art
of all kinds are prodigally wasted under our very feet, because there
seems to be neither sense nor sympathy enough to know where to
send them as rays of light into dark places. In short, there are a
thousand sources of plenty and helpfulness for our fellow men and
women, if we would but organize agencies to command and use them.
It is easily possible to establish direct lines of communication be¬
tween the crying need of every crude and impoverished home, and
every philantrophic impulse of our hearts. This is no dream woven
in fancy thread. The near, possibility and reality of it all lie in the
heart and brain of colored women.
What I have thus suggested has already been accomplished, to a
limited extent, by certain white women, whose, vigilance and zeal in
our cause should be an inspiration to us.
Some of these women have happily assumed the responsibility of
looking after the home interests of certain districts in the South.
At regular intervals they send boxes of clothing, books, pictures, and
home furnishings, medicines and other comforts, into many house¬
holds of the darkest South.
There are very few colored women, who, from time to time, add to
their gifts of necessities their personal visitations with messages of
sympathy, and deeds of blessed service. The brightness and joy of
a new life follow everywhere in the wake of such practical beneficience.
One of the young lady graduates of the Provident Hospital and
Training School for nurses, in Chicago, went down to one of the Car-
olinas with her heart and hands open to good work in behalf of friend¬
less and benighted women and children, and her letters to Northern
friends are a startling revelation of the neglected opportunities for
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
153
the helpful service of colored women. Such is the testimony of all
women who have gone among our more unfortunate sisters in a like
spirit of love.
Heaven grant that our souls may be possessed by a consuming de¬
sire, by a restless anxiety, and a noble enthusiasm to see and dis¬
charge our responsibilities and duties to the Macedonian cry of our
sisters in misery.
In order to equip ourselves with knowledge, sympathy, and earnest¬
ness for this work, we need the soul-strengthening influences of or¬
ganization. Women unorganized in the presence of the heart-stirring
opportunities are narrow, weak, suspicious, and sentimental. ."Women
organized for high purposes, discover their strength for large use¬
fulness, and encircle all humanity with the blessedness of their sympa¬
thy. Organized womanhood to-day, the world over, is the spirit of
reform incarnate. It impresses its reforming influence upon every
existing evil, and its protecting power of love hovers over every
cherished interest of human society. All combined institutions of
Church, State, and civic societies do not touch humanity on so many
sides as the organized efforts of women.
In reference to the interests that especially concern us as colored
women, we can receive much inspiration from the examples afforded
by the more favored class of women in reformatory movements. In
studying the aims, methods, and results of women's organizations,
we will learn that no evil that menaces the purity of home, no lurking
or open danger to the saving power of woman in all social aims, and
no breath of possible barm to life, health, and culture of children, is
without the opposing force of organized women. Art, literature,
science, invention, and all other things of heaven and earth are made
to pay tribute to the refining requirements of women, and children,
and home. Take the cause of temperance as an example of the suc¬
cessful earnestness and practical value.
When woman stood at her hearthstone, with caressing care and
fond hopes for her children, and saw the invasion of her home by the
dread spirit of intemperance, as she saw all things that were nearest
and dearest to her heart menaced and falling beneath the blighting
pestilence of drunkenness, she did not falter, or hesitate, or wait for
a remedy or protection, but quickly uniting women everywhere in one
common cause of resistance, and raising aloft the white banner of
home, sobriety, and native land, she has triumphed over Bacchus in
more ways than you can dream of. The prayers of women in a million
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homes, the songs of a million women making melody in the sweet
influences of purity, and the steady, vigilant, and unyielding activity
of women in behalf of soberness, have conspired to make temperance
in all things the whitest sentiment of the century, and the saloon pow¬
er the greatest indecency of our civilization. Whatever safety you
may feel in your household against the destroying power of drink,
you are more indebted for it to organized efforts of women than to any
other cause. Would that colored women everywhere, and in vast
numbers, who have homes to make and protect, could be imbued with
this anxious, militant, and resistless spirit of temperance. If tem¬
perance could be the cardinal virtue of our race, nothing would be able
to resist our advancement toward the enjoyment of all the equalities
of freedom and citizenship of this country.
Another fine example of how organization helps women to find
work of usefulness in behalf of those who need our helping hand and
heart is afforded by those devoted and heroic women of the Salvation
Army. The frank and whole-souled sincerity of these women in the
cause of a more practical righteousness has put to shame much that
passes for religion and goodness in these days of ours. When we see
these sisters of a more active mercy, with no shield for their protec¬
tion save the holy purpose of doing good to others, follow wretched
humanity as it slinks away in shame to its hiding haunts of vice, car¬
rying either [bread to the starving, a cup of water to the athirst, a
blanket to the shivering, a gentle word of sisterly interest, or the up¬
lifting voice of prayer, we can but feel a strong uplift of heart and a
desire to be more genuine in our interest in humanity's ills. It is
the chivalric spirit of these women, like true soldiers of the cross,
extending the gracious influence of the Master into the highways of
sinfulness, that our women need to make us eager to put our hearts
into human relations, and our hands to good work. The example of
these saintly women should say to us, "Be brave in your faith, wait
not for duties that are afar off, look not to white women to do that
which you can do, be not persuaded that you are too poor, too igno¬
rant, and too humble to be a part of the highest usefulness that lifts
up humanity, and remember, that your highest duty is that which is
nearest your conscience and capacity."
The outreaching of woman's heart to help woman is also beautifully
exemplified by the wide-spread bands of King's Daughters and kin¬
dred societies. '' In His Name," is the motto of the women and girls of
a higher faith. They stand for the gospel of sincerity, and challenge
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 155
the hearts of Christian men and women to give the impress of their
faith to their conduct of life.
These women have united to show by example, in an impressive
way that it is not all of religion to pray and sing, and in soft pews
listen to the Word. This new mission is to extend the meaning of
the Christian Religion so that the Church shall stand more for love
than doctrine, more for human worth than for church name, and be
wider open more hours in the week for humanity's good than the
saloon is open for humanity's woe. So that what men and women do
rather, than what they say or profess, shall be the standard of religion;
and so that to give force and effect in all human conduct to the ex¬
ample of "Him who came to seek and save that which was lost" will
be manifest as such in action out of the church as in worship inside
its walls. I scarcely need to tell you all that I feel as to how much
our women need the influence of such unions as these. If women
who are superior to us in all the chances and advantages of life find
it necessary to their advancement to be thus watchful, active and in¬
terested in so many ways, can we of greater needs and smaller re¬
sources and protections expect to advance by doing less than they?
The ministers among us", who are unworthy of their calling, are largely
responsible for the fact that our church women generally take less
interest in the large field of practical religious work outside of their
particular churches than any other class of women. Our women in
the churches are organized, for the most part, only for one purpose,
and that is to raise, money for the churches. Thousands of our
women never rise higher in their zeal for good works than the grov¬
eling aim of money-getting for the Trustees. Their heads and hearts
and strength are all exhausted in devising church entertainments
that are largely responsible for so much of the deplorable frivolity of
our young, people. Much of the needed charitable work among our un¬
fortunate is left to white women because we have no time or interest
outside the little church.
Thousands of young girls who need moral protection of the church
as much on Monday as on Sunday, who need instruction in the sacred
responsibilities of womanhood and in all things that make for the
moral integrity of women, are deprived of them all because so many
of our women are to the stern necessity of money-getting to pay
church debts. If our women could be released partially from this
one narrow aim, and see the possible church in the neglected fields
where the King's Daughters, are garnering such rich harvests of
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good to humanity, our importance as women of worth in moral work
would be wonderfully advanced. Our good church women as well as
all women need to be saved from narrowness and its consequences,
and the way to be saved is to know more of the resources and possi¬
bilities of one another. Our interest in each other as women has
been too much gossip sort. The eaves-dropping and key-hole sort of
knowledge of what is going on at one another's hearth-stones has al¬
most unfitted us for united efforts. There must be an earnest, hon¬
est coming together of all our women to learn what are the essential
causes of our common distresses and the great need of reform. Do
you know that thousands of our bright young women, comely and
capable, are without employment partly on account of American preju¬
dice, partly on account of their own timidity, and especially because
no effort is made to suggest or show to them the many new fields of
employment that they know not of ? Do you know that the tendency
of our time is to make all work respectable and honorable that is well
and honorably done ? and that our girls who can do housework bet¬
ter than anything else, should be as much respected for doing it as
they would be if making less wages as clerks ? Do you know that
thousands of our young men are reckless and unworthy of their priv¬
ileges because they have no inspiration to better things and no re¬
buke from our young women? Do you know that our ministers
would be nobler in all things, in all the best attributes of .their call¬
ing, if our women were to insist upon it? Do you know that all
things that are pure, healthful, and sacred in the relations of husband
and wife and child depend primarily upon worthy women? All
these things and many more of like nature are suggested to women
who come together in a spirit of reform. Surely we have something
more than sorrow, complaints, and tears.
Out of the opportunity for womanly achievement we ought to be
strong enough to inaugurate a new era of hope and endeavor. If
we would but once look out from our own monopoly of race mis¬
fortunes along the highways traveled by all races of people, from
the caves of security to the prominence of human excellence, we
would be inspired by our opportunities. In this connection too
much emphasis cannot be laid upon the necessity of more contact
with the best type of American womanhood wherever it can be had,
and especially in the North of course. The truly good women, and
thank God their name is legion, are always open-hearted and eager to
help those who need their strength of personality and interest. It
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 157
is important for us to know that we cannot learn ail about ourselves.
We have been so much cut off from every refining influence, from
every example and inspiration of good and great women, that our
progress in all things womanly will be slow and uncertain unless we
can win and deserve this helpful association.
We are scarcely willing to admit the fact that our own prejudices
and lack of self-assertion are largely responsible for our separation
from the women who move the world by their intelligent progres-
siveness. If we would join these women in good works we should at
least meet them half way by ridding ourselves of preconceived
notions of their hostility and prejudice against us. It would add
much to our strength and dignity of character and to our sense of
importance among women if we could understand that white women
can be strengthened in their generous impulses and made more ex¬
alted in their outlook to help weak and struggling women if they
knew more of our condition, capabilities, and aspirations. The cause
of women in all things needs the co-operation of all women of all
races and colors in order to work out the conditions that all need and
devoutly wish for. The larger interests of women that concern all
that is vital in our civilization cannot be advanced and realized if the
race line and color line and church line must always divide into
petty fragments the moral strength of united women. Colored
women of culture and force of character can do much to urge this
thought upon women of the dominant race. If I may be pardoned a
personal reference, I will say that my best reward in meeting and
talking to representative white women at all times and places, is
that they are so susceptible to the idea that they need us to some
extent in the same way that we need them. All statements to them
concerning our wrongs and how we suffer under all forms of in¬
justice are received with startling surprise. I have been happily
repaid for all my efforts by fewest assurances of many of the best
women in the country that they have been converted to right thinking
concerning us. We may feel safe in the belief that the women who
are strong enough to resist the domination of fashion's nonsense and
the snobbery of caste, are ever ready to lay aside their false pre¬
sumption against us and accept the truth of our cause if we would
but put ourselves more in evidence in their efforts to benefit human¬
ity. I especially refer to the North of course when I say that a
plucky competition for place and honor, a wide-awake interest in all
public questions, a facility for making ourselves for good wherever
158
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
and whenever it is proper for true and patriotic women to be, on the
part of our women, would do much to change public opinion about
us and open up new avenues of influence.
Timidity, fear, and self-disparagement are not respected as vir¬
tues in this country. Heaven help us to appreciate that the liberties
of this country are large, that its opportunities for progress are too
great to excuse failures, and that here and now, as elsewhere in hu¬
manity's struggle for right, love, intelligence, character, thrift, and
pluck are mightier for conquest than all the multiplied forces of injus¬
tice, prejudice, and ignorance. I know, of course, that to many of you
this hopeful strain will seem to have no application to conditions ex¬
isting here. It is true that what I have said is more prophetic than
real to you. But remember, we must look upward. It is the busi¬
ness of a race to be self-respectful, ambitious, and aspiring for all
that is best in human life. I would have these young women just
looking out into the broad fields of possibilities, catch glimpses of the
highland of our destiny. I would have them confident of the coming
condition of race independence, and be strong in the conviction that
the evils that now beset them are but the thorn-covered stepping-
stones to our eminence in the future; while it may not now be possi¬
ble for white women and colored women of the South to unite for
any common good, yet as I believe in the regenerating forces of edu¬
cation, as I believe in the ultimate reign of justice and good sense, so
do I believe that even sooner than you expect, the right sort of women,
on both sides of the color line, will suggest a way for this fraternal
coming together in a way by which both will preserve their self-re¬
spect.
To continue in this strain of self-criticism, I would say farther that
our women have not as yet distinguished themselves by any large-
hearted sympathy. There is no such thing as human progress without
a large ingredient of the love principle in all human affairs; that kind
of sympathy that knows no social lines, or race distinctions, or reli¬
gious differences, but everywhere expands its wings of protection,
and extends its warmth of helpfulness, is the kind of sympathy we
need for our own advancement.
Dr. Hartzell, of the Methodist Episcopal Society, exhibits among
his panoramic views of the condition of the colored people of the South
one picture that has always haunted me with a sense of guiltiness
for our lack of sympathetic interest in women who are so much in
need of it. The picture represents in the door of a Southern cabin,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 159
two or three children, the oldest not more than four years of age.
This child of four years holds in her lap, and acts the part of nurse
to a babe of four months old. The mother of these infant children is
forced to be away from home and children from early morning till
sundown. The life, care, and custody of this infant is entrusted abso¬
lutely to a child scarcely more than an infant herself. Alas! how
cheap is life. How dear is a mother's love! An infant crying for a
mother, and answered by the tears of an infant nurse, an infant
crying out for one touch of tenderness from the great warm heart of
humanity about it, but its little sorrows and distresses are neither
heeded nor soothed. No such picture is possible where women are
sympathetically interested in all the possible wants and misfortunes
of women. When that white-souled woman, Margaret Etta Creche,
saw the working women in our cities, like the hard-working mother
of these children in this picture, compelled to leave her children to
the uncertainties of fortune, she founded what is called a day nurs¬
ery, provided with all possible baby comforts. Thus supplying the
caressing cares of mother during the day, while the mother is neces¬
sarily absent. These day nurseries for children of working women
are everywhere engaging the hearts of women, and are the most cher¬
ished of all the charitable institutions of city life.
Surely there ought to be enough intelligence and love in the souls
of colored women of the countrv to enter every home, every school-
house, and every church, wherever women and children especially
need the supporting arm of woman-kind. It may well be asked, How
can we have the love and sympathy of women of another race, when
we manifest so little sympathy for one another ?
Many of our more fortunate women seem to feel that any active in¬
terest in those who need their friendly interest, will identify them
with the degradation of slavery. Others, in still greater num¬
bers, act as if the responsibilities of our condition belong to white
women, and that it is for them alone to exercise sympathy for colored
women in distress. The wrong of this is too plain for argument. In
the spirit of Wordsworth:
" The primal duties shine aloft like stars;
The charities that soothe and heal and bless
Are scattered at the feet of man like flowers."
I would also appeal to the hearts of our women for a stronger
sense of self-respect. I believe that it is an infallible rule that peo¬
ple are always weak who believe themselves weak. We help to make
160
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
ourselves unimportant and underestimated by the habit of confes¬
sing our inferiority. We are everywhere hampered by the false and
cringing notions that certain positions and achievements are beyond
our reach. Hundreds of our young men and women graduate with
high academic honors from schools and colleges and pass at once into
obscurity as much because of their own low sense of self-importance
as from the resisting force of popular prejudice. In nearly all
American cities in the North there are libraries full of good litera-
ture, art galleries with their refining suggestion, the privileges of
university extension, lectures and other institutions that minister to
high thought and noble sentiment, but in them our young men and
women are seldom seen.
This general fault of living below our opportunities is largely the
cause of the popular conclusion that our women have no interest in
the things that appeal to the intelligence and good taste of other peo¬
ple. Non-use of these high privileges is quite as bad as mis-use of
them. Our conscience is not as yet sufficiently alive to the fact that
by the sanction of the supremest law of the land, by the highest
maxims of morality and equity, liberty in all its completness, equality
in its truest signification, and responsibility in its proudest implica¬
tions are all ours to use and to enjoy to the fullest extent of our
ability to appropriate them. I can but feel that in spite of the dark¬
ness that enveloped our past life, in spite of harassing hinderances
to our present promotion, and in spite of our despair for the future,
it is after all a great thing to be an American woman, even though
she be colored. As I stood from time to time in the midst of the
great Columbian Exposition and saw the unspeakable glories of it all
rise like the celestial city out of the souls and energies of men and
women who are free and brave, I was transported by the thrill of a
new life as to how much it meant to be an American woman, as I felt
myself swayed from one exalted emotion to another by this American
passion for great achievements, by this American energy of soul
making all things possible that to us seem impossible, and by sugges¬
tion of the infinite resources and opportunities of this America* and
saw how all things that are true and exalting are coming faster and
faster within the reach and touch of woman-kind, I was inspired by
a new sense of trust and courage against all the odds and hate of op¬
position. And so, my fellow-women of a common heritage, I cannot
bring you any message of despair; my best word for you is to seek by
all the agencies of enlightenment about you so to broaden your views
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
161
of life as to make you see and feel the forces that are making far bet¬
ter conditions ; and that what we complain of is but transitory, and
what we so devoutly wish for is surely coming by every highway of
civilization.
Thirty years ago we alone were in the wilderness of bondage
crying aloud for freedom. Our happy release from that condition
thrilled men and women everywhere with a most exalted sense of
the value and sweetness of liberty. To-day we are not alone in any
of our claims, disabilities, wants, and hopes. That large number of
wretched women who are stitching their lives out in the sweat shops
of our large cities in order to get a crumb of bread for their chil¬
dren, the. toiling men and women of the land who groan and smart
under the oppressions of wealth, women of all kinds and conditions
who are restive under the restraint imposed by senseless customs
and unjust laws, in fact all our countrymen who are conscious of
being forced to live short of a complete enjoyment of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness are with us in our every contention.
We as surely have no monopoly .of misery as we have no monopoly
of fortune; there is somewhere and somehow a compensation for
every difficulty we meet and complain of. Our poetry has opened
the floodgates of philanthropy, prejudice has multiplied our friends
and has tended to sharpen the mettle of our character, and all forms
of injustice against us react in terms of justice for us. Indeed our
advantages and opportunities are large, exalting, and a part of the
very constitution of things.
We are women claiming, yearning, and aspiring for rights at a time
when woman's winsome voice of supplication or stern command is
heard and heeded above the din and clamor of the times. Would
you win the interest and confidence of the world? The answer
comes from a thousand sources: Be brave in the consciousness of
your own worth, be beautifully graced with all that virtue asks in
woman and you shall in time remove from all laws, ways, and customs,
the darkening blight of woman's prejudice to woman.
11
162
ATRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
THE FUTURE OF THE NEGRO.
BY REV. J. C. EMBRY, D.D.
WAS forcibly impressed by an editorial in the issue of the
Recorder of the 14th inst., representing the need of higher
literary work by the men of our race and times. To illustrate
the force of this observation, reference need only be had to the work
of two of the leading men amongst us. These have contented them¬
selves with the modest gift of an autobiography, in which they
closely "hug the shore" of personal experience and reminiscence.
In none of these, in so far as I have been permitted to pursue them,
is there the least attempt at a broad outlook upon the times in which
they have lived and wrought out their own achievements, no com¬
prehensive sweep or survey of the contemporaneous history out of
which their own aspirations took rise. The conditions—moral, re¬
ligious, civil—of the recent centuries, of which the issues of the
present time are but the culmination, receive no comprehensive
treatment, nothing save the mere coloring of local influence.
Now when our youth who have been taught, justly, we think, to
admire these men and to emulate them, shall have read these com¬
positions, excellent in themselves as literary productions, the ques¬
tion is, What have they learned? Why, only this, that our gifted
subject was born in the midst of a slave-holding community at a
certain time, and was reduced to the condition of the captive race
to which he belonged. And that thenceforth he had a rough time
in recovering the liberty that God gave him at his birth. We are
not even told how utterly unphilosophical it is, and in morals impos¬
sible, that any man can have been born a slave; how that every
single case of slavery was a monstrous rape of human rights. The
Declaration of Independence teaches both a philosophical and in¬
spired truth, when it says: "It is self-evident that all men are born
free." As soon as the new-born babe takes his first inspiration of
vital air, he is endowed with the two-fold right of life and liberty.
These rights are co-ordinate, and the complement of each other.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 163
They are natural, universal rights that cannot be combatted without
violence to the very principles of our common nature. Then there
are other subordinate rights, which may be held as, conventional or
constructive, but they are nevertheless natural, universal, and hence
incontestable. They are:
1. The right to live where one is born; that is, within the territo¬
rial jurisdiction of his birth. If he has not the right to live there,
then where? Any attempt to expel him thence is an act of war.
2. The right of safety, that is, protection for life and limb. Denial
of this right is to jeopardize his life, implicate society itself, and fore¬
cast its dissolution. All schools of philosophy agree that where
human life is less than sacred, there society, in civilized form, must
soon dissolve. Now the civilized nature recoils from anarchy, just
as physical nature recoils from a vacum; and it will—it must come
to pass that the civil body will sooner or later fight the Anarchists in
its own defense until it has completely vanquished them. And this
is not a matter of choice; they will have to do so or else give up the
civilized order. *
3. Along with the right to life and liberty goes also the right of
removal from one jurisdiction to another. Wherever the emigrant
goes he carries with him these natural rights. This, too, is the
united judgment of all enlightened men. Now, in the light of these
fundamental truths, feebly outlined, I most confidently affirm that
no man can fail of hopefulness as to the future of our race in this
land who has broadly studied the problems and the progress of
human liberty and civil justice in the world during the last three or
four centuries. There has been a constant warfare and many re¬
verses, together with long seasons of gloomy doubt; but the dominant
fact in the whole record is, that throughout the long contest, on the
forum, in the sacred pulpit, in the hall of legislation, and on countless
fields of bloody carnage the struggle has been substantially the same
—a struggle for larger liberty for the oppressed multitude—a better
chance for the average man. And this further, that in every cen¬
tury—aye, in almost every generation of this mighty conflict, some¬
thing has been gained for the right. This gain once made has never
been lost. These things being so, it is foolish to say that these vic¬
tories, and this strifeful gain are matters of merely racial applica¬
tion. It is not so. Every inch of ground taken that is based on uni¬
versal principles has become the property of humanity. They will
never be banished from among men, nor effectually overborne while
164
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
civilization, or Christianity endures. Now, as the old Romans used
to say: u Quae cum ita sint,—Since these things are so," and since
it is true that the best fruit of this long conflict is to be found here
in this Western Hemisphere, I believe the future hope of the Negro
race is to be found in the segment of that race providentially lodged
on this soil. Say what we may about this or that, these United
States have given us the most advanced, the most progressive Negro
to be found on the face of the globe. And this is true for the reason
that she is giving him the largest all-round opportunities, the highest
civil ideals, and the steadiest aims. The troubles we suffer here, in
our day, are only a part of the old, old conflict that has raged so long.
" Must we be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
* And saileft throug-h bloody seas ? "
No, we cannot be, and will not be, though we may wish to ever so
much. '' Through conflict to the skies," is as true for dark humanity as
for any other variety of men. Had we then not better learn this les¬
son and cease our shameful grumbling, as if the Almighty had done
us some special wrong? God has given us minds to think, hands to
work, and hearts to love. Let us subject these God-given powers to
the regimen of a severe discipline, and walking with hope to the
future, work out a noble destiny for ourselves and our children.—
Christian Recorder.
NAMES AND AUTHORS OF MORE THAN ONE
HUNDRED RACE PUBLICATIONS.
Africa and America, by Rev. Alex. Crummell, D.D.
A History of the Negro Troops in the Rebellion, by George W.'
Williams, LL.D.
A Red Record, by Ida B. Wells.
Anti-Separate Coach History of Kentucky, by Rev. S. E. Smith. -
Are We Africans or Americans? by J. F. Dyson, B.D.
Apology for American Methodism, by Benjamin Tucker Tanner.
Afro-American Women of Distinction, by L. A. Scruggs.
A Voice from the South, by Mrs. A. J. Cooper.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 165
African Letters, by Bishop Turner.
Africa, the Hope of the Negro, by R. C. O. Benjamin, D.D.
Aunt Linda, by Victoria Earl.
A Brief Historical Sketch of Negro Education in Georgia, by
Prof. R. R. Wright.
Black and White, by T. T. Fortune.
Black Phalanx (history of Negro soldiers), by J. T. Wilson.
Book of Sermons, by Rev. J. W. Hood, D.D.
Book of Sermons, by S. T. Jones, D.D.
Church Financiering} by Rev. J. W. Stevenson, M.D.
Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race, by E. W. Blyden, LL.D.
Clarence and Corinne, by Mrs. A, E. Johnson.
Directory of the A. M. E. Zion Church, by Rev. J. Harvey
Anderson.
Digest of Christian Theology, by J. C. Embry, D.D.
Doctrines of Christ and the Church, by Rev. R. T. Brown.
Domestic Education, by Bishop Daniel Payne.
Emancipation, by J. T. Wilson.
Earnest Pleas, by W. H. Smith.
Freedom and Citizenship, by Hon. John M. Langs ton.
From the Virginia Plantation to the National Capitol, by Hon.
John M. Langs ton.
From West Africa to Palestine, by Edward W. Blyden, LL.D.
Future of the American Negro, by Rev. R. C. O. Benjamin, D.D.
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America, by C. B. Brooks.
Glimpses of Africa, by Rev. C. S. Smith.
Hairbreadth Escapes from Slavery to Freedom, by Rev. William
Troy.
History of the Colored Race in America, by William T. Alexander.
History of the A. M. E. Church, by Rev. D. A. Payne, D.D.
History of the British West Indies, by R. C. O. Benjamin.
History of the Negro Race in America, by George W. Williams.
Hon. Frederick Douglass, by J. M. Gregory.
IolaLeroy; or, Shadows Uplifted, by Mrs. F. E. W. Harper.
Is the Negro Cursed? by Bishop B. T. Tanner.
Living Words, by Alexander.
Life and Labors of Rev. J. W. Early, by Sarah Early.
Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass.
Life of Toussaint L. Overton, by R. C. O. Benjamin.
Liberia's Offering, by E. W. Blyden.
166
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Men of Mark, by William Simmons, D.D.
Memoirs of Poems, by Phillis Wheatley.
My Bondage and my Freedom, by Frederick Doug-lass.
Methodist Polity, by H. M. Turner.
Negro Civilization in the South, by C. W. Robert (white).
Negro in all Ages, by Henry M. Turner.
Negro Literature, by Bishop Arnett.
Narrative of My Experience in Slavery, by Frederick Douglass.
Nina; or, the Girl Without a Father.
Noted Negro Women, by M. A.'Majors.
Not a Man and Yet a Man, by A. A. Whitman.
Official Sermons A. M. E. Church, by D. A. Payne.
Origin of Color, by J. F. Dyson.
Our Father's House, by Rev. J. C. Embry, D.D.
Origin of the Negro Race, by R. C. O. Benjamin.
Oak and Ivy, by Paul L. Dunbar.
Outline of History, by B. T. Tanner.
Pastor's Annual and Financial Report, by Rev. Robert T. Brown,
A. M.
Plantation Melodies, by M. W. Taylor.
Plain Theology for Plain People, by Rev. C. O. Booth.
Poems, by Rev. A. A. Whitman.
Political X Roads—-Which Way? by J. F. Dyson.
Patriotic Poems, by Rev. George C. Rowe.
Poor Ben, by Mrs. L. N. C. Coleman.
Plantation Melodies, by A. E. P. Albert, D.D.
Recollections of Seventy Years, by Bishop D. A. Payne.
Richard Allen's Place in History, by J. F. Dyson.
Rise and Progress of A. M. E. Zion Church, by Bishop Rush.
Sacred Heart, by B. F. Wheeler, A. M.
School days at Wilberforce, by R. C. Ransom.
School History of the Negro Race in America, by Edward A.
Johnson.
Science and Art of Elocution, by Prof. D. B. Williams.
The Afro-American Press and Its Editors, by I. Garland Penn.
The Underground Railroad, by William Still.
The Sons of Ham, by Lewis Pendleton.
The Work of Afro-American Women, by Mrs. N. F. Mossell.
The New South Investigated, by D. A. Straker.
The Negro Baptist Pulpit, by Rev. E. M. Brawley.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
167
The Hazely Family, by Mrs. A. E. Johnson.
The Rape of Florida, by A. A. Whitman.
The Official Manual and History of the Grand United Order of Odd
Fellows in America, by Charles B. Wilson.
The Semi-Centenary of the A. M. E. Church, by D. A. Payne, D.D.
The Centennial Budget, by Bishop Arnett.
The Poetical Works of J. E. Gordon.
The Rising Sun, by William Wells Brown.
The Negro's Origin, by B. T. Tanner.
The Negro (African and American), by Bishop Tanner.
The Negro in All Ages, by Bishop H. M. Turner.
The Future of Africa, by Alex. Crummell.
The Negro in the Rebellion, by William Wells Brown.
The Southland, by Rev. R. C. O. Benjamin.
The Boy Doctor, by Rev. R. C. O. Benjamin.
The Model Homestead, by G. L. Blackwell.
The Aim of Life, by Rev. George C. Rowe.
Twenty-two Years of Freedom, by J. T. Wilson.
The Negro Evangelist, by Dr. Albert.
Theological Lectures, by Benjamin T. Tanner.
Thoughts in Verse, by Rev. George Clinton Rowe, pastor Ply¬
mouth Congregational Church, Charleston, S. C.
Universal Reign of Jesus, by Rev. A. E. P. Albert, D.D.
Voice of a New Race, by J. T. Wilson.
" THE POWER OF THE PRESS."
BY MRS. N. F. MOSSELL.
VERY few months we find amateur literary associations discus¬
sing the question of the comparative power of the press and
the pulpit. It used to be a standing subject for discussion and
amusement, but the laugh, in the opinion of the religious world, has
completely died out. That the press is entrenching on the power of
the pulpit is growing more evident daily. People are coming to
prefer to sit by their own cozy firesides and read sermons at their
leisure to traveling in inclement weather to the house of worship;
168
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
and the poor feel they are thus on a level with the rich; or, at least,
are not pained by the contrast in their conditions as they often are
when assembled in the house of God.
What world of meaning- in the phrase, "The Power of the Press!"
Our colored men are realizing its latent force. Through this
medium they are rapidly pushing their way, strengthening race
pride, and making their wants and oppressions known. Every cor¬
poration or large business house now has its own journals advertis¬
ing its goods, and delighting its patrons with its literary feast. The
press is a sleeping lion which men are just awaking into life. We
should estimate rightly the great obligation that is upon us to use
this immense power rightly. We, of all people, can ill afford to
make blunders. We must teach wisely and lead aright that the
generation to come may bless us as we bless those who have passed
before us. Our press association is well organized, and we should be
able at its meetings to give each other wise counsel. The study of
other journals from every point of view has its benefits; their cir¬
culation and where they circulate; the editorials, the news letters,
the personals; every department; reading articles on journalism;
noting our own experiences from day to day; and getting the advice
of those who have grown gray, and perhaps lost fortunes in the
cause. We should study the field from which our support must
come. One New York publisher knows every county in every
State, and the literary caliber of its inhabitants, and is therefore
able to put each book he has for sale on the market at the best ad¬
vantage to himself and the author. How many of our editors have
thus studied the colored constituency of the various States ?
We must watch the signs of the times and show business tact. I
am forcibly reminded that the white race, even the ignorant portion,
possess this faculty largely beyond our own people, even the intelli¬
gent ones among us. A white man knowing it was a season for
Negro revivals, furnished himself with a goodly-sized bundle of
spiritual hymns, and went shouting them up and down the streets,
and the colored people flocked to him with their pennies. Not a
single white face did I see among them but that of the singer who
was gathering in the dimes and nickels from our poor. It was a fit
tribute to his businss tact.
Our journals should improve greatly in the next decade. Let the
work and field be studied, a policy marked out, and the greatest
good to the greatest number be the aim of each. Get the intelligent
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 169
sympathy and advice of all connected with publications. Form syn¬
dicates and pay for good articles on selected subjects from our best
writers and authors. Secure the assistance of some wise, helpful,
intelligent, and entusiastic woman. Do your best and success will
surely crown your effort.
Before closing we must speak of "Our Women in Journalism."
They are admitted to the press association and are in sympathy with
the male editors; but few have become independent workers in this
noble field of effort, being yet satellites, revolving round the sun of
masculine journalism. They still remain willing captives, chained
to the chariot wheels of the sterner element, and deem it well if
"united they stand." Let us have a few more years of co-operative
work. Our women have a great field in literary work. Sex or color
does not bar, for neither need to be known. As reporters, women
are treated with the courtesy due their sex. They have tact, quick
perception, and can readily gain access to both sexes. Again, we are
"lookers on in Venice." We are not in the thick of the battle. We
have time to think, frame our purposes, and carry them into effect,
unlike the editor harassed with both literary and business work and
other great responsibilities incident to such an 'enterprise.
Women can do much to purify and strengthen life through the
columns of the daily press, or the weekly, or the monthly journals.
Right well do they seem to appreciate their opportunities; and a
broad view of life and its purposes will come to them through this
source. Let one who desires journalism as her life-work, study to
acquire a good knowledge of the English language, and of others, if
she so desires, but the English language she must. Be alive to ob¬
tain what is news, what will interest. Let the woman select her non
de plume, or take her own name if she prefers, and use it always,
unless for some special purpose it is changed.' Write oftenest for
one journal and on one subject or on one line, at least, until a repu-
tation has been established. Work conscientiously, follow the
natural bent, and the future will not fail to bring its own reward.
Hoping that these few scattered, irregular thoughts on "The Power
of the Press" may serve as seed-thoughts to lead to more serious
thinking, I bid my readers adieu, believing that no brighter path
opens before us, as a race, than that of the journalism of the present
age.—Afro-American Press.
170
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION FOR NEGROES.
BY MRS. JULIA A. HOOKS, MEMPHIS.
NDUSTRIAL education is the lever by which the Negro race is to
be lifted up. "Give us more schools of industry," should be the
cry of the dark sons and daughters of the South. The able,
scholarly, and masterly address of Prof. Booker T. Washington,
President and founder of the great Tuskegee Institute of Alabama,
delivered here recently, has attracted the attention of our citizens in
a most favorable mariner. Indeed, no man in the country is better
prepared than he to discuss the important topic and show its material
worth and practical application as a factor in the solution of the great
problem. That man has labored hard and long to develop the race
along the lines of industrial pursuits, and he has won for himself and
his race merited distinction for the work accomplished. "We should
all be ready and willing to give earnest heed and cheerful indorse¬
ment to his labors. I desire to offer a few thoughts, hopeful that
they may be the means of arresting the attention of our young men
and women to the worthy subject, who, perhaps, did not have the ad¬
vantage of listening to the words as they fell eloquently from the lips
of that great man.
Before offering my thoughts and suggestions I wish to say that
this is one great thing which called forth the most rapturous ap¬
plause. Prof. Washington, though knowing of the difficulties which
the Negroes have had to strive against, made no unsavory mention,
no incendiary talk, but kindly advised his people to seek for peace
with their neighbors, and cease hoisting the flag of distress. "Drop
the bucket down where you are.'' Grand thought, good advice. It
is my humble opinion that our system of education until recently has
been largely at fault, and even }ret it is to be regretted that so much
attention is given to the education of the mind, without the applica¬
tion to matter. I mean this: In the schools where the masses must
receive instruction there is no industry taught. The head alone is
attended to in utter disregard of the hand. Boys and girls are
taught that the only avenues in which to be really useful, that the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 171
only really honorable opportunities afforded to "make their mark,"
is to%be considered "smart." Indeed, only "smart" enough to be a
learned professor, teacher, or preacher. They are led to think that
any other training is degrading and beneath the standard of true
dignity. It is a fact that many of our boys and girls, after coming
to the city to acquire higher educational advantages, often abhor
going back to the country, as they should, to help the poor old father
and mother to a better understanding of the worth of the "forty
acres, a mule and plow." It is true that most of our children abhor
the "sweat of human industry;" they look with disgust on the
"horny hand of toil." They are ashamed of the title "servant;"
and yet are not the possessors of the requisites to be the master or
mistress. What is the use of learning? I insist that the great end
of education is to prepare one for usefulness in life; and an educa¬
tion that does not accomplish this is worse than useless.
Prof. Washington knows what is required in this age. It calls for
the practical man and the practical woman. And the man who will
continue to sit at his desk in his classroom and fancifully dream, or
the young woman who will leave the schoolroom, after a long day's
hard work, and go butterfly chasing the rest of the afternoon, or
spend the evening supinely lying about with the novel or story paper
in hand, constantly "dreaming dreams and seeing visions," and then
looking for their fulfillment, will awake after the great procession of
progress has passed, only to discover the awful dangers of the days
spent in idly teaching, and dreaming, and failing to discover the true
essentials of practical living. If schooling means anything, it means
to prepare one for the highest standard of true greatness in its full¬
est sense. It is a fallacy to seek knowledge simply for the purpose
of being smart. Prof. Washington did not dare discourage higher
education; nor do I mean to decry the highest education of the mind,
yet I say that I oppose any form of education for my boys that is not
to be made practical, and carried into their generous life. Again,
much of the education nowadays is misdirected. Boys and girls
should be trained with an eye single to the place in life they are to
fill. Casting a boy adrift upon the world with a mind stored with
classic lore, and most of it only shamly crammed into his brain, and
while neither he nor his parrents are prepared to find an honorable
means of support for that classic mind, is nothing less than a crime.
As a bread winner he is rendered a miserable failure. Idleness and
uselessness naturally follow as a sequence. This leads to poverty
172
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
and crime, which is feeding our jails, thronging our penitentiaries,
and swarming the many houses of prostitution—by many considered
a necessity. Industrial ignorance and antipathy, more than any¬
thing else, is the cause of anarchism, and, indeed, many of the great
evils of the day come from the lack, the total ignorance, of industrial
habits. Idleness and industrial ignorance is causing our people to
lose their patriotism, and the perpetuity of our national life depends
upon our knowledge and the usefulness of industrial pursuits.
The only star of hope which is to shed the radiant light to illumine
our darkened pathway here in the Southland, and open up a way into
a new faith and a new inspiration, lies in the education of the hand as
well as the head—"the grasping of matter and bringing from it
something." The community has nothing to fear from the intelli¬
gent, industrious boy or girl. The man or woman who is an earnest,
intelligent, and industrious owner of his "forty acres" and farming
tools is not shunned. The vacant lands lying around here are calling
to us, "Come and till; come and use us and we will do you good."
Let us as patriotic people ask, nay, beg, our legislatures to legislate
for industrial education in connection with the free school system,
and also let us beg that a compulsory system of this education be de¬
manded of parents and guardians. Then will our youths be thrice
armed to combat with America's great evils—immorality, intemper¬
ance, ignorance, malice, and prejudice. An educated industry will
make a man a truer husband, a kinder father, a better neighbor, and
a nobler citizen. An intelligent, industrious woman will be a truer
wife, a fonder mother, and a more faithful servant. Our State can
better afford to found and give to its citizens of color industrial
schools, than schools where tactics and athletics are taught. "We
have more need of carpenters than athletes, and a prosperous, well-
educated farmer is worth more to us and to the State than a hundred
well-drilled and disciplined soldiers.
The JSTegro must look to industry as the bright ray of hope. The
few industrial schools where industry is truly and properly taught
must be supported. Such opportunities will be the means in many
instances of saving from shame and disgrace our boys and will help
in preserving the virtue and chastity of our girls. I trust and be¬
lieve that the many right-thinking colored mothers who listened with
marked appreciation to Prof. Washington will treasure the effort put
forth by the Whittier Association in bringing him here, and that as
they sing the little girl infant to sleep they may look forth to this in-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
173
dustrial education as the safeguard which is to protect and save her
for future usefulness. On my Sunday mission to the County jail I
look with pity and remorse, with sorrow and disgust, upon our poor
little boys and girls and our young men and women when I see so
many of them with brilliant minds wasting their lives in idleness and
profligacy, oftentimes dishonoring their parents, disgracing them¬
selves and their race, bringing trouble and expense upon the State
and county by their condition. I sit prayerfully considering and
sorrowfully begging my Lord to show me some plan by which I can
help uplift my people out of the low estate into which so many hun¬
dreds of them have fallen. I can but see a gleam of hope as I look
forth to the industrial education, the applying of mind to matter, as
the only and great lever which is to lift them up and make them a
blessing, rather than a curse, to society; a blessing, rather than a
curse, to posterity. Teaching our boys and girls of to-day, who will
be the men and women of to-morrow, the true meaning of education
is the only hope. Demanding of parents and guardians to see to the
proper education of head and hand will prove a future blessing to
the Southland's glory and greatness.—Commercial-Appeal.
THE NEGRO AS AN ECONOMIST,
HOW HE IS COMING—THE DEPTHS FROM WHICH HE HAS COME.
XT is said that the colored population of Georgia pay taxes on about
W $40,000,000 worth of real property. The amount of mortgage on
the lands of the Georgia Negroes is not stated, but even if it
should be one half of the value of the real estate, the result would be
the possession by those people of $20,000,000 worth of land, which
they have accumulated since the war. It is quite likely, though
statistics on the subject are not available, that a similar, if not bet¬
ter, result would be shown in the other Southern States, and the
probability is that the Negroes of the South own, free of all encum¬
brance, perhaps $250,000,000 to $300,000,000 worth of real estate.
Such a result as this is probably unprecedented in the history of our
civilization. It should be remembered that less than thirty years
174
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
ago the Negroes started with less than nothing, for as slaves they ac¬
quired habits of thriftlessness, of wastefulness that almost unfitted
them for the accumulation of property. In one generation they have
managed to pile up an aggregate of wealth that is simply enormous.
It is true that a considerable percentage of the race still retain the
habits of idleness that characterized them as slaves. It is also true
that no large percentage exhibit talent for accumulation, but are con¬
tent to earn from day to day the wages of the day before, trusting to
chance for the future of the morrow. But after these deductions have
been made, there still remains a large number of them who have ex¬
hibited decided financial ability. Starting in the most humble way,
with limited intelligence, and exceedingly circumscribed knowledge
of the manner in which economy is to be practiced, they have never¬
theless gone on from year to year accumulating a little until their
savings, as represented by their property, have built churches, have
erected school houses, they employ and pay preachers and teachers;
and all out of the humble earnings of day laborers. Such results as
these deserve honorable mention. When contemplating the race as
a mass, it is usual to judge its members by its worst representatives,
a method both unjust and untrue. The colored people of the South,
as a class, should not be judged by the criminals among them who be¬
come conspicuous in the newspapers from the evil deeds that are
often visited with swift and terrible justice; they should rather be
judged from the honest, hard working men and women who, begin¬
ning with nothing, have in the course of one generation accumulated
an amount of property that even of our magnificent national wealth
forms no inconspicuous portion.—St. Louis Christian Advocate.
IMPROVING NEGRO HOMES.
BY CARRIE A. BANISTER, IN THE "NASHVILLE CITIZEN."
XXOT long since the subject of improving the homes of the Negroes
Jjl as a paramount factor in developing better men and women .
among them was discussed in a leading New York journal, and
the habit of considering all Negroes as Negroes and not as men and
women intrudes itself as usual. The writer says that the first need
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 175
of the Negroes is the improvement of the "dark and cheerless
abodes" in which these people live. For, says he, the Negroes who
live in neat and well kept homes are thrifty and intelligent, self-
respecting and respectable; and from this he deduces the conclusion
that if the Negroes were placed in better homes they would at once
become thrifty and respectable. The true deduction to be reached
is that the Negro's thrift and self-respect made the home, and not
the home which made the Negro.
The Negro whose soul is free, like every other man, appreciates
the sacredness and beauty which must be inseparable from a happy
home. On the other hand the Negro debased and brutified by a ser¬
vitude of centuries, has no comprehension or desire for home in any
exalted sense. Perhaps the least desirable legacy bequeathed by
slavery to the children of its victims, is the disintegrating and no¬
madic tendencies of a homeless and non-familied people. The im¬
provement must begin with the people who are to make the homes,
who do make them. Quixotic as seems to us there are those among
the freedmen whom no wretchedness can impel, and no opportunity
inspire, to alter or to make tolerable the places in which they and
their families exist. More than one old Negro lives for years in a
one or two-room cabin, declining to build another room "kase he
won't be gwine to leave."
In the same way the pure air and water of the vast open fields and
hill sides call in vain to the denizens of the filthy and over-crowded
tenements of the cities. In effecting any improvement all the forma¬
tive and educative influences which touch the colored people must be
called into requisition, the schools, the churches and the press. Of
these influences none is so powerful or far-reaching in its results as
the industrial school since it educates the whole man. The soul is
schooled to higher wants and the hand is skilled to obtain them.
When these influences have combined to make a generation of vir¬
tuous, clean, industrious women, though they may not shine in
society or speak but one language, though they may be ugly in fea¬
ture and unsophisticated in manner ; and by their sides a generation
of men who will care for and love their own firesides, what though
their names are never heard outside the little limits of their own
state or neighborhood, what though their hands are hard with toil,
we will not need to discuss the improvement of homes ; such women
and men will improve their homes of their own volition.
Residence of R. R. Church,
Memphis, Tenn.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 177
SUNSHINE.
VALEDICTORY ESSAY BY SARAH A. PAGE, DELIVERED AT TUGALOO COL¬
LEGE, TUGALOO, MISSISSIPPI.
HAT would the world be without sunshine—sunshine from
above us and from within us. If you can imagine so dark a
picture try to think of yourself in a sunless world. Look
around you, and see if anything like joy can be awakened by your
surroundings. All is dark, dismal and chilly. As we look out upon
our now verdant fields and forests, we cannot help thinking of the
great body that has furnished light and heat for them and coaxed
them to robe themselves in their spring dress. Our woods are full
of fragrant flowers. Mother Nature has withheld nothing beautiful
from us. But suppose that just as the little plants had peeped up
from under the sod they had been deprived of the sunshine. For a
time they would have struggled on against adversity, but with so
little strength that they would have at last succumbed to the effects
of cold and darkness. "While living they would have been beautiful.
"We have seen plants that were deprived of sunshine. "Were they
rich in the beautiful colors which we see in our woods? No, they
could not boast of colors. They were weak, dwarfed and pale. In
them we see none of the beauty that characterizes our wild, free flow¬
ers. "Where the shadow has been predominant, beauty cannot reach
its full development.
In this world we are all plants, and what is strange about it is that
our sunshine is received in a large measure from others. "We, too,
must live and grow. And to support life in us we need sunshine.
Let us notice, first, ourselves as sources of light or shadow. "We
are constantly in the presence of others. "Whether we know it or not
we are causing them to flourish by the genial rays from our hearts,
or we are causing them to wither and fade by the gloominess of our
looks and words. The little brothers, sisters, sons and daughters in
our homes are tender plants. They need warmth and light to make
them vigorous and beautiful. Give them this and you are nourish¬
ing the great roots of patience, love, trustfulness and self-reliance.
12
178
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Through these roots the great tree of manhood and womanhood is to
draw its food. They are easily injured now, and too much shade will
dwarf them for the rest of their existence. You are putting in the
lovely colors such as no artist can portray on his canvas.
Our parents need our sunshine. How could we have reached our
present condition without their love and care? Let us show to them
that their rays have been absorbed by us and not misspent. Let us
throw our brightest beams in their pathway. They have had enough
of the dark side of life. It is our great privilege to be the dissemi¬
nators of light and cheerfulness to them. If we perform our duties
faithfully in this respect, we will be a great power in lightening the
burdens that will come to them from other sources.
In the school-room, at the counter, at the work bench, there is ever
a demand for sunshine. Your pupils are encouraged, your cus¬
tomers pleased if your service is given in a pleasant, light-hearted
manner. Look among the happy homes and see if you can find the
moody, silent, humdrum man. You will usually find him not in such
a home as this, but in the home where shades from unloving hearts
prevail. He may mount the ladder of fame but he has lost one of the
most precious jewels of life. The happy laborer would not change
places with him. He grows hardened and the bright rays which
would have made his heart glad cannot at once affect him. He does
not understand the worth of this treasure. He must be gradually
brought to realize it. You may say there are many great men whose
early lives were overshadowed. To this we will agree only in part.
However dark may have seemed their way, some struggling sun¬
beams have reached them at some time, and these few rays, on ac¬
count of their scarcity, were made more precious. There are lives
which seem to have no glimmer of light in them, but many of them
have some secret hope, some unknown comforter.
We have been observing this agent as going out from us to others,
let us now look at it coming to us from them:
First, how do we secure it ? Sunshine may be poured out upon us
from others, and we may make ourselves impervious to its effects.
We may cherish such gloomy thoughts that we will fail to be bene¬
fitted. When others are happy, do nob cast a gloom over them by
coldness. It freezes the heart of a friend to be observed with cold¬
ness when he is happy. We sympathize with others in their sorrow;
can we not also share their joys ? It adds to their happiness to have
others happy.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
179
You feel low-spirited sometimes. You do not to care-relate your
trouble to others, why then keep up a gloomy appearance ? Throw
off the shadow and let bright beams radiate from your countenance.
If you are naturally of a gloomy disposition you can do no better than
to imitate the example of others who are cheerful. If you have some
trouble in which your friends can help you, show your appreciation
of their kindness.
"What a world of darkness this would be, had we no kind friends to
share our woes! How different would seem our surroundings.
Nearly all our pleasure comes in having others share our feelings.
There are innumerable ways in which we can give sunshine. Of some
of them we have already spoken. The sharing of joys or sorrows,
the pleasant word, or look, the warm handshake, all bear with them a
message of cheer, and oh, how soothing to the heart, how welcome to
the ear. There are many valuable gifts which we are unable to be¬
stow, but kind deeds, one of the most precious, we can each give in
abundance. We have seen faces from which there seemed to radiate
all that was true and beautiful. Our world would know less of woe
if there were more of such faces. If we are to be constantly sending
forth bright rays, we must'have a strong reservoir from which to
get our supply. The light shines from our faces, but what is the
source? Before we can do much toward giving the light to others,
we must have within our hearts love and cheerfulness. One word
spoken from the heart is worth more than many spoken from the tip
of the tongue. 4'It needs the everflowof heart to give the lips full
speech." We can distinguish between the shallow words of preten¬
sion and those of heartfelt interest. Surface words are revolting
when we are in need of advice or encouragement. The light that
lighteth all the world must be within us. Drawing from that never-
failing Source, our supply of light is sure. The bright face is an
index to the brighter heart. As we look into the faces of others we
can judge whether they are usually happy or not. We notice their
actions and judge them by their fruit. God judges them by their
roots. We may be deceived as to their fruits, but he is never de¬
ceived as to the source of their strength.
There is a beautiful custom among the natives of Madura. At
evening-tide the mother trims and polishes her lamp and sets it on a
table in the centre of the room. As the members of the family
gather in, each one'pays homage to the light before proceeding with
the social joys of the evening. This custom is of course connected
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with some of their superstitious beliefs, but a lesson may be borne to
us from it. What light have we that draws us together and exerts a
binding influence upon us? Sunshine is the philosopher's stone that
transmutes everything to gold. It is not miserly, but steals into
every crevice and tries to awaken its occupants.
Our sunshine should not be sparing, but for every one we meet
there should be a bountiful supply. Life is too short for us to in¬
dulge in shadows. There will be enough of them howe'er the sun¬
shine falls. In all our lives there must be some shadows, but they
may be so regarded that we will be strengthened by them. Our sun¬
shine is then made more glorious by contrast. There will be times
when we must, with Longfellow—
" Be still sad heart and cease repining,
Behind the cloud is the sun still shining-."
Life cannot be one pleasant summer day. We each learn by ex¬
perience that "some days must be dark and dreary." We might
grow tired of the sunshine were there no shadows for contrast.
Some flowers need all sunshine, some flourish on very little, and
seem to require the shade. Out of seemingly dark recesses some
beautiful lives grow, but their light comes from above and dispels
all gloom. Their sorrows are borne in patience because they live in
anticipation of the light to come. Like those flowers whose faces
are constantly turned toward the sun, let us ever look toward the
source of our light, hoping thereby to become more radiant and
beautiful. To-day brings us to a point in our career which has
both its sad and joyous features. When we think of the happy
hours spent here with our teachers and fellow students, and when
the thought comes to us that these hours have ceased to be, a feeling
of regret fills our hearts; but we have not the time to look back,
and so as we look off into the future and contemplate the work that
is before us, we can but rejoice at the prospect of enlarging our work
for the Master. Classmates, our pathway which for some time has
been one and the same, to-day separates in many branches. We
each pursue a different way, resolving to make the best of it, re¬
joicing in the sunshine, keeping cheerful in the shadow.
We extend hearty thanks to these kind teachers who have had our
interest at heart, and who have striven to aid us in attaining a higher
life. Their efforts shall not be lost, for the inspirations which we
have received from them we are trying to make part of our lives.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
181
We hope that when report of our actions reaches your ears, you will
recognize in them the principles of a noble manhood and womanhood.
Fellow students, to you we must bid adieu. We hope that the good
that you receive here may serve to make your path sunny. These
opportunities are still yours.
In saying farewell to-day, we do not feel that we are at the end.
We have only laid the foundation; our building we have yet to con¬
struct. We go forth among our fellow-men to reflect the light that
we have received here—to remove the darkness of ignorance and un-
happiness; and in so doing we hope to follow out our Master's in¬
junction, to " Shine as lights in the world."
"Mammy" and Her Pet.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
183
TRUE CHRISTIANITY.
N the minds of many people religion is associated with gloom. It
is something to which they may be compelled to resort to avoid
worse evils, but of itself it is without zest or charm. Doubtless
the austerity of the Puritan regime has done much to foster this im¬
pression. The lines between the church and the world were drawn
with precision, and the discrimination was more against external
things than against inward dispositions. The old Manichsen notion
that matter was inherently sinful, and that material pleasures were
seductions of the evil one, colored their conceptions, as they did
those of the mediaeval church. Gradually, however, the Christian
churches have been coming to wiser views. They have been led to
see that the world and all it contains is God's world, that he framed
his creatures for many grades of enjoyment, and that, other things
being equal, he is the truest man who is alive in every faculty of
soul and body. We have also come to see that the Christian ideal of
life is not one in which the faculties for physical enjoyment are
sternly repressed, but one in which all powers are subordinated to
spiritual claims and controlled by spiritual motives.
Self-denial has as much place in the Christian life as it ever had;
but we have learned to distinguish between self-denial for the sake
of conserving the soul's power for some worthy end or for the sake
of self-discipline, and self-mortification, as an end in itself. The
former is one of the highest manifestations of the Christian spirit;
the latter is heathenism. One essential mark of true self-denial is
that it is not morose and gloomy. It sees the superiority of the
spiritual end it aims to secure, and gladly surrenders the lower good
to gain it. It is only the self-mortification which is always unintel¬
ligent, and a dash of superstition that is undertoned and repining.
The Apostle Paul is an admirable illustration of the true Christian
temper. Few man have sacrificed more than he for spiritual ends,
but his letters abound with good cheer. Men constantly turn to
them for courage. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the elder son
who could say that while his brother who wasted his living, he had
never had a kid to make merry with his friends, unconsciously dis-
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closed the real quality of his life. He showed that he had all the time
been longing* for just such a life as that his brother had led. His
brother's life was the kind of life he would have led if he could have
given free play to his impulses. Inwardly he had wandered as far
from his father as ever his brother had outwardly in miles or riotous
excess. His heart had not been enlisted in the home life; it was
some small motive of decency or self-interest that kept him respect¬
able. The elder son is a type of the men whose religion is gloomy, and
who represent it to others as a distasteful experience. They are
not quite in the world, though they long to be, and they do not live
in the Spirit.
"The fruit of the Spirit is—joy." The more real one's religion
is, the happier, the sunnier he will be. The man who enters into
the spirit of Christ will be wary about making external prohibitions
for himself or for others. Rather he will seek for himself and
others that devotion to the highest things which remands the lower
life and its pleasures to their proper place, and, in so doing, finds the
deepest satisfactions.—Boston Watchman.
Turpentine Farm, Near Savannah, Ga
186
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
TEMPERANCE.
TO THE COLORED WOR KINGMEN.
VERY laboring colored man is called upon to choose between the
saloon,with its attendant miseries and vices, and the home with its
manifold blessings. In the Jownal of United labor, the following
letter by Mr. T. V. Powderly, is worth your careful consideration. He
says, "I know that in the organization of which I am the head there
are many good men who drink, but they would be better men if they
did not drink. I know that there are thousands in our order who will
not agree with ,me on the question of temperance, but that is their
misfortune, for they are wrong, radically wrong. Ten years ago I
was hissed becsuse I advised men to let strong drink alone. They
threatened to rotten-egg me. I continued to advise men to be tem¬
perate, and though I have had no experience that would qualify me to
render an opinion on the efficacy of a rotten egg as an ally of the rum-
drinker, yet I would prefer to have m^ exterior decorated from sum¬
mit to base with the rankest kind of rotten eggs rather than allow one
drop of liquid villainy to pass my lips, or have the end of my nose
illuminated by the bloom that follows a planting of the seeds of ha¬
tred, envy, malice, and damnation, all of which are represented in a
solitary glass of gin.
He (the drunkard), robs parents, wife, and children. He robs his
aged father and mother through love of drink. He gives for rum
what should go for their support. When they murmur, he turns
them from his door, and points his contaminated drunken finger to¬
ward the poorhouse. He next turns to his wife and robs her of what
should be devoted to the keeping of her home in comfort and plenty.
He robs her of her wedding ring and pawns it for drink. He turns his
daughter from his door in a fit of drunken anger and drives her to
the house of prostitution, and then accepts from her hand the pro¬
ceeds of her shame. To satisfy his love of drink, he takes the price
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
187
of his child's virtue and innocence from her sin-stained, lust-bejew-
eled fingers, and with it totters to the bar to pay it to the man 'who
does not deny the justness of my position.' I do not arraign the man
Who drinks because he is poor, but because through being a slave to
drink he has made himself and family poor. I do not hate men who
drink, for I have carried drunken men to their homes on my back,
rather than allow them to remain exposed to the enclement weather.
I do not hate the drunkard, he is what drink effected; and while I
do not hate the effect, I abhor and loathe the cause.
In the city of New York alone it is estimated that not less than
$250,000 a day are spent for drink, $1,500,000 in one week, $75,000,000
in one year. Who will dispute it when I say that one-half of the po¬
licemen of New York City are employed to watch the beings who
squander $75,000,000? Who will dispute it when I say that the
money spent in paying the salaries and expenses of one-half of the
police of New York could be saved to the tax-payers if $75,000,000
were not devoted to making drunkards, thieves, prostitutes, and oth¬
er subjects for the policemen's net to gather in? If $250,000 go over
the counters of the rumseller in one day in New York City alone, who
will dare to assert that ivorkingmen do not pay one-fifth, or $50,000,
of that sum? If workingmen in New York City spend $50,000 a day
for drink, they spend $300,000 a week, leaving Sunday out. In four
weeks they spend $1,200,000—over twice as much money as was paid
into the General Assembly of the Knights of Labor in nine years.
In six weeks they spend $1,800,000—nearly three times as much
money as that army of organized workers, the Knights of Labor,
have spent from the day the General Assembly was first called to or¬
der up to the present day; and in one year the workingmen of New
York City alone will have spent for beer and rum $15,600,000, or
enough to purchase and equip a first-class telegraph line of their
own; $15,600,000, enough money to invest in such a co-operative en¬
terprise as would forever end the strike and lockout as a means of
settling disputes in labor circles."
Ought to be Made Odious.
"Intemperance, like treason," says Cardinal Gibbons, ought to be
made odious in the land, and there is a close similarity between the
two. The treasonable man endeavors to dethrone the rightful sover¬
eign, and intemperance dethrones reason, the ruler of the soul."
188
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
The A. M. E. Zion Church on Temperance.
At the Nineteenth Quadrennial Session of the General Conference
of the A. M. E. Zion Church, held in Pittsburg, Pa., May, 1892, the
Committee on Temperance submitted the following report, which was
unanimously adopted:
"Temperance has narrowed itself down in these days so that at
present it refers to the liquor traffic specially. We recognize the
fact that while there are many evils to which our country is heir, and
many evil spots of degradation and sin which besmirch the garments
of fair Columbia—mistress of the "West, pride of the world—there
are none which so disfigure her fair garments as intemperance, by
which are her garments not only besmirched, but in which they are
bedraggled and polluted, and by which, if the cause be not curtailed
or extirpated, she will be compelled to follow the path of the grand
old government which preceded her, and be buried in the great sea
of oblivion; be known as a thing of the past, the very action of whose
language, mayhap, like Greece and Rome, be forgotten.
We aver that above and beyond all the evils which pervade our fair
land, this hydra-headed monster dominates them all, and subverts all
things upon which it takes hold to become the menials of its will. It
lurks in the lowly hovel, and revels in the palaces of the great; it per¬
verts government from its high purpose, and makes it become a
weakly, servile imbecile, unable either to direct the affairs of gov¬
ernment, or to promulgate its laws. It .desecrates the family altar,
despoils the sweet influence of the family circle, rends virtue into
shreds, and puts a premium on vice. It impels the infuriated mob to
deeds of horror and crime more barbarous, heinous, devilish than
those wrought by Nero, evidences of which fact may be seen in the
many lynchings of recent occurrence.
Therefore, because of these facts, together with many other
vicious influences which it ingenders, the multifarious evils which
emanate from it, we, the committee, submit that all means which
can be reasonably and legally brought to bear to extirpate this great
evil from among the people of our country be endorsed by our con¬
nection, and receive its continued support. We further recommend
that Zion's ministry give more attention to the great cause of temper¬
ance, and that the laity be incited to greater work in a united effort
to put under foot the great monster intemperance."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
189
Temperance Resolutions Adopted by the A. M. K Church.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church at its General Confer¬
ence, held at Indianapolis, Indiana, adopted the following resolutions:
"Resolved 1, That we discourage the manufacture, sale, and use of
all alcoholic and malt liquors.
2. "That we discourage the use of tobacco by our ministers and
people.
3. "That we discourage the use of opium and snuff.
4. "That we endorse the great Prohibition movement in this coun¬
try, also the work done by the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, and will use all honorable means to suppress the evils grow¬
ing out of intemperance.
5. "That it shall be a crime for any minister or member of the A.
M. E. Church to fight against temperance, and if convicted of this
crime he shall lose his place in the Conference and the church."
The Bishops at this same conference said in their address: "We
should allow no minister, or member who votes, writes, lectures, or
preaches to uphold the rum trade to retain his membership, either in
the Conference or in the church. And those who are addicted to
strong drink, either ministers or laymen, should have no place among
us. Visit our station houses, bridewells, jails, almshouses, and pen¬
itentiaries, and you will there witness the effects of this horror of hor¬
rors. Rum has dug the grave of the American Indian so deep that
it will never be resurrected. If we would escape the same fate as a
church and a race, we must be temperate.
"Some of the loftiest intellects have been blasted and blighted by
this terrible curse. The use of wine at weddings should never be
encouraged by our ministers; it is often the beginning of a blasted
life."
Ordinary observation is sufficient evidence to convince any poor
dram drinker that the use of liquor is detrimental to his interests.
Benjamin Franklin on the Analysis of Beer.
In 1725 Franklin wrote this interesting reminiscence of his ap¬
prenticeship in Watt's printing house in London: "I drank only
water; the other workmen, nearly fifty in number, were great drink¬
ers of beer. On occasions I carried up and down stairs a large form
of types in each hand, when others carried but one in both hands.
They wondered to see, from this and several instances, that the
190
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water-American, as they called me, was stronger than themselves,
who drank strong beer. We had an ale-house boy, who attended always
in the house to supply the workmen. My companion at the press
drank every day a pint before breakfast, a pint at breakfast with his
bread and cheese, a pint between breakfast and dinner, a pint at din¬
ner, a pint in the afternoon about 6 o'clock, and another when he had
done his day's work. I thought it a detestable custom, but it was
necessary, he supposed, to drink strong beer that he might be strong
to labor. I endeavored to convince him that the bodily strength af¬
forded by beer could only be in proportion to the grain or flour of the
barley dissolved in the water of which it was made; that there was
more flour in a pennyworth of bread, and therefore if he could eat
that with a pint of water it would give him more strength than a
quart of beer. He drank on, however, and had four or five shillings
to pay out of his wages every Saturday night for that vile liquor; an
expense I was free from. And thus these poor devils keep them¬
selves always under."
A Temperance lecture by Rev. J. C. Price, President National Afro-
American League.
"Remembering the circumstances in which the Negro was placed
by the dreadful institution of slavery it is not to be wondered at that
he now cultivates a taste, even a love for alcohol. Yet it is remark¬
able to note the progress toward sobriety that the race has made in
the later years of its emancipation. A colored total abstainer is not
a rare person in any community nowadays. The various temperance
societies and nearly all the other secret organizations supported by
the Afro-American race uniformly require those who seek admission
to pledge themselves to be sober men and women, and in most cases
to be total abstianers. The drift is more and more in this direc¬
tion, and hence soberness in the race is constantly on the increase.
It is remarkable, too, to observe the steadfastness and persis¬
tency with which colored teachers as a rule, hold to the idea
that the race is to be uplifted morally, as well as materially and
religiously improved, through total abstinence as a chief instrument.
It is the rare exception, not the rule, to find a colored teacher who
does not hold to this doctrine. The result is that many boys and
girls in the school-room all over the South and in other sections as
well are being trained to habits of temperance, and will in all proba¬
bility develop into consistent temperance men and women. And it
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 191
must not be forgotten that the true and most influential leaders of
the race, the ministers, are moulding and shaping the opinions of
both old and young in favor of soberness and total abstinence. The
unanimity with which the churches of all denominations declare for
the temperance reform is most encouraging. It is a very rare thing
to find any considerable proportion of the ministry of any religious
denomination exerting an influence in behalf of the extension and
perpetuation of the liquor traffic. The church as a factor in this race
development and elevation is laboring steadfastly and earnestly for
the right. It is the one force that checks and holds the individuals
of the race from following the evil propensities of their own hearts
when every other force proves unavailing. In it is the chief hope
for the present as well as the eternal salvation of the Negro. If the
church is kept pure it can lift up and give honor and perfect freedom
to the freedmen. The race has implicit confidence in the truth and
value of God's word. This confidence must not be shaken but must
be cultivated by the selection of clergymen well qualified by special
training to teach wisely, acceptably and properly. Along with such
cultivation will inevitably go a determination to strengthen the tem¬
perance cause more and more.
I have watched closely the men who are recognized as the race
leaders in various States and localities. It is acknowledged that
they are generally shrewd, calculating and hard to circumvent when
they attempt political manoeuvers. It is my observation that these
leaders are strictly reliable and trustworthy when confined in and—
however surprising the statement may be to some—that they are
generally sober, upright and honest. I confess that , in some locali¬
ties this rule does not apply, but on the whole a more sober class of
leaders does not exist in any race than in the Afro-American. One
of the evils against which our people have to contend is the cross¬
roads grocery store, to be found all over the Southland—the bane of
this section. Here, with no city or town ordinance to make drunk¬
enness an offense and to threaten certain punishment, they congre¬
gate and drink their fill, carouse, engage in free fights and do other
hurtful and equally unlawful things, while no one dares molest or
make afraid, and the grocery keeper finding his trade benefited, en¬
courages the debauchery. This evil instead of becoming less in¬
creases. The business of many prosperous towns and villages is
being injured seriously by the competition at the cross roads and
the resulting vice, violence and impoverishment. The records of
192
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
the courts would show that crime among our people is traceable to a
large majority of cases to a too free exercise of the liquor habit. Of
the men belonging to the race who are hanged, I think it entirely
reasonable to say that at least four-fifths committed their offenses
while under the influence of liquor. But speaking of the race
broadly, and duly considering all the unusual circumstances that
ought to be taken into consideration, I think it cannot fairly be
charged with anything like gross intemperance. It is something
out of the usual order to come upon a case of delirium tremens
among the Negroes. Comparatively few of them drink anything of
consequence during the week, but excessive imbibition is mostly
indulged in on Saturdays. With their rigorous physical constitu¬
tion they are able, in six days of comparative temperance, to resist
the undermining effects of the seventh day's spree. Therefore this
is not a race of drunkards, and there is abundant reason for believ¬
ing that with proper education and training it may be made a race
of sober people and abstainers.
In all the prohibition and local option contests in the South num¬
bers of colored men have been on the side of temperance and fought
valiantly for its success. Many others would have thrown their in¬
fluence the same way had they not been duped by misguided leaders
who raised false cries of alarm, declaring that prohibition was a
device to take away their dearly-bought liberty. It is customary to
blame the Negroes for the defeats of prohibition in Texas, in the
second Atlanta contest, etc.; but it must be remembered that with¬
out a large share of the Negro vote prohibition could not have
carried in Atlanta at the first trial and would have been lost in
hundreds of other fights.
In order to strengthen the cause of temperance in the South
nothing is more important than to treat the Negro fairly, to keep
faith with him, to permit no pledge to be broken. Once won, the
colored man is the most faithful and reliable of allies. It is of
course needless to add that the suppy of temperance literature
should be kept up and increased. Especially valuable is the work of
arousing total abstinence enthusiasm among the students in the
various educational institutions—young men (and women too), upon
whom the future of the race and its influence for good or evil so
largely depends. I am.indeed hopeful for the future of the Afro-
American race, and particularly hopeful that it will become a posi¬
tive and influential contributor to the triumph of the temperance
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
193
reform. It is estimated that Christendom has introduced 70,000
gallons of rum to every missionary. In the great Congo Free State
there are one hundred drunkards to one convert. Under the mad¬
dening influence of intoxicating drink sent from New England tivo
hundred Congoans slaughtered each other. One gallon of rum
caused a fight in which fifty were slain.—Ram's Horn.
OON after the discovery of this plant it was introduced into
many of the countries of Europe, and soon became an article
of luxury. Its use, however, was condemned, and the Sultans
of Turkey declared smoking a crime, and death of the most cruel
kind was fixed as the punishment. In Russia the 1' noses of the
smokers' were cut off in the earlier part of the seventeenth century."
Its use was described by King James I., of England, as "a custom
loathesome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain,
dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof
nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is
.bottomless."
Dr. J. H. Kellogg, M.D., in Health Science Leaflet, No. 216, says:
"Chemists, botanists and physicians unite in pronouncing tobacco'
one of the most deadly poisons known. No other poison with the
exception of prussic acid will cause death so quickly, only three or
four minutes being required for a fatal dose to produce its full effect.
The active principle of tobacco, that is, that to which its narcotic
and poisonous properties are due, is nicotine, a heavy, oily sub¬
stance, which may be separated from the dry leaf of the plant by
distillation or infusion. The proportion of nicotine varies from two
to eight per cent. A pound of tobacco contains on an average 380
grains of this deadly poison, of which one-tenth of a grain will kill
a dog in ten minutes. A case is on record in which a man was killed
in thirty seconds by this poison. Hottentots use the oil of tobacco
to kill snakes, a single minute drop causing death as quickly as a
lightning stroke. It is largely used by gardeners and keepers of
green houses to destroy grubs and noxious insects (its proper sphere
of usefulness)."
13
194
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
The habit of smoking was discovered on the island of Cuba. The
two sailors who were sent by Columbus to explore the island, re¬
port that: "Among many other strange and curious discoveries, the
natives carried with them lighted fire brands, and puffed smoke from
their mouths and noses, which they supposed to be the way the
savages had of perfuming themselves. They afterward declared
that they 'saw the naked savages twist large leaves together and
smoke like devils.' "
The use of tobacco in any form is both filthy and pernicious.
"Keep thyself pure," was Paul's injunction to Timothy; and again
he says, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit." "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
1 Cor. iii. 17.
HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT.
VERY man should make a point to lay up a little money for a
"rainy day" which we are all liable to encounter when least
expected. The best way to do this is to open an account with a
savings bank. Accumulated money is always safe; it is always
ready to use when needed. Scrape together five dollors, make your
deposit, receive your bank book and then resolve to deposit a given
sum, small though it be once a month, or once a week, according to
circumstances. Nobody knows without trying it, how easy a thing
it is to save money when an account with a bank has been opened.
With such an account a man feels a desire to enlarge his deposit. It
gives him lessons in frugality and economy, weans him from habits
of extravagance and is the very best guard in the world against in¬
temperance, dissipation and vice.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
195
VALUE OF OLD COINS-
Comparatively few people are aware of the value of old coins.
These rare and valuable pieces of money turn up when least ex¬
pected, and many persons have become suddenly worth hundreds
and even thousands of dollars by making a lucky find. It is the
scarcity of the coin, not its age, that determines its value. Follow¬
ing we give a table of quotations :
RARE AMERICAN COINS QUOTED AT THEIR MARKET VAIUE.
■ Half Cent.
1793 is worth from $ 1 00 to $ 10 00
1794 " " 10 to 3 00
1795 " " 25 to 5 00
1796 (Plain edge ; without pole) 1 00 to 25 00
1796 ( " " with pole) 5 00 to 50 00
1802 is worth from 25 to 5 00
1804 stemless wreath, is worth from 05 to 50
1811 is worth from 15 to 2 00
1828 thirteen stars, is worth from 02 to 10
1831 is worth from 1 00 to 8 00
1836 " " 1 00 to 10 00
1840 to 1848 is worth from 1 00 to 10 00
1850 is worth from 05 to 15
1852 " " " 2 00 to 4 00
1854 " " ' 3 00 to 10 00
One Cent (Copper).
1788 is worth from 40 to 65
1793 " " 2 00 to 3 00
1795 " " 75 to 1 00
1799 " " 4 00 to ■ 6 00
1804 " " 1 00 to 25 00
1806 " " 05 to . 4 00
1808 " " 05 to 5 00
1809 " " 25 to 7 50
1813 " " / 05 to 4 00
1816 " " ....* ' 01 to 45
1817 " " 02 to 1 00
1827 " " 01 to 2 00
1830 to 1840 (inclusive) is worth from 01 to 1 00
1856 is worth from 1 00 to 3 SO
196 afro-american encyclopedia.
1861 is worth from $ 01 to $ 05
1863 " " 01 to 10
1865 copper-nickel is worth from 01 to 45
1877 pure nickel is worth from : 10 to 1 00
1881 " " " " 10 to 1 00
Two Cents (Bronze).
1864 is worth from 05 to 50'
1865 " " 03 to 15
1866 " " ! 02 to 10
1867 " " 02 to 10
1872 " " 02 to 10
1873 " " 05 to 25
Three Cents (Silver).
1852 is worth from 03 to 25
1854 " " 02 to 40
1855 " " 05 to 2 00
1856 " " 03 to 1 00
1863 " " 03 to 25
1864 " " 03 to 50
1869 " " 03 to 20
1873 " " 03 to 20
Five Cents (Nickel).
1866 is worth from 15 to 50
1867 " •' 15 to 50
1869 " " I 10 to 20
1870 " " 05 to 10
1883 " " 05 to 10
Five Cents (Silver).
1794 is worth from 1 00 to 10 00
1796 " " 1 00 to 11 00
1797 (fifteen stars) is worth from 50 to 5 00
1801 is worth from 1 00 to 10 00
1802 " " 50 00 to 200 00
1805 " " 2 00 to 20 00
1840 " " 10 to 50
1846 " " 50 to 3 00
1860 " " 05 to 25
1870 to 1873 is worth from 05 to 10
Ten Cents.
1796 is worth from 50 to 5 00
1797 thirteen stars is worth from 1 00 to 15 00
1797 sixteen stars is worth from 2 00 to 25 00
1804 is worth from 3 00 to 25 00
1809 " " 1 00 to 5 00
1822 " " 50 to 10 00
1840 " " 10 to 30
1844 " " 10 to 50
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race.
197
1852 is worth from $ 10 to $ 20
1854 " " ■ 10 to 15
1860 San Francisco mint only is worth from 20 to 1 00
Twenty Cents.
1877-1878 is worth from $ 50 to $ 1 00
Quarter Dollar.
1796 is worth from 2 00 to 15 00
1804 " " 1 00 to 10 00
1807 " " 25 to 5 00
1822 " " 20 to 2 75
1823 " " 20 00 to 100 00
1832 " " 25 to 1 00
1841 " " 25 to 40
1844 " " 20 to 1 00
1848 " " 25 to 1 00
1853 " " 75 to 6 00
1866, Without In God We Trust, is worth from 40 to 2 75
1871, '72, '73, and '74 are worth from . 25 to 35
Half Dollar.
1794 is worth from 1 00 to 15 00
1795 " " 50 to 3 00
1796, fifteen stars, is worth from 10 00 to 100 00
1796, sixteen " " " 20 00 to 110 00
1797 is worth " 20 00 to 100 00
1801 " " 1 00 to 10 00
1802 " " 2 00 to 10 00
1803 " " 50 to 2 00
1805 " " 50 to 1 00
1813 " " 50 to 1 00
1815 " " 1 00 to 4 00
1817, '18, and '19 are worth from 50 to 1 00
1836, milled edged, is " " 75 to 4 75
1838 is worth from 1 00 to 10 00
1852 " " 1 00 to 2 00
1880, '83, and '85 are worth from 50 to 60
Dollar.
1794 is worth from 20 00 to 175 00
1801 and 1802 are worth from 1 50 to 10 00
1804 is worth from 175 00 to 575 00
1836 " " 3 00 to 50 00
1838 " " 15 00 to 55 00
1851 and 1852 are worth from 10 00 to 40 00
1853 is worth from 1 25 to 7 50
1854 " " : 1 75 to 10 00
1858 " " 15 00 to 35 00
1881 " " 1 00 to 1 50
198
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Dollar (Gold).
1850 to 1855 are worth from.
l
15
to
1 30
2
75
to
4 75
1864 " "
5
00
to
10 00
1875 " "
4
00
to
14 00
1879 " "
1
10
to
1 90
$2.50 (GOLD).
5
00
to
12 00
1796, sixteen stars is worth from .
13
00
to
40 00
1806, thirteen " "
66
10
00
to
20 00
10
00
to
35 00
1834 " "
3
00
to
10 00
$3.00 (GOLD).
1857 is worth from
3
00
to
6 00
1864 " "
3
00
to
9 00
1875 " "
4
00
to
35 00
$5.00 (GOLD).
10
00
to
35 00
1797, fifteen stars, is worth from .
15
00
to
40 00
1798 is worth from
20
00
to
50 00
1814 " "
50
00
to
150 00
1822 " "
* . * 150
00
to
450 00
1829 " "
10
00
to
50 -.00
$10.00 (GOLD).
1795, fifteen stars, is worth
from.
11
00
to
15 00
1797, sixteen " "
6 6
15
00
to
35 00
$20.00 (GOLD).
1890 is worth from
3000
00
to
5000 00
In Great Brittain and Ireland the Catholics are now a million and
one half less than they were fifty years ago.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 199
BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.
EDITORIAL IN "CLEVELAND GAZETTE."
HE Negro needs more and more year by year to launch out into
business for himself. The progress made by our people in the
South in all lines of business is most commendable. Corpora¬
tions are growing rapidly on all hands. They are also more united
in their efforts than are their brethren in the North and East.
Every town where there are three or four hundred colored people
ought to have some sort of business enterprise among them. In a
great city like this there ought to be many enterprises among colored
people. We are glad to note that there are several of our men who
are doing good business along their lines of investment. Several
groceries, restaurants and barbershops are doing well among us, but
they might do better if the colored people would throw their patron¬
age that way. • As we have before said in these columns, we need
united efforts. We ought to have corporations and partnerships.
There are a few partnerships and only one business corporation in
Cleveland and that is "The Fraternal Printing and Publishing Co.,
the owners of The Voice of the People. We are the only company
owned and operated by colored men, with our own type and press
and printing outfit. Our office is to be in the future a training
school and the place where our boys and girls who so desire may
learn the printing business. At the head of this business are col¬
ored men. They are employing colored printers. We are trying to
create a business for our people. We are willing to compete with
other publishing houses and if we cannot do as good work and as
cheaply, then we are willing to have our friends go somewhere else.
We have every reason to expect that people who are wanting print¬
ing among us will give us a call and get our prices. We urge you
also to get the prices of other firms, and should you be able to do bet¬
ter by yourself somewhere else we do not object to your going. We
feel that every loyal colored man will give an establishment run by
colored men a chance to work for them when they are willing to
enter on competitive prices. We are sorry that some of our friends
200 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
have without getting our prices gone to other firms where no colored
men are employed, to get their work done and have had to pay more
for it than our regular prices are. "We need not talk about making
business and employing ourselves unless the race intends to stand
by that business. Colored churches are supported by colored people
and colored business enterprises will in most cases be supported by
colored people. You say we ought to have banks and railroads and
printing houses, etc. "What have you done to help the Fraternal
Printing and Publishing Co. to establish a business and a paper
which shall be a credit to the race? "What would it profit colored
men to build railroads should colored men all go over and ride on a
railroad run and operated by white men? Do not ask why we have
no more business enterprises until you have done what you can to
help those we have. Do not urge colored men to go into business
unless you are willing to help them.
W. Q. AT WOOD.
LUMBER AND REAL ESTATE.
HE subject of this sketch was born January 1, 1839, in Wilcox
County, Alabama. After the death of his father, his mother
moved to Ripley, Ohio, where she landed May 15, 1853. Here
he was placed in school where he remained for six years. In the fall
of 1859 he went to California, where he followed steamboating, re¬
turning to Ripley in 1861. In 1863 he went to Saginaw, Michigan,
where he engaged in the lumber and real estate business, in which he
has been engaged ever since and has accumulated quite a fortune.
His property is estimated at more than one hundred thousand dollars.
Landing Fish at Appalachicola, Fla.
202 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
BUSINESS MEN AMONG THE RACE.
BY R. F. BOYD.
E need good, honest, painstaking, courteous and obliging busi¬
ness men in every village, town and city in the South. These
men should receive the entire support of the race; and they
could not fail to succeed. Our people make money enough to support
not only retail houses but wholesale stores as well. "Why should
not our people spend their money with men of the race? Other
races trade with and patronize their own. "With the full confidence
and patronage of our own people we would soon have rich merchants
and capitalists carrying on large business enterprises in every sec¬
tion of this country that would demand the respect and recognition
of the world. Then prejudice on the account of color would vanish
and the iniquitous legislation against the race in the South would
cease, and every unjust law would be wiped from the statutes. I
know that it is said colored men will not give the proper respect to
their patrons nor will they stick to their business closely. If this
was true, there is no reason why it shall be true in the future. Bet¬
ter things are both expected and demanded of us. The dark cloud
of ignorance, superstition, jealousy, envy and race hatred which
hung over us at the time of our liberation has been rent in twain and
is vanishing before education and intelligence. Why not? We live
in the most progressive age of the world's history. Here we are in
the evening of the nineteenth century, where inventions and dis¬
coveries are seen on every hand. Here we have steam cars that
carry us along at the rate of more than one hundred miles per hour,
telegraphs by which thought flies around the world at the twinkle of
an eye, telephones by which we can converse with persons and rec¬
ognize their voices hundreds of miles away, and gas and electricity
meet our gaze wherever we go. Then why should we not change
from the false ideas of slavery and walk in the light that God has
given us. There is no reason why we should remain longer in the
dark. Then let us come together and help one another in every
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 203
laudable undertaking. In unity there is strength. Don't imagine
because a colored man prospers in business, buys a horse and buggy
and can turn out with a respectable showing on the public drives
that he has the i 1 big head;'' but rather be proud of him and his suc¬
cess. Trade with him yourself and pay for what you get. Encour¬
age others to trade with him, talk him up everywhere you go, and
point the youth to him as an example of what they may be. Throw
away this old spirit of envy, jealousy and race hatred. Cultivate
patriotism and race pride. Go several blocks, yes, go a mile if
necessary to trade with a good, honest Negro in business. The
Irish, Jews, Germans and other peoples are recognized and re¬
spected by nations, only as they are united and held together. All
races of America are united except ours, in helping one another by
their speech, by their pen, by their vote and with their money. "We
must do the same. In this way only can we rise as a people. I look
forward with great hope for the day when our people shall know and
do the right. God grant that it shall come speedily.
NEGRO PROGRESS,
HE Negro population of the South will have a complete, all-round
exhibit at the Atlanta exposition; and the indications point to
something creditable. It ought to be, and everything possible
is being done by the directory to make the exhibit full, attractive,
and instructive.
The Negro of the South pays taxes on over $300,000,000 worth of
real and personal property, indicating that the true value of the race
holdings in 1890 was not less than $650,000,000. Practically, every
dollar of this has been accummulated in the last thirty years, about the
period of a single generation of our colored race; and it shows, as
nothing else can show, that the spirit of thrift and enterprise is be¬
ing imbedded by the Negro, from his white neighbors.
The race has in its possession, certainly, a sound and strong basis
of means for displaying its progress, objectively, to the high credit
of the colored people and greatly to their benefit.
The Atlanta Constitution has taken high and broad ground on this
matter, and is doing all in its power to encourage the leading Ne¬
groes to take hold of the exposition, and make it what it should be.
204
afro-american encyclopaedia.
All of our leading business men over the South should follow the
Constitution?s lead. If we would make the average Negro a safe
voter, good citizen, a representative of Southern acquisitiveness, and
common comforts of our civilization, we must stimulate the pride of
self-respect of the race, by all proper means.
The Negro is our American citizen; the white race serves its own
interest in making him a good and useful man. He fills the rank of
one-fifth of the regular army; he absorbs a large per cent, of the
Southern school funds. The white people have built colleges for the
race, and urged on the leading and wealthy Negroes the creation of
industrial schools, for the Negro boys and girls. All of these benef-
icencies should have brought forth creditable fruit, and the way to
do this is to induce the Negro to display, in the aggregate, specimens
of his agricultural and mechanical acheivements.
We hope the Negro exhibit will be something of which the intelli¬
gent men and women among them can be justly proud; and it will be
that if the white people take in it the kindly, helpful interest they
should take.— Chattanooga Times.
TRADES FOH VOTJH
SJHE Boston Banner says, '-'The White man takes his children at
£ an early age and apprentices thfem to a trade, and when they
grow to man's estate, they ace armed for the battle of life. The
colored man takes his children at an early age and hires them out for
a sum of money that is hardly sufficient to buy them shoes; and
when they grow to man's estate they are common, yes, very com¬
mon laborers, eking out a very meager existence, and when old age
comes upon them, they go to the poorhouse. Teach your children
a trade." Good advice. Heed it.
It is estimated that 12,000,000 square miles of the land area of the
globe are still uninhabited.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
205
LEWIS WINTER.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, GENERAL AND COMMISSION MERCHANT.
H UIET and unassuming, yet bold and daring in the field of busi¬
ly ness is the man whose name appears at the head of this sketch.
> Thirty years of untiring industry and unceasing fidelity to bus¬
iness in this city has placed him at the head of Nashville's most relia¬
ble, solid, and successful busines men. His four-story brick bus¬
iness house is in the heart of the city, at the corner of Cherry and
Demonbreun streets.
IvEwis Winter,
Nashville, Tenn.
Mr. Winter has every faculty for the successful management of
his large and growing businss. His goods are bought direct from
206
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
first hands, for spot cash, in large quantities. He pays the farmer
or huxter the highest market prices for his goods, and places the
same on the best markets in the largest cities in the country—North
and South. His integrity is unquestioned. He has acquired an en¬
viable reputation for fair dealing. Mr. Winter employs about one
dozen hands, but he gives his business his personal attention.
He was born at Lebanon, Tenn., June 23rd, 1839. At the age of
six years he was separated from his mother by that evil institution,
slavery. He worked on a farm until 1865, when he came to Nashville
and started into business with forty dollars as his capital stock. To¬
day (Sept. 1, 1895), he is variously estimated at from 35,000 to 75,000
dollars.
He is an active, official member of the A. M. E. Church, and be¬
longs to the St. Paul congregation. He wa& one of the founders, and
and the first and only President of the House Banking and Loan As¬
sociation, the most prosperous and successful association of its
kind among the Negroes of America. It has declared a . dividend of
ten to twenty-five per cent, annually ever since its organization.
Winter Chapel, Lebanon, Tenn., was named in his honor, he having
donated the ground. He owns Little Bethel Church, of Nashville,
having bought it at public sale. He still holds it subject to redemp¬
tion. He was a trustee of Wilberforce University for many years.
He has twice been a delegate to the General Conference of his church.
He is to-day the senior member of the firm L. Winter and Son, and
counts his friends by the thousand, without regard to race.
JOHN MITCHELL, JR., EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.
<JOHN MITCHELL, JR., was born July 11, 1863, of slave parents.
His father was a coachman and his mother a seamstress. He
attended the public schools of Richmond and graduated June
15, 1881, at the Richmond Normal and High School. Since that
time he has pursued his studies at home, taking the Chautauqua
Literary and Scientific Circle four years' course of instruction.
Young Mitchell taught during the sessions of 1881-^2 and 1882-83
at Fredericksburg, Va., after which he taught one session in the
public schools of Richmond, Va. He took entire editorial charge of
the Richmond Planet in December, 1884, and has held that position
ever since.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
207
He served five years as President of the National Afro-American
Press Association and declined re-election in Sept., 1894. He was
elected to the Common Council of the city of Richmond, in May,
1888; elected to the Board of Aldermen to serve an unexpired term
1890; re-elected for a four years' term in 1892, occupying at present
that position. Mr. Mitchell has a natural aptitude for drawing-, and
the Planet gives abundant evidence of his skill. He was awarded a
gold medal by the School Board of Virginia for a map of Virginia
which he drew. He was awarded another gold medal for scholar¬
ship and still another for oratory.
He is a pleasing and forceful speaker, and has received many com¬
pliments for his gracefulness upon the rostrum, and the fervid elo¬
quence of his rhetoric. As a debater he has few equals, and his
quite pointed thrusts unmarred by scurrilous assertions win the
respect of even those with whom he is debating. He is noted for
his bravery, and has been designated by high authority the "gamest
Negro editor on the continent."
fAIVlUBli was born in Barren County, Ky., March 10,
1845. To avoid the enemy he was taken by his young master
in 1861 to Mississippi and placed on a cotton plantation. In
1863 his young master died, when Samuel tried to make his way
back to Kentucky, but fell in with a company of rebel soldiers who
took him to Montgomeny, Ala. He had a severe spell of sickness at
this place and was left in a dying condition. After his recovery he
worked on the farm of Capt. Thornton for nearly two years. In
1865 he lit out for Memphis, Tenn., walking most of the way. He
reached Memphis in the fall. Mr. Farris engaged in steamboating
for a while, but soon changed his occupation for that of draying, in
which he continued for thirteen years. He had saved $500 at the end
of these long years of toil, and in September, 1878, he engaged
in the undertaker's business in which he is still engaged. He was
married to Emilene Yose in 1872. In June, 1893, he professed faith
in God and joined the A. M. E. Church. He has filled several official
positions in the church to which he belongs. He is a trustee at
Avery Chapel. He is a temperate, honest, generous and industrious
man. Counts his friends by the hundreds of both races. Has a
business that is daily increasing. His motto is, "Owe no man any¬
thing," and this accounts for his being out of debt. He is worth
about $15,000.
Samuel Farris, Funeral Director,
Memphis, Tenn.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
209
clflmES EDmUflD was born in Washington, D. C., Dec.
26th, 1848. He was left an orphan at ten years of age. He re¬
mained in Washington after the death of his parents until he
was fifteen years of age, but during this time was enabled to secure
only an ordinary education. On the first of January, 1863, he left
Washington as the body servant of James A. Garfield. In 1864, on
the 23rd of November, he entered the service of the rebellion, and
was made chief drummer boy of the One Hundred and Twenty-sec-
J. E. Bryant, Barber,
Paducah, Ky.
ond United States Colored Infantry; he was mustered out of service
November 23rd, 1865, when he returned to Louisville, Ky. He was
soon employed to work on a steamer that plied between Louisville and
New Orleans. In May, 1870, the boat was laid up for repairs at Pa¬
ducah, Ky. Mr. Bryant being an active, energetic man, soon found
other employment. He served an apprenticeship as a barber, and at
this point, began his success. By close application to business, and
econemy, he has accumulated from $10,000 to $15,000, which he has
14
210
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
judiciously invested in real estate in Paducah. He is an official mem¬
ber of the A. M. E. Church, and devotes much of his time to reli¬
gious work. He is liberal, kind-hearted, and true. He loves his
race, and wants to see it elevated and refined. Mr, Bryant is not an
educated man except in a business sense. His example is worthy of
imitation.
C. S. RANDLE,
CONTRACTOR AND BUILDER.
@NE of the enterprising* and successful carpenters in the city of
Nashville, Tenn., is the subject of this sketch. He is a man of
charitable, warm-hearted and generous impulses. All cannot
teach nor can they preach; they must therefore go into trades where
success awaits them if they will but pursue the methods that were
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 211
#
adopted by Mr. Randle early in life. He was born in Bledsoe
County, Tennessee, September 22, 1839. He was born a slave.
When only eight years old his mother with her five children were
sold for debt. When he was about eighteen years old he was again
sold. He changed hands several times and was finally brought to
Nashville by the soldiers, with two suits of clothes and $2.50 in cash.
Mr. Randle secured a position in a restaurant where he worked for
his board until he could find etnployment that was more lucrative.
Through the influence of friends, coupled with his own energy, he
soon secured a position at $1 per day as porter of a grocery store.
After he had accumulated sufficient money he decided to secure an
education and entered Fisk University, which was then in its prime.
After three years' close application to books, Mr. Randle decided
that he had an education sufficient to master his chosen profession.
He lost his mother about this time and shortly after married Miss
Irene Webb, who has proven to be a helpmate indeed and in truth.
By their perseverance and economy they have secured considerable
property. He is blessed with three children all of whom he is giv¬
ing a fine education.
The writer claims Mr. Randle's family as his friends ; has known
them for many years and can say that he has yet to find a family
where there is more supreme happiness. Father, mother and chil¬
dren are worthy of imitation. His property is valued at $15,000.
PROSPEROUS COLORED PEOPLE IN RICHMOND.
fHE population of Richmond, Va., is estimated at 100,000, of
which 45,000 are colored, of which almost half are in Jackson
ward, one of the largest in the city. This ward is controlled by
the Negroes. They have property assessed at. $650,000 for taxation.
This ward has eleven halls, valued at $65,000; it has ten churches. It
has four lawyers, seven doctors, and the ward is represented in the
City Council by six men, four of whom are Afro-Americans. An ar¬
mory on West Leigh street is soon to be erected at a cost of $20,000.
This part of the city contains many handsome residences, and one
not accustomed to seeing such, would be surprised at the uniform
richness and neatness in which the "Africa of Richmond " is kept.
212 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
"The True Reformer Hall," valued at $20,000, is said to be the
most imposing structure in the ward. The Odd Fellows' Hall, val¬
ued at $8,000, comes next. All the societies have their halls.
Among the property owners of Jackson ward, the following are the
most prominent: Mrs. Bettie T. Lewis, $150,000; Mrs. Fannie C.
Thompson, $15,000; W. I. Johnson, $13,000; A. Hayes, $12,000; Will¬
iam Lyons, $10,000; John Oliver, $10,000; Dr. S. H. Dismond, $8,000;
J. B. Harris, $7,000; William Tennant, $7,000; W. H. White, $7,000;
Rev. W. W. Browne, $6,000; Rev. J. E. Jones, $5,000; B. F. Turner,
$5,000; Dr. R. E. Jones, $5,000; S. W. Robinson, $5,000.
Many other colored men of wealth in Richmond deserve to be men¬
tioned in this connection, but time and space forbid. The above are
only examples of what can be done by the industrious, economical
colored men in every city.
WEAfcTHy COLORED NEW yORK J1EN.
INHERE are many wealthy colored men who live in New York
City. Several who were formerly slaves, count their dollars
by the hundred thousands. Four or five physicians in this
great metropolis have a practice of eighteen or twenty thousand dol¬
lars a year. The late Mrs. Gloster, who lived on Brooklyn Heights,
was very wealthy. J. W. Bowen, a member of the Board of Educa¬
tion of Brooklyn, is worth $150,000. Mr. Hasdra, who owns a coun¬
try seat on the Hudson, has also a bank account of $160,000. Mr.
Roselle, recently deceased, left $300,000. Hiram Thomas is worth
$100,000. Dr. White, a druggist, owns a cottage at Sea Cliff, and is
estimated at $200,000. Joseph Tenych is rated at $300,000. Dr. P.
Ray is worth $250,000. Mrs. Daniel Brooks has $200,000. James
W. Mars possesses $85,000. Dr. P. Guignon, a druggist, is worth
$100,000. A dozen or more others could be named who are worth
less than the above down to $25,000.
HE RICHEST COLORED MAN IN GEORGIA is Mr. Harry
Todd, of Darien. His personal property and real estate are
valued at $500,000. When a youth his "master" died, giving
him his freedom. He was kept by the family on a fair salary as as¬
sistant overseer. This money was invested in real estate, slaves and
E
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race. 213
Confederate bonds. When the downfall of the Confederacy came he
lost all except his lands. He has made his money by raising' cotton.
He has an interesting family, five children, all well educated and
highly respected. He has a summer resort in the mountains and is
altogether delightfully situated.
THE RICHEST COLORED MAN IN THE UNITED STATES.
|JHE richest colored man in the United States probably is Tony
¥ Lafon, a quadroon of Creole descent—that is to say, of French
Louisiana blood. The lowest estimate of Mr. Lafon's wealth
is $1,000,000, and he is more frequently rated at double that amount.
He inherited a moderate fortune, speculated successfully in 'real
estate, and passed gradually to the condition of money-lender and
note broker. Like most men of that class, he cannot be said to be
popular, and the colored people do not rely upon him as a political
leader. Indeed, he is in politics rather more conservative than an
old-fashioned white planter, and not at all desirous of seeing the col¬
ored people rule the State. He is seventy-three years of age, and
even anxious to increase his wealth.
WEALTH OF SOUTHERN NEGROES.
HE wealth of the Negroes in the several Southern States is as
follows: Alabama, $9,200,125; Arkansas, $8,010,315; Florida,
$7,900,400; Georgia, $10,415,330; Kentucky, $5,900,010; Louisi¬
ana, $18,000,528; Mississippi, $13,400,213; Missouri, $6,600,345;
North Carolina, $11,010,635; South Carolina, $12,500,000; Texas,
$18,000,500; Tennessee, $10,400,200; Virginia, $4,900,000.
There are nearly 2,000 women practicing medicine in the United
States.
214
AFRO-AMERICAN "ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
HAVE COURAGE.
JF any race of people on this earth need to have courage it is the
It Negro.
Have the courage to say "no," when you are tempted to drink.
Have the courage to wear the old suit of clothes, rather than go in
debt for a new suit.
Have the courage to acknowledge your ignorance, when asked
about something of which you do not know.
Have the courage to pay a debt when you need the money for some¬
thing else.
Have the courage to be polite though your character may be as¬
sailed.
Have the courage to speak the truth, remembering the command,
1' Thou shalt not lie.''
Have the courage to own you are poor, and thus disarm poverty of
its sharpest sting.
Have the courage to own you are wrong, when convinced that such
is the case.
Have the courage to be good and true and you will always find work
to do.
Have the courage to say your prayers, though you may be ridi¬
culed by man.
Have the courage to tell a man why you will not lend him money,
instead of whipping the devil around the stump by telling him you
havn't a cent "in the world," calling one of your pockets "the
world."
Have the courage of your convictions. "According to a mans faith,
so be it unto him." This is true on every plane of life, from the low¬
est to the highest. A man's power in everything is measured by his
convictions. The statesman who has the profoundest convictions is
surest of bringing others to see as he sees on any question which
he discusses before the public. The minister who can most com¬
pletely identify himself with his people, if he has the courage of his
convictions, is the one who is most likely to be successful.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
215
PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF DISCIPLES, NASHVILLE, TENN.—GENERAL
FINANCIAL AGENT OF A COLLEGE—BIG CONTRACTOR
AND THE LEADING UNDERTAKER.
fUR subject is the leading minister of the Church of the Disciples.
He was born in Shreveport, La., Nov. 7, 1849. He was born in
slavery. His parents were Zed and Betty Taylor. He was car¬
ried to Kentucky when a year old; he was a promising boy and shed
sunshine wherever he was. At the age of four years he heard his
first sermon on the spot where the First Baptist Church now stands
in the city of Lexington, Ky., and afterwards told his mother that
he would be a preacher some day; so deep was the impression made
on his young mind that years have not been able to eradicate it. He
was affectionately cared for, and grew up as Samuel of old, ripe for
the duties of his life. When the war broke out he saw the soldiers
marching and determined to join them at the first opportunity, and
so he enlisted in Company G., One Hundred and Sixteenth United
States Infantry, in 1864, as. a drummer, and was at the Siege of
Richmond, Petersburg and the surrender of Lee. His regiment also
did garrison duty in Texas, then returned to New Orleans where
they did garrison duty until mustered out of the service. He then
learned the stone cutter's trade and became skilful in monument
work, and also in engraving on marble. He went to Louisville, Ky.,
and in the leading marble yards found plenty of work, but the white
men refused to work with him because of his color. He was offered
a situation as train porter on the L. & C. Railroad, and for four
years he was classed as one of the best railroad men in the service,
and when he resigned he was requested to remain with a promotion
to assistant baggage master ; but as he could be no longer retained,
the officers gave him a strong recommendation and a pass over all
the roads for an extensive trip, which he took through the North.
He accepted on his return a call to the pastorate of the Christian
Church at Mt. Sterling, Ky. He remained there fifteen years, and
216
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
the Lord prospered him in building up the largest congregation in
the State among those of his faith, besides building them the finest
brick edifice as a place for the worship of God in that section of the
State. During these fifteen years he became known as the leading
minister of his church in the United States. Not only in Kentucky
has he been instrumental in organizing and building both congrega¬
tions and meeting houses, but he was unanimously chosen the gen¬
eral evangelist of the United States, which position he held for a
number of years besides assisting, in the educational work of his
race.
He very recently purchased the large spacious college property
at New Castle, Ky., which originally cost $18,000, exclusive of the
grounds, and at once began the task of paying for it. The school is
in operation with a corps of teachers, and has a bright future before
it. He is still one of the trustees, and the financial agent of what
is now known as the "Christian Bible College," at New Castle. Some
idea can be given of this man of push and iron nerve and bold under¬
takings by giving a passage in his life: When the Big Sandy Rail
road was under contract to be completed from Mt. Sterling to Rich¬
mond, Va., the contractors refused to hire colored men to work on
it, preferring Irish labor. He at once made a bid for sections 3 and
4 and was successful in his bid; he then erected a large commissary
and quarters for his men, bought seventy-five head of mules and
horses, carts, wagons, cans and all the necessary implements and
tools, and with one hundred and fifty colored men he led the way.
In fourteen months he completed the two miles of the most difficult
part of this great trunk line at a cost of about $75,000.
The President of the road, Mr. C. P. Huntingdon, said he had
built thousands of miles of road, but he never saw a contractor who
finished his contract in advance, and so he then was requested by
the chief engineer of the works to move his force to another county
and help out some of the white contractors. This he did not do.
Afterwards he was offered other important contracts, but declined.
A syndicate in Nebraska offered him the position of superintendent
of their coal mines, but knowing it would take him away from his
chosen calling, he declined the offer. For a number of years he was
editor of "Our Colored Brethren," a department in the Christian
Standa/rd, a newspaper published as the organ of his denomination at
Cincinnati, Ohio, with a circulation of 50,000 copies a week. He has
written for many books and periodicals. He is}a member of both
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Masonic and Oddfellow Lodges and was State Grand Chaplain of the
former and State Grand Master of the latter and held these posi¬
tions for three years and traveled all over the State, speaking* and
lecturing. Especially do the Oddfellows owe much to him for their
rise and progress in the State of Kentucky, and the order conferred
upon him as a mark of honor all the degrees of the ancient institu¬
tion. He has represented his Lodge in many of the National Con¬
ventions of the B. M. C., preaching the annual sermons for a number
of years.
I will give another incident that will show the character of this
inan, how he loves his race, and with what respect he treats them:
While serving the church in Nashville in 1886, the choir of the
church gained great reputation by taking a prize over every other
church choir in the city in a musical contest. The Nashville
American gave a very flattering account of the results which caused
forty-two of the leading citizens of the white race to petition,
through the pastor ot the church, for a concert to be given in the
Opera House for the special benefit of their friends.
When Mr. Taylor met this Committee they informed him that on
the night of the concert the colored people would be expected to take
gallery as usual. Mr. Taylor refused deliberately to have anything
further to do with the matter, and publicly denounced the whole
crowd in his church, which was very satisfactory to the colored citi¬
zens who urged him to give a concert nevertheless, and he consented.
On the night of the concert there was scarcely standing room for the
people, who said they desired to show their appreciation of this
manly stand in resenting such overtures, and the result was an in¬
crease to the treasury of over two hundred dollars. He is one of the
leading men in the community where he lives, commanding the re¬
spect of all who know him. A slight idea may be given of his popu¬
larity by stating that once when a gold cane was voted for in some
entertainment in the city of Nashville his name was submitted by his
friends to be voted for, he opposed the suggestion, but nevertheless,
when the votes were counted out of the three thousand votes in that
large city, he got over two thirds of the number. A quotation from
the Christian Standard, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 3, 1886, will give
some estimate of how he is held by the editor of that paper. A
grand party was given for his benefit, and the editor used these
words in reference to his absence:
"We have just received an invitation to a tea party at Nashville,
220
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Tenn., to be given in honor of Elder Preston Taylor. We would go
all that distance, were it possible, to show our respect for the zeal,
ability and untiring energy of Preston Taylor. As we cannot go, we
take this method of atoning for our absence."
Mr. Taylor is a man who will impress you when you meet him as
thoroughly in earnest. He is never idle, always with new plans,
warm hearted, generous, sympathetic and a true brother to all men
who deserve the cognizance of earnest, faithful workers for Christ.
In the spring of 18-88 he embarked in the undertaker's business,
and has met with unbounded success; few business men can claim
the unanimity of the community as he can, he stands at the head of
his profession not only as a funeral director, but as a safe and wise
business man. It is said by men competent to know, that he does
the largest business of any man of his race engaged in the same busi¬
ness in the country. He owns and occupies the large two-story
brick at 449 North Cherry Street; the building is 42x180 feet and it
is divided and furnished in the most convenient style, with reception
hall, office, chapel, show rooms, supply rooms, trimming rooms, dry
rooms, carpenter shops, paint shops and a morgue. In the rear
stands a large stable occupied by eighteen head of horses, seven
carriages, hearses and all kinds of vehicles used in the undertaker's
business. The entire building is lighted with electric lights and fit¬
ted up with electric bells. He is the only one in the city that manu¬
factures his own goods. He works sixteen men in his establishment
and often is compelled to call in extra help. He has the honor of
managing the largest funeral that ever passed through the streets of
Nashville, it was the three colored firemen that were killed on Janu¬
ary 2, 1892, in a great conflagration. He builded a large catafalque
with his own men, which held all three of the caskets, which were
drawn by six beautiful black horses, followed by sixty carriages, two
abreast, accompanied by all the officials of the city, the police and
fire departments, the schools, the lodges and citizens by the thou¬
sands. In all his business enterprises he ascribes his marvelous suc¬
cess to his Heavenly Father, and he never neglects his chosen call¬
ing, the preaching of the word of God. In the last few years he has
bought and builded one of the most handsome and convenient
churches in the city, the Lee Avenue Christian Church, of which he
is now the pastor.
Funeral Directors.
222
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
MRS. GEORGIA GORDON TAYLOR was born in Nashville, Tenn. At
an early age she left home with the "Original Fisk Jubilee
Singers," traveling extensively in this country and abroad in
the interest of Fisk University. Mrs. Taylor possesses a soprano
voice of rare quality that is always pleasing and in demand. After
retiring from public life she became the wife of Elder Preston Tay¬
lor, minister of the Lee Avenue Christian Church at Nashville,
Tenn. In this capacity she has proven herself an efficient helpmete
in church work, entering into it with all the zeal of an ardent
Christian.
EV. J. F. BAULDEN, of Natchez, Mississippi, was the first man
to petition Congress, asking the right of franchise, and the first
Emancipation celebration. The petition was granted and the first
celebration took place January 1, 1866. He made the first Republican
speech that was ever delivered in his town, and was a member of the
first Republican convention in the State, which met at Vicksburg,
July, 1867.
MUHHD MMW
N speaking of "Music and Morals" Rev. H. R. Haweis, of Lon¬
don, says: "The Negro is more really musical than the English¬
man. Singing very often merrily, with the tears wet upon his ebony
cheek, no record of his joy or sorrow passed unaccompanied by a cry
of melody or a wail of plaintive and harmonious melancholy. If we
could divest ourselves of prejudice, the songs that float down the
Ohio River are one in feeling and character with the songs of the
Hebrew captives by the waters of Babylon. We find in them the
same tale of bereavement and separation, the same irreparable sor¬
row, the same wild tenderness and passionate sweetness, like music
in the night."
224
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOP j3£DIA.
RAGE FACTS WORTH KNOWING.
^6^(F^(F^6^6^6^(^6^(F^6^(^6^(F^(7^c7^CF^CF^6^C^(r^0^(r:^6^Cr:^<r^0=^6:^
M
Chicago Afro-Americans pay taxes on three million dollars' worth
of property.
In the State of Missouri there are 750 colored teachers and 51,000
colored pupils.
Charleston, S. C., has fifty Afro-American policemen, and under
Democratic rule at that.
Washington, D. C., has a Home for Friendless Colored Girls, which
has been in existence eight years.
Matthew Lancaster, a well educated Negro of St. Louis, will head
a colony of colored people which will take up Brazilian lands.
The National Steamboat Company is the name of the new boat
company now being organized in Washington, D. C. It is officered
by some of the best colored citizens.
Between 1866 and 1871, the colored people deposited in the Freed-
man's Savings Bank about $57,000,000.
"Above all, let the Negro know that the elevation of his race can
come only and will come surely through the elevation of its women."
—Senator George F. lIo(w.
President Cleveland has appointed Rev. W. H. Heard, of Pennsyl¬
vania, to be Minister to Liberia. He now has charge of a Methodist
Church in Harrisburg, Pa.
Mrs. Ida DePriest, of Denver, Col., has been elected Third Vice
President of the Colorado State Republican League. Mrs. DePriest
is a colored lady.
C. H. Smiley, an Afro-American caterer, of Chicago, has a $100,000
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 225
building. He caters for the elite and his establishment is as elegant
and complete as any of its kind in the city.
The Woman's League, a progressive organization composed of
colored women of Denver, has been admitted to the Colorado State
Federation of Clubs.
Capt. W. H. Bentley is one of the most successful military men of
Georgia. He has held many positions of trust, and ranks as one of
the foremost men of the race.
Miss Kate Crawford, who for many years was a teacher in the
Simmons School, St. Louis, Mo., is studying medicine in Ann Arbor,
Mich. Miss Crawford was the first colored graduate from the Ann
Arbor High School.
Mr. H. D. Smith is the wealthiest colored man of Greensville
County, Va. He owns a valuable farm and runs one of the largest
sawmills in that section. At one time he represented his people in
the State Legislature.
There are two colored steamboat companies in Washington—the
National Steamboat Company and the People's Transportation Com¬
pany.
Rev. Jno. Albert Williams is the first colored man nominated for
the city school board of Omaha, Neb.
The third lieutenant of police of Charleston, S. C., is an Afro-
American, who is re-elected year after year.
The Afro-American population of Rochester, N. Y., is 900, and
only six men and women cannot read and write.
Granville T. Woods, the electrician, mechanical engineer, manu¬
facturer of telephone, telegraph, and electrical instruments, was
once a day laborer in Springfield, 111.
There are two Negroes now studying medicine and engineering in
the University of Copenhagen, Denmark; one is at Heidelberg and the
other is at Leipsic, Germany.
Mme. Sissieretta Jones has signed a contract with the Walter Dam-
rosch Orchestra Company for a three years' tour to Mexico and
Europe, at a salary of $35,000 per year.
In Macon county, Alabama, where the Tuskegee Normal and In¬
dustrial Institute is located, there are at present only three people in
15
226
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
jail, and all of these are white people. This shows something of the
influence of the Tuskegee Institute and the Tuskegee Negro Con¬
ference.
Rev. Dr. M. C. B. Mason, of Atlanta, Ga., a colored man, the field
agent of Freedman's Aid and Southern Education Society, has been
elected assistant secretary of the same, the position which Rev. Dr.
J. D. Hartzell (white), of Cincinnati formerly occupied.
There are more than fifty Negro establishments in Atlanta, Ga.,
representing $100,000 in business employed, giving employment to
not less than one hundred persons of the race, and affording them an
opportunity to acquire a thorough knowledge of business.
There are 1,416,302 Afro-American children in the public schools
of the United States, and in these 1,329,613 are of the public schools
of the sixteen Southern States. This is an encouraging showing.
A generation ago it was a penitentiary offense in all the South to
Educate an Afro-American.
Mr. John W. Wilson is the leading colored clothier of Baltimore,
Md. He has a good trade, and keeps on hand a full supply of the
latest goods.
Mr. Madison Short is one of the most prominent farmers of Surry
County, Virginia. He owns a beautiful farm and has some of the
finest horses in the State.
Two books from the pen of Thomas W. Stewart, of Kalamazoo,
Mich., will soon make their appearance. One is the "Universal
History of the Great Race of Ham," and the other is "The Encyclo-
peedia of the Universal Progress and Achievements of the Great
Hametic Race."
Dr. R. F. Boyd, of Nashville, Tenn., recently purchased a three-
story brick house on Cedar Street, price $14,000. The building con¬
tains twenty-eight rooms. This is the largest transfer of - real
estate ever given to a colored person in Tennessee.
Says the Cleveland Gazette: "William R. Stewart, Esq., of Youngs-
town, Ohio, one of the brightest of Ohio's young Afro-Americans,
has been nominated by the Republicans of Mahoning County as one
of their candidates for legislature, and will be elected too, because
he is capable, an active Republican and an exemplary citizen."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 227
The American Railway Union, operating principally in the North,
denied its privileges to colored operators.
The American Federation of Labor will not grant membership to
colored workmen.
An evangelical church in Iowa dissuaded a colored candidate from
pressing his application for fellowship.
The Woman's Club of Chicago refused to admit a colored lady of
cultured mind and elevated character.
The managers of an ice skating club in Chicago. would not sell ad¬
missions last week to decent young men of color, though white men
and women too need no moral health certificate to gain entrance.
These are not pleasant incidents to refer to, but it is worth while
keeping them in mind whenever we are tempted to lambast the
South for imposing unequal social burdens on its colored population.
—Rani's Horn.
Lewis Bates is probably the wealthiest colored man in Chicago,
being rated at nearly $500,000. He is entirely uneducated, dresses
poorly, and lives like a poor man. He was born a slave nearly
seventy years ago. In 1861 he reached Chicago by the "under¬
ground railroad," and began by working in a foundry. He soon be¬
came an expressman, and at once began investing his savings in real
estate. In this he has shown excellent judgment, and nearly all his
investments are gilt-edged. Though he spends little money on him¬
self, he is open-hearted and kind. He has no family, and his only
heirs are a few very distant relatives.—If. Y. Tribune.
The first female student in the world who received a diploma in
law was Miss C. B. Ray, a young colored lady of New York city.
She graduated at the Howard University, Washington, D. C.
Nation Guards.—The ninth Batallion, Ohio National Guards is com¬
posed of three companies of well-drilled Negroes.
u The Good Jesus Factory—Bishop Taylor, of Africa, says there
is a rum factory in Liberia which the natives call "The Good Jesus
Factory." Christianity and rum being closely associated in the
minds of the natives.
Over thirty-five thousand Negro soldiers have given up their lives
in the defense of the United States government.
Fugitive Slave Law.—An act passed by the United States Congress
in 1850. It imposed a fine of $1,000 and six months imprisonment
228
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
on any person harboring slaves or aiding in their escape. It was-
declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court,
February 3, 1855, and was repealed June 13, 1864 ; it was never fully
carried into effect, Massachusetts failing to recognize it.
Emancipation Day, April 16.—An annual commemorative holiday
kept by the colored people in the United States, particularly in
Washington, D. C., the day being the anniversary of the signing of
the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln in 1863.
The first colored school south of Mason and Dixon's line was or¬
ganized May 20, 1865, in Lexington, Ky. It was established in the
same building over which Capt. John Morgan hoisted the first Con¬
federate flag in Kentucky.
The first and only colored Roman Catholic priest in this country is
Rev. Augustus Tolton, of Quincy, Illinois.
Slavery in England.—Up to the year 1772 slaves were bought and
sold openly in England.
Slavery Abolished.—The total abolition of slavery in the United
States was officially announced December 18, 1865.
Black Douglass.—Frederick Douglass, the Great Afro-American
orator and philanthropist, was so called to distinguish him from
Stephen A. Douglas*
The greatest Negro scholar in the world, Dr. Edward Wilmot Bly-
den, a full-blooded Negro, and formerly Minister of Liberia to En¬
gland, is an extensive contributor to English literature.
"The Black Phalanx," written by Col. Joseph T. Wilson, of Va.,
has had the most extensive sale of any book written by an Afro-Amer¬
ican. He is the oldest colored newspaper man now living in Vir¬
ginia.
The first colored woman to receive the degree of A.M. was Miss
Mary Patterson. She graduated in Oberlin College in 1862.
History records the fact that during the late rebellion the Negro
soldier participated in more than four hundred engagements.
Jacksonville, Florida, is famous for its numerous colored secret
organizations.
The first blood spilt in the war of the revolution was that of a
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
229
Negro, Crispus Attucks, who fell in the first charge made on the
British troops at Boston, March 5, 1770.
Rev. Lott Carey was born in Virginia in 1780, and died November
10, 1828 in Liberia. He was the first colored American Missionary
to Africa.
The first ballot ever cast by a woman in the State of Mississippi
was that of Mrs. Lucy Tapley, a colored woman. j
There are 300 Negroes in the universities of Europe.
There are over 2,000 colored people employed in the executive de¬
partments of the government at Washington.
There were between four and five hundred Negro soldiers who
were engaged in the battle of New Orleans.
Dahomey is the smallest State in Africa. It has 4,000 square
miles, almost the exact size of Connecticut.
About 6,000 Negroes were connected in different ways with the
Confederate Army.
There are 1,928 colored public schools in the "Old Dominionthe
attendance is up to the average, and they are advancing all along the
line.
The Presbyterian denomination has 1,622 communicants in Africa.
The first colored regiment to enter the services of the Rebellion
was the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers.
' Rev. H. H. Garnett, of the Presbyterian Church, was the first
colored man to preach in the capital of the United States.
The first daily newspaper published by the colored people was the
Cairo Gazette, owned, edited and published by Hon. W. S. Scott, of
Cairo, 111. The first issue came from the press April 23, 1882.
In 1873, Hon. M. W. Gibbs, of Little Rock, Ark., was elected City
Judge, the first colored man in the United States ever elected to
such a position.
Hon. J. A. Brown, of Cleveland, commenced life as a laborer on a
steamboat, and has risen step by step until his eloquence has
reached the legislative halls of the great State of Ohio.
R. C. O. Benjamin was for some time the local editor of the Daily
230
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Sun, of Los Angeles, Cal. This was a prominent white paper, and
Mr. Benjamin was the first colored man to edit a white journal.
Hon. John M. Langston was the first sanitarian of his race. * He
was appointed by President U. S. Grant, March 15, 1871, on the
Board of Health for the District of Columbia.
The Lone Star Medical Association is the first Negro medical asso¬
ciation ever organized in the United States.
S. B. Meyers is the first Afro-American theatrical manager of the
United States.
The first and only representative in Congress from the "Old Do¬
minion" was Hon. John M. Langston.
Washington, D. C. has a colored population of 80,000. About
3,000 of them own their own homes, and other real estate valued at
$10,000,000.
The census report of 1890 gives the colored scholastic population
of the State of North Carolina 216,524, with an enrollment of 116,689,
and a daily average attendance of 68,992.
There are 1,820 public school buildings for colored children, valued
at $240,402.60.
Albino.—"White Negro of the African coast; so named by the Por¬
tuguese voyagers.
James Smith, of Columbia, S. C., was the first colored student to
enter West Point.
Hon. Jonathan J. Wright, of Columbia, S. C., was the first (and as
yet), the only colored associate Justice of the Supreme Court of any
State.
Miss Ida Piatt, of Chicago, is the first woman of the race to be ad¬
mitted to the bar of any State.
The "Davenport House," of Montgomery, Ala., is finely furnished
in all of its apartments. It is owned, patronized, and controlled by
colored people.
"Mammy," was the name usually given to the Negro nurse of
Southern white children.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church owns church property
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 231
to the amount of $5,000,000. This church gave last year for school
and church purposes $1,484,784.
Negro Minstrels are Negro musicians, or white men, who often
blacken their face and hands, and assume the customs and manners
of Negroes, go from place to place singing Negro melodies and play¬
ing upon the banjo and "bones." Their humorous parodies upon
popular songs, with their manner of singing and their jokes render
their entertainments popular among both white and colored.
The increase of colored population in the last decade is greater in
Arkansas than that of any other State.
Prof. Booker T. Washington, of Tuskegee, Ala., is the first Afro-
American ever invited to address the Boston Unitarian Club, which
is one of the most intelligent and wealthy in the United States.
As a historian Geo. W. Williams is to the Negro race what George
Bancroft was to the Anglo-Saxon race.
Rev. Harvey Johnson, of Baltimore, was the first representative
colored man from the State of Maryland who cast his political for¬
tunes with the Prohibition party.
Theodore D. Miller was the first colored man ever appointed to
preach the introductory sermon of the Philadelphia Baptist Associa¬
tion.
The colored Baptists of the United States report a membership of
1,500,000, with 11,000 ordained ministers ; 13,000 church buildings,
valued at $10,000,000, and 9,000 Sunday schools with more than 500,-
000 scholars.
Lemuel Haynes was born in Hartford, Conn., July 18, 1753. He
graduated from Middleburg College, Vermont, and was the first
Negro in the United States to receive the degree, A.M.
In the seventeenth century slaves were sold in most all the New
England States. Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut
contained not less than 15,000 in 1764.
According to the latest census resort there are 3,125 deaf and
dumb, and 9,610 blind Afro-Americans in this country.
There are 6,535 insane and 10,574 feeble-minded colored people in
the United States.
232 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Five thousand Negro soldiers is the official number reported as
bearing arms in the Continental Army.—G. C. i?.
The Negro capitalists of Washington, D. C., have organized a
Union Trust and Loan Company under the law of that district.
$200,000 per Month.—There are at least 80,000 Negroes in the
National Capital who draw $200,000 per month salaries from the gov¬
ernment.
Thirty-five Afro-Americans are employed on the police force in
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Rev. O. Summers, colored, is the chaplain of the Legislature of
California.
There are about ten Afro-American lawyers in New York, thirteen
in Boston, and more than twenty-five in Chicago.
There are 7,309 colored Odd Fellows in the "Old Dominion."
"Blind Tom," the famous pianist, remembers nearly four thou¬
sand compositions.
Bishop B. F. Lee, has the pre-eminence in scholarship in the A.
M. E. Church.
Slaves were first introduced into the United States in 1619, when a
Dutch war vessel entered James River and landed twenty Negroes,
who were offered for sale.
In 1869, colored men, for the first time in the history of the Dis¬
trict of Columbia, were drawn as jurors, and served with white men.
The colored people of Massachusetts are taxed for property valued
at $9,004,122.
Bishop J. W. Hood is credited as being the most Conservative
and far-seeing of all the Afro-American Bishops,
Rev. W. B. Derrick enjoys the reputation of being the finest orator
of the A. M. E. Church.
Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett, of the A. M. E. Church, is called a
i 1 walking encyclopedia.''
Alabama appropriates $3,000 annually for the benefit of Tuskegee
State Normal.
Maryland appropriates $2,000 annually for the support of a Nor¬
mal School for the training of colored teachers.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 233
Missouri contributes $5,000 annually to Lincoln Institute for the
training of colored teachers.
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, "
and Louisiana, and in fact most all the Southern States make annual
contributions for the education of .their colored citizens.
Old Midway Church in Liberty county, Georgia, is the most an¬
cient house of worship in the South, having been built in 1752. The
midway Society is an organization whose mission it is to perpetuate
the historical assciations of the venerable building. Negroes own
this structure.
Fully nine-tenths of the colored church members are Methodists
and Baptists, and between these two they are pretty equally divided.
Slowly yet surely the slaves of Brazil are being emancipated.
Fifteen thousand are annually liberated.
Prof. M. A. Hopkins, of Franklinton, N. C., a colored teacher of
marked ability, was appointed by President Cleveland, first term,
as Minister to Liberia.
In the State of Missouri there are 750 colored teachers and 51,000
colored pupils.
A. Humbles, a colored man, recently loaned the Baptists of Vir¬
ginia, $13,000 with which to build a seminary at Lynchburg.
Mrs. Alpha V. Miner, of Kansas City, Mo., has the reputation of
being one of the most successful business women of her race in the
West. She is quoted at $10,000 and free from debt. She com¬
menced business several years ago as a dressmaker. She now has
a dozen or more employees.
The largest silk worm grower in the South is a colored man, S. R.
Lowry, near Huntsville, Ala. He took a premium at the New Or¬
leans Exposition over several foreign competitors from China,
France, Japan and Italy. Mr. Lowry is of the opinion that the
culture of silk in the South will supersede that of cotton.
T. Morris Chester, of New Orleans, was the special war corres¬
pondent for the Philadelphia Daily Press. He was also the first
colored man in the United States to report phonographically the pro¬
ceedings of the Tenth Grand Triennial Assembly of the Patri¬
archal Order of Past Grand Masters of the Grand United Order of
Odd Fellows in America.
234
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Underground Railroad.—A popular and half-humorous synonym,
for the numberless methods by which fugitive slaves from the
Southern States were aided in escaping to the North, or to British
territory during the anti-slavery agitation. William Still, for many
years connected with the anti-slavery office in Philadelphia, is author
•of a book bearing the above title.
Rev. A. E. P. Albert, of New Orleans, is editor of a white paper,
the South Western Christian Advocate, that is owned by the General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a reliable,
able and pleasing writer and his paper is read by more white people
than any other paper in the United States.
In 1880 there were only 31 Afro-American journals published in
. the United States; it 1890 there were 155, and to-day (July 12, 1895)
there are over 300. Wonderful strides of journalistic progress!
The " Tennesseansy—They were a popular troup, who established
a national reputation, and delighted thousands of intelligent audiences
with their popular plantation melodies. With the proceeds obtained
by these gifted singers, an elegant and commodious four-story brick
structure was added to the Central Tennessee College, which is de¬
signed only for the benefit of colored students.
"The most wonderful chapter in the history of education is that
which tells the story of the education of the Negroes of the South
since 1865. No people were ever helped so much in twenty-five
years, and no illiterate people ever learned so fast."—Bishop Hay-
good.
Wiley Jones, of Pine Bluff, Ark., is one of the wealthiest colored
men in his State, and is said to be the largest blooded stock breeder
of his race. Besides his herds of Durham and Holstein cattle, he
has a stable of trotting horses valued at $50,000.
Since the death of Dr. J. C. Price, of Livingstone College, Rev. J.
H. Hector, of York, Pa., is the most popular temperance lecturer of
the race.
The oldest colored church in the United States is Evan's Chapel,
Fayetteville, N. C., (A. M. E. Zion).
The youngest bishop in the United States, and perhaps in the
world is Alexander Walters, D.D., of the A. M. E. Zion Church. -
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
235
The first A. M. E. Zion Church established South of Mason and
Dixon line, was St. Peter's, Newberne, N. C., in 1862.
The most prominent layman, so says Anderson, of any colored re¬
ligious organization in the United States is the Hon. John C. Dancy.
He is held in high esteem by all denominations.
The increase of colored population in Tennessee in the last decade
is 7.73 per cent.
East Tennessee has a colored population of 12.02 per cent.
Middle Tennessee has a colored population of 24.87 per cent.
West Tennessee has a colored population of 37.24 per cent.
Three counties in Tennessee, Fayette, Haywood, and Shelby, have
more colored persons than white.
The colored scholastic population of Tennessee is 176,614, while
the daily attendance will average 105,458.
There are 1,609 public colored schools, having 1,745 colored teach¬
ers in the State of Tennessee.
The emancipation of slaves in all the French Colonies took place
February 4, 1794.
The complete emancipation of slaves in the English Colonies oc¬
curred in 1838 and 1839, when more than 800,000 men, besides women
and children, were liberated.
Sweden emancipated her slaves in 1846, and this was soon followed
(in 1848), by the Danish Colonies proclaiming the freedom of her
slaves.
Holland delivered her American Colonies from slavery August 8,
1862.
The African slave trade was closed in this country on the first day
of January, 1808.
A gentleman in Brooklyn, 1ST. Y., is building a cottage for the Tus-
kegee Normal and Industrial Institute to be used for the Young
ladies of the Senior Class as a "Model Home," where the latest im¬
proved methods of housekeeping will be put in practice during the
girls' Senior year.
On the twenty-third daj^ of May, 1881, President Garfield appointed
ex-Senator B. K. Bruce, of Mississippi, Register of the United
236
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
States Treasury. This was the first colored man whose signature
made money of worthless paper.
Dr. Henry Fitzbutler, of Louisville, was born December 22, 1842.
He graduated in the Michigan University in 1872. He was granted
a charter by the legislature of Kentucky in 1888 to practice medi¬
cine, having graduated at the Louisville National Medical College.
He was the first regular physician of the Negro race to enter upon
the practice of medicine in the State of Kentucky.
The National Republican Convention, held at Philadelphia in June,
1872, received as delegates a number of colored men, and for the
first time in the history of presidential conventions, the Negro's
voice was heard and applauded.
Charles L. Remond was the first Negro to take the platform as a
regular lecturer in the anti-slavery cause, and was no doubt, the
ablest representative that the race had till the appearance of Fred¬
erick Douglass in 1842.
The Freedman's Journal was issued March 16, 1827, and was the
first newspaper published by an Afro-American in the United States.
Hon. Frederick Douglass, in his early life, was a local preacher in
the A. M. E. Zion Church.
Prof. William H. Day, of Harrisburg, Pa., is said to be the lead¬
ing scholar in the A. M. E. Zion Church. He is the only colored
man in the United States who enjoys the distinction of presiding
over a white school board of a city of 50,000 population. He is also
president of the county school board. The unsurpassed excellence
of the public school system of Harrisburg is said to be due to his
efforts.
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America.—This grand institu¬
tion was founded by Peter Ogden. To-day they enroll a membership
in 32 States. Wm. T. Forrester is Grand Master, and Charles B.
Wilson, Deputy Grand Master. Total lodges, 2,043; households,
880; total inmates in the 880 households of Ruth, 25,000; councils,
161; patriarchies, 76; male membership, 71,744; whole number of P.
G. M.'s and M. V. P.'s, 4,500; total membership in all branches,
98,244.
Mr. J. C. Farley, of Richmond, Va., is one of the finest photog-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
237
raphers in the United States. His work has been exhibited at
national fairs, taking the premium at many places.
The Afro-American Benevolent Association, of Birmingham, Ala.,
was organized under the State law and has many worthy features in
connection with its management.
In his will, George Washington set his slaves free, and hundreds
of other slave owners did the same thing.
Felix Weir, a colored boy of Chicago, 11 years old, is a musical
prodigy on the violin. He plays a great many very difficult composi¬
tions with sassy grace and skill.
Freedmaris Bureau.—Congress passed an act March 3, 1865, organ¬
izing in the War Department the " Bureau of the Refuges, Freed-
men and Abandoned Lands," which was popularly known as the
"Freedmen's Bureau." This remained in operation, with somewhat
enlarged powers, until July 1, 1869, when its functions ceased, ex¬
cepting the educational department, which continued until July 1,
1870, and that for the collection of claims. The bureau exercised a
general supervision over the freedmen, protecting their rights, de¬
ciding their disputes, aiding them in obtaining work, extending facili¬
ties of education, and furnishing them with medical treatment. It
was discontinued about five years after its organization, as the chief
object for which it was organized had by that time been accom¬
plished.
The u Jubilee Singers."—They were a company of educated Negroes,
from Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., who for seven years of al¬
most continuous labor, both in Europe and America, gave popular
entertainments of a species of singing which originated among the
slaves of the Southern States. Their efforts were crowned with
success, and the proceeds of their concerts were used in purchasing
the University grounds, and the building of Jubilee Hall. This
building is elegantly located, and is absolutely one of the handsomest
structures to be found anywhere in the South.
First Newspaper in the South.—The first race newspaper published
in the South was The Colored American. It was published in Au¬
gusta, Ga., and was edited by J. T. Shuften in 1865. We find the
following discription of this paper in The Afro-American Press: "It
is designed to be a vehicle for the diffusion of Religious, Political and'
238
afro-american encyclopedia.
General Intelligence. It will be devoted to the promotion of harmony
and good will between the whites and colored people of the South,
and uniting in its advocacy of industry and education among all
classes; but particularly the class most in need of our agency. It
will steadfastly oppose all forms of vice that prey upon society, and
give that counsel that tends to virtue, peace, prosperity and happi¬
ness."
THE DERIVATION AND NICKNAMES OF
THE STATES.
Alabama.—The derivation of the name "Alabama," like that of
numerous other states, is of Indian origin, and is commonly sup¬
posed to signify "Here we rest," and these words are on the States
coat-of-arms. It takes its name from its principal river and is gen¬
erally known as the "Cotton State." '
Alaska is an Indian name and signifies "great land" or "main
land." The name is said to have been given by Captain Cook in his
voyage of 1778. It was purchased by the United States in May 1867
for $7,200,000.
Arizona is supposed to be of uncertain meaning.
Arkansas, after its chief river. The meaning is in doubt. By
an act of the State Senate in 1881, the true pronunciation of the word
was declared to be Ar-kan-saw. Formerly it was so spelled, but the
original way has not yet been restored. It was admitted into the
Union June 15, 1836. It is called the "Bear State.'jf
California is of Spanish origin. First permanent settlement
made at San Diego, April 11, 1769. Has been supposed to mean
"hot furnace," but the term is not applicable, on account of the gen¬
eral climate of the State, which is temperate and healthful. The
name is said to have been given to an imaginary island in the Orient,
"near the Terrestrial Paradise." In 1535 a company of Spanish ex¬
plorers supposed they had found this poetic island, or its twin sister
and named it accordingly. It is called the "Golden State.'^
Carolinas.—This name was given to a fort not far from Bufort,
South Carolina, by Ribault in 1562 in honor of Charles I. of England,
or Charles IX., King of France. Is one of the thirteen original
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race. 239
States. Was ratified November 21, 1789. South Carolina is famil¬
iarly known as the "Palmetto State," while her neighbor is known
as the "Tar State," or "Old North State." 1
Colorado is a Spanish word and means "Red or Colored." It was
named for the river of the same name. It was admitted into the
Union in 1876, just one hundred years after the Declaration of Inde¬
pendence, and hence the favorite nickname—"Centennial State."
Connecticut.—The name is of Indian origin, meaning "Long
River," or "upon the long river." The State is sometimes called
the "Land of Steady Habits." It became a State January 9, 1788.
It is popularly known as the "Nutmeg* State,from the jocular slan¬
der that its peddlers were in the habit of palming off wooden nut¬
megs on their customers.
Dakotas.—The word Dakota is a name by which the people of the
greatest northwestern Indian Confederacies called themselves. It
means "leagued." South Dakota was admitted into the Union Nov.
2, 1889. It is sometimes called the "Swiagecat," or "Cayote" State,
while her Northern sister has been called the "Sioux," or "Flick¬
er tail" State.
Delaware.—This name was given first to the bay, next to the
river, and lastly to the State, in honor of Lord de la War, Governor
of Virginia. It is called the "Blue Hen State,i' or "Diamond State.,"
District of Columbia.—Congress, onvthe 28th of June, 1790,
passed an act providing, "that a district of territory on the Potomac,
at some place between the mouths of the Eastern Branch and the
Connogocheague, be and the same is hereby accepted for the perma¬
nent seat of the Government of the United States.^" Ten miles
square was laid out for this purpose, Virginia and Maryland contrib¬
uting the land.
Florida is the Spanish for "flowery." It is the Spanish name for
Easter Sunday, the day on which Ponce de Leon discovered Florida
in 1513. It is called the "Peninsular State.
Georgia, named in honor of King George II., of England, who
granted to General Oglethorpe a charter for same. She was admit¬
ted into the Union January 2, 1788. Seceded January, 1861; re-ad¬
mitted December, 1870. Popularly known as the "Cracker Stale."
Idaho.—Indian name and means "Gem of the Mountains,f said to
refer to the "bright sunshine on the mountain tops, so characteristic
of that strangely beautiful country." Admitted as a State, July,
3, 1890.
240
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Illinois, the name of its chief river, and of the confederated
tribes dwelling on its banks. The name signifies "a superior class
of men." It is one of the most important States in the Union in
point of wealth and population. It is appropriately called the " Prai¬
rie State" on account of its broad expanse of prairie land^. It is
also called the "Sucker Stat^"
Indiana is sometimes called the "Hoosier Statd," a term of which
the origin has never been satisfactorily explained.
Iowa.—The meaning of this word has been variously interpreted.
It is generally conceded, however, to mean "The abode of peace,"
also "across" or "beyond," and this name is supposed to have been
applied by the Illinois tribes to their enemies across the Mississippi
river. It is called the "Hawkeye State," and is apparently intended
to commemorate the famous chief, Black Hawk.
Kansas,—This State is called after a tribe of the same name which
in the Indian dialect signifies " South Wind," It is popularly known
as the "Sunflower State."
Kentucky.—Admitted as a State June 1, 1792. It is an Indian
name and signifies "Dark and bloody ground." It is sometimes
called the "Corn Cracker," but is most generally known as the
"Bluegrass State.'/
Louisiana.—Named in honor of Louis the XIV., of France. Popu¬
larly known as the "Pelican Stat^."
Maine signifies the "Main" or "Mainland." From the immense
white pine forests it has been given the name of the "Pine Tree
State.
Maryland, named in honor of Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles
I., of England. It is properly known as "The Old Line Stat4"
Massachusetts.—This name is of Indian origin, and means
"About the Great Hills." The first settlers were known as the
'' Pilgrims,'' who landed in a small vessel known as the '' Mayflower.''
Three large bays indent the Eastern shore, and for this reason it is
called the "Bay State.
Michigan.—This word signifies "A weir for fish" or "Lake Coun¬
try." It is called the "Wolverine State.^
Minnesota after its river of the same name; in the Kakota lan¬
guage, minne means "water," and sotcih means "sky-colored." It is
usually called the "Gopher State,'/ but is sometimes called the
"North Star State," from the motto on its coat-of-arms.
Mississippi is from the Indian, Algonquin, 7/iissi-sepe, "great
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
241
river." "Father of Waters," the accepted interpretation, and one
that has been so popular, is only a fancy. From the frequent
bayous formed by the changing of the stream, the State is called by
the nickname, 1' Bayou State. V
Missouri is of Indian origin and is derived from two words,,
missisouri, signifying "great muddy (river). It is said to bring
down from the "Rockies" so much mud that the water, when taken
up in a small vessel, has the appearance of coffee.
Montana, a Spanish name, meaning "mountains." It was ad¬
mitted into the Union Nov. 8,1889, and is called the "Stubtoe State.'?
Nebraska is an Indian name, meaning "shallow water." It is
popularly known as the "Antelope" or "Black Water" State. >
Nevada is of Spanish origin, and from is chief product is known
as "The Silver State." The meaning of the word is "white with
snow." It took its name from the Sierra Nevada, a range of lofty
mountains dividing it from California. It is sometimes called the
"Sage Brush State,?' from the scope of country covered with sage
brush.
New Hampshire.—Named after the country of Hampshire, Eng¬
land. From the rocks of the White Mountains, it is called the
"Granite State."
New Jersey.—Named after the Isle of Jersey, in the English.
Channel. Called the "Sharp Backs State."'
New Mexico, after Mexico.
New York—"The Empire State," so call on account of the fact
that it takes first rank in population, wealth, and commerce among
the States in the Union. It was named for the Duke of York.
Ohio is an Indian word, meaning "beautiful river." This name
was first applied to the river between Pittsburg and Cairo, and the
first State erected north of this stream was named for it. It is pop¬
ularly known as the "Buckeye State,^' from the abundance of buck¬
eye or horse-chestnut trees.
Oklahoma is an Indian word, and signifies "beautiful land,'vor
"fine country,"' and so it is. This beautiful country is increasing
rapidly in population and material prosperity -
Oregon.—This is a Spanish word from "Oregano." The name
signifies "Thyme." It was admitted to the Union February 12,
1859. It is called the "Beaver State."
Pennsylvania is the most celebrated State in the Union for ex¬
tensive coal beds. It was named in honor of admiral Penn, father of
16
242
afro-american encyclopaedia.
William Penn. The meaning is Pennis—"Sylva"—woods. It is
called the "Keystone State^" probably because its name was carved
on the keystone of the bridge over Rock Creek, between Washington
and Georgetown. She is also the middle of the thirteen original States.
Rhode Island, from her size, is universally known as "Little
Rody.'J" The probability is that it was named in honor of the Greek
island in the Mediterranean—"Isle of Rhodes."
Tennessee is named after her principal river, a Cherokee word,
signifying "crooked river," or "river of big bend," and is popularly
known as the "Volunteer State."
Texas takes her name from a tribe of Indians who passed through
that country in 1536. The word is of Indian origin, and signifies
"friends." It is called the "Lone Star State," from the device on
her flag and shield.
Utah is named after a tribe of Indians. The word signifies
"■Mountain Home." Mormans call it the "Deseret," which they
claim means "The Land of the Honey-bee."
Vermont is of French Origin, and is derived from two words—
vert, green, and monts, mountains, hence the nickname, "Green
Mountain State."
Virginia.— Commonly called "The Old Dominion," because
Charles II. allowed it to call itself the fourth dominion of his empire,
that is, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Virginia. The name is in
honor of Queen Elizabeth, of England. It is also known as the
"Mother of Presidents." Slavery was also first introduced here in
1619.
Washington was named for the "Father of his Country," and is
called the "Chinook State."
West Virginia separated from the "Old Dominion" in 1863, and
is called the "Little Mountain State."
Wisconsin, after the name of its chief river, which means "wild
rushing channel," "westward flowing," or "Prairie River." It is
popularly known as the "Badger State."
Wyoming is an Indian word, said to mean "broad valley.
About one forth of the population of the world is not under the
law of civilization.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
243-
MAXIMS, PROVERBS AND PHRASES.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.—J. H. Bailey.
He that hides is no better than he that steals.
He who accuses too many accuses himself.
Brave actions never want a trumpet.
He who does not advance recedes.
Adversity often leads to prosperity.
Adversity tries virtue.
He asks advice in vain who will not follow it.
When advice will not correct the rod will not.
Afflictions are the best blessings in disguise.
He that corrects not youth controls not age.
Give not your alms to a sound-limbed beggar.
Giving alms never lessens the purse.
Angels hear the humblest human cry.—Bulwer.
A man is a stark fool all the while he is angry.
A soft answer is a specific cure for anger.
Do not always judge by appearances.—La Fontaine.
By hammer and hand all arts do stand.
All asses do not go on four feet.
Even an ass loves to hear himself bray.
It is often better not to see an insult than to avenge it.
A bad tree does not yield good apples.
He is a sorry barber that has but one comb.
It is a base thing to betray a man because he trusted you.
One cannot teach a bear to dance in a day.
Beard was never the true standard for brains.—T. Fuller.
A fair face may hide a foul heart.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Beauty may have fair leaves but bitter fruit.
Beauty without virtue is a curse.
A beggar's wallet is never full.
From small beginnings come great things.
What a man desires he easily believes.
Put money in thy purse, but put it honestly.
244
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Better a tooth out than always aching.
Blessings are not valued until gone.
A blind man wishes to show the road.
Boasting renders one ridiculous.
Believe a boaster as you would a liar.
Better buy than borrow.
Borrowing is the mother of trouble.
Much borrowing destroys credit.
Many are brave when the enemy flies.
Every man thinks his own burden the heaviest.
Business neglected is business lost.
A fine cage won't feed the bird.
Keep no more cats than will catch mice.
Change of pasture makes fat calves.
People often change and seldom do better.
A charitable man is the true lover of God.
Cheaply bought, dear in the end.
Cheerful company shortens the miles.
Children are what they are made.
A Christian is the highest style of man.
Better come late to church than never.
Go not to hell for company.
The rotten apple spoils it companions.
Do all you can to be good and you'll be so.
Do not publish people's defects.
A clear conscience is a good pillow.
Contempt is the sharpest reproof.
A contented man is always rich.
Good counsel is not to be paid with gold.
Keep your own counsel.
A man of courage never wants weapons.
A covetous man does nothing that he should till he dies.
Credit is dead; bad pay killed it.
Crosses are ladders which lead to heaven.
To everyone his own cross is heaviest.
A crow is never whiter for often washing.
Curiosity often brings its own punishment.
Every day is not a holiday.
No day passes without some grief.
The longest day is sure to have its night.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 245
If to-day will not, to-morrow may.
Every to-morrow brings its bread.
All death is sudden to the unprepared.
He would be a good one to send for death.
Six feet of earth make all men equal.
A man in debt is stoned every year.
Debt is the worst poverty.
Good deeds remain, all things else perish.
If your desires be endless your cares will be so too.
No one can have all he desires.
Diligence is the mother of success.—Don Quixote.
A good dog deserves a good bone.
An old dog cannot alter its way of barking.
Let not the sun look down and say inglorious here he lies.—Franklin.
The morning hour has gold in its mouth.
Economy is a great revenue.
A rotten egg cannot be spoiled.
He that endureth is not overcome.
Evils that are passed should not be mourned.
Never do evil that good may come of it.
"Who doeth no evil is apt to suspect none.
No great good came without looking after it.
A scalded dog thinks cold water hot.
It is best to be cautious and avoid extremes.
The eye is blind if the mind is absent.
A good face needs no paint.
A single fact is worth a shipload of argument.
Facts are more powerful than words.
Fancy requires much; necessity but little.
A father lives after death in his son.
A father loves his children in hating their faults.
The most faulty are most prone to find fault.
Nothing is easier than fault-finding.—Robert West.
He who asks fewest favors is the best received.
Fear is often greater than danger.
The first in the boat has choice of oars.
From great rivers come great fish.
All flowers are not in one garland.
It is a bad soil where no flowers will grow.
A fool alway finds a greater fool that admires him.
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A fool thinks nothing right but what he does himself.
Fools for arguments use wagers.
Fools laugh at their own sport.
Young fools think that the old are dotards; but the old have for¬
gotten more than the young fools know.
A wise man will not reprove a fool.
A coward never forgave, it is not his nature.
A man does not seek his luck, luck seeks its man.
Fortune is not far from the brave man's head.
Fortune makes friends and misfortune tries them.
A poor freedom is better than a rich slavery.
Friendship is stronger than kindred.
A true gentleman will respect woman even in her weakness.
God delays, but does not forget.
God helps the sailor, but he must row.
When God says to-day, the devil says to-morrow.
Gossiping and lying go together.
The sweetest grapes hang highest.
Gratitude is the least of virtues; ingratitude the worst of vices.
Grief is satisfied and carried off by tears.
Grief pent up will burst the heart.
The only cure for grief is action.—George Henry Lewis.
The handsomest flower is not the sweetest.
Happy is the man that keeps out of strife.
A cool mouth and warm feet live long.—George Herbert.
There are no riches like health.
A cheerful countenance betokens a good heart.
A happy heart is better than a full purse.
Help yourself and God will help you.
Help yourself and your friends will help you.
Travel east or travel west, a man's own home is still the best.
There is no place like home even if it is a cellar.
An honest countenance is the best passport.
An honest man does not make himself a dog for the sake of a bone.
An honest man is not the worse because a dog barks at him.
A lady's honor will not bear a soil.
Hope is the poor man's bread:
A good son makes a good husband.
By doing nothing we learn to do evil.
Idleness is the rust of the soul.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
247
Industry is the parent of fortune.
Insolence puts an end to friendship.
Never judge by appearances.
A forced kindness deserves no thanks.
Many kiss the child for the nurse's sake.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
To know everything is to know nothing.
Learning is better than house and land.
Learning refines and elevates the mind.
Life is labor, death is rest.
Little birds may pick a dead lion.
A little pack serves a little peddler.
Little and often make a heap of time.
A living bog is better than a dead lion.
The loss that is not known is no loss.
He loves well who chastises well.
Love is the touchstone of virtue.
Love knows no measure.
A liar is sooner caught than a cripple.
He that hears much hears many lies.
Show me a liar and I'll show you a thief.
There is no vice that hath not its beginning in a lie.—Dry den.
You may shut your doors against a thief but not against a liar.
A mad horse must have a sober rider.
Every mad man thinks all other men are mad.
Maidens should be mild and meek, swift to hear and slow to speak.
A man has two ears and one mouth, that he may hear much and
speak little.
Men, like cattle, follow him who leads.
Be sure before you marry.
Hasty marriage seldom proveth well.—Shakespeare.
Marriage is heaven or hell.
Every fool will be meddling.
The meekness of Moses is better than the strength of Samson.
Small minds are captivated by trifles.—Ovid.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.—Bible,
Mirth and motion prolong life.
Misfortune makes us wise.
The mob has many heads but no brains.
Modesty has more charms than beauty.
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A man who is proud of his money has rarely anything else to be
proud of.
Money borrowed is soon sorrowed.
A mother is a mother all the days of her life; a father is a father
till he gets a new wife.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.—Bible.
^Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother that is far oli.—
Bible.
It is more noble to pardon than to punish.
/Govern your passions, otherwise they will govern you.—Horace.
^T3'e patient toward all men.—St Paul.
'None patient but the wise.
Punctual pay gets willing loan.
"Who pays beforehand is served behindhand.
A good pay master needs no security.
Perseverance brings success.
^He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord.—Bible.
jSTo dish pleases all palates alike.
An ox and an ass don't yoke well to the same plow.
He who sleeps much learns little.
Sloth is the key to poverty.
Be slow to promise, quick to perform.
The sluggard's convenient season never comes.
A small coin in a big jar makes a great noise.
Small axes fell great trees.
One may smile and smile, and be a villian still.
A snow year, a rich year.
Solitude is of the best society.
The son disgraces himself when he blames his father.
There is a salve for every sore.
A day of sorrow is longer than a month of joy.
Provide for the soul by doing good works.
Early sow, early mow.
He that sows thistles, shall reap thistles.
Sow good works and thou shalt reap gladness.
He that spares vice wrongs virtue.
Who speaks, sows; who listens, reaps.
The brightest of all things, the sun, has its spots.
IRolling stones gather no mossr^
Deserve success and you shall command it.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
249
Ho who succeeds is reputed wise.
Nothing succeeds like success.
It will not always be summer.—Hesoid.
The sun shines for all the world.
The sun is the King of torches.— Western Africa/n Negro.
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it.—Bible.
He that hateth suretyship is sure.—Bible.
There is no sweet without sour.
What so tedious as a twice told tale.—Homer.
Great talkers are commonly liars.—German.
A thief thinks every man steals.
He who takes no care of little things will not have the car© of great
ones.
He that has most time has none to lose.
A still tongue makes a wise head.
jPut a key on your tongue.
It is better to turn back than go astray.
One never loseth anything by politeness.
No one is poor but he who thinks himself so.
Poor without debt is better than a prince.
The poor sit in Paradise on the first benches.
T'is God's blessing makes the pot boil.
Poverty is the reward of idleness.
He is a fool that praises himself.
JLet another man praise thee and not thine own mouth.—Bible.
Self praise is odious.
The nobler the blood the less the pride.
Don't promise what you cannot perform.
Providence assists not the idle.
A profitable religion never wants proselytes.
Religious contention is the devil's harvest.
A good name is better than riches.—Bible.
Be-resolved and the thing is done.—Chinese.
Rest is good after the work is done.
Forgetting of a wrong is a mild revenge.
Give me neither poverty or riches.—Bible.
He is rich who owes nothing.
The rich man is often poorer than the beggar.
Be sure you are right then go ahead.—D. Crochett.
No one is always right.
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The nearer to Rome the worst Christians.
On his own saddle one rides the safest.
Salt spilt is never all gathered.
Every one that repeats it adds something to the scandal.
A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.
The lazy servant takes eight steps to avoid one.
Unwilling service earns no thanks.
He is lost whose shame is lost.
Often shooting hits the mark.
Better be silent than talk ill.
Deep rivers move in silence, shallow brooks are noisy.
Silence is as great an art as speech.
Silence puts an end to quarrels.
Speaking is silver, silence is gold.
All who snore are not asleep.
Travel is the great source of true wisdom.
Travel makes a wise man better, but a fool worse.
The tree must be bent while it is young.
No one gets into trouble without his own help.
If you trust before you try, you may repent before you die.
Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.—Cromwell.
Buy the truth and sell it not.—Bible.
Truth is better than gold.—Arabian.
Every man thinks his own copper gold.
Vanity is the food of fools.—Swift.
He who is free from vice himself is the slower to suspect it in
others.— Greek.
He that forgives gains the victory.
Virtue is a jewel of great price.
A wager is a fool's argument.
"War makes robbers, and peace hangs them.
Running water carries no poison.
A misty morning may have a fine day.
No garden is without its weeds.
Such a welcome, such a farewell.
Welcome is the best dish in the kitchen.
A wicked companion invites us all to hell.
A wicked man is afraid of his own memory.
The wicked grow worse, and good men grow better from troubles.
A good wife and health are a man's best wealth.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 251
A man can never thrive who has a wasteful wife.
A prudent wife is from the Lord.
It is a mark of wisdom to dislike folly.
He is the wise man who is the honest man.
Wit does not take the place of wisdom.
A silent woman is always more admired than a noisy one.
Better break your word than do worse in keeping it.
Good works will never save you, but you cannot be saved without
them.
Youth looks forward and! age backward.
Too much zeal spoils all.
Zeal is fit only for wise men, but is found mostly in fools.
THE GREAT NEED OF NEGRO FARMERS.
E want educated farmers who will own their lands, stock and
farming implements. We want farmers who will highly appre¬
ciate their calling and study all the latest improved methods of
tilling the soil and supply themselves with the best implements in
the market. We want farmers who will raise fine stock and cattle,
fruits and vegetables for our own and foreign markets. Let the
world know where, who we are and what we are doing. As a rule
our young men who come to the cities from the farm are ashamed to
be known as farmers. They consider farming menial—below the
profession. In this they are wrong. No profession can be higher
arid more honorable than that of farming. The farmer feeds all of
the professions. But for the farmer there would be no professions.
He supports the people and all other callings; and just as the farmer
is successful in producing plenty, all other business is prosperous;
and just in proportion as he fails all suffer.
The farmer deserves to be honored, for we are all dependent upon
him for that which supports life, bread. Every farmer should be
proud of his calling, and by his appreciation of it compel others to
respect it. If you will go over the history of all the great men and
women of the world you will find that most of them were born and
reared on the farm. The purest men and women of to-day are on
the farm free from the crazes of city society. Not only our bread
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and what we eat come from the farm, our clothing as well. Who but
the farmer settles our new States and Territories, clears away the
forests and makes the waste places to blossom? He plows and sows
and reaps and mows for us. Then don't despise the farmer; if you
have no employment in the city go to the farm. Thousands of our
people lie around the cities and towns, living- from hand to mouth
in old cellars, dilapidated stables, closely packed tenement houses,
not fit for human habitation, often at the point of starvation and
often compelled to steal and beg to keep the "wolf from the door,"
that might make an independent living by going to the country and
working farm lands.
Some say that those who own the lands will not pay a fair price;
then there is greater reason why we should own lands ourselves.
Work and save your money and buy lands. -If the price is too high
where you live go somewhere else. If you cannot buy a big farm
buy a little one. Buy one or more acres and cultivate every inch of
it and add more to it when you can. Off an acre-and-a-half straw¬
berry patch, nine miles from Nashville, Mr. John Goodrich picked
1,485 gallons, which brought him $303.75. He commenced picking
May 4, 1895, and finished May 29. Land in his vicinity, equally as
productive can be had from $15 to $25 per acre. There are thou¬
sands of acres of land in Texas, Arkansas and the Western States
that can be bought for a trifle. Go in colonies and buy their lands,
withstand a few hardships and become independent and useful,
patriotic citizens. The homestead lands are not all taken yet. Go
out and possess these lands that are free to all who comply with the
laws. The poor Germans, Bohemians, Italians and other peoples of
the continent come to this country and settle on these homestead
lands and in a few years they are independent. We can do the same.
Then let us lay aside extravagance, low, base, useless and expensive
habits and begin anew. Let us begin at the farm with thrift energy
and intelligence to demonstrate our worth. Let us economize and
get money and property of our own. "Get money, not to hide away
in a hedge, nor for a train attendant, but .for the glorious privilege
of being independent."
The African ostrich has but two toes on each foot, and one of them
has but one claw.
Cotton Picking in Mississippi.
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CHRISTIAN TRUTH IN SLAVE SONGS.
REV. C. J. RYDER, D.D.
THE INFLUENCE OF SLAVERY IN THE SONGS OF NATIONS.
The Pwrpose of this Pa/per.—The oldest psalm in the whole collec¬
tion of these marvelous sacred songs is the ninetieth (XC.). It was
born in the heart of a man who had felt the bitter hardship of slavery.
"They made their lives bitter with hard bondage," was the pitiful
record of his race in Egypt. Moses, the author of this psalm, knew
well of those wretched experiences of slavery. The influence of
those dark days, and the thirty-eight years wandering in the wilder¬
ness, oppressed the Poet General of Israel, and he exclaimed "We
are consumed ,by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath." It was the influ¬
ence of slavery in the songs of the Israelite nation. You can trace
the same effects in the sacred writings after each captivity. The ex¬
perience of slavery colored their religious songs, as it touched their
national life and moulded their nation's history.
It would be a most interesting study to follow out this same line of
investigation and note how the suppression of national independence,
the subjugation of any people, has colored their religious thought,
and found expression in their sacred songs. It is my purpose, how¬
ever, only to note the fact of this influence, not to illustrate it.
The growth or development of sacred songs is an interesting study.
Take some familiar hymns. We sing "Hail to the Lord's anointed,"
written by James Montgomery, in 1822. "Jesus shall Reign
Where'er the Sun," written by Isaac Watts, in 1819. "Rescue the
Perishing," by Fanny Crosby. "My Country 'tis of Thee," writ¬
ten by Rev. S. F. Smith, in 1832. Eighteen Christian centuries
stand behind these sacred hymns. Each mighty century contributed
its rich gifts to the development of the races whose blood flowed
in the veins of Montgomery or Watts or Crosby or Smith. There is
evolution of Christian song. Now in studying these old slave songs,
we touch hands with heathen Africa. Two hundred and fifty years
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
255
of enforced bondage and thirty years of freedom are all that sepa¬
rate those who sung these songs from barbarism. We cannot ex¬
pect to find the models of expression that eighteen centuries of free
Christian development have produced. We shall discover crude,
weird, quaint words, and often fantastic music. But this study and
analysis throws light upon race development, and proves, I think,
that the great truths of the Christian faith comforted and uplifted
the humble, ignorant slave just as truly as the wealthy, and intelli¬
gent, and refined.
"The best commentary on the Scripture is the Scripture," said a
learned divine. So the best commentary on the Negro is the Negro.
We have done almost everything with and for the Negro, except let
him speak for himself. We preach at him; we hold him up as a re¬
markable example of total depravity, of hopeless corruption, or as
rich in his religious nature. We tell of his terrible degration, or his
wonderful progress, as the whim may strike us. We do everything
except let him speak for himself.
This paper is a humble effort on the part of the writer to let the
Negro speak'for himself concerning his religious faith. These three
introductory considerations just mentioned are of importance in
studying the slave songs of our own bondmen.
1st. The influence of slavery in coloring their Christian songs.
2nd. The evolution of sacred songs. 3rd. The value of the Negro's
views of the Negro.
Turning aside from the statistics of church growth, let us ask the
question, What is there among the Negroes of the South to build up¬
on in Christian work? Have they correct ideas of the great funda¬
mental truths of Christianity ? What was the theology of the planta¬
tion? What are the fundamental elements in the religious thought
of these freed slaves ? Must we recast their conceptions of religious
truth, or only seek to intellectualize that which is spiritually dis¬
cerned? What are the religious conceptions of these uneducated
Negroes ? What was the theology of the slaves ?
The answer to this question determines largely the future of our
church work among the mass of colored people. The progress will
be painfully slow, if we must lay the foundations of religious truth
before we can build the super-structure of church work. But if we
discover that they hold evangelical truth substantially correct, we
have a great advantage.
"They that do His will shall know of the doctrine," we read.
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
These poor Negroes walking never in the full day of opportunity of
religious truth communed with God in the night of their oppression
and wrong, and it is marvelous how wonderfully he revealed himself
to them. They have no polemic literature, no dogmatic theology*
We learn of one old colored preacher who had a trial for heresy on
his hands, because he preached against stealing chickens!
Indeed they had no literature at all as a race, but coming out from
these two and a half centuries of bondage they have brought with
them a whole body of Christian song. Like the Homeric plays or the
Scotch ballads, these Negro songs, which came from their hearts and
grew out of their religious experiences, were preserved by being re¬
peated—handed down by word of mouth from father to son, from
mother to child.
" The triumph note that Marian sung-,
The joy of uncag-ed birds;
Softening with Africa's mellow tong-ue
Their broken Saxon words."
Now do these plantation hymns give evidence that the great funda¬
mental doctrines of evangelical Christianity were held by these
humble people in their days of slavery? In pushing our Christian
work in the South, can we assume this fact? It is not only a very
interesting question in ethnology and race history, but also of great
importance in our missionary enterprises to know just what these
humble people learned of God's truth in the school house of slavery,
having little human instruction but communing with God's Spirit.
That we may discover the answer to this question, let us arrange
somewhat systematically these old plantation melodies, these songs
that were never written, but that burst from the hearts of the slaves
when crushed under the weight of their bondage.
They could not read nor write. But let us remember that our own
race is indebted for its highest poetic expression of Christian truth
in the early centuries to one who could not read, Ceadmon Monk, of
Whitley. He was the greatest Anglo-Saxon poet and father of Eng¬
lish song. He gave us our first Paradise Lost, equal, in many re¬
spects, to John Milton's greatest book.
1. These slave songs teach, beyond doubt, that the slaves held to
the truth of Divine Sovereignty. We repeat in our churches the
beautiful language of the Apostle's Creed: "I believe in God the
Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth." So do these hum-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. P.57
ble Negroes believe. This great truth bursts forth from their lips
in jubilant song.
" Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
D'liver Daniel, d'liver Daniel ?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
And why not every man ? "
What a strange pathetic appeal to this Divine Ruler are these
words in the hymn, "Keep me from sinking down:"
" I bless the Lord I'm gwine to die ;
Keep me from sinking- down.
I'm gwine to judgment by-and-bye ;
Keep me from sinking down.
" O Lord, O my Lord ! O my good Lord !
Keep me from sinking down."
It suggests to one Jean Ingelow's "Brothers and a Sermon," and
the touching prayer of the old fisherman to whom the Lord Jesus
came in the night season.
" O, Lord, good Lord,
I am a broken down poor man, a fool
To speak to thee."
" O Lord, our Lord,
How great is thy compassion. Come, good Lord,
For we will open. Come this night, good Lord ;
Stand at the door and knock."
" Only the wind knocks at my door, Oh, loud and long it knocks,
The only thing God made that has a mind to enter in.''
Yea, thus the old man spake. These were the last words of his
aged mouth.
But one did knock. One came to sup with him, that humble, weak,
old man; knocked at his door in the rough pauses of the laboring
wind.
And when the neighbors came the morrow morn they said:
"He looks as he had woke and seen the face of Christ, and with
that rapturous smile held out his arms, to come to Him."
The appeal of these Negroes was to Divine Justice, not to fickle
human passion, and they rejoiced in view of such a judgment day.
"God, the Father Almighty," they held to, they gloried in and no
mystery of suffering ever dimmed their faith. We can assume its
existence and build upon it in pushing our church work among them
in the Southland.
Calvinism seems to have crept in at the very basis of their doc-
17
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
trinal views. Original sin finds recognition in the following odd
song:
" Old Satan thinks he'll g-et us all,
Yes, my Iyord;
Because in Adam we did fall,
Yes, my Iyord."
Whether they hold to the federal headship of Adam, I cannot state
positively. If they adopted Professor Shedd's theory that the whole
race was actually, physically present in Adam and consciously sin¬
ned, it would be another argument for the unity of the human race,
or else hint very strongly that Adam was slightly off color.
2. Again 'these slaves held to the Divinity of Christ—crudely
stated, imperfectly discerned, but tenaciously maintained. Among
their plantation hymns, illustrating this, I refer to only two or three.
" Just stand right still and steady yourself,
I know that my Redeemer lives.
Oh, just let me tell you about God his self,
I know that my Redeemer lives."
Or another, the refrain of which runs:
"Reign, Oh, reign; Oh, reign my Savior!
Reig-n, Oh, reig-n; Oh, reign my L,ord."
Or still another:
"Why, He's the I^ord of lords,
And the King- of king-s. -
Why, Jesus Christ is the first and last,
No one can work like Him."
3. There is little in their songs concerning the Holy Spirit. The
Father and Son were relations that they could understand. The
more mysterious work and personality of the Holy Spirit they did
not so easily grasp. But they did not doubt that God was with them
and that the Lord Jesus Christ was their companion.
4. The Atonement, the Son of God dying for them to open the way
of salvation, was a truth most precious to them in their life of pain¬
ful neglect or bitter persecution. Their plantation melodies are full
of this truth. One, however, will illustrate the fact as well as a doz¬
en. And what more beautiful than that with the refrain,'
"I've been redeemed, I've been redeemed,
Been washed in the blood of the I^amb."
If we turn from Theology proper to Anthropology, we find here the
fundamental truths entering into their religious conceptions. They
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
259
thoroughly believe in human freedom of the will, if not of the per¬
son, and in human responsibility. They sung as they swayed back
and forth in their weird gatherings at night, under the old pine for¬
ests, or on a hillock in the midst of some swampy jungle, these words:
" Don't you want to be a soldier, soldier, soldier,
Don't you want to be a soldier in the year of jubilee ?
Then you must rise and shine and give God the glory, glory,
Rise and shine and give God the glory in the year of jubilee."
They believe that they must "work out their own salvation with
fear and trembling," but they never forget that "it is God that work-
eth in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
The personality of Satan they never doubted, and his ability to
tempt human souls is illustrated in many of their hymns. They sing
at Tougaloo, Miss., a hymn which especially emphasizes this fact.
The refrain goes,
"Old Satan, he wears de hypocrite shoe,
If you don't mind, he slip it on you."
A warning that is not limited in its application to the Southern
Negroes.
5. Again, how tenaciously they hold to the doctrine of Conversion
and Regeneration, the union of the Divine and human in this great
change of the soul, is abundantly proved.
" Run to Jesus, shun the danger,
I don't expect to stay much longer here."
Here is illustrated human effort, conversion, turning to Jesus. This
hymn is especially interesting, for Hon. Frederick Douglass told us
that these words, "Run to Jesus," sung on the plantation where he
was a slave, first suggested to him the thought of escaping from slav¬
ery, "Praying with his feet," as he put it.
But carrying out the thought further, we find their idea of conver¬
sion and regeneration, and the joy of a new born soul illustrated in
the following quaint hymn, "The Angels Done Changed My Name."
" I went to the hillside, I went to pray;
I knew the angels done changed my name,
Done changed my name for the coming day ;
I knew the angels done changed my name.
" I looked at my hands, my hands was new,
I knowed the angels done changed my name ;
I looked at my feet and my feet was too,
Thank God the angels done changed my name."
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Souls that sung* and felt that, knew the experiences of the great
apostle, when he said, "Wherefore if any man is in Christ Jesus, he
is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, they are
become new." % Cor. v. 17. 1ST. V.
But if we go a little deeper into .philosophy or doctrinal analysis,
we discover the familiar old doctrine of the "perseverance of the
saints." Did they hold it? Did they sing it? Listen as they sing
of the poor inch-worm:
"T'was inch by inch I sought the Lord,
Jesus will come by-and-by,
And inch by inch he blessed my soul,
Jesus will come by-and-by.
We'll inch and inch and inch along-,
Jesus will come by-and-by,
And inch and inch till we gets home,
Jesus will come by-and-by.
Keep inching along, keep inching along;
Jesus will come by-and-by;
Keep inching along like the poor inch worm,
Jesus will come by-and-by."
Now, I submit that this quaint old plantation song not only teaches
the "perseverance of the saints," but aptly illustrates about the rate
of progress most of us make, "Inching along like the poor inch
worm." ■
But they believe that conversion should change their lives. It is
not true that they entirely neglect ethics in their religious concep¬
tions. Take this hymn as evidence:
"You say you 're aiming for the skies,
View the land, view the land;
Why do n't you stop your telling lies?
Oh, view the heavenly land.
You say your Lord has set you free,
View the land, view the land;
Why do n't you let your neighbors be?
Oh, view the heavenly land."
6. Their views on eschatology were also sound. They believed in
future punishment and future rewards. The former is strange. It
would seem as if this whole race of Lazaruses, who received only the
crumbs that fell from their rich masters' tables would feel that they
experienced their share of evil in this world. But, no! they held
firmly to the idea that sin must be punished and incorporated this
idea into their songs. Many of their melodies illustrate this. None
better, perhaps, than the one beginning:
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
261
" My Iyord, what a mourning-, what a mourning-,
"When the stars beg-in to fall;
You '11 hear the sinners mourn,
When the stars begin to fall."
But their hope in future rewards, or, better, blessings bestowed
by a Heavenly Father, was bright and fadeless. "We who were born
in freedom can never realize how jubilant was the Christian slave in
view of death. It was release. It was victory.
Heinrich Heine, the witty scholar and poet, speaking of his return
to the Bible and its sources of consolation in the last years of his life,
uses the following remarkable language:
"The re-awakening of my religious feelings I owe to that Holy
Book, the Bible. Astonishing! that after I have whirled about all
my life over all the dance-floors of philosophy, and yielded myself to
all the orgies of the intellect . . . without satisfaction, I now
find myself on the same standpoint where poor Uncle Tom stands—
on that of the Bible. I kneel down by my black brother in the same
prayer! "What a humiliation! . . . Poor Tom, indeed, seems to
have seen deeper things in the Holy Book than I. The poor Negro
slave reads with his back and understands better than we do."
Heine had discovered the truth that physical suffering often brings
clearer spiritual vision. Paul scourged, was Paul triumphant.
John in exile, was John in the Spirit. These physical hardships pre¬
pared the Apostle the better for the glories of the spiritual revela¬
tion. So these Negro slaves had no light on earth, but the glories of
the Son of Righteousness burst through their gloom, and lighted and
warmed and thrilled them. In view of death they broke in triumph¬
ant song as they sang of
" Those bright mansions above,
Brig-ht mansions above:
Iyord, I want to live up yonder,
In bright mansions above."
Their life was full of misery here, but they looked forward with
confident expectation and sang:
"Wait a little while, then we'll sing- the new song;
Wait a little while.
My heavenly home is brig-ht and fair,
We will sing- the new song-.
No pain nor sorrow enters there,
Then we'll sing- the new song-."
262
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
We can understand some of the references in their songs to pecu¬
liar victories and delights in the heavenly country, only by under¬
standing the customs that prevailed in times of slavery. Take this
one: The young men of neighboring plantations were accustomed to
organize and ride over the country to watch the Negroes at night.
There might be some one escaping or possibly a danger of general
uprising. Now the slaves must avoid these "patroles," as they
called them. Even when going out at night for prayer or their re¬
vival services, they must avoid detection.
One old Negro told me that he used to hide in the smoke house to
pray. A Negro woman related in a most interesting manner her ex¬
periences on her master's plantation in attending revival meetings on
the river side at night, creeping out from her cabin to avoid the
patrol and hounds. Now, in this heavenly county, to which these
humble people looked forward, one great blessing would come to
them, there would be no "patroles" nor hounds. In daylight fair
and full, before the hosts of the redeemed, they could sing and pray
and shout. How they gloried in this thought in their songs!
" Shine, shine, I'll meet you in that morning-,
O my soul's going- to shine, to shine;
I'm going to sit down at a welcome table,
Shine, shine, my soul's going to shine."
" I'm going to walk all about that city,
Shine, shine, my soul's going to shine."
Or, another, the refrain of which runs:
" Chiluns, chiluns, we all shall be free,
Chiluns, chiluns, we all shall be free,
When the L,ord shall appear."
Or that other sweet, weird song that charmed crowded audiences on
both sides of the ocean, and that Mr. Gladstone himself called for
whenever he heard the Jubilee singers in England. ''Swing low,
sweet chairot, coming for to carry me home."
" I looked over Jordan, and what did I see ?
Coming for to carry me home.
A band of angels coming after me,
Coming for to carry me home."
To those who were crowded in unwholesome dungeons, waiting the
auction block, or were packed in the foul hole of some Mississippi
steamer, to be released only as they went to the miseries of sugar
plantations or rice swamps, crudely mingled with their ideas of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
263
heaven was the comfortable thought that they would be no longer
harassed and annoyed and crowded, and they sung:
"For my L<ord says there's room enough,
Room enough in the heavens for you,
My Iyord says there's room enough,
Don't stay away."
But my object is not to illustrate their hymns, but to get if possi¬
ble from them their conceptions of fundamental religious truth.
One other thought. These hymns are remarkable not only for
what they contain, but also for their omissions. 1st. We have in
these plantation songs no mariolatry. Many Negroes belonged to
Catholic masters. In Louisiana, about New Orleans, I have attended
many meetings held by these Negroes. I have never heard, nor
have I found anywhere in these plantation melodies, any which sung
the praises of the Virgin. Such a figment of a theological brain
does not have power in it. It needs the truth to take hold of humble
souls and become an inspiration in their songs. 2d. We note with
wonder the entire absence of all vindictiveness in these melodies.
This certainly is a marvelous fact. Downtrodden, abused, sold from
kindred, outraged in every way; it would seem more than human if
there did not run through these songs, coming from their bleeding
hearts, an undertone of vindictive satisfaction that their masters
must suffer under a just God due recompense for these bitter cruel¬
ties, but you scarcely find a trace of it. There seems a hint of it in
" Turn back Pharoah's army, Hallelu!"
" When Moses smote the water,
The children all passed over,
And turned back Pharoah's army, Hallelu !
And turned back Pharoah's army, Hallelu !
" When Pharoah crossed the water,
The waters came together,
And drowned ole Pharoah's army, Hallelu !
And drowned ole Pharoah's army, Hallelu ! "
But this is rather the triumphant song of a black Miriam, taking the
timbrel as she '' sings unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed glori¬
ously, the horse and the rider hath he thrown into the sea." This
Negro song heralded the victory of God over his enemies, not over
theirs. And we find them, even in the crude language of these
plantation songs evidence that among these uneducated millions of
Negroes there is a sound and wholesome belief in the great funda¬
mental truths of Christianity. 1st. That God governs the world. 2d.
264
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
That Christ is divine. 3d. The fact of the necessity and efficacy of
the Atonement. 4th. Man's lost and ruined condition. 5th. The
need and possibility of conversion and regeneration. 6th. Progress
in the Christian life. 7th. Future punishment of sin and the re¬
wards of faith and obedience. "We mark also the absence of the
mischievous doctrines of the Romish Church, and also all vindictive
bitterness.
We can assume that these truths are in the hearts of the people
whom we seek to reach as we push forward our church work. For
around us there lie unreached millions of black Americans; across
the ocean the uncounted millions of heathen Africa; these are to be
saved under God by the Negroes of America. What a prospect!
What an inspiring work! What a blessed God-given opportunity to
the churches of America!
You remember that scene between Cassy and Uncle Tom, un¬
matched in other profane literature, when Cassy having unsuccess¬
fully urged Tncle Tom to kill that monster Legree, determined to do
it herself. With flashing eyes, her blood boiling with passion long
suppressed, the abused Creole woman, robbed of womanhood, ex¬
claims, "His time is come, and I'll have his heart's blood!"
"No, no, no," said Tom, holding his small hands which were
clenched with spasmodic violence. "No, ye poor lost soul, that ye
mustn't do. The dear, blessed Lord never shed no blood but his
own, and that he poured out for us when we was his enemies. Lord,
help us to follow his steps, and love our enemies."
"Love," said Cassy, with a fierce glare; "love such enemies! It
isn't in flesh and blood."
"No, Miss, it isn't," said Tom, looking up; "but he gives it to us,
and that's the victory. When we can love and pray over all, and
through all, the battle's past and the victory's come, glory be to
God!" And, with streaming eyes and choking voice, the black man
looked up to heaven.
"And this, Oh, Africa! latest called of nations, called to the crown
of thorns, the scourge, the bloody sweat, the cross of agon}?-, this is
to be thy victory; by this shalt thou reign with Christ when his
kingdom shall come on earth."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
265
BY ELIZABETH L. JACKSON.
tOME with me into the haunts of nature. Hand in hand let us
tread her rural solitudes, roam through her beautiful valleys
and majestic forests, climb her sublime mountains and, standing
upon their lofty peaks, behold the world with its ever-changing
scenery stretched out before us ; descend into her seas and view the
beautiful, wonderful things there. Let us wander through her
lovely dells and beautiful meadows, sprinkled with the lovely daisies
and modest violets; across the babbling brook, over hill and dale, by
murmuring rill and gurgling spring, over rolling prairie and level
field; now through fields of ice and snow and now through balmy
fields radiant with blossoms and fruit; now where the north wind
whistles over treeless plains and now where the south wind gently
stirs the lovely flowers and whispers softly through the beautiful
trees dressed in green.
The coal that gives us heat, the iron that supplies so many needs,
the gold, silver and diamonds we use for ornament, the copper that
is put to so many uses, and many other useful metals have been
cradled in the bosom of the earth for ages. How harmonious is
nature in all her workings, from the earth in whose bosom countless
riches have been locked for ages to the beautiful sky, radiant by
day with the refulgent rays of the sun and by night spangled with
the lovely stars and bathed in the pure, pale light of the moon; from
the murmuring rills and babbling brooks to broad rivers flowing be¬
tween their fertile banks; from the lakes to the sea, whose waves
roll over priceless treasures; from the mountains, rearing their
proud heads heavenward, to the valleys in their peaceful rest; from
the snowbound North to the sunny South.
How sublime yet how awful are the hurricanes that sweep houses
from their track, uproot the giants of the forest, lay low even the
rocks in their path; the cyclones that rise and dip, and dip and rise,
carrying houses and trees in their course; the storms whose light-
266
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
nings flash and thunders roar; the volcanoes belching forth fire,
smoke, lava and rocks.
As we contemplate the work and workings of nature, who, we ask,
made the laws that govern nature? As we stand by Niagara and
hear its booming thunder, who, we ask, gathered the mighty waters
and sent them whirling, rushing and leaping a hundred feet down¬
ward ? "Who guides the sun in his cause ? Who gives the moon her
stated time to rise and set? Who guides the stars in their trackless
path across the sky? To all these questions we answer God. His
are the laws that govern nature; his the hand that holds back the
boundless billows of the deep, that gives the tints to the lovely
flowers and the color to the fragile ferns. In nature's haunts can be
found food for the artist, thought for the poet, ideas for the sculptor,
inspiration for the musician, reflection for the thoughtful.
To the lover of nature she is beautiful at all times; as beautiful
when the earth is wrapped in her winding sheet of snow and the
branches of the trees are bending beneath icy freight, and glistening
in the sunlight like diamonds as when the trees are dressed in green
and laden with blossoms and fruit, when the wheat fields are gently
stirring in the soft summer breeze, and the corn gently rustles in
the playful zephyrs, and when the hay fields are filled with fragrant,
new-mown hay. If you be a true student of nature, you should study
when the winds blow bleak and cold, as well as when the soft sum¬
mer zephyrs woo you to indolence and ease. There is much that we
may study in nature. Here we find a lofty oak, proud, strong, defy¬
ing the storms that rage and roar about it; the tender ivy clinging
closer as it mounts higher, teaching us the lesson as we mount high¬
er in our Christian life to cling closer to God.
By studying nature you can be better able to fulfill the duties that
rest upon you, for by this study the mind is exalted and purified.
Study nature, make nature a daily study; study nature so that in
her humblest children beauty may be found. If we study nature
thus earnestly, and submit ourselves to the will of Him whose laws
govern nature, when we come to cross the dark river we will sweetly
glide from the arms of nature to the arms of nature's God.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
267
HUMANE EDUCATION.
BY MISS C. M. THOMPSON.
many of us know that blinders are almost intolerable "and
N cause thousands of accidents because the horses are thus pre¬
vented from seeing behind them?" How many men who hire
a hack on Sunday—or any other time for that matter—think that in
their zeal to get their money's worth out of the turnout, they are
driving some poor, tired horse until he is almost ready to drop from
exhaustion? How many boys and girls know that constant twitching
at the reins, indulged in by most inexperienced drivers, is almost un¬
bearable by the poor horse? Ah! it is facts such as these that we
should impress upon the children's minds and hearts. To every
true teacher, minister and parent come with irresistible force the
words of Longfellow:
" How can I teach my children g-entleness
And mercy to the weak, and reverence
For life, which, in its weakness or excess,
Is still a gleam of God's omnipotence? "
Allow me to quote here from Our Dumb Animals, a monthly paper
published by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals.
" Query.—What is the use of teaching kindness to animals in
schools and in Sunday schools? Ansiver.—The eminent French
teacher, Du Sailly, says that when he began to teach kindness to ani¬
mals in his school, he found that his pupils became not only kinder
to animals but kinder to each other. In a large Scottish public
school at Edinburgh, out of about seven thousand pupils carefully
taught kindness to the lower animals, it was found that not one had
ever been charged, after going out into active life, with any criminal
offense in any court. Out of two thousand criminals inquired of in
American prisons some years ago, it was found that only twelve had
any pet .animal during their childhood. Edward Everett Hale says:
'"We are all in the same boat, both animals and men. You cannot
promote kindness to the one without benefiting the other.' Every
268
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
kind act we do, every kind word we speak, which adds to the happi¬
ness of others also adds to our own happiness; and when we teach
the boy and girl to be doing these kind acts and saying these kind
words a hundred times a day to the lower animals, are we not teach¬
ing that which will make their own lives happier?"
I have quoted thus extensively because I want to get this matter
before you in the strongest light possible, and I see no better way
than by using George T. Angell's vigorous words. It makes my
heart ache to see how the lower creation is misused and abused by
man, the proud monarch of them all. How useful are these creatures
to us—how dependent upon them are we for so many articles of food,
clothing and shelter! How grateful, too, are they for any kindness!
We have never found a Judas among the lower creation. What more
useful friend has man than the cow—and how cruelly is it often dealt
with! Says George T. Angell, President of the American Humane
Education Society: "I have stood in slaughter houses and wit¬
nessed scenes which compelled me to leave or drop fainting on the
floor. I have seen hundreds of cattle compelled to stand and see
other cattle killed and dressed right before their eyes and knowing
that their turn was coming next." Great God! how horrible! Do all
of us, who, following the craze made the fashion by Izaak Walton,
know that the fish we lucky anglers take out of the stream suffer
from lacerated mouths and the removal "from their native element,
and should be put out of pain at once by a sharp blow on the back
of the head? Indeed, it is a law as unalterable as nature that
"every pain which an animal suffers before dying poisons the meat."
How many boys, and girls too, are given to robbing birds' nests?
Would not "a word in season" work wonders in opening their eyes
to the cruelty of such conduct? The wanton slaughter of birds in
order to procure feathers for ornament seems about to depopulate
the forests, and it is a grand move on the part of the Princess
of Wales, the Dutchess of Portland and other ladies of high rank,
who, in order to stop this cruel work have pledged themselves
to wear no feathers save those of the ostrich, "now, henceforth
and forever." The dog, called by some, man's most faithful
friend; the cat, beloved by such men as Cardinals Wolsey and Rich¬
elieu; the toad, rendered illustrious by Shakespeare, which with its
fellow sufferers, the bat and the owl, destroy myriads of insects
which infest the fields and would blight vegetation—all these have
proved their friendship to man "by their works," and he should
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 269
have gratitude enough to treat them with some little considera¬
tion.
"The quality of mercy is not strained," says Portia; and even
when we are compelled to kill creatures that are harmful, we need
not cause them unneccessary suffering. '1 Kind hearts are more than
coronets," sings Tennyson; and it should be the aim of every in¬
structor of youth to make his pupils kind-hearted. Kindness to ani¬
mals indeed begets kindness to our fellow-men, and the cruelty fos¬
tered in the heart by some act of unkindness to a defenseless animal
will break out some day in cruelty to one's fellow-men. Teach the
young people kindness to animals. Petition the School Board, if it
be necessary, to allow you to form Bands of Mercy among your pu¬
pils. Train their young minds to be compassionate, to be forbearing,
to be merciful. Constitute yourself the champion of the weak, and
arouse in them a chivalrous regard for the defenseless. The lessons
learned from you relating to the mercy to be excised toward the
dumb beasts may develop into the deep-rooted, abiding principle
which shall keep them from doing acts of violence and bloodshed.
There is a bond between humanity and the lower creation which few
of us acknowledge, and none of us can comprehend. Kindness grows
by what it feeds upon, and so does cruelty. Knowing this, how un¬
tiringly we should strive to inculcate' kindness into the minds and
hearts of our pupils! Implant in them the spirit of kindness, and
the influence will be felt to all eternity. In the words of Sidney
Herbert:
'" Open thy lips and speak;
Protect the dumb and weak;
Their cause maintain.
Why should we them abuse?
Why these kind friends misuse?
O let us never choose
To give them pain."
A grand, cultivated brain is a great thing, but a grand, cultivated
heart is better. It is well to know the Rule of Three, it is well to be
able to analyze water, it is well to know all about the government and
people of Tahiti, it is well to be able to tell the distance to the sun
and to "call the stars by name," but it is far, far better to be a good,
true, noble man or woman, with heart "full of the milk of human
kindness," and life spent in harmony with God's own plan. Our am¬
bition should be to make good citizens, rather than brilliant scholars.
Work upon the children's better natures, so that they will become im-
270 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
bued with the spirit of kindness, and show it in every act of their
lives. So may we lessen much suffering, and have a conscience and
mind at ease.
"A man of kindness to his best is kind,
But brutal actions show a brutal mind.
Remember, He who made thee, made the brute ;
Who g-ave thee speech and reason formed him mute.
He can't complain, but God's all-seeing- eye
Beholds thy cruelty and hears his cry;
He was designed thy servant, not thy drudg-e,
And know that his creator is thy judg^e.
$S. IimiilE EfJGHR^D iiOVIfiGGOOD, was born in Louisville,
Ky., in 1871. After successfully passing through the public
schools of Louisville, she spent two years at Knoxville College
finishing the normal course. Her career at college was marked with
great success. Earnest, studious, diligent, she ranked among the
best students of the school, loved and respected by all. In 1889 she
won the A. E. T. Draper medal of the college for general scholar¬
ship and elocution. After her graduation she taught successfully in
the public schools of Birmingham, Ala., until Christmas, 1894,'when
she was happily united in wedlock to Prof. R. S. Lovinggood, a grad¬
uate of Clark University, Atlanta, Ga., who was then and is now
Principal of Cameron Public School, of Birmingham, Ala. In 1894,
she passed an examination which entitled her to a life-time license to
teach in Birmingham, Ala. Mrs. Lovinggood is a constant and
voluminous reader, devouring dry history with almost as great relish
as "Hypatia" or "Le Miserables." She is a devoted Christian and
an excellent musician. She has become imbued with the feeling
that she has a great mission to perform in the elevation of the race
on the line of literary work, social purity, economy, etc. May we
not confidently expect great things from this able young lady of the
race?
The product of the wax tree of the Andes cannot be distinguished
from beeswax.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 271
WOMAN'S WORK IN THE ELEVATION OF THE RACE.
BY MRS. LILLIE ENGLAND LOVINGGOOD, BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
TN speaking of the race, we speak in general terms, and by it we
w mean the race of mankind, Jew or Gentile, black or white, male
or female. "We conceive of no inherent difference in the races.
Are not all men prompted by the same impulses of right and wrong,
love and hate, happiness and misery? Did our beneficent Father in
the creation when he commanded the first man and the first woman
"go forth and multiply" have it in his heart to make any discrimina¬
tion in his children? Were we not all created in his own image? We
all sprang from the same great Spirit, however much men may seek
to deny the fact. Our physical make-up is the same, no matter from
what nation we sprang. It is unnecessary to expatiate on the advan¬
tages of the higher civilization, how it makes one nation become the
ruler of another, et cetera. The fact remains that we carry within us,
be we ever so savage, the possibilities of greatness. It takes only
the advantages of the higher civilization to bring to a happy fruition
these latent possibilities.
Since the Ruler and Maker of the universe made us all of one blood,
all that he did was for the good of all mankind. So it is, the race is
a general term. Whatever of good one nation has accomplished is of
help and profit to another. We all profit by the experiences of oth¬
ers. The road to greatness is by emulating the example of those
truly great and good. The male of the human race has from the
earliest times been its main benefactor in whatever line we take it.
He has given us our laws, has explored from the earliest ages the
vast fields of the sciences, has reveled in the mysteries of ancient
lore; in fact he has well-nigh had a monopoly of everything, and
rather enjoyed monopolizing all the fields of usefulness and learning.
So much so that the many restrictions thrown around woman had
well-nigh crushed out all ambition or desire to be anything but a
slave to man's wishes. Her sphere of action was proscribed. Only*
here and there in the history of the earlier times do we find an occa-
272
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
sional woman chafing in her bonds, longing for a breath of free air,
and finally escaping the thraldom of ignorance.
In enumerating some of those women who have been of inspiration
to a people we cannot refrain from mentioning Miriam, the Jewess
and Prophetess of Israel. Her very name was an inspiration to the
Jews; the Queen of Sheba, Sappho the Greek, and Joan of Arc, have
played conspicuous parts in the history of the world. Charles Kings-
ley gives us an excellent illustration of the character of woman in
his Hypatia.
In more recent times the work and labors of Florence Nightingale,
have been of an incalculable value to the world. Woman played a
drastic part in the anti-slavery cause in this country. There were
Lydia Maria Childs and Harriet Beecher Stowe who fairly electri¬
fied two continents by their graphic and realistic portraiture of slave
life and its attendant horrors. Miss Frances E. Willard in the tem¬
perance cause, Susan B. Anthony and her co-laborers have worked
for Woman's Suffrage, and the cause grows. Already woman has a
full ballot in a number of our States and many vote on school ques¬
tions in quite a number of other States. They have surmounted
almost insuperable barriers and are now taken for their true worth.
Let us now speak more specifically of the Negro woman. What
are her possibilities for usefulness ? Is she less capable than other
women? To all of which we affirm she is as capable as her sister in
white. She is fired with the same ambitions, her sense of right and
wrong are just as acute, she experiences the same emotions of love
and hate, joy and sorrow. Her piety and love for God are as sincere.
What has she done? We have some among the race who have run
well. Sojourner Truth stood at the side of Douglas and Garrison;
Phylis Wheatley, by her intellectual power, extorted praises for her
literary genius. The work of Miss Ida B. Wells cannot be estimated.
There are others, worthy women, that could be named.
The Negro woman, while being capable, is less fortunate than her
white sister. She lacks money, a very necessary factor; then, too,
prejudice prevails. But shall her poverty make the Negro woman
less active? Shall prejudice dampen, and finally quench her ambi¬
tion? Is it possible that she will sit down merely lamenting her sad
condition, and make no effort to the amelioration of it ? No. She must
bestir herself and be up and doing. It is a case of Mahomet and the
* mountain. If the mountain will not come to you, then you must go to
the mountain.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 273
We have need for good, faithful women, women of broad culture,
women with sympathy for the distressed condition of our people.
Many there are longing and thirsting for knowledge, desiring to be
fed. What then can she do? What is her duty?
1. If the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, the home is
a great field for woman. The Negro race, need homes, not hovels
and pens. Christian character is built most largely there. Beau¬
tify the home, make it cheerful and cultured. Be economical in ex¬
penditures. Cultivate economy in all lines. Be thrifty and indus¬
trious housewives.
2. We do not confine woman's work to the home. Her sphere is
any where she can do good. As women are doing most of the teach¬
ing now, here is a vast field for her activity that should be well cul¬
tivated. Next to the home the school room is probably the greatest
factor in character building. As Daniel Webster once said: "If we
work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will
efface it; if we rear temples they will crumble into dust; but if we
work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with principals,
with a just fear of God and love of our fellow man, we engrave on
those tablets something that will brighten to all eternity.'' Teach¬
ers, be faithful.
3. Reform in mode as well as quality of dressing. Dress neatly
and well if your income will allow. One can always be neat and
clean, however. It is certainly a miserable mistake that makes the
majority of our people think that they must dress so as to be con¬
spicuous for blocks away, wearing hats that are veritable flower
gardens. Tight lacing should be abandoned by all sensible women.
4. Social Purity among our Girls. The thinking, solid women of
our race ought to take some steps to save the young girls of our
race, especially that vast throng in the larger cities, who have no
gentle home influences; thousands are being dragged down to des¬
truction every year. Raise the fallen, and so fulfill the law of Christ.,
5. Industrial Schools. Teach dressmaking, cooking and house¬
wifery generally. These can be established with little or no capital.
One may be mentioned who has entered this field, Lucy Laney, of
Augusta, Ga.
6. Professional and Literary Work. Women should study medi¬
cine, law, music, elocution and become the best in those professions.
Write books, poetry, history, etc. Do not be content to be orna¬
mental alone. Let us not cultivate our tastes for the merely frivo-
18
274
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
lous. Let us rather rejoice in doing good for our weaker brothers
and sisters. The good results of labor for good will bid us hope for
a better and brighter future, a future in which the homes of re¬
finement and culture will predominate. Is it too much to hope for
such a happy result after years of self-denial and toil ? We think not.
The women of the race then, whatever parent, teacher or in what¬
ever sphere of life their lot is cast should pursue that plain path of
duty. Some will say, "What recompense shall I have for all my
years of self-denial and toils? our people are ungrateful, etc." True,
they are a little ungrateful; and true there is nothing "so unkind as
man's ingratitude;" yet our duty is obvious and we would be very
selfish if we held back for that consideration. What is done should
not be done with a view to notoriety, but with the desire to accom¬
plish good results from our labors. Sometime in the near or distant
future our reward will come if we faint not. We urge the women of
the race to action. The words of the sweet singer, Longfellow, are
wonderfully befitting:
" I^et us then be up and doing1
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving-, still pursuing-,
Learn to labor and to wait."
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN.
BY LUCINDA W. GAMBLE.
fROM time immemorial, woman has been a subject for voice and
pen. Volumes have been written on the progress of woman.
Speeches many have been delivered in defense of her rights.
Biographies of great women have been written. Why has so much,
attention been paid to woman? It is because of the importance of
the influence she has had in shaping the history of the world. In
the different stages of the world's history, the regard in which
woman has been held has varied greatly. In the earliest stages she
was very highly regarded. Some of the earlier people were noted
for the respect and attention they paid to their women. Later this
regard seemed to fade away and women were respected only in so far
as they could be made use of to aid the men, and to provide for their
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
275
happiness. The idea of woman being created for anything other
than to be a slave for man was lost sight of. She was denied the
privilege of every accomplishment, especially that of learning. For
awhile learning was locked up, so, to say, from the mass of the people,
but it was not so effectually locked up that it remained out of their
reach. Gradually it became unlocked and within reach of the people,
at least the sterner element of the people. It was not thought neces¬
sary for those of the' weaker element to have much of an education.
At first it was thought they might become too knowing and wise.
All efforts were turned to educate the boys; to teach them trades;
in short to thoroughly equip them for fighting life's battles. The
young girls were refused admittance to colleges and all higher insti¬
tutions of learning. ' Some colleges to this day refuse to admit
women. But such an advance has been made, such a change has
wrought, that now a woman can stand almost on a level with man,
and so she should. Truly it has been said that the degree of civili¬
zation reaching a people is measured by the respect and attention it
pays to its women. Since woman has been allowed to influence the
affairs of the world, what has she not done? Since she has been al¬
lowed to know and learn something of the world in which she lives,
its people, customs, manners, art, literature and music, has she not
been an invaluable factor in the world's progress?
We now find woman engaged in almost every profession. Her in¬
fluence is felt in every avenue of life. We find her not unhonorably
filling the lawyer's position. We find her successful as physician
and druggist. How invaluable is she for the success of many of the
newspapers and journals of the day; many of which must thank
women for their high moral tone, and often for their best articles and
editorials. Literature is very greatly indebted to woman. The deep
love of purity, truth, and honor so deeply implanted in the nature of
every true woman has been very vividly shown in many of the best
works of literature we possess. If time permitted, noted instances
might be cited.
Her influence in music and art has been of the greatest importance.
The influence of woman in her immediate surroundings in the social
world and in the religious world cannot but be seen and appreciated.
How often has she, by her encouragement and advice, been of invalu¬
able service in times of great distress and doubt. Yet with all the
power which has gradually become hers, she has lost none of her
charms, none of her grace and sweetness of nature. The hope of a
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nation lies in its children. Where do we find the most conscientious,,
sympathetic teachers and trainers of these children ? The granting"
to woman the aforenamed privileges has in no way made her less fit
to reign like a queen in that most blessed place of all places, "Home."
"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." Should not the
owner of that hand be allowed every means to become all that is neces¬
sary to make the world better ? Is she not better prepared by the
power and privileges she is gradually gaining? Is she not enabled to
be a far better help-mate and companion to man? thousands of whom
have woman to thank for the success they have made in life. Truly
we may adopt a quotation of the illustrious poet Tennyson, and say:
"Yet I doubt not through the ages one increasing purpose runs,
Widened is the path of woman with the process of the suns."
—Omaha Enterprise.
ADVICE TO YOUNG LADIES.
BY MRS. M. A. MCCURDY.
T is a deplorable fact that, too often many of our women and girls
forget what are the real qualifications of a lady, and as such is the
case, girls who are compelled to earn their own living, and who
have not an over-abundance of money to spend upon clothes, are, it
seems, too often apt to spend that little foolisly in a vain display of
cheap finery. A girl would look much more ladylike dressed neatly
and plainly, with no attempt at ornamentation, which, at the best,
give to a lady a cheap and tawdry appearance.
A true lady is, to a great extent, judged by her conversation and
behavior when on the street or in any public conveyance. To hear a
woman or a girl talk loudly on the street or in a street car, is a prac¬
tice quite unbecoming and disagreeable, because it is common.
Our girls should beware of the company they keep, for "on the
choice of friends our good or evil name depends," and the girl who is
seen with common, ill-bred, or rude companions, no matter how lady¬
like she herself may be, will, as a rule, be judged by them.
The books and papers that a girl reads has much to do in forming
her habits and character of conversation. If she reads the poor and
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 277
trashy books which she finds exposed for sale on many newspaper
stands, her mental life will, of necessity, partake of the character of
the poor, unwholesome food with which she feeds it. If on the other
hand she reads instructive and interesting books and papers, which
she may obtain at no greater cost, she will be laying the sure found¬
ation of a good, useful, and happy life in the future.
The question of girls' amusement is a very important one at the
present time, because of the silly and vicious attractions that are be¬
ing offered on every hand, and mothers should see that their girls
are not present on all occasions, regardless of the fact that they are
accompanied bjr some intimate gentleman friend, because true enjoy¬
ment is not to be found in continually attending places of amusement,
but rather in living a quiet, wholesome life, doing one's dutjr from
day to day, reading useful and inspiring books, doing our daily work,
striving to do service for Christ on any and all occasions. Then let
our girls be modest in their dress^, careful as to what and to whom
she talks, choice in her selection of books and companions, moder¬
ate as io her indulgence in amusements, and she will find that she
will not only win the approval of all who causually come in contact
with her, but the Lord will greatly bless her, and open ways for her
to fit herself for usefulness in honored positions in the ranks of true
ladies.
BY MISS A. C. DAVIS.
OUBTLESS, there is a calling for every person born unto the
world. In infancy the signs of the future man are stamped upon
the features, and if we could read them many would be overcome
with doubts and discouragements. But God has so limited our
knowledge that we are left without a glimmer of the future at that
age. Day by day the brooklet winds its way to the mighty deep.
Just so we are making our way to man and womanhood, and erelong
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we will reach the honor which boys and girls so much desire. When
a lad, thoughtless and indifferent, he frolics over the compass of life
wholly without a thought of the future. "We must entreat, coax and
sometimes scold, for fear that he will stray from the way in which
God said he must be brought. Watch him as he takes a peep into
manhood. He begins to think, What must I be when I grow to man¬
hood? What must I do to sustain life? Generally, the first thing
to be thought of is a teacher, a preacher, a lawyer, a doctor, etc.
There are almost numberless occupations equally as good but con¬
sidered of less importance. This somehow creeps into the mind at
an early age and it has been the means of many a shipwreck in life.
"All work is honorable," says one. Then why not be a farmer, a
carpenter, a blacksmith, with strong and brawny arms? No! I
would rather lean against the sunny side of some building than to
soil my already rough hands or disfigure my tattered apparel. There
are battles in life which are just as hard for a teacher, a lawyer, or a
doctor to fight as the peasant. Do not understand us to say that they
should not aspire for said positions, for such are needed in our land
and country. But there are many who have been mistaken in their
calling. They have not the ability to discharge their duty, to do
honor to their position, to make the hearts of those who placed them
there glad. Hence it is necessary that the matter be given much
thought and prayer. We think when a boy or girl has grown old
enough to choose his or her path in this world's "broad field of bat¬
tle," he or she should have at least a common education mingled with
Christianity and a heart full of beautiful thoughts from the lips of
a Christian mother. Then he has a guide, sword and shield, and he
is prepared to stand the many temptations of the world. Mothers,
you are entrusted with these precious gems, which we might call the
ruling powers of the world. See that you do not allow them to be
led astray and at last they will have a higher calling, probably a call
to the duties which angels now perform.
There is a duty for each of us, and why not begin in early lite?
Young men, creation would be incomplete without you. From the
beginning, God made you ruler over every living thing. Do you
properly appreciate the kingdom over which you reign? We know
that these thoughts do not take hold on you in boyhood, but there is
a time when they are fully realized and yet neglected. God has
called you because you are strong. Then exercise that strength,
both spiritually and temporally.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
279
Young women, there is a duty for you to perform also. It has
been well said that "It is easy to judge what the men are, when you
know what the women are." Oh, the word woman! We pause to
think of the purity and innocence which existed in her when first
placed in the garden of Eden. Make society good by your true
Christian character, live so that the world may be better for your
having lived in it. The path of duty in this world is not all gloom
or sadness or darkness and it is only when we turn to the right or
left that we are lacerated by piercing thorns and concealed dangers.
When we learn that doing our duty will help some poor, weak one, it
will strengthen us and we will do more in the interests of our.
brothers and sisters. When we have a task to perform, we should
go about it with a cheerful heart, with an eye single to doing our best;
then duty becomes a pleasure. Now having attained man and
womanhood let us aim to be first in the pursuit of our life's work;
we cannot reach the topmost round at once, and if we get there at
all there must be something in us worthy of the upper rounds. Can
we ask Him to be our guide who noticed the falling of a sparrow to
the ground? Do so; then we will not choose the wrong path, we
will not stumble in our darkest hours. We will not think solely of
our slavery, of our closing hour or how we will spend the evening,
but will put our mind on our duties and resolve that they shall have
the best that is in us; and by-and-bye, we shall enjoy the reward
which is laid up for the finally faithful.— Woman's World.
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ATRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
OBJECT OF EDUCATION,
MORALLY AND PHYSICALLY.
BY LENA R. GOLFIN.
HAT man is a creature of habit no one can deny. What the little
child observes its mother do, it instinctively tries to copy. The
infant mind is very much like a plate overspread with wax;
smooth and unimpressed, yet so sensitive that each touch is mir¬
rored there. Hence we see how important that the whole atmos¬
phere of the home life be such as to leave only impressions for good
upon the children committed to our care—education we call it. Our
mental, moral and physical growth, to be in harmony, should all
grow equally. Were we to educate one to the exclusion of the
others we could not expect to build up a perfect man or woman.
The prime object in all education is the amelioration of our race; it
is the lever that moves the world.
The body is the home of the soul and of the intellect, and it is all
important that that dwelling place be a pure and perfect one. In
order that it may be so, we must guard our lives and educate each
member of our body by strict cleanliness and exercise. We can do
much to improve a deformed body, and it is our duty, by athletic
exercise, to develop and perfect ourselves. For this reason some
system of gymnastics should be enforced in our schools. Then,
with a healthful body and pure soul, a sound and cultivated mind,
who can say how high we may ultimately rise? In this nineteenth
century it is the all-important object in life. Without it we are ob¬
jects of commiseration and pity. With the proper appreciation and
seizure of the opportunities offered us, there is practically no limit
to the greatness, goodness and grandeur we can attain. The child
is thrice blessed who has a cultivated mother, for she forms the in¬
fant mind. She is the God-given guardian of the little feet as they
totter in infancy and she teaches the tongue to lisp its first phrases.
Be she as great morally as intellectually she it is who teaches it to
lisp its first prayer to Him who sitteth between the Cherubim and
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 281
whose fatherly love is over us all. How grand a thing it is to train
the mind; to awaken high and noble impulses, and to lead the child
from a contemplation of nature up to nature's God.
God's written word, and the Sunday school, with its excellent sys¬
tem of moral training, where God-fearing men and women strive to
lead us to a higher moral plane, where that great command is incul¬
cated, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all thy mind
and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself," where les¬
sons of self-forgetfulness are taught and where the soul is enabled to
rise on wings of faith from the gross scenes of earth to revel in the
bliss of a brighter and better soul. Education raises a nation from
barbarism to the highest degree of civilization. All culture must
needs be of slow growth to be enduring. We must "make haste
slowly." "Line upon line, here a little, there a little" must be our
motto. As an instance of what education can do to lift an individual
out of the depths and set him upon the proud pinnacle of fame, I
refer to the life and history of that great and good man, Frederick
Douglass, the noted orator and diplomat, who died at "Washington,
February 20, 1895. Let his example be followed by all youths in
our land. May we ever hold in view the advancement of ourselves,
both as individuals and as a whole, until we stand the equal of any.
mbbmww*
[An essay by Miss Katherine Mitchell, of Washing-ton, D. C., read before the Bp-
worth t/eag-ue at Ebenezer.]
HAT is liberty? Liberty is a solemn and glorious thought, and
when liberty comes it is welcomed. Liberty is something that
you and I, and each of us should appreciate as though it was a
jewel to us, and that it is. Some of our ancestors had no liberty, and
of course they were not a free people, but to-day we have liberty, and
are a free people; we must be serious, for we have to do the greatest
thing that ever was done in the world, What is it? that is to govern
ourselves. Our mothers and fathers have said to us, "The hour is
most serious with you children when it passes from parental control
into free man and womanhood." Then is our time for thought, and we
must bind the righteous law upon ourselves more strongly than our
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parent ever bound it upon us, and where a -people leaves the band of
servitude and enters the ground of freedom, that ground must be
fenced with law, must be tilled with wisdom, and must be hallowed
with .prayer. The court of justice, the free school, the holy church
must be built there to entrench, defend, and to keep the sacred her¬
itage.
. Liberty, I say is a solemn thing. The world up to this day has re¬
garded it as a boon and not as a bond. I believe there is nothing in
the present crisis of human affairs, no point in the great human weL
fare on which our ideas need to be cleared up, to be advanced, to be
raised to a higher standard as this grand, terrible responsibility of
liberty. In the universe there is no trust so awful as moral freedom,
and all good civil freedom depends upon the use of that. But look#t it;
around every human, every rational being is drawn a circle, the space
within is cleared from obstruction, or at least from all restraint. It
is sacred to the being, him or herself, who stands there, it is secured
and consecrated to his or her own responsibility. May I say it?
God himself does not penetrate there with any absolute power. He
compels the winds and waves to obey him, compels animal instinct to
obey him, but he does not compel man and woman to obey him; that
sphere he leaves free; he brings influences to bear upon it, but the
last, final, and solemn question between right and wrong he leaves
to themselves. Oh! instead of madly delighting in his or her free¬
dom, we could imagine a man or a woman to protest, to complain, to
tremble that such a-prerogative is accorded to them, but it is accorded
to him, and nothing but willing obedience can discharge that solemn
trust; nothing but a heroism greater than that which fights battles,
and pours out its blood on its country's altars; the heroism of self¬
-renunciation and self-control. We, the young Negro people, should
,think that it is an honor to us for the Hon. Frederick Douglass to
continue speaking of slavery and refreshing our minds of the injus¬
tice done to our fathers and mothers. Why? So we can know for
ourselves what our parents have been through for us, make us feel
that we should be slaves for our parents.
Come that liberty, come none that does not lead to that, come(
the liberty that shall strike off every chain, not only of iron
laws, but of painful construction of fears, of enslaving passion, of
mad self-will; the liberty of perfect truth and love, of holy truth and
glad obedience. Come, the liberty that we shall appreciate higher
than anything that ever was given to us.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
283
EXTRAVAGANCE.
"[JIVING beyond his income has been the ruin of many a man. Ex-
<Pr travagance is a disease, and be it said to their shame, many
professing Christians have caught it. Cotton plaids are no
more worn; girls must have silks, and the dressmaker's bill is long
as a security debt, and quite as hard to pay. Show and style have
bankrupted many a wealthy man, and a poor man who tries to keep
apace with so-called "society," is simply a fool. "Cut your coat
according to your cloth," is the advice of a philosopher. Spurgeon
says, "debtors can hardly help being liars, for they promise to pay
when they know they cannot, and when they have made up a lot of
false excuses they promise again, and so they lie as fast as a horse
can trot." Now if owing leads to lying, who shall say it is not a most
evil thing ? Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and I do not
want to bear hard upon an honest man who is brought down by sick¬
ness or heavy losses; but take the rule as a rule, and you will find,
debt to be a great dismal swamp, a huge mud hole, a dirty ditch.
Happy is the man who gets out of it after once tumbling in, but hap¬
piest of all is he who has been by God's goodness kept out of the
mire altogether. If you once ask the devil to dinner it will be hard
to get him out of the house again. Better have nothing to do with
him. "When a hen has laid one egg she is likely to lay another; when
a man is in debt once he is likely to get into it again; better keep
clear of it from the first. He who gets in for a penny will soon be in
for a pound. Never owe a dime and you will never owe a dollar."
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afro-american encyclopaedia.
PHILOSOPHY.
a lecture by rev. william d. johnson, a.b., a.m., d.d., secretary
of education of the african methodist episcopal
church, athens, georgia.
[Delivered before the Scientific and Literary Institute of the Georgia Conferences,
in Bethel A. M. Church, Atlanta, Ga., May 24, 1893.]
OOK out of the window and tell me what you see," were the words
of Prof. J. P. Shorter to his class at Wilberforce University
last year, during the summer school. One said: "I see a cow;"
another, "I see a tree;" a third, "I see a house." "No," said the
Professor, "the answer is I see one." Then he proceeded to show
that there is no such thing as a concrete number. That same, "one"
can be fitted to anything, and we can just as well say, "One man, one
horse, one child," etc. Therefore, just what it is behind the appear¬
ance of things, and that makes them what they are, it has been the
object of philosophy to find out.
Philosophy Defined.
The word philosophy is derived from the Greek phileo, to love, and
sophia, wisdom, and means the love of wisdom. But what is wisdom?
You say, wisdom is the best application of knowledge. Still, going
into the etymology of the word, we find it made up of the German
wissen, to know, and the Latin domus, a house. Hence, wisdom
means knowing what is in the house. The real man lives in several
houses—first, in his own body; next, in the clothing he wears ; then
the house proper; next, the community; the state; after these in
time and space; but, above all else, in God; for says the Apostle,
"In him we live and move, and have our being." Philosophy, there¬
fore, is an inquiry into the cause and nature of things.
The Philosophical Method.
The word "search" expresses the mode of philosophical opera¬
tions. It contains the idea of the Latin circum, a circle. Circus is
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 285
the ring where the show performs. Curriculum, the race course,
from cwrro, to run, is the notion adopted by the schools to include
their range of studies, and you are expected to know all the subjects
contained. The primary school, normal school, the college, each has
its curriculum, rising higher and growing wider, until we reach the
university courses, leading to the highest branches of studies.
"All knowledge begins with the ability to distinguish one thing
from another." Therefore, it is said a little child cannot tell its
right hand from its left. With this first knowledge, we start out
classifying and arranging things until, step by step, we traverse the
great fields of art, science, and philosophy. Search, investigate, are
the words of command in philosophy. The second word means—fol¬
low in the tracks of what you want; and the first one tells how far
you are to go.
We are all familiar with the parable of the woman mentioned in the
Bible, having a hundred pieces of silver and lost one. She forgot
the value of the others in the desire to find the piece that was lost.
She drew her circle and determined to investigate. This she did by
thinking out a plan and following it. Said she, "I have not been
down town, nor into the yard; therefore it must be in this house. I
will look all through the house." She did not find it. Next she said,
"I shall move every piece of furniture in the house," but was still
unsuccessful. "Now," said the woman, taking up her broom, "I
shall sweep the entire house, every corner and crevice till I find it."
That was fortunate for the house, for some people's houses never in
years get such a cleaning up. By this method it was not long till
she found it. Then, said she, " Go out and tell my neighbors to come
and rejoice with me, for I have found my piece that was lost." This
is the same spirit that animated the great philosopher who, after a
long and weary search, exclaimed, "Eureka"—I have found it—and
this has ever since been the triumphant shout of the successful
searcher after truth.
The Field of Philosophy.
Lord Bacon divided the whole field of thought into three knowl¬
edges—Nature, Man and God. The knowledge of nature is science
with its several great branches—astronomy, geography, geology,
biology, etc. The knowledge of man gives us the field of philosophy
proper, showing the relations of man to man, to nature and to God.
Here we have the great departments of mental philosophy, moral
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philosophy, political economy, aesthetics, etc. And, lastly, the
knowledge of God gives us theology with its sweeping divisions, in¬
cluding theology proper, God in his essential nature, and his rela¬
tions to the universe; second, anthropology—man in his constitution
and relations to God and the universe; and thirdly, soteriology—
man as a sinner and the plan of salvation by a Savior. There is no
essential difference between science and philosophy. "Science is
systematized knowledge." It gives all that may be known upon a
particular subject. It is like a bunch of fish—when you lift up the
string you raise the whole bunch. " Philosophy is unified knowl¬
edge." It embraces every science, and seeks to explore the uni¬
verse. 'It is a system of systems, so that when a man has adopted a
system of philosophy, there is nothing you can bring to him that he
cannot explain by his system of philosophy.
The Reign of Law.
Science and philosophy agree in the fact that everything is in¬
cluded in a reign of law. What then is law? Ask any lawyer and
you will get the greatest and simplest definition—"Law is a rule of
action." The first law then, is that everything must go. A minis¬
ter told me that he fell in love with his wife at first sight, and mar¬
ried after six months' acquaintance. "But," said he, "during that
whole time I went to see her every day. At four o'clock I was
always there." Some young men do not choose that delightful hour
to visit, but go later. One young man after a long visit lingered at
the gate and the girl began to cry. He said, "Dear, don't cry; I
will come to see you again." But she cried on. "O darling, don't
cry so; I will be sure to come again." Still she cried. At last he
said, "Love, did I not tell you I would soon come again to see you?"
And through her tears she replied, "Yes, but I am afraid you never
will go; that is what is the matter with me." We must all go. The
great sun in the heavens ; the moon in her silver orbit; the stars in
their glory, keeping time to the celestial music; the winds, the
waters, the flowers, the dull clod, iron and flashing steel wherever
found—all are moving upon their appointed rounds.
Law shows how things must go. That way they must go or be¬
come the means of their own destruction. They are like the railroad
trains, the cars must go upon the rails or move at their peril. By
examining the term law, we find its essential idea to be what is laid
down, fixed. By observing things going we see how they go, how
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 287
they develop; and by induction, we conclude they will always go
that way. That is the law of the thing. When God created the
world, he imposed or fixed in each particular thing the law of its be¬
ing. Take the fire, it is the law of fire that it will always go up¬
ward. Try to make the flame burn downward, i£ goes out, and after
much smoke you have no fire. It is the law of water that it will run
downward. Try to make water run up hill, and you will have much
mud, and after a while you will have to get out of the way of the
angry waters. Just so, rising into the range of philosophy, we ob¬
serve people in their social relations, through long times and various
circumstances. Then, taking each one by the hand, in the words of
the blessed Savior, we say: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." This is
the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it:
'' Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." " On these two command¬
ments hang all the law and the prophets." "Love is the fulfilling of
the law." It is the law of the highest social development; and in
families, communities, and states, people will be virtuous and happy
just in proportion as this law is obeyed. On the other hand, try to
reverse it, and misery, crime, and suffering will increase until you
create a hell upon earth.
Practical Philosophy.
Uncle Jim was once asked a great question. It was: "If you had
to be blown up which would you choose, to be blown up on the rail¬
road or on the steamboat?" "Well," said Uncle Jim, "I don't want
to be blowed up no way; but if I had to be blowed up, I would
rather be blowed up on the railroad; because, you see, if you is
blowed up on the railroad, dar you is, but if you is blowed up on the
steamboat, whar is you?" He was practical in his philosophy.
Philosophy teaches us the proper use of knowledge in the explana¬
tion of phenomena, and in the practical affairs of life. Not long
since a man was telling me about a rabbit. The rabbit said: "I don't
blame the man that caught me, but the man that jumped me up." It
was noted as a first fact in nature that everything must go. We find
it true, however, that man in his physical constitution is composed
of matter, and in him as elsewhere, matter has its essential principle
called inertia; hence man has a tendency to get in one place and stay
there. It is a scientific fact that all motion is based upon resistance.
From this is derived the familiar formula that "action and reaction
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are equal." Also, the greater the resistance, the greater will be the
motion that is set up. Suppose we put a ball into a gun, and put in
a very loose wadding of cotton. The ball will not go very far. Bui
suppose we put in a good charge of powder, then a stout wadding,
and ram down the ball so tight that we say to it: "You never shal]
get out of here!" When shot off the explosion will be terrific, and
the ball will leave the gun with corresponding force.
Col. Ingersoll says: "It is not the man who has conquered every
time that can boast as a man of courage, but the one who has been
whipped the oftenest, and yet comes up to try it again." Bishop A.
Grant, D.D., on the same line, says: "If a man wants to know his
own strength, he need not measure himself. " He needs only to size
up the fellows who are pulling against him to find out how strong he
is."
The Negro Problem.
When we come to consider the Negro, no race has probably been
so oppressed with opposition and resistance. It has been like piling
upon us the entire mountain system of the country. Yet, what are
the facts? If the Negro had been a weak race, it must evidently
have been crushed under this weight of slavery, ostracism, caste,
and persecution. If he only survived he would by the law of action
and reaction, be as strong as the combined weight of his opposition.
But we find that as a race we have been more than equal to the sur¬
roundings, for our rapid advance since emancipation, in the march of
progress, has become a wonder to the world. Before freedom we
used to hear it said: "A nation that has once tasted of liberty can
never be re-enslaved." We do not hear it now, but can say it for
our own benefit.
Business.
All movements take place under the law of supply and demand.
According to this law "things must move from where they are abun¬
dant to where they are needed." The movements of populations
come under the same general law. The Negro has been blamed for
his lack of integrity and business success. But along these lines
there is a mighty improvement. I have just returned from a trip
through Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, and I will tell you
something of our people in these States. At the corner of Gilmer
and D streets in Chattanooga, Tenn., is the magnificent "Conyers
Block," built by Mr. J. F. Conyers, a colored man who left Atlanta
six years ago. It is built of fine brick, with marble trimmings, and
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
289
is three stories high. There are four stores on the first floor; on
the second floor eighteen rooms, arranged in suits; and on the third
floor is a beautiful hall 72x45 feet, handsomely arranged, and lighted
with elegant chandeliers. This building cost $30,000.
In Little Rock, Ark., at the corner of Ninth and Gaines streets, is
the "Jones Building," taking up half a block, a three story brick
building, with nine stores beneath, the rooms above affording meet¬
ing places for all societies in the State. On the corner is the hand¬
some drug store, with George E. Jones in raised letters on the iron
doorstep.
There is a colored drug clerk, and four colored physicians with
offices in this building. Mr. Jones has several other business places,
and is a large owner of real estate.
At Pine Bluff, Ark., we paid a visit to the stables of Mr. Wiley
Jones, the owner of the street railroads and other business in that
city. He has two horses valued at $10,000 each, and several others
at $5,000. To a question, he replied: "I own $50,000 in horse flesh."
On leaving, a gentleman said: "Why don't you ask Mr. Jones how
much he is worth?" "I do not like to," said I, "but if it pleases Mr.
Jones I would like to know." He said: "They tax us pretty lively
here, so you may just put me down at $200,000."
At Natchez, Miss., I was in the splendid offices of the "Interstate
Mutual Benefit Association," and of the "Mississippi Co-operative
Benefit Association." Both are in the great building, corner of Main
and Union streets. To look in here you would never suppose that
such business places were controlled by colored men. Col. G. F.
Bowles is General Manager of the "Interstate Mutual Benefit Asso¬
ciation." It employs eighteen men, colored and white, in the build¬
ing, and has five hundred agents, and an authorized capital of $5,-
000,000. They print four weekly newspapers, and have more than
$5,000 worth of new printing material. Mr. Lewis J. Winston is
General Manager of the "Mississippi Co-operative Benefit Associa¬
tion. They employ five men in the office, have twelve traveling
agents, and $80,000 out on loan. The authorized capital is $10,000,-
000. This business ■ is represented by a weekly paper called the
Natchez Reporter.
Education.
"Revolutions never go backward." In the matter of education,
to say nothing of the race, what has the A. M. E. Church done in this
19
290
afro-american encyclopaedia.
direction? It may almost be said that the A. M. E. Church was born
of the new educational movement. The church began its formation
in 1787, and in 1796 Bishop Allen had not only commenced the day
school work, but had supplemented it with both the Sabbath school
and the night school. When Bishop Allen moved into the blacksmith
shop, the whole African M. E. Church, as it now is, was wrapped up
in him, in an undeveloped form. All of our five hundred thousand
members, two hundred thousand Sabbath school children, with $8,-
000,000 worth of property, are the outcome of the forces put in opera¬
tion by him. What shall we say then of the long and herculean
labors of the venerable Bishop Payne, Bishops Cain and Dickerson,
Bishops Brown and Campbell, Wayman and Ward, to say nothing of
the great educational works of our younger Bishops Turner, Gaines,
Tanner, Lee, Salter, Handy, of Bishop B. W. Arnett, D.D., Presi¬
dent of the Board of Education, and of Bishop Abraham Grant, D.D.,
your own presiding officer, "the noblest Roman of them all?" These
efforts have resulted in Wilberforce Univerity, Allen University,
Paul Quinn and Morris Brown Colleges, the Western University,
Edward Waters College, and the whole column of forty schools of the
A. M. E. Church. In 1892, we had thirty-eight schools; one hun¬
dred and thirty-four teachers; four thousand and fourteen students;
three hundred and seventy graduates ; with $502,650 worth of prop¬
erty under our educational banner.
The Law op Progress.
It is the law of every successful organism, or organization, that
every part shall work for the good of the whole. Any failure to do
so imperils the life of the organism, or threatens the existence of
the organization. This result is not goverened by the will of man,
but is a law of life laid down by the Creator. The human race is one
organic whole, and every nation is a member of the one body of hu¬
manity, subject to a common life and destiny. And when, through
the full operation of education and religious rectitude, the peoples of
the earth shall be brought into harmonious relations, it will be real¬
ized that the good of one is the good of all, so that no man in the uni¬
verse can be benefited, without extending a part of that benefit to ev¬
ery member of the race.
There is no mistake about the residence of the Negro in America.
It is to be hoped that, through the superior advantages and achieve¬
ments of the race in this great land, "the heart of the fathers may
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
291
be turned to the children, and the heart of the children turned to
their fathers," so that the touch of kinship may lead us as descend¬
ants of Africa, to spread the light of Christian education and civil¬
ization upon her benighted shores. But just now, the attention of
our people is needed at home. I say "home," for as a part of the
American people, "we are here to stay"—here in a country set apart
as the world's arena for all nations to work out the problem of human
liberty. We are among the oldest inhabitants of the land, and every¬
body wants us to remain. We have a glorious record in peace and in
war. We have been raised to the full grade of citizenship, and ad¬
mitted into the highest functions of the nation. And this is not all—
the labor, the business, the art, the science, the philosophy, and the
religious teachings of'the United States, and the Christian civiliza¬
tion are so many irresistible forces sustaining the claims of Ameri¬
can Negroes to full recognition in the common heritage of humanity—
a humanity glorified and exalted by the life and teachings of Christ.
Let us, as Negroes, educate—let us survive—let us live up to our
opportunities of doing good to ourselves and to others—so shall we
work out a glorious destiny upon earth, and contribute our share of
the good and great immortals out of every nation, that shall take
their places among "the spirits of just men made perfect who are
without fault before the throne."
tnnnraiBOTEEE© nn© tohiZLBBZB®.
NAMES OP THE LEADING UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES FOR THE BENE¬
FIT OF COLORED PEOPLE, SHOWING THEIR LOCALITY.
1. Jones University Tuscaloosa, Ala.
2. Talladega College (Con.) Talladega, Ala.
3. Emerson Institute (Con.) Mobile, Ala.
4. Tuscaloosa Institute (Pres.) Tuscaloosa, Ala.
5. Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School.... Tuskegee, Ala.
6. Central Alabama Academy Huntsville, Ala.
7. Philander Smith College (Meth.) Little Rock, Ark.
8. Haygood Seminary (Meth.) Washington, Ark.
9. Helena Normal (Con.). Helena, Ark.
292
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
10. Wayland Seminary (Bap.), valued at $150,000. Washington, D. C.
11. High, and Normal School Barton, Fla.
12. Cookman Academy (Meth.), valued at $30,000. Jacksonville, Fla.
13. Florida Academy Jacksonville, Fla.
14. Normal School (Con.) Orange Park, Fla.
15. Edward Waters College (Meth.) Jacksonville, Fla.
16. Atlanta University Atlanta, Ga.
17. Clark University (Meth.), valued at $350,000. Atlanta, Ga.
18. Gammon Theological Sem. (Meth.) $100,000. Atlanta, Ga.
19. Atlanta Seminary (Bap.), valued at $50,000. .Atlanta, Ga.
20. Spelman Seminary (Bap), value $147,000.. . .Atlanta, Ga.
21. Walker Institute (Bap.) Augusta, Ga.
22. Paine Institute (Meth.) Augusta, Ga.
23. Beach Institute (Con.) Savannah, Ga.
24. Dorchester Academy (Con.) Mcintosh, Ga.
25. Ballard Normal Institute (Con.) Macon, Ga.
26. Allen Normal and Industrial School Thomasville, Ga.
27. The Holsey Institute (Meth.) Lumber City, Ga.
28. Chandler Normal (Con.) Lexington, Ky.
29. Atkinson College Madisonville, Ky.
30. Berea College (Bap.) Berea, Ky.
31. Eckstein Norton University (Bap.) Cane Spring, Ky.
32. Leland University New Orleans, La.
33. New Orleans Univ. (Meth.), value $100,000. .New Orleans, La.
34. Southern University New Orleans, La.
35. Straight University (Con.) New Orleans, La.
36. Bebee Institute. New Orleans, La.
37. Homer Institute Homer, La.
38. Gilbert Academy (Meth.), value $50,000 Winstead, La.
39. Morgan College (Meth.), value $100,000 Baltimore, Md.
40. Jackson College (Bap.), value $35,000 Jackson, Miss.
41. Meridian Academy Meridian, Miss.
42. Rust University (Meth.), value $55,000 Holly Springs, Miss.
43. Tougaloo University (Con.) Tougaloo, Miss.
44. Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. Rodney, Miss.
45. George Smith College (Meth.) $50,000 Sedalia, Mo.
46. Western Baptist College .Macon, Mo.
47. Gregory Institute Wilmington, N. C.
48. Washburn Seminary Beaufort, S. C.
49. Riddle University (Pres.) Charlotte, N. C.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
293
50. Shaw University (Bap.) valued at $175,000. .Raleigh, N. C.
51. Livingstone College (Meth.) Salisbury, N. C.
52. Bennett College (Meth.) Greensboro, N. C.
53. The Agricultural and Mechanical College... Greensboro, N. C.
54. Shiloh Institute Warren ton, N. C.
55. Carr Academy Norwood, N. C.
56. Skyland Institute Blowing Rock, 1ST. C.
57. Saluda Seminary Saluda, N. C.
58. Wilberforce University (Meth.) Wilberforce, Ohio.
59. Allen University Columbia, S. C.
60. Claffin University Orangeburg, S. C.
61. Brewer Normal Greenwood, S. C.
62. Avery Institute (Con.) Charleston, S. C.
63. Benedict College (Bap.) Columbia, S. C.
64. Central Tennessee College (Meth.) $125,000.Nashville, Tenn.
65. Rodger Williams College (Bap.) $225,000.. . .Nashville, Tenn.
66. Fisk University (Con.) $350,000 ..Nashville, Tenn.
67. Le Moyne Institute (Con.) Memphis, Tenn.
68. Lane-Institute (Meth.) Jackson, Tenn.
69. West Tennessee Academy Mason, Tenn.
70. Morristown Academy Morristown, Tenn.
71. Samuel Houston College Austin, Texas.
72. Bishop College (Bap.) t Marshall, Texas.
73. Wiley University (Meth.) Marshall, Texas.
74. Hartshorn Memorial (Bap.) $45,000 Richmond, Va.
75. Virginia Seminary Lynchburg, Va.
76. Morgan College Annex Lynchburg, Va.
77. The Virginia Baptist Seminary Lynchburg, Va.
78. Female Seminary Burksville, Va.
79. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. Hampton, Va.
80. Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute.. .Petersburg, Va.
294 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
CENTRAL TENNESSEE COLLEGE. -
HE Central Tennessee College is situated in the southeastern
part of Nashville, on Maple street. This location was chosen
because at the time of its purchase no other more suitable
property could be bought for a school for the Freedmen, either in
Nashville, or any of the principal towns of Middle Tennessee. The
school was originally begun as a school for "Refugees," or "Con¬
trabands." In 1865, as soon as the smoke of battle had cleared
away, the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church ap¬
propriated ten thousand dollars for the purpose of establishing a
school for the Freedmen in the South. Bishop D. W. Clark, D.D., to
whom the matter was referred, visited Nashville, and determined to
locate the school in this city. Under his directions the school was
opened in Clark Chapel, formerly Andrew Chapel, of the M. E.
Church, South, which had been purchased for this purpose, and also
for religious services. The school was under the supervision of Rev.
John Seys and O. O. Knight, with other assistants. During the
year 1865-6, the church became too small. Early in the year 1866 a
board of trusees was selected, and a charter from the Legislature of
Tennessee was secured. The school was then moved into a buildinsr
known as the "Gun Factory," on South College street, where it re¬
mained for two years. This building had been used by the Federal
Army as a hospital, and the Government returned it to the owners.
This made it necessary to seek another location. Attempts were
made to purchase property, but there being prejudice by the white
people against having a school for Negroes in their neighborhood, it
was no easy matter to secure such property as was desirable. At
length the present site on Maple street was purchased, and the
school moved, in 1868, into the only building on the ground, which
was entirely inadequate to accommodate the students who attended
during the year. The building was repaired during the year, and
the chapel and boarding hall erected by the Freedmen's Bureau.
These buildings afforded ample room for the school for several years.
In 1872 the number of students was such that additional buildings
became necessary, and a band of students, known as the Tennes-
Central Tennessee Coeeege,
Nashville, Teiin.
296
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
seans, sung in the North, and raised nearly all the money for the
large, four-story building, which is now the main school building.
Other buildings have been added, as the Model School and Webster
Hall, the latter used for industrial purposes and dormitories, thq
blacksmith, carpenter, and machine shops. Other buildings and
grounds have been added by purchase. Rev. Bishop Walden has re¬
cently purchased what is known as the Hurley Place, joining on the
rear of the original purchase, which, with other additions, gives am¬
ple grounds for other buildings, which are greatly needed to meet
the requirements of the literary departments and African Training
School. In 1880 the building for the Meharry Medical Department
was opened, and in 1880 the Dental and Pharmaceutical building was
first used for these departments.
In its early history, the college was only a primary school. The
object was to prepare teachers and preachers as rapidly as possible,
to meet the great need for both classes among the colored people.
There was an intense desire among the colored people for some edu¬
cation. Some wished to learn to read so they could read the Bible;
some because the white folks had given so much time to educate their
children, hence, if good for white, it was good for black folks; some
because it would help them in business, and some, few in number,
because they believed they had minds capable of development, and
education would add to their power o^ usefulness. The school was at
first composed of pupils of varying ages, from the "tot" three or
four years old to the octogenarian. Children, parents, and grand¬
parents were in the same classes, and the primer, spelling book and
first reader were the principal text-books used. As time passed by,
these gave place to the higher readers, arithmetics, geographys,
grammars, and to pedagogics. Then as these were mastered, the pre¬
paratory studies, higher mathematics, natural science, languages, and
the full college course of study was introduced. This was the work
of years. The first college graduate was Miss Araminta P. Martin,
in 1878, who was a member of the school almost from the first, who
graduated with honor, and was employed as teacher of Mathematics,
Latin, and-History until her death in 1883.
As the students advanced in their studies, the query arose, What
shall we do? Some said, "We want to be doctors," but there was no
medical school open to colored students in the Mississippi Valley.
The Meharry family, living in Indiana and Ohio, who were deeply
interested in the education of the Freedmen, furnished the means
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 297
with which the Medical Department was opened in 1875, with Drs.
W. J. Sneed and G. W. Hubbard as faculty. This department has
had a very prosperous history. The faculty now numbers fifteen,
and the students from the first class of eight to one hundred and
twenty-one. The Pharmaceutical and Dental Departments have been
prosperous. From these departments there have been graduated
m Medicine, two hundred and sixty-four; in Dentistry, twenty-one,
and thirty in Pharmacy, making a total of three hundred and fifteen.
The Law Department was opened in 1879, with the Hon. John Law¬
rence in charge. He devoted much care and labor to the instruction
of the young men who were desirous of preparing themselves for
practice in any of the courts of the States. There have been twenty-
five graduates in the law course. Some of them have won very hon¬
orable positions in the estimation of the members of the Bar in the
courts where they have practiced. They have been fairly well re¬
ceived by the white lawyers, where they have proved themselves
competent for the discharge of the duties of an attorney. This de¬
partment has been of slow growth. The young men who enter this
profession must be well prepared to meet their antagonists in trials,
where prejudice is so strong against the color line as it is in most
parts of the United States. The crowded condition of the profes¬
sion, and the ease with which white lawyers can be retained, if the
fee is only sufficient, make it quite problematical whether the young
colored lawyer may not starve before he can get a paying practice.
The department, however, seems to be steadily growing, and has
already proved that the well educated colored attorney, who is wise
in his deportment toward all, and industrious in his preparation of
his cases can succeed.
The great need of intelligent preachers for the colored people at
the close of the war made it necessary to try to provide for this
want as soon as practicable. Hence the earliest work done by the
various schools of the church was to provide biblical instruction,
and. such other theological training as the candidates for the min¬
istry were capable of receiving. The charter of the college requires
that a Biblical Department shall be maintained at all times. This
department was opened the first year of the school and Rev. John
Seys gave such instruction as the candidates were capable of receiv¬
ing. The course of study was enlarged from time to time so as to
embrace the ordinary studies of the theological seminary. The de¬
gree of Bachelor of Divinity has been conferred on those who have
298
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
secured the A.B., before graduating in this department. While only
a few have finished the whole course of study in this department,
many have enjoyed the privilege of the instructions given, and have
been made more useful by the partial course .of study which they
have been enabled to take. The graduates of this department have
occupied very honorable and useful positions in the denominations to
which they belong.
The colored people have a musical element in their make up, which
was wonderfully manifest in the days of slavery. The strangely
moving melodies which they sung in their religious meetings, and
also in their cabins, were sources of the great power of endurance
which was a striking characteristic of their slave life. These melo¬
dies inspired as they were wedded to words as peculiar as them¬
selves, emotion, hope, faith, resignation, joy and through the clouds
that shrouded their final triumph and freedom. These songs were
sung in the school. Vocal music was taught in the school from its
beginning without extra charge, the whole school being considered
in music which is demanded everywhere. It is required in the
home, the church, the social circle, in the school room, in peace and
in war, on earth and in heaven. Music is a science. It must be
studied. The Musical Department at first was to direct in the sing¬
ing the old-time melodies. Then the music of the Sunday school and
church was brought in. Soon the desire for instrumental music
was expressed, and the parlor organ and piano were added to the
course in music. The young people made commendable progress in
this delightful art, and soon from humble homes could be heard from
these instruments the strains of Sunday school or church music.
This was followed by the more difficult music of American and
European composers till at length the works of the most renowned
authors were executed with great skill and excellent taste by the
students in this department. Instruction on the violin has been
given and a number of efficient performers on this famed instrument
has been developed. Instruction is offered on all orchestral instru¬
ments. Voice culture has received considerable attention, and the
promise is, that the best voices of the future, and the most renowned
singers and musicians in this country may be from among the de¬
scendants of the freedmen. The study of harmony and musical
composition is a part of the full course. The students make excel¬
lent progress in composition, and it would not surprise the world if
from this same people should come in the future some of the world's
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 299
greatest composers. The students have furnished the music for all
public occasions, almost from the beginning of the school. Many
have become proficient as teachers of vocal and instrumental music.
Miss Lula Evans, of Franklin, Tenn., was the first graduate of this
course in 1894. The department has the advantage of the best
methods of instruction, and is rapidly growing in favor with all who
seek its advantages.
The Industrial Department was openend with the carpenter shop,
in 1884. Mr. C. S. Randals was the first superintendent. Since
that time there have been over two hundred different students who
have learned something of the use of tools, and their care, as well as
considerable knowledge of the trade. A number have made such
progress as to make their living at the trade.
In the blacksmith shop, over fifty have learned how to do much
that is done by blacksmiths. In the tin shop, about forty different
students have had lessons in soldering and making the usual variety
of tin vessels. In the sewing classes over five hundred girls have
learned how to do plain sewing, many others, more elaborate needle
work, and quite a number have learned the art of dress-making, and
are able to make a livelihood in this useful avocation. There has
been a class of twenty-four in cooking who made rapid progress in
bread making, and other culinary arts. There have been fifty stu¬
dents in the classes of Phonography, who have made some excellent
shorthand and typewriters, doing good work for their employers.
This rapid survey of the Industrial Department gives only a
cursory view of what has been done. How many homes will be
made better, more tidy, more healthful, happier by the lessons
taught in this department will be difficult to estimate. But that
many will be more useful, more able to meet the responsibilities of
life and bear life's burdens more cheerfully and discharge its duties
more successfully, cannot be a matter of doubt. The college has
been in operation for more than a quarter of a century. It began as
a primary school. It is now, in fact, a university. It has sent
forth graduates from every department. The English, the Normal,
the Preparatory, the College, the Theological, the Medical, the
Dental, the Pharmaceutical, the Law, the Musical, the Industrial,
the African Training School, have all given their graduates to the
world. The world has, we trust, been made better by them, as they
have entered upon their fields of labor. In the school room they are
successful. They fill the place of primary, intermediate and gram-
300
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
mar grades. They are principals of city and high schools. They
are professors in colleges and presidents of colleges and universi¬
ties, and they fill these positions with ability and success. The
graduates of the Theological Department have filled the most im¬
portant pulpits in their respective churches. They have repre¬
sented their brethren in the highest judicatories of their churches.
They have filled the places of agents, secretaries and editors, and
have been successful preachers of the gospel of Christ. The grad¬
uates of the Law Department have made a favorable impression on
the courts where they have practiced, and have given satisfactory
evidence that the colored attorney will be able, in the near future, to
stand side by side with the best representatives of the bar.
The graduates of the Medical Department have been received with
favor in all parts of the country. They have shown themselves
capable of discharging the high functions of physicians, dentists,
pharmacists. They are recognized by the white doctors as worthy
members of this distinguished profession. They have been success¬
ful practitioners in their several departments and have made them¬
selves useful to a large area of our country. That they have done
good is admitted on all hands. They have given instruction to their
patients in reference to the laws of health, also in regard to their
homes and methods of improving them. They have attended the
people in sickness, and by faithful work have reduced in some places
the death rate of the colored people, and have met a great need of
intelligent physicians for a poverty-stricken people.
The aim of the school in all departments has been to prepare the
students for the practical duties of life. Care has been taken to in¬
fuse as far as possible the idea that education and Christianity are
very closely related, and that education without religion is not the
kind that will best prepare young people for a successful life.
Thoroughness in all school work is the aim in teaching and the
monthly examinations are intended to aid in securing this end.
"While the 'great need of teachers has made it necessary to pay at¬
tention to the. normal classes, and the necessity for improved preach¬
ing rendered important the theological work, the college course
has not been forgotten, as leaders of the people must have the best
intellectual culture as well as the highest moral character. The col¬
lege authorities favor a full college course for all who propose to
enter any of the professions, and all the students will be encouraged
to take the full classical course whenever practicable.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
301
The annual enrollment of students has varied from 150 in 1869
to 676 in 1892. The entire number of students from the organiza¬
tion in 1865 is over 5,000. The number of teachers has increased
from three in 1867 to forty-four in 1895. This school is supported
by the contributions of Christian people; its education must be dis¬
tinctly Christian. While under the auspices of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, the principles of the Bible are taught without
special reference to denominational dogmas. It is expected that
students entering any of its departments will cheerfully comply
with such regulations as have been found salutary in the past history
of the school. The use of tobacco and all intoxicants are forbidden,
and such attendance on religious services is required, as a well-regu¬
lated Christian family might reasonably require of all its members.
Meharry Medical College,
The Meharry Medical College was organized as the Medical De¬
partment of Central Tennessee College, Nashville, Tenn., in October,
1876. It takes its name from the noble and philanthropic family for
302
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
whom it is called. The first members of this family who lived in
the United States were Alexander and Jane Meharry who were of
Scotch-Irish descent, and came to this country in 1794. They lived
in Pennsylvania until 1798 when they fitted out a flat boat and
floated down the Ohio river and landed at Manchester, Adams
county, Ohio. Here, in what was then a dense wilderness, they
cleared the forest, built their humble cabin, and raised a family of
eight children. The father was suddenly killed on his way home from
a camp meeting in 1813 and the care of the family then devolved on
the mother who was a woman of great force of character and deep
piety.
When the boys grew to manhood, most of them moved to Indiana
where they soon had comfortable homes of their own, and by indus¬
try and economy accumulated a considerable amount of property.
Five of these boys have aided in establishing and supporting Me¬
harry Medical College. Alexander was a minister in the Methodist
Episcopal Church; he was admitted to the Ohio Conference in 1841,
and for thirty-seven years did faithful work as itinerant minister,
presiding elder and financial agent of Wesleyan Female College, of
Cincinnati, and the Ohio "Wesleyan University. He died at Eaton,
Ohio, in 1878; and after his death his widow faithfully carried out
the benevolent plans of her deceased husband. Hugh and Jesse died
many years ago, leaving most of their property for benevolent pur¬
poses. David has recently passed from his labor tn his reward,
while Samuel is still living in Lafayette, Ind.
This Institution from the beginning has been under the care of the
Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church and its
former secretary, Rev. R. S. Rust, D.D., and his successors, Drs.
Hartzell and Hamilton have, been its firm friends and supporters.
We are indebted to the John F. Slater Fund, through its agents,
Bishop A. G. Haygood and Dr. J. L. M. Curry for timely and valua-
able assistance for many, years. This college was the first one
opened in the Southern States for the education of colored physi¬
cians, and since it was organized 432 students have been enrolled,
263 of whom have received the degree of M.D., and most of them
are, now engaged in the successful practice of their profession in the
Southern States. They have been cordially received by the white
physicians who have counseled with them in dangerous cases and as¬
sisted in difficult surgical operations.
The success which has attended the labors, of the Alumni has been
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 303
most encouraging, and the professional reputation they have ac¬
quired is such as any college might well be proud of. Four of the
the graduates have been appointed United* States Pension Exam¬
iners ; one has been Medical Director of the Texas State Colored
Asylum for the Blind; two are Professors at the Medical Depart¬
ment of New Orleans University and several are lecturers in dif¬
ferent schools and colleges. They have been unusually successful
in passing the different County, District and State Medical Examina¬
tions before which they have appeared; as far as heard from, every
graduate of the class of 1895 has passed with honor the required
examinations. A large number have purchased homes of their own,
and their professional income is probably greater than that of any
other class of colored citizens. There are seventeen members of
the faculty, nearly half of whom are graduates of this college.
The character and appearance of the college buildings will be seen
by examining the engravings which accompany this article; they are
located at the corner of Maple and Chestnut streets and are on the
line of the city electric railroad. The main building is constructed
of brick, is forty feet wide and sixty feet in length, and four stories
in height, including the basement. The ground floor is used as
laboratories for practical work in chemistry; the second story for
office, museum and dwelling apartments; the third floor contains a
lecture room of sufficient size to accommodate one hundred students,
recitation room and cabinet of materia medica; the fourth floor is
fitted for dormitories.
An additional building has been erected for practical demonstra¬
tions in anatomy. The Dental and Pharmaceutical Hall contains a
clinical amphitheater capable of seating two hundred students, a
Dental Infirmary, Dental Laboratory, two rooms for pharmaceutical
work, a laboratory for analytical chemistry and a museum. It re¬
quires four sessions of five months each to complete the course of
study, which is as follows:
First Year.—During the first year's attendance students will be
required to recite daily in Anatomy, Chemistry and Physiology, and
work two hours a day in the Chemical Laboratory for ten weeks.
Second Year.—Daily recitations in Anatomy, Materia Medica and
Therapeutics; Physiology completed; Analytical Chemistry, with
two hours' work a day for ten weeks in the laboratory; Prescription
writing; Urinalysis, Toxicology, Elements of Botany and Dissecting.
Third Year.—Medical Chemistry, Materia Medica and Therapeu-
304 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
tics completed; Theory and Practice of Medicine; Elements of Phar¬
macy, Pathology, Bandaging, Physical Diagnosis, Microscopy, Bac¬
teriology, Hygiene, Obstetrics, Medical Jurisprudence and Dissect-
in g.
Fourth Year.—Surgery, Diseases of the Genito-Urinary Organs,
Dermatology, Gynaecology, Practice of Medicine, Medical Ethics,
Electro-Therapeutics, Mental Diseases, Ophthalmology, Otology,
Laryngology, Dissecting, and Review of Anatomy.
Dr. Georgia L. Patton, who graduated in 1893, has for the past two
years been serving as a self-supporting medical missionary at Mon¬
rovia, Liberia, where she has done most excellent work in that diffi¬
cult and onerous field of labor. It is expected that in the years to
come, many young men and women will be trained in this college
for missionary work in the Dark Continent.
Mehary Dental and Pharmaceutical Hall.
The Meharry Dental Department was opened in 1885, and since
that time twenty-two have completed a course in Dentistry and re¬
ceived the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
305
It was once supposed that the colored people rarely required the
services of a dentist. However, that may have been in the past, it is
not true now. There is a large and rapidly increasing demand for
this kind of work, and in every large city in the South a good colored
dentist will find plenty of work, and at least fair remuneration. A
most promising and useful field is now open in this profession, and
we hope, in years to come, our alumni will occupy it with honor to
themselves and credit to their race. This school is now a member of
the "American Association of Dental Faculties," and its diplomas
receive due recognition wherever they are presented. ,
Dental Operating Room.
The Meharry Pharmaceutical Department has been in successful
operation for five years, during which time thirty-one students have
finished a course in Pharmacy, and have been fitted for the responsi¬
ble position of practical druggists.
There is an increasing demand for well qualified colored Pharma¬
cists ; and there is a promising outlook for this department in the fu¬
ture. It requires two years to complete this course.
20
306
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Pharmaceutical Laboratory.
During the past session one hundred and two medical, twelve den¬
tal, and sixteen pharmaceutical students were enrolled.
The tuition in each of these departments is thirty dollars per
session. G. W. Hubbard, M.D., has been the Dean of this college
since it was first established, nineteen years ago, and to him all
inquiries concerning it should be addressed.
fKOY POl^TEf^. The subject of this sketch was born in Fayette
county, Kentucky, April 15, 1855. He moved to Illinois early
in life, learned the trade of plumbing, gas and steam fitting,
and after the expiration of ten years he had accumulated enough to
establish a business for himself. His intelligence, industry, and at¬
tention to business, made for him a friend of every citizen in Paris.
He was appointed superintendent of the water works in 1883, and in
1885 was elected town clerk of Paris, which was the first colored
man in the county to be elected to this position.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
307
T0UGAL00 UNIVERSITY, T0UGAL90, MISS.
BY PRESIDENT P. G. WOOD WORTH, D.D.
f HE chartered schools of the American Missionary Association,
though doing an essentially similar work, are yet strongly indi¬
vidualized. Tougaloo University is emphatically the black
belt plantation school of the Association, located in the country, in
midst of America's darkest Africa, touching that by far most
Mansion.
numerous and important class on which the future of the Negroes
mainly rests—the plantation Negroes. Forming the bulk of the
colored population, least tinged with white blood, they are at once
the most ignorant and the most hopeful class. Within seven miles
of Jackson, the State capital, on the Illinois Central road, easily
308
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
accessible, not only
from Mississippi,
but from large re¬
gions of Louisiana
and Arkansas, it
draws pupils from a
wide area and sends
its trained teachers
and graduates to a
region still wider.
Its location is health¬
ful and one of beauty,
and removed from
town distractions
and temptations, it
is admirably situated
for efficient work.
The school was es¬
tablished in the
autumn of 1869, and
Girls' Dormitory.
Ballard Hall.
the early reports
show a surrounding
region which in its
drunkenness, fight¬
ing and iniquity, is
quite in contrast
with tne present con-
dition of affairs.
Five hundred acres
of land were pur¬
chased and with
them a fine mansion
(page 307) then not
many years old, in¬
tended for the finest
plantation house of
the State and built
for a bride who came
not. As the illus¬
tration shows, it is a
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
309
handsome structure—the only one with any decided architectural pre¬
tensions in the place. It served at first for school rooms and dormi¬
tory purposes, and has been thus used during most of the life of the
school. Now it contains the offices of president and treasurer, the
main library—which greatly needs more books—music rooms, the
doctor's office, teachers' rooms and the president's home. There are
Boys' Dormitory, Strieby Hall.
now nine large buildings for school use, with several smaller ones.
The next oldest of the large buildings is the girls' dormitory, just
south of the mansion, where is the common dining room, with the
necessary kitchen, laundry and bake house appliances, and dormitory
room for several teachers and eighty to ninety girls.
Washington Hall, built just north of the mansion about the time of
the girls' dormitory, was burned some years ago, and now on its site
310
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
stands the Ballard Building, containing the study and recitation
rooms of the grammar and intermediate departments, which lead up
to the normal and the chapel, where all general exercises and Sab¬
bath services are held. One of the greatest needs of the school is a
church building, that can be specially devoted to religious purposes.
There is a grand chance for a memorial building. A little northeast
The Plantation Barn.
of Ballard is the boys' dormitory, Strieby Hall, erected in 1882, a brick
structure 112x40 feet, and three stories high, with a basement which
has a laundry and bathrooms. In this building the normal and
higher work is carried on, with a fairly good physical and chemical
laboratory and reference library, but needing great enlargement and
additional facilities. The normal work is of chief importance, for
the future of the race lies largely with the trained teachers of the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
311
common schools. Those who have gone from Tougaloo have won
golden opinions from both races and do a work which in its scope
and missionary character multiplies greatly the influence of the sup¬
porters of the school. Strieby has, by crowding, dormitory room
for seventy to eighty boys. A separate building for normal work is
greatly needed, one having a library, reading room, recitation room,
museums and laboratories. Just northwest of Strieby is the large
bam, which, with the picture of the cattle, will suggest the large
agricultural department of the school with its stock, garden, fruit
_ __ raising, etc. Here,
too, a building is
slave children; then, under the American Missionary Association, a
dormitory known as Boston Hall, then a carpentry class room, then
girls' "Industrial Cottage" and is now dignified as Bible Ilall, and
houses the theological department, which was established two years
ago. This department has the beginning of a library, but needs
books and maps very greatly, and has two courses based on the Eng¬
lish Bible, one of two and one of four years. Though having this
year but few pupils in the regular course, it is doing very thorough
work. The evening class for outside preachers has been for some
greatly needed for
the farm boys and a
foreman, where a
special course of in¬
struction can be
given in fitting out
good farmers. Not
a few graduates and
former students
have been success¬
ful in the conduct of
farms and market
gardens, some of
them in connection
with teaching. Back
of the mansion is a
little and not at all
beautiful building
that has been a slave
pen, day nursery for
Bible Hall.
312
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
years a power for good.
A glance at the picture
will convince anyone
that theology should
have better quarters.
Who will give them?
Berkshire Cottage, of
which a picture is
given, accommodates
the industrial training
work of the girls. Here
are class-rooms for
needlework and cook¬
ery, with courses ex¬
tending over four
years, and which all "Berkshire Cottage.
girls in the grammar
grades are as much obliged to take as they are the English branches.
To the normal girls special instruction in dressmaking is given.
Berkshire, besides accommodating several teachers, has a kitchen,
d^iniiig and ^ ^sitting
Ballard Manual Training Shop. of all higher grades
THOUGHSTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF LHE RACE.
313
careful instruction, in accord¬
ance with the best manual
training methods, in wood¬
working, with excellent ac¬
commodations for more than
twenty boys at a time, forg¬
ing, at which eight at a time
can work, and mechanical and
architectural drawing, with
tables and tools for two dozen.
The outcome of this work and
of the girls' industries, teach¬
ers of which are supported by
the Slater Fund, which has
done, and is doing, so
grand a work, has been
most satisfactory and
encouraging in the skill
manifested, the increas¬
ed earning capacity im¬
parted, the greater abil¬
ity to gain and main¬
tain homes, and the de¬
velopment of character.
One other picture, the
Hand Primary building, Forging.
suggests the practical
work of the Normal Department, for here the Normal students have
practice during the two closing years of their course, gathering
pupils from surrounding cabins.
Underneath all the work of the school is the dominating thought of
the development of Christian character. The preaching, the Sab¬
bath school, with its class prayer meeting directed by the Sabbath
school teachers, the religious societies, the Covenant for Christian
service, the personal influence of teachers and older pupils, all tend
in that direction with most blessed results. Upon the surrounding
region growing influence is exerted through the four Sabbath schools
from two to four miles away, in which teachers and students from
the University assist. A picture of one of the schools, McCharity,
is given here. Mention should also be made of "Tougaloo Univer-
Carpentry.
314
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
sity Addition to Tougaloo." One hundred and twenty acres of land
have been divided into five-acre house lots, which are being sold at
$100 each to former students and those who wish to educate children
at the University. In a few years it is expected that a fine commu¬
nity will be there.
Around three great fundamental ideas the work of Tougaloo, with
its nearly 400 students and 23 instructors, with its theological, col¬
lege preparatory, normal, agricultural, industrial, musical and nurse-
training departments, its religious work, is grouped and carried on
Daniel Hand Kindergarten and Primary School.
with notable success. These are the development of the family and
home, leadership and pure religious life. Who will endow a chair?
Who will endow the University and perpetuate one's influence in a
most fruitful way? Successful as Tougaloo has been, its largest,
widest work is yet to come.
NOTE BY SECRETARY BEARD.
It would quite repay those who would study the problem of saving
these children of the rural districts of the black belt to go far out of
their way to visit Tougaloo. They should take time for it, to ride
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 315
over its broad acres of cultivated land, its cotton fields, its fields of
sugar cane and corn, its hay fields, all under the care of those who
are being educated. They should see its shops for iron working,
wood working, and its varied other industries. They should see
those who work by day, diligent students at the books all the long
evenings until late. They should see the self-help of all. They
McCharity Sunday School Mission, of Tougaloo.
should go through the grades and notice the quality of the work
done and its character, its classes in mathematics and in languages,
and its work in the physical sciences. It is a great school
Tougaloo—and if people could see it, they would quote it more for
its economy and efficiency. Not always are efficiency and economy
found pulling equally in the same harness.
316 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE.
BY PROF. B. A. JOHNSON, A.M.
MOISTG the evidences of ISTeglto ability to establish and control
great institutions, we have no better example than the Living¬
stone College. In a quiet, antiquated looking town of historic
connection with those stirring times of our American Revolution, is
the town of Salisbury, N. C., and in this town is Livingstone College
—the pride of a great church and the honor of a noble race.
October the 9th, 1882, the first session of Livingstone College be¬
gan on its present grounds in the town of Salisbury, N. C. It was
then known as Zion Wesley Institute—later it was called Zion Wes¬
ley College, and in '86 or '87 became Livingstone College in honor of
the African explorer—David Livingtone. It may not be out of place
to mention here that the president and faculty felt that in the scope
of the work the institution aimed to do, it would be less hampered by
the new name. The wisdom of this has doubtless been seen by those
intimately associated with the college. As to the early history of
the institution the writer wishes to insert the following account, tak¬
en from a paper read by Bishop Harris at the Decennial Celebration
at the commencement, in May, '93:
"Livingtone College is a monument of the intense yearning of the
A. M. E. Zion Church for a thorough education of her children. It
also teaches the fact that to maintain an institution of the high grade
to which Livingstone College has attained, earnestness and self-sacri¬
fice are required not only of the teachers, but also of the students,
and of the church which is to maintain it.
Incorporated in 1879 under the name of Zion Wesley Institute, and
depending almost exclusively upon the collections from the churches
in the bounds of the North Carolina Conference, after two sessions
at Concord, N". C., it was compelled to close its doors. Livingstone
College, the successor of Zion Wesley Institute, would not now be in
existence, but for the fact that at the close of the Ecumenical Meth¬
odist Conference, held in England, in May, 1881, the able and far-see¬
ing Bishop President of the Board of Trustees of Zion Wesley Insti-
Bird's Eye View op Livingstone Coeeege—Buildings and Grounds.
318
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
tute, saw the swelling of the tide, which, taken at the flood, would
lead on to fortune. He prevailed upon Rev. J. C. Price, a delegate
to the conference from the A. M.. E. Zion Church, to remain in
Europe and solicit funds for the Institute, then holding its second
session under the instruction of Prof. A. S. Richardson.
"The agent thus selected, already known as an eloquent orator by
his speeches during the session of the Ecumenical Conference, was
heartily welcomed everywhere, and by well directed plans, secured
an amount which finally footed up to $9,100. Seeing the agent so
highly successful, the trustees of the Institute, though offered a
tract of seven acres by the church at Concord JSF. C., concluded that
Salisbury would be a more favorable site, and located the Institution
at that place.
"In the spring of 1882, Bishops J. W. Hood and T. H. Lomax, trus¬
tees, visited Salisbury, and with $3,-000 from England, supplemented
by $1,000 donated by business men of Salisbury, with the influence of
Mr. M. L. Holmes, purchased the premises we now occupy. It con¬
sisted of a two-story building, with a basement, containing ten rooms,
with forty acres of land, the total cost of which was $4,600.
"In September, 1882, at the bishops' meeting at Chester, S. C.,
Zion Wesley Institute came under the fostering care of the entire
connection. Mr. Price made a complete report of his doings in
Great Britain. A suitable remuneration was voted him, and the fac¬
ulty chosen, with Rev. J. C. Price, President; Rev. C. R. Harris and
Prof. E. Moore, as Assistant Teachers, and Mrs. M. E. Harris, as
Matron.
"In the next month, October 9th, 1882, was opened on its premises
in Salisbury with five day students the first day. About the middle
of the month in came our first student from abroad, Miss Lizzie Will¬
iams, Newbern, N. C. A week or so later, five students were sent
from Beaufort, N. C., by one of the trustees of the Institute, who was
so zealous in securing students that some of them were unprepared
to pay their board. How erroneous and damaging the presumption
that an unendowed school is able to give instruction and board free.
We kept them, however, and did the best we could, but the prece¬
dent was a bad one, and hundreds, if not thousands of dollars are
now due the institution for unpaid board of students.
"Students from town and from abroad continued to come. A
pressing need arose—the want of room. The girls were crowded in
rooms having two beds each, and were sometimes obliged to sleep
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
319
three in a bed. A new building, 16x40, was erected for the boys.
This session closed with ninety-three students.
The President being required to travel and solicit donations, an¬
other teacher was needed. A friend of the President, Rev. "W. H.
Goler, attended our commencement, or closing exercises, as they
were then modestly called. He preached the annual sermon and at
the conclusion of the address of the orator of the day, Bishop S. T.
Jones added encouraging words. He became one of the members of
the faculty at the next session.
At the end of the first term of the second session the number of
students enrolled was one hundred and twenty. Hence, the building,
for the boys was given to the girls, and the boys had to be provided
for as best we could in renting houses, one of these being named by
the students the White House, and the other the Black House. How
they had to tramp through mud and snow that winter. But with
characteristic gallantry, they willingly gave up the comfortable build¬
ing erected for them to the gentler sisterhood.
If I mistake not, the summer of 1883 was occupied in erecting an
addition (42x56) to the original ten-room house for a chapel, a dining
room, and dormitories for girls. The chief donor to the fund for this
building was the "railroad king," C. P. Huntington, whose picture
you may see in the center of the group in the rear of the chapel.
Hence the name Huntington Hall given to the building.
It will be remembered by those who are acquainted with the histo¬
ry of Livingstone College, that too much can hardly be said of the
work of Bishop Harris in helping to establish this institution. The
entire dimensions of the building mentioned above are 91x38, four
stories high including the basement.
In the fall of 1885, the necessity for more buildings caused Dr.
Price to visit the Pacific coast. After lecturing about four months,
he secured the donation of $5,000 from the late Senator Leland Stan¬
ford and $1,000 from Mrs. Mark Hopkins. The entire amount col¬
lected by Dr. Price on the coast was about $9,000. Only a little over
$1,000 was needed to make up the sum of $20,000. The Hon. fm. E.
Dodge, who had assisted Mr. Price through school, promised him a
donation of $5,000 if he should raise that sum. Dr. Price lost no
time in securing the residue, and Mr. Dodge kept his word.
In March, 1886, ground was broken for the erection of a dormitory
for boys—Dodge Hall—a four-story brick building, 60x40, and a four-
story brick, 100x40, for girls, known as Hopkins Hall, forming a
320
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
nucleus to Stanford Seminary. It will be observed that these build¬
ings are named for their principal donors.
In 1887, Mr. Stephen F. Ballard, of New York, erected the Ballard
Industrial Hall, 66x39, and fitted it up with complete outfits for the
departments of carpentry, shoemaking and printing. The entire
valuation of the buildings and grounds (now about fifty acres), is
estimated at $100,000.
The aim of the school has been to give a thorough literary training
to colored young men and women. The industrial feature has not
been neglected, although in the past two years the school has not
•been able to do as much in that line as formerly. The reason of this
has been the withdrawal of the Slater Fund. However, this depart¬
ment has been operating with such means as the officers have been
able to obtain. The students in the carpentry shop make and repair
all the furniture used in the school, such as bedsteads, chairs,
tables, desks, washstands and dressers. The. printing office is well
equipped and during the past year much minute and pamphlet work
has been done beside the publishing of the college journal, which is
now conceded to be one of the best, if not the best college magazine
published by a colored institution in the country. The institution
has been running but little over a decade. It boasts, however, of a
prominence equal to any institution in the South founded and sus¬
tained by colored men. The character of its graduates and the
showing they have made bespeak the thoroughness of its work. In
fact the officers of the institution while recognizing the need and the
cry for the industrial training of the Negro have stoutly maintained
that industrial education should not supplant the higher educational
development of the Negro. The success of the 108 graduates since
1885 has been sufficient argument for them to hold this point.
The young men who have entered the ministry are all prominent
in the great church under whose auspices the school works. Many
of the largest and most prominent churches in the connection are
held by them and they have merited each place. In the law and in
medicine they are not behind, and in the school room as teachers,
many brilliant records have been made by its young men and women.
As teachers they are in demand and in most cases give entire satis¬
faction. The work of the great Dr. Price in his efforts to lift the
race to a higher plane of intellectual and moral development is well
known on both sides of the Atlantic. To speak of Livingstone and
its aim, is to speak of the one great desire of its lamented president.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
321
So thoroughly wedded was he to this idea and its development
through the work of Livingstone College that no honor in church or
State, however tempting the emolument attached to it, could induce
him to give it up. His great influence rests upon his successor and
his associates, ten in number. These are making noble self-sac¬
rifices to carry on the work.
The maintenance of this work is wonderful when it is remembered
that Livingstone has no endowment fund for teachers; no scholar¬
ship fund for students, and only a small appropriation from the
church that is supposed to support it. And only a little over half
of this is received annually to carry on the work and pay teachers.
The last commencement was one of the most successful and bril¬
liant in the history of the institution. Dr. W./ H. Goler, the new
president, took charge with a vim and purpose that delighted all.
His ability, his friendship for and acquaintance with Dr. Price and
his experience in the work obtained under that great leader give
him a confidence that makes success doubly sure.
The present session has opened with the most flattering outlook.
During the past five or six years the school has averaged an enroll¬
ment of over two hundred students. The enrollment one year was
about three hundred. Students representing New England, Michi¬
gan, Missouri, Kentucky and all the States along the coast from
Massachusetts to Florida as well as Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Arkansas and Tennessee have been enrolled. Besides these repre¬
sentatives of Liberia, "West Coast of Africa and the West Indies are
among the number.
The death of Dr. Price, which occurred October 25th, 1893, was a
great blow to Livingstone. Its friends within and without were
thrown into a state of anxiety for its future. But many believed
that Price's work was accomplished when he demonstrated to the
world his practical production of his great lecture, "Negro Capabili¬
ties." When Livingstone started the world had not learned that a
college could be established and controlled entirely by Negroes.
The school is the argument and the proof. Price is gone but the
school is going on and it is doing nobly and well its part in swelling
the stream of workers for God and humanity.—The A. M. K Zion
Quarterly Review.
21
322
afro-american encyclopaedia.
f-^HE work of founding Fisk University was begun in October,
£ 1865; the Fisk School was opened January 6, 1866. It was
founded and is still fostered by the American Missionary As¬
sociation of New York City. The University has just held its thir¬
tieth annual commencement. The educational work was begun with
a race just emancipated by our great civil war and the first depart¬
ment established was the common English. There have since been
organized the following departments: College preparatory, normal,
college and theological. The University also has a department of
music, which, during the past year, has had 116 pupils. Depart¬
ments of medicine and law will be established in due time. In the
Industrial Department, printing, carpenter work, plain sewing,
dress making, cooking and nursing are taught. The average attend¬
ance during the past five years has exceeded five hundred.
Equipment.
The University campus contains thirty-five acres, most favorably
located for beauty and health, one mile and a quarter in a straight
line northwest of the State House. The property of the University
is valued at $350,000. The accompanying pictures of the four prin¬
cipal buildings will convey a more vivid impression of their size and
architectural beauty than any description can do.
Jubilee Hall.
This is the "Home" for young women and for the female teachers.
It is surrounded by eight acres of land, beautifully ornamentd by
trees and shrubbery. This building was erected with funds earned
by the famous Jubilee Singers, who left the University October 6,
1871, under the leadership of Mr. George L. "White, Treasurer.
They spent seven years of continuous labor in the United States,
Great Britain and Ireland, Holland, Germany and Switzerland.
324
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Livingstone Missionary Hall.
This building was erected, principally, through, the gift of $60,000
by Mrs. Valeria G. Stone, of Maiden, Mass. It is the "Home" for
young men, but the first two stories are now used for chapel, library
and recitation rooms. When the great recitation hall is erected on
the central square midway between Jubilee Hall and Livingstone
Hall, the entire work of instruction will be transferred from Livings¬
tone Hall.
Fisk Memorial Chapel.
This chapel was secured through the legacy of $25,000 in railroad
bonds left the University by Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, which netted with
interest nearly $30,000. This Memorial Chapel gives a perfect audi¬
ence room for one thousand persons in the regular seats.
Theological Hall.
The cost of this handsome building was about $25,000. The money
was furnished partly by the band of Jubilee Singers, which pleaded
for it during the fall and winter of 1890-91, and partly by the Amer¬
ican Missionary Association.
The Gymnasium and Shop.
Fisk University was the first institution for colored youth to es¬
tablish a gymnasium for the physical training of students. The
main floor of this building is devoted to this purpose and the base¬
ment is a large and well-equipped shop for instruction in wood
working.
Apparatus and Museum.
The University has made a good beginning in securing the neces¬
sary apparatus for instruction in the various branches of natural
science. Laboratory work in elementary chemistry and mineralogy
is now systemized and established. The museum contains a well-
arranged collection of over three thousand specimens in natural
history, geology, mineralogy and ethnology.
Library and Reading Room.
The library now contains 5,227 bound volumes and a large number
of pamphlets. The reading room is an adjunct of the library and
this year has been provided with twenty-five of the best periodicals
and thirty-five newspapers.
Livingstone Missionary Hali*.
326
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Aims.
Fisk University aims to be a great center of the best Christian
educational forces for the training of colored youth. During the
thirty years since its founding, the faculty and trustees have held
unfalteringly to this purpose and all plans have been laid for provid¬
ing the best possible advatages for the "Higher Education." The
University in all its methods seeks to develop character and to give
its students a thorough preparation for the practical duties of life.
The Alumni.
The Alumni are making a record of useful services to which Fisk
points with pride as ample vindication of the wisdom of founding a
University for the Negroes of the South in the very dawn of their
freedom. Christian education accomplishes the same beneficent
results in the case of the Negro that it does in the case of other
races. College and university education are a vital necessity to the
study and permanent advance of any race or class of humanity.
Rev. E. M. Cravath, D.D., President.
Rev. A. K. S pence, M.A., Dean.
Rev. E. C. Stickel, M.A., Treasurer.
fipEV. E. AliEXariDElS, Memphis, Tenn. The subject
of this sketch was born of slave parents in Princeton, Ky., on
C Jan. 31, 1853, was transferred by sale to Mississippi where he
remained until the breaking out of the war, when he, with his
parents, ran away to Memphis, remaining in Memphis until after
the war; he then attended school at Nashville where he graduated in
the Normal class in 1876; he was then elected Principal of the Mason
Preparatory School where he spent fourteen successful years as the
principal of that school. Many of the young men are now in profes¬
sional life in this and other cities. He is now the present Pastor of *
Centenary M. E. Church.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
327
The Gymnasium and Shop.
328
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
HISTORY OF LANE COLLEGE.
ANE COLLEGE was founded by the Colored Methodist Episco¬
pal Church in America, and is still under its fostering care.
In November, 1878, in a session of the Tennessee Annual Con¬
ference, in Capers Chapel, at Nashville, the project was begun by a
resolution offered by Rev. J. K. Daniels. The Conference appointed
a committee to solicit means for purchasing ground. Rev. C. H. Lee,
J. H. Ridley, Sandy Rivers, Berry Smith and J. K. Daniels constitu¬
ted the committee. Owing to the great epidemic of 1878 the commit¬
tee did not do much. But notwithstanding hindrances when the Con¬
ference met in 1879, with the scanty means collected it was decided
to purchase a lot at Jackson, Tenn. Four acres were purchased
January 15, 1880 for $240. After the lot was purchased renewed ef¬
forts were made to obtain the building. Through the united efforts
ahd great energy of Bishop Isaac Lane and others the means were
secured, the building was erected in 1882 and the school began under
the title of the High School of the C. M. E. Church.
The school began its first session in November, 1882, under Miss
Jennie Lane until January. Prof. J. H. Harper, of Jackson, finished
the unexpired term. After Prof. Harper Dr. C. H. Phillips took
charge. Meanwhile, taking into account the labors of Bishop Lane,
and supposing it would be promotive of good to the school, in two
years afterwards the school was chartered under the laws of the
State and its name changed to Lane Institute.
It is a handsome brick building. 90x66 feet, three stories, twelve
recitation rooms and a dormitory for boys, sufficient to accommodate
eighty boarders. It is our aim to open the Fall Session in the new
building; but it will take at least $2,500 to finish and furnish the first
two stories. Bishop Lane has been in the field for several years
soliciting aid for this noble enterprise, and has succeeded far beyond
the most sanguine expectation of its friends, and has collected more
than $8,000. The untiring efforts of Bishop Lane to permanently
establish this institution of learning are worthy of commendation.
We humbly appeal to the friends of education everywhere to help
us in this our time of need. May the contribution" to this noble
330
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
cause be transformed into a lasting memorial that shall be a blessing
to the youth of this country for generations to come.
The Normal Department is designed to give such instruction in
the methods of teaching as will fit students for the practical duties
of teachers, and they will be expected to teach as soon as they are
proficiently qualified. Students in the most advanced classes are
allowed to teach in the college, in order that they may obtain such
practice in hearing, drilling and handling classes as will assist in
making them successful teachers when they will have completed their
•course.
Recognizing the fact that the mind is often cultivated at the ex¬
pense of the body, and that trades are mediums through which young
men may obtain occupation, giving them a capital to fall back on
should they fail to make practical what they have learned from books,
industrial features are added. Owing to scarcity of means, little
has been done in that direction. Girls will be given lessons in needle:
work, cutting, sewing and cooking. Young men will be given les¬
sons in elements of gardening and carpentry. An experienced
teacher will have charge of each department. Efforts are being
made to secure a printing press, which will be of untold value to all.
It is the purpose of the Theological Department to give theo¬
logical instructions to young men who are preparing for the minis¬
try, and to furnish to the church ministers learned in the Scriptures,
sound in doctrine, pure in heart, fervent in spirit, abounding in good
works, and ready to go to any field of labor to which the church may
call them. Any student completing this course, who has completed
the normal course, or its equivalent will receive a diploma in testi¬
mony of the fact.
The Boarding Hall for young ladies joins 'the school building, and
is convenient, comfortable, and well furnished. It is our purpose to
make the boarding department a, pleasant home, with all the protec¬
tion and advantage of a well-arranged household.
Special instructions are given on moral, social, and religious sub¬
jects. Prayerful attention is given to the cultivation and develop¬
ment of the mental and moral powers, and the formulation of superb
habits.
All boarders are required to board in the building, unless there are
special reasons for boarding elsewhere. In every case the consent
of the President is repuired. All boarders in the hall are required
to work one hour per day, and to comply with the rules and regula-
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 331
tions of the boarding department. To pupils boarding on the
grounds, $7.50 per month for board, tuition $1.00.
Rev. I. H. Anderson .has charge of the boarding department for
young men. With him they are safe, and in the midst of a healthy
Christian influence. Many young men who are not able to pay their
board may secure it by working morning and evening in the city.
The Intermediate Department is established for those who have
finished the Primary and Elementary English branches, thus prepar¬
ing them to meet the educational wants of the people among whom
they must figure prominently as educators.
No extravagance in dress will be allowed in the school. All par¬
ents will please see that their girls come provided with plain, sub¬
stantial clothing.
Vocal music is required in all departments, and voice culture in
music classes and elocutionary drill, with pure tone and breath¬
ing exercises receive due attention.
Instrumental music on organ or piano will be provided for and
special attention is called to this important branch of music. For
this we have a skillful intrumentalist. Vocal music is given free.
For instrumental music a reasonable charge is made.
Methods of Instruction.—Recognizing the fact that the memory
is an important faculty and should be properly cultivated, the mere
memorizing of lessons is discouraged. The pupils are required to
understand their studies; to give in their own language the sub¬
stance of the author, and original explanations and illustrations. It
is not deemed sufficient for a pupil to recite, ever so readily, rules
and definitions; he must understand the principles involved and
their proper application. Nor is it sufficient that a pupil can merely
solve a problem or an example according to some definite rule; he
must be able to analyze it, to give the reason for every step in the
process, and to demonstrate the correctness of the rule itself. In
the study of language, special attention is paid to parsing, analyzing
and the derivation of words. The main object is to train the pupil to
think closely, correctly and quickly.
A Literary Society, conducted by the pupils, has been formed,
which adds greatly to the discipline in speaking, writing and par¬
liamentary usages, so necessary in the practical duties of life.
Through the influence of Rev. J. B. McFerrin, D.D., of Nashville,
Tenn., the institution secured a^large number of books. A library
was organized and called McFerrin Library, in honor of him who
332 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA. .
himself largely contributed and solicited others. The library has
received literary contributions from friends almost constantly
since its organization. It is yet small, containing not more than
1,200 volumes. In this collection, though comparatively small, are
valuable religious, scientific, historical, and literary works. Con¬
stant additions are being made by friends favoring right education.
DUTY OF THE HOUR.
BY MRS. JULIA A. HOOKS.
HERE is resting upon all mankind a moral obligation, the highest
law known by which they are mutually bound to render unto
others, each in his own particular sphere, that assistance neces¬
sary to fulfill all that is required of them at the hands of the great
Creator. This duty is imperative, and nothing can excuse human
beings from its performance. A failure to do this duty, this moral
duty, is to, fall short of the principal act in life's wonderful drama,
the act which alone can bring to men and women the greatest of all
returns—the consciousness of knowing that they have at least obeyed
the teachings of the Golden Rule.
Think, the Negroes of the South have but emerged from the dark¬
ness of -slavery, ignorance, and superstition, from which they have
had to struggle hard and long, and it must be acknowledged by
thoughtful people that the struggle has not been in vain. Ah!
Great and glorious Southland! Thou art the country to which kind
Providence directed the Dutch to locate this wonderous African race.
We cherish thy name in recognition of the sorrow commingled with
joy borne and enjoyed by our mothers. In thy pleasant valleys rest
alike the hoary frost and the sweet dews of morning, the piteous and
gentle recollections of our early life. Around thy hills and mount¬
ains, by thy rivers and streams, and on thy bluffs like gathering
clouds and floating mists, cling the mighty memories of the terrible
struggles of our grandmothers, and far away in the horizon of the
past gleam like thy own strong lights the awful virtues of our grand-
sires. A thousand sad and fond associations throng upon us rousing
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
333
us by the spirit of the age to duty. This retrospection should not
make us forget the duty we owe to the present. We exult in the re¬
flection that, though we count by thousands the miles which separate
us from the birthplace of many of our ancestors, still our country is
the same. America is our home. The Southland, the most beautiful
part of this great Republic, is the native home of the greatest num¬
ber of our race. Here floats the same banner, with its many stripes
and stars, the same which has rustled above our heads for many
years, differing only in the fact that its many folds are wider, its
glittering stars have increased in number ; and though once we could
only look in anguish and sorrow upon it as it waved gently above us,
we can now look upon its beautiful colors as free American citizens.
The daughters of the South are found now in nearly every State of
our broad Republic, in the East, the North, and in the unbounded
"West, their blood mingling freely with every kindred current. They
have but changed their rooms in this earthly mansion, yet in all its
rooms they are at home, and all who inhabit them are their kindred,
for of "one blood hath all nations been made."
As free American citizens, it is our bounden duty to help in every¬
thing that will redound to the glory and greatness of America.
We have no great reason to be discouraged, cast down, nor hopeless
about our future, because of the many unfavorable happenings; we
must not expect to be entirely free from the struggles necessary to
be encountered to reach true greatness. It is our duty to use every
possible and legitimate effort to avert dangers and troubles. We
are earnestly persuaded to believe that the brightness of the future
glory of the Negro of America is heightened by the darkness of the
present clouds. All our sad experiences exhort us to proceed and
inspire us with animating hopes of success, should we seek to "lay
the foundation well."
Character building is to be considered the''Duty of the Hour."
Some people argue that this work belongs to the home, but in how
many homes do we find it neglected on account of ignorance. True,
the training of the child is declared to be woman's special work at
home, but few of our mothers know just how to do the right kind of
training; and many do not even care if they do not know. It is pain¬
ful to see how some mothers undertake the training of their children.
They grope blindly among the complex mind and heart machinery
under their charge, touching here and there a spring with a careless
and uncertain hand, finding often too late that they have undertaken
334
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
to control the most powerful of creative forces, the human will, pas¬
sions and propensities, not having the secret of power. They love
their children, but love without knowledge is a mighty force working
at random, hurting very often where it would heal, destroying often¬
times where it would save. Whether we consider the mothers of
wealth, or the mothers of the poorer classes of children, everywhere
do we find pressure, and the hindrance of circumstance, and a lack
of parental responsibility; and down among the slums where abject
ignorance, careless indifference and depravity hold sway, surely no
character building that will benefit the child, home cr State can be
looked for there.
Again the children of the more enlightened and respectable
classes with their many views, ideas and "curious notions" of what
constitutes " superority," actuated by worldly ambition and moral
prejudice, and the children of the poor, ignorant and "repulsively
vicious" classes in their badly developed, their blighted and almost
hopeless condition, what of them? Have we ever stopped to consider
that these boys and girls will soon be men and women ? Have we
stopped to think that these men, and perhaps women, will soon be
the rulers of the State, indeed they will be the State? During their
youth they were largely in her power, a few years hence and the
State will be in their power. "Wisdom says and it is policy that the
State should take the advantage of giving her subjects the proper
training at the proper time. She should train the mind while it is
capable of being easily trained. No need to argue about home train¬
ing, that cannot be relied upon for securing a saving kind of citizen¬
ship, neither can this ever be the case until the young shall have
been educated with some special reference to their parental vocation.
Admit though, for the sake of argument, that home is the place for
moral training, character building, so essential to the salvation of
the State, do we not find in the majority of homes a thoughtless,
careless, foolish, forceless, aimless, ignorant and injudicious parent¬
age? And in view of the abject, degraded and vicious parentage it
must be acknowledged that this home work must and needs be sup¬
plemented by earnest and thoughtful, careful and intelligent en¬
deavors on the part of the State. Justice demands that strength
and nobility of character can only be secured by well-directed ef¬
forts in the schools where the masses must be educated. Justice
says that it is better far to treble the school tax and legislate for
compulsory education and inculcate good moral principles in the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
335
minds of the young, than to deprive them of the advantages of the
necessary training.
Think of the State permitting its children to remain on the streets
daily, and then in turn taxing itself to support them in idleness in
its jails and penitentiaries and almshouses. Wisdom requires the
State to look around and see about the condition of her subjects,
for if she punishes them for going astray, justice demands that she
set their feet surely in the right path at the right time that they may
keep from going astray. Every child has the possibilities of becom¬
ing either a blessing or a curse to the State. Wisdom demands that
its little body and limbs, and its little mind and heart be trained
aright. The germs entrusted to the care of the public or common
school should be nourished well. The plants set out in this garden
of a progressive age should be carefully nurtured, should be rightly
pruned. Not one little germ should be neglected and left to grow
up and become a useless plant, nor a noxious weed, in the great
garden. It is the duty of the State to see that her subjects grow up
with noble characters. It is her fault, and she alone must bear the
blame for every vicious act, for every diabolical crime done and per¬
petrated within her borders if she neglect this duty. Does she
blame herself for unsatisfactory harvest from her own poor spring
planting? Not at all. She visits her displeasure upon the wrong—
doer oftentimes by crowding her jails and filling up her prisons. She
sends forth oftentimes her own ill-trained, commissioned officials to
seize her poor, ignorant and pitiless erring ones and places them
oftentimes in the charge and keeping of depraved and vicious men
who have not themselves been taught not to err. She denounces
and punishes the poorest and most ignorant ones for not proving to be
worthy subjects, through sentences pronounced oftentimes from the
lips of men who themselves have not been properly taught honesty,
truth, and integrity. Think—how did the State prepare her way¬
ward subjects to battle with the conflicts of life? How did she pre¬
pare the child to resist the temptations of the evil one? How did
she commission her officers ? What were the instructions and obliga¬
tions given and made by her officials ? The few schools she bade the
poor criminals attend, gave no moral training. Oftentimes they were
taught, or rather encouraged to outrival and outshine others; they
were taught to bomid every country on the globe and tell about the
inhabitants of foreign countries, but were not taught the duty they
owe to themselves and their neighbor.
336
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
, Indeed, while we have reason to be proud of our public schools,
yet we would that the system was so changed as to embrace some¬
thing that will make the children good as well as "smart and quick."
All the sciences are taught; yes, intellectual requirements are con¬
sidered, but the more and equally important thing is neglected.
Goodness is not in demand. That moral obligation which every
human being should know is neglected.
The State has problems confronting her which are indeed hard of
solution. What shall be done with the poor criminal? And now as
she points to the gloomy and badly managed prison jails she moves
the sad condition of her citizens. She weeps over the youths who
are daily being driven to her crowded cells. The inmates of the
prison say, "Our homes were the abode of vice and crime and we
are here shut up and confined within the walls where vice and crime
are also nourished and tolerated." Think of it, poor women, poor,
black women, in prison for crime and then being allowed or perhaps
forced to continue in depravity oftentimes worse than the crime for
which they are sent to pay penalty. "What will be the future of such
characters? The State knew the evil passions were strong within
and yet took very little if any pains to help restrain them at the
proper time. Thus we see the State striving to save herself by
means which do not and cannot save; "using her resources to main¬
tain a scrowling avenger at the end of the wrong path, instead of
rearing up a smiling guide at the beginning of the "right path."
The Negro of the South must still look to her with a sense of
gratitude for the good she has done, and with a sense of shame and
disgust upon what she has not done. The Negro is one of the in¬
dividuals who help to compose the State, and it is his duty to help
save the State from further disgrace and shame. He mnst be found
asking, nay, pleading with the authorities whose duty it is to listen
to the- prayers and pleadings of the black man as well as the white
man to provide schools for their children and to change the system
of education so that the fundamental principles of good conduct and
self-support as well as those of the sciences are so given that a way¬
faring man, though he be running, may read and understand how to
build true character.
How beautiful the members of a community when conscience
rules, where honesty, integrity, justice and love are the foundation
stones of the nation's building. People oftentimes speak of the
compelling power of badness, seeming not to know that goodness is
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
337
equally as compelling as badness. A woman inwardly righteous is
compelled to show righteous conduct. Oh, that all our American
mothers and teachers would aim at this inward necessity rather than
at mere outward obedience, then would we find the characters of the
children growing better. Indeed by wise and judicious measures a
child can be so trained, so hedged in that to him dishonor would be
an utter impossibility. There is in every child a divine principle
awaiting development, a precious germ awaiting unfolding; duty're¬
quires that this principle be divinely developed, that this germ be
properly enfolded. "Agood shepherd leads, does not drive; a good
mother, a good teacher chides often, lashes seldom or never."
To combat evil by scoldings, by threatenings, by anger or by the
most cruel and brutal relic of barbarism, "blows," is but a true con¬
fession of incapacity to train the child. Meeting badness with bad¬
ness can never make goodness. The State owes to every citizen a
proper and true education. I repeat, a character is not only the sav¬
ing but the controlling element as well, it is proper and necessary,
it is the duty of the hour that moral problems are instilled into the
minds of the youths as well as mathematical ones. Whatever the
pupil may have either of influence or opportunity, of talent or
capability, the uses made of these depend on the kind of person he is
and the State should secure the very best kind of citizens. The
chief factor of an advancing civilization is a sound system of instruc¬
tion which every child, no matter his color or nationality, may re¬
ceive. Great distress and burdens have been brought upon our State
by this sore neglect; so it follows that the greatest duty of all citi¬
zens and especially of those who are chosen by the people to carry
forward the business of the State to bring their very best powers
and their highest intelligence into the noble service of perfecting the
very best educational system and methods which shall be of a four¬
fold nature, head, hand, heart, mind, both public and private, both
primary and advanced. It must be borne in mind that we are not
now considering the practicability of accomplishing this character
work under the present school system of a number of our States
South, but of its being done at all. It is the duty of every genera¬
tion to think and to act in advance of the preceding one; otherwise
there can be no progression. The question is not then shall the
present system endure, but does it effect in the human mind that de¬
velopment of the highest and truest which alone can be called educa¬
tion? And we may add will the present system and methods of the
22
338
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
education of the Negro youths of the Southland, which is so very dif¬
ferent from that of the white youths, benefit the next generation?
Indeed can the Southern States be saved from error and crime,
from disgrace and shame, by the negligence in the proper education
of hand, head, heart and mind? As character influences character
children must be accustomed to a high moral atmosphere. They
must be fed upon nobleness. The Negro race and although of mixed
blood, we like the term Negro, (spelled of course with one g, no i)
race of America, more especially of the Southland because of our
numerical strength, need to be thoroughly aroused not only to the
necessities of character building, but also as to the means of perfect¬
ing a better system of education, compulsory and universal. The
scarce, weak, slothful and indifferent manner of parents concerning
the true education of their children is distressing to us as civilized
and free people. Parents, teachers and leaders in all conditions of
life need a constant, strong and attractive stream of educational lit¬
erature which embodies argument, thought, emotion and appeal from
the brightest minds and ablest pens, such as may move, excite and
elevate kindred minds to action; such as stir men and move them to
greatness of character. We are encouraged in the expectation of
being enabled to awaken a sense of duty in the educators of the
South as shall bring about a consummation thus devoutly wished for,
and though we have lingered somewhat behind the great progressive
movements in the physical world until we are confronted with seri¬
ous perils, indeed until the "Crisis" has been reached which threat¬
ens to destroy our civilization and bring about that prophetic catas¬
trophe depicted of "nations which contined in sin and abomination,"
we are awakened and will arise to duty, seeking* to aid the next gen¬
eration to better civilization and worth of character.
" 111 fares the land to hastening- ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men decay."
We have awakened to the awful responsibility resting upon us as
to the nation's needs. Let us as loyal, patriotic citizens of the South
unite in an effort to assist as far as our humble ability may serve to
aid the good, the great, and chivalric men of the South to awaken to
their responsibility towards its patient and humble citizens, and let
us earnestly Seek their aid in helping to correct this fatal tendency
downward; let us all engage in clinging to that sheet anchor of our
hope as a people, the intellectual, industrial, and especially moral de¬
velopment of the masses of our race to the full extent of our powers.
THOUGHSTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF LHE RACE.
339
May heaven grant us aid as loving and devoted parents, honored
teachers, and leaders that we may live aright; fill our places well,
and seek faithfully to bring to the front true womanhood that will not
make any nation ashamed ; honest, reliable, and industrious manhood
that will not disgrace civilization. Let us make it the duty of the hour
to garnish with art, strengthen with acquirement, and elevate with
eloquence and good character, the great and transcendent theme
which commands so many true and willing votaries throughout the
whole dominion of the civilized world, which, by the grace of our
great Creator, can marshal in its defense a mightier and more invinc¬
ible host than has ever responded to Crusaders' rally cry. All hail
the auspicious day when the dark sons and daughters of the South
shall arise to conquer wrong!
'' He who would cure must first cure himself.''
"Peace on earth good will towards mankind."
AMERICANISMS PERTANING TO AFRO-
AMERICANS.
BY J. R. BARTLETT.
FOUND IN HIS DICTIONARY OF AMERICANISMS.
Africanize.—To place under Negro domination.
Africanization.—The act of placing under Negro domination. This
and the preceding are words of recent introduction by Southern po¬
litical writers.
Anti-Negro.—Hostility to Negroes.
Anti-Slavery.—Hostile to slavery.
Anti-Slavery ist.—An opposer to slavery.
Colored.—A term applied to persons who have Negro blood in their
veins. They are called "people of color," "colored people."
Contrabands.—Negro slaves,-first so called by General B. F. But¬
ler, and treated as Contraband of War. The history of the applica¬
tion of the term is as follows: The establishment of a military post
by General Butler at Newport News, on the 22nd of May, 1861, threw
the white inhabitants of Hampton into such alarm that most of them
340
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
prepared for flight, and many left their homes the same night. "In
the confusion, three Negroes escaped, and making their way across
the bridges, gave themselves up to a Union picket, saying their mas¬
ter was about to send them to North Carolina to work upon rebel for¬
tifications. They were brought to Fortress Monroe, and the circum¬
stance was reported to the General in the morning. He questioned
each of them separately, and the truth of their story became mani¬
fest. He needed laborers. He was aware that the rebel batteries
that were rising around him were the work chiefly of slaves, without
whose assistance they could not have been erected in time to give
him trouble. He wished to keep these men. The garrison wished
them kept. . . . Here it was he pronounced the electric words:
'These men are Contraband of Wa/r. Set them at work.' "—Partin.
Da/rkey.—A common term for a Negro.
I wish de legislatur would set dis darkie free,
Oh ! what a happy place den de darkie land would be.
We'd have a darkie parliament,
An' darkie codes of law,
An' darkie judges on de bench,
Darkie barristers and aw.—Ethiopian Melodies (1848).
Dixie, Dixie Land.—An ideal paradise in the Southern States. In
a small volume entitled Bryant's "Songs from Dixie's Land," is the
following note on the origin of the term of Dixie's Land'. "In the
popular mythology of New York City, Dixie was the Negro's paradise
on earth in times when slavery and slave trade were flourishing in
that quarter. Dixie owned a tract of land on Manhattan Island, and
also a large number of slaves; and his slaves increasing faster than
his land, an emigration ensued, such as has taken place in Virginia
and other States. Naturally, the Negroes who left it for distant
parts, looked to it as a place of unalloyed happiness, and it was the
'Old Yirginny' of £he Negroes of that day. Hence Dixie became
synnonymous with an ideal locality, combining ineffable happiness
and every imaginable requisite of earthly beatitude."
The sweetest, the happiest place on earth
Is Dixie, sweet Dixie, the land of my birth.
I wish I was in de land of cotton,
'Simmon seed and sandy bottom—
Chorus.—Look away—look away—Dixie Land.
In Dixie's Land whar I was born in,
Early on one frosty mornin',
Chorus.—Look away—look away—Dixie Land.
—Negro Melodies, Dixie Land.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
341
Free States.—Those States in which Negro slavery does not exist.
Equal and exact justice to both slave and free States is the only
ground upon which the Southern States can maintain their claim to
equal rights in the Federal Union.—Richmond Inquirer, Aug., 1858.
Maroon.—The name given to revolted Negroes in the West Indies
and some parts of South America. The appellation is supposed to be
derived from Marony, a river separating Dutch and French Guiana,
where large numbers of these fugitives resided. In many cases, by
taking to the forests and mountains, they have rendered themselves
formidable to the colonies and sustained a long and brave resistance
against the whites. When Jamaica was conquered by the English in
1655, about fifteen hundred slaves retreated to the mountains, and
were called Maroons. They continued to harass the island until the
• end of the last century, when they were reduced by the aid of blood¬
hounds.—Encycl. Americana.
Marooner.—A runaway slave; a maroon.
Mulatto.—See Negro.
Negro.—The various grades of the colored people in Louisiana are
designated by the French as follows, according to the greater or less
predominance of Negro blood :
Mulatto, one-half black, white and Negro; Quarteron (Quadroon),
one-fourth black, white and mulatto; Metis, or Metif, one-eighth
black, white and quarteron; Meamelouc, one-sixteenth black, white
and metis; Demi-meamelouc, one-thirty-second black, white andmeane-
louc; Sang-mele, one-sixty-fourth black, white and demi-meamelouc;
Griffe, three-fourths black, Negro and mulatto; Marabou, five-
eighths black, mulatto and griffe; Sacatra, seven-eighths black, griffe
and Negro. All these varieties exist in New Orleans, and experts
pretend to be able to distinguish them.
Negro- Catcher.—Men engaged during the civil war in catching and
stealing Negro slaves.
Negro- Cloth.—A light cloth made of cotton and wool, expressly for
the clothing of colored people.
Negro-Corn.—The Indian millet or durra; so called in the West
Indies.
Negro-Driver.—A person who conducts coffl.es of slaves; an over¬
seer of slaves.
Negro-Fellow.—A black man.
Negro-Hate.—Aversion to Negroes.
342
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Negro-Head.—Tobacco prepared by softening with molasses, and
then pressing it into cakes.
Negro-Hound.—A hound formerly used in hunting fugitive slaves.
Negro-Minstrels.—Negro musicians, or more frequently white men
who blacken their hands and faces, and assuming the manners of the
Negroes of the Southern plantations, go about singing Negro songs
and playing upon the banjo and "bones." There is much melody in
their music, while their humorous parodies on popular songs, their
manner of singing and their jokes render their entertainments popu¬
lar among all classes.
Negro- Worshiper.—An opposer of slavery; an abolitionist.
Nigger.—The vulgar pronunciation of the word Negro.
Peculiar Institution.—Negro slavery, so called as being peculiar to
the Southern States. The dangers which at present threaten the
peculiar domestic institutions of the South make it necessary that all
strangers from the North should be examined and their business as¬
certained.—South Ca/rolina Gazette.
Pro-Slavery.—In favor of slavery. An expression much used by
political speakers and writers, and but recentlv inserted in the dic¬
tionaries.
Quadroon.—See Negro.
Sambo.—A term often applied to Negroes. Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stowe says: "No race has ever shown such capabilities of adapta¬
tion to varying soil and circumstances as the Negro. Alike to them
the snows of Canada, the rocky land of New England or the gorgeous
profusion of the Southern States. Sambo and Cuffey expand under
them all."
Slave-Breeder.—A breeder of slaves. Formerly slaves were raised
in Virginia and North Carolina, to be sold to planters farther South,
where they were in demand, and hence commanded a higher price.
Slave- Code.—A body or digest of laws relating to slaves or slavery.
Slave-Dealer.—A slave-trader.
Slave-Driver.—A Negro driver, a subordinate overseer of slaves on
a plantation.
Slave-Hunt.—During slavery times, a hunt after runaway slaves,
often with the aid of bloodhounds.
Have ye head of our hunting-, o'er mountain and glen,
Through cane brake and forest, the hunting of men ?—Whittier.
Slave-Labor.—The labor of slaves.
Slave-Liberator.—A person who liberates or frees a slave.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 343
Slave-Lord.—A man made arrogant and imperious by slave-holding*.
Slave- Owner.—A slave-holder.
Slave-Pen.—A place for confining slaves.
Slave-Power.—The political power of slave-holders; the body of
slave-holders.
Slaver.—A vessel engaged in the slave-trade.— Webster.
Slave- Ship.—A ship employed in the slave-trade.— Webster.
Slave-State.—A State in which Negro slavery exists.
IUCBIB® "ftvc.rv rr f fs>,
HE name applied to a remarkable migration of freedmen from
the Southern States of America, in the beginning of 1879, and
through that and the succeeding year. On April 7th, in the
year named, a memorial reached Washington, signed by many of the
most influential citizens of St. Louis, Mo., including ex-senators and
ex-representatives in Congress, the mayor of the city, an ex-minister
to Liberia, and others without distinction of party, setting forth the
following facts: That during the two weeks preceding April 7, there
had arrived by steamboat at St. Louis, having come up the Missis¬
sippi River, chiefly from the States of Louisiana and Mississippi, as
many as 2,000 Negroes, including men and women, old and young,
with many of their children. That this multitude expressed an
eager desire to reach Kansas; and without exception, so far as could
be learned, refused all overtures or inducements to return South,
even if their passage back was paid for them. That the condition of
the great majority of them was that of absolute poverty; they being
clothed for the most part in thin and ragged garments, and sup¬
ported during their stay in St. Louis partly by public and partly by
private charity. The older ones in this migration had been formerly
slaves in the South; all related the same story as to the causes of
their departure from their homes—great privation and want from
excessive rent exacted for land ; murder of their colored neighbors,
and personal violence threatened against themselves. The memorial
was accompanied by affidavits given by the Negroes, relating in¬
stances of political and other assassinations, and other cases of per¬
sonal violence and outrage. This migration continued to flow
344
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
steadily northward, and the colored people already living in Missouri
and Kansas were embarrassed by the. necessity imposed upon them
of affording assistance to the emigrants, in which they were compar¬
atively little aided by the white population of the North, although
earnest calls by the press and by public speakers were" made in all
directions. By the middle of April it was publicly alleged that cer¬
tain counties in Mississippi, and some river parishes in Louisiana,
were being depopulated so far as the Negroes were concerned; also
from interior points numbers had fled to St. Louis by rail. It ap¬
peared, on investigation, that this movement had been a matter of
discussion among the Negroes of the Gulf States during several
years, but the simultaneous character of the migration was not ex¬
plicable on any general theory. Nor was the reason for selecting
Kansas as the concluding point made clear. The climate of that
State was so severe in the early spring that great suffering occurred
among those who reached it; but neither this fact, nor the stories of
hardships and dangers which were industriously circulated by those
interested in opposing the movement, appeared to have the slightest
effect in retarding it. It was alleged that local associations had been
formed in the Southern States for the purpose of encouraging mi¬
gration northward. There was, however, no evidence of any united
action by such associations.. It was alleged also that the movement
had been devised and executed partly in the interest of certain Kan¬
sas land speculators, and partly by railroad companies. Mass meet¬
ings of colored people were held in New Orleans, Vicksburg and
other Southern cities, during the spring of 1879, for the purpose of
encouraging the Negro migration; while meetings of planters and
others employing Negro labor were convened, at which the dissatis¬
fied Negroes were invited to state their grievances, with a view
to redress if practicable. A colored convention assembled at Nash¬
ville, Tenn., on May 7, at which delegates were present from Ala¬
bama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
and Tennessee.
The whole subject of the condition of the Negro race in the South
since the act of emancipation was considered in a report Avhich was
offered and adopted, and a plan to improve this condition was
submitted:
"Resolved, That it is the sense of this conference that the colored
people should emigrate to those States and Territories where they
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
345
can enjoy all the rights which are guaranteed by the Laws and Con¬
stitution of the United States, and enforced by the executive de¬
partments of such States and Territories; and we ask of the United
States an appropriation of $500,000 to aid in the removal of our peo¬
ple from the South."
By August 1, more than 7,000 needy colored refugees had arrived
in Kansas from the Southern States, and the flow continued steadily
during the summer. Public attention was diverted from it, how¬
ever, and as an occasion for popular excitement it gradually died out.
During 1880 but little was heard of the exodus, though the migration
continued, not to Kansas alone, but to the older and more thickly
settled States, and in bands of fewer members, thus avoiding
notice.—International Cyclopaedia.
LAST SALE OF SLAVES-
AS RECORDED BY THE CLERK OF THE SALE.,
f*IHE death of a gentleman in this city three weeks ago has recalled
f the last slave auction in the South in 1859. This gentleman
was the clerk of the sale, and he wrote as a memento an elabo¬
rate and circumstantial account of the two days' proceedings, and
this he did secretly, so intense was the desire of the managers to
prevent any reports getting to the papers or to the North. The sale
was held at the race track, near Savannah, and the slaves were the
property of Pierce Butler, of Philadelphia. His family name was
Mease, but inheriting a fortune in land and slaves from his grand¬
father, Major Pierce Butler, of South Carolina, he changed his name.
He very generously shared the fortune with his brother John, who,
after service in the Mexican war, died about 1850. Mr. Butler was
an inveterate and most unlucky card player, and spent most of his
time in Joe Hall's rooms, Eighth above Sansom, then the most fash¬
ionable and exclusive card saloon in the city. Hall was, despite his
profession, much respected and liked. He died a few years ago, a
poor Methodist minister, on the Eastern shore. It was in Hall's
place that Mr. Butler made the losses that forced him to sell his
slaves. It is said that on one occasion he held four deuces, and pro-
346
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
ceeded to bet in a fashion that made Hall remonstrate, but Butler
laughed at him. With $26,000 up the game was called, and Hall held
four kings.
Butler inherited the beautiful old mansion, now the site of the
Sharpless Building, Eighth and Chestnut streets, Philadelphia, and
this he was forced to sell, and, in 1859, his creditors began to press
for their money, and his agent, Charles Munford, conveyancer of this
city, went to Georgia to arrange the sale of his slaves. It was a
cheerless day in October, 1859, when there came trooping into the
raceground 988 slaves, divided into groups representing families.
At the head of that procession were a withered man and woman, bent
almost double with toil and with them a giant, their only son, and a
well-known blacksmith.
All were marched under the sheds, and at once began to gather
sticks for a fire. About half of them came from the rice fields of
Darien. These were pure Congo, and in many instances retained
their uncouth African language. The rest were far more intelligent
in their appearance, and were from St. Simon Island, a cotton planta¬
tion., Here and there, scattered among them were strange men with
banjos, hired by the management to stimulate cheerfulness and gay-
ety that was not, however, realized. The various groups sat silent
and apathetic, some of the women mourning with hands resting on
their knees.
The white crowd was a typical Southern one—partly slave traders,
flashing in diamond shirt pins and gaudy chains—some of them
Northerners. All of these were heavily armed, and made an osten¬
tatious show of their weapons.
There were two reporters, Thompson "Doesticks," for the New
York Tribune, and a Buckeye named Pike from the Toledo Blade.
The Tribune man was in a state of pronounced furor from the first,
and his report was poor enough, while Pike was persuaded to leave
the grounds early, as he showed a strong disposition to proclaim his
identity and fight everything in sight. There was not a single rep¬
resentative of the old planter families from the vicinity, as they
were disgusted with the whole proceedings. It was one of their tra¬
ditions that they had never sold a slave born on their plantation, ex¬
cept for persistent misconduct, and after the sale Butler found him¬
self a stranger among his former associates. And now the bell in
the grand stand rang and the crowd gathered around the portly
Major Stone, who, in a speech fluent with adjectives, praised the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
347
crowd, the "niggers" and our beloved Georgia, first among the
States—and that was business in those halcyon days. There were
429 lots of black humanity, and prices ranged from $260 up to $2,000
—this last for a first rate blacksmith, bought for an estate in the
neighborhood. Ten years later the slave was in the legislature and
the master's family lived on his bounty. The professional traders
were the largest buyers, Colonel Pate, of Vicksburg, taking 220. It
was announced from the first that no division of families would be
permitted, and this made the sale less profitable, as many of the
members were old or infirm, and to get the good ones purchasers
had to take others less desirable. It took two days to make a finish,
and the proceeds amounted to $303,850. The second day brought in
a wind from the sea and cold fog that swept in waves over the
grounds. The slaves huddled about the fires, cooking their bacon
and hoecake, and here Mr. Butler put in an appearance. From a bag
carried by a servant he gave one of his old servants $1 in bright
quarters, and of this the Tribune made much scornful pleasantry.
After all was said in denunciation of the sale the fact remained that
it was necessary on Butler's part; his creditors ordered it, and one
of the most vigorous people in enforcing his claim was a Philadel
phia gentleman who was a leading and oratorical abolitionist.
Out of the sale of one of the groups arose a series of tragedies
that fitly illustrated the tendencies of slave trading. Most of the
men in the business were fighters. They knew they were despised
and avoided by gentlemen, and so exacted a certain amount of res¬
pect socially by their readiness to resent an insult. Tom Pate, a
well known Vicksburg trader, bought at the sale a man, his two sis¬
ters and wife with the guarantee that they should not be separated.
Disregarding this Pate sold the sisters, one to Pat Somers, a brother
trader, and the other to a resident of St. Louis. What legal rights
a slave had in the South were well protected. Somers was told of
the guarantee and sent the girl back to Pate and demanded his
money. A quarrel was the result and Somers was shot dead. Ten
days later his nephew killed Pate and died from wounds received.
The fued was kept up until every male bearing the name Pate was
wiped out, and the war liberated the sisters who were alive in St.
Louis in 1887.—Phialdel/phia Press.
348
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
HE MUST SOLVE HIS OWN PROBLEM.
BY OBADIAH ADAMS.
§ENSIBLE of the fact that we are not a prophet, or even given to,
occasionally, having prophetic visions, we feel safe in making
the prediction that it will be many years yet before the Negro
will cease harping upon what has been called his own problem. The
world has formed so many bad opinions of him, and so many of his
so-called white friends, those who are in a positi6n to do him incal¬
culable good, have failed up to date to come to his rescue and plead
in his behalf, that he has decided, in order to change public senti¬
ment, tear down the barriers which retard his progress, remQye ob¬
stacles, subdue enemies, make new friends, and prove these reports
false, he must, himself, pick up his gauntlet, plead his own cause, and
fight his own battles. Others cannot and will not do so for him, as
they have as much as they can do in taking care of themselves and
guarding their own interests. If this be true, and undoubtedly it is,
the Negro has a job on his hands as tedious as it is important, and it
will take him more than a few years to emit it satisfactorily, hence
our prediction. The press is a mighty and an indispensable factor
in the accomplishment of this work, so much so that without it the
work cannot be perfected; thus its importance, which any one can see
at a glance is more than ordinary.
The Negro occupies a rather unique place in the history of the.
American nation; unique because of his past and present environ¬
ments, which were and are dissimilar to those of any other race or
nationality; and unique, more especially, because of his past and
present standing—what he once was, what he now is. We all know
the past; it speaks for itself. We know that for about two hundred
and fifty years he was considered nothing but a beast of burden; a fit
companion for the horse, mule and ox. In many instances he was
considered not human, but senseless, feelingless—the missing link be-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 349
tween the chimpanzee and man, and as such he was treated. We all
know of his opportunity for study and his advantages—how he was'
commanded, kicked about by many and made to do, under the penalty
of the lash. These were hard times, severe times, perilous times—
times when the soul of the Negro groaned beneath its burden of in¬
fliction; times when his heart grew faint and sick, and he was weary
of his longings; times when his manhood was crushed and his eyes
were closed to p. true sense of his condition. But as time rolled on
God raised up friends for the Negro, among whom may be men¬
tioned: Garrison, Lincoln, Sumner, Brown and a few others, includ¬
ing our own late, but immortal Douglass, who obtained his freedom,
to use his own words, by praying with his legs; and by their speeches
—eloquent, thrilling, forcible and denunciatory—fanned a flame of
fire into the hearts of the American people against the system of
cruel slavery, and shook the continent as if by magic. Several years
of war intervene and after the elapse, we see the platform of this
great system of tyranny and oppression toppling in upon the heads
of the once proud, arrogant and relentless former master.
A struggle, and slavery "yields up the ghost" and "dies amidst
its worshipers," and the Negro steps out on top. His freedom is
secured and he sets to work to alleviate his condition. He comes up
out of the gulf of privations and hardships "rejoicing as a strong
man to run a race," and he thus realizes the truth in the saying that
"behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining." He sets out on
his journey with patience, (though some we perceive are growing
weary) fortitude, and a spirit of aggressiveness to achieve success or
perish in the attempt. Thirty years have wrought wonders. We
have found him true to his spirit, branching out into every avocation
in life, business and professional. He has demonstrated to one and
all that he has ability—ability to legislate in the halls of congress,
edit newspapers and books, represent our country in foreign courts,
register the Federal currency and such like, as well as to clear out
farm lands, drain swamps, make roads, build harbors and perform
all other servile functions, as one.
Mr. Hawthorne, of Boston, has had the dare front to assert
through the columns of a Northern weekly that for that, and that
alone, was the Negro mentally and physically fitted.
However, without regard to what has been or may be said by race-
haters, the present status of the Negro is quite different, alarmingly
so, to what they or anybody else expected. No one ever dreamed
350
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
twenty-five or thirty years ago that the race would have advanced so
rapidly in such a short length of time, under such adverse circum¬
stances.
The march of the race towards the acquisition of wealth, education,
and character has been so steady and fruitful, that critics, proscrip-
tionists, and even the bitterest enemies have favorably criticised our
movements, stating that if placed in a like or similar condition, no
other race would have accomplished what we did.
Educationally, religiously, morally, and financially, the Negro, in
the main, is a success. Houses of worship, built on modern style,
some very costly and ornamental, and schools and universities, first-
class in every particular, dot each smiling landscape, within which
walls are taught morals and all other things necessary for race ele¬
vation.
Lynch law, as base and infamous as it was malicious in conception,
has been turned loose among the race as a wolf among sheep, and
many an innocent victim has been slain. It has tried its utmost to
check the Negro's progress, but what did the efforts avail?
Like Luther climbing the steps in the convent, the Negro, notwith¬
standing the mighty gush of blood spilt from the veins of many a
mangled corpse, and the ocean of tears flowing from the weeping
eyes of numberless mothers, fathers, and children, has continued to
clinch the steps of success as steady as he ever did, with the assur¬
ance that truth, justice and the right will ultimately triumph. Light
is bursting forth in the eastern horizon, and it looks like the sun of
equity.
Whether it be real or a fancy,we cannot as yet tell, but we do know,
that so long as God reigns, birds sing, flowers bloom, and years roll,
it will rise, and with its advent into the concave sky of duty, the
mists of lynch law, caste prejudice, murder, fraud, and proscription
will vanish before its effulgence, and we, the members of the Negro
race, will enjoy its full, bright, and invigorating beams, whether we
be at the time in America, Africa, or Mexico, as sentiment now
seems terribly divided, and we cannot predict with any degree of cer¬
tainty our future destiny, so far as place and permanent location are
concerned.
The many different reports which we often read through the news¬
papers of this county, telling in piteous tones the hardships, misfor¬
tunes, and disappointments immigTants have met, and are constant]}''
meeting with in Mexico, plainly evinces the fact that Williams'
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 351
scheme is unsafe, and that it is not the place for us. The glowing-
reports which are brought to us by distinguished African visitors
are enough to assure us, since they are reliable, that that continent is
a very rich and inviting field for all of those who love and cherish
freedom, liberty and protection, while others are a little loath to ac¬
cept reports, even if they do come from high sources, and having no
desire to depart at any rate from their present American home, hap¬
py, jubilant, enthusiastic, sit down in the rocking-chair of content¬
ment and chant away in joyous strains:
" My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee we sing-."
Suffice it to be said, that wherever his future home may be, the
Negro is going to be a success, because in him are the elements
necessary to make him successful, viz.: grit, thrift, integrity, stabil¬
ity, and intelligence. These are they which have made him what he
is to-day, these are they which have given him success in medicine,
art, and journalism, at the bar, in the pulpit, on the platform, in the
schoolroom, and in every line he has pursued.
Genius has dealt kindly with the race, and given to it many great
men, talented and gifted, mighty giants, who could almost rend the
skies with their eloquent peals, and though the hand of fate has softly
and gently, yea, tenderly, borne away quite recently, within the last
few years, some of the brightest stars that ever graced either an
American or English platform, in the persons of Payne, Price,
Brown, Williams, Clark, Simmons, and Douglass, yet we can rejoice
to know that we have quite a number of other eminent men, who are
in every way worthy to prove their compeers, among whom are, Tur¬
ner, Fortune, Langs ton, Derrick, Morris, Washington, and others.
The present status of the Negro is such as is highly commendable.
Paying taxes upon three hundred million dollars worth of property
throughout this country, occupying offices of high trust and honor as
national gifts, educating his children, accumulating wealth, and ad¬
vancing in every line of industry, the Negro has need to congratu¬
late himself and praise his Maker for such full and free benedictions
so copiously showered upon him during* the past dark and stormy
thirty years.—The People's Advocate.
352
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
fISfiOP 1SRRC IxAfJH was born in Jackson, Madison county,
Tenn., March 3, 1834—a slave by birth. And as all slaves
were deprived of an education, but with a strong desire to learn,
he secreted his books and hid himself in order that he might have
some advantage of literature. He embraced religion, the eleventh of
September, 1854, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
October 21st, 1854, and received license to exhort in the fall of 1856,
by the quarterly conference. As the law of this country would not
allow a Negro licensed to preach, he preached with exhorting
license until 1865, and was licensed to preach by William H. Lee.
The next year was ordained deacon by Bishop Pain. The following
year was ordained elder, and appointed to the Jackson District,
where he served four years. In 1872 he was elected delegate to the
General Conference, which met in Augusta, Ga., March 19,1873. At
this conference he was elected and ordained Bishop, and has served
in the Bishopric for twenty-two years, holding from six to eight Con¬
ferences each year, a greater portion of these conferences being in
the Southern States. Seeing the great need of education in his race,
he and other ministers of his church decided and planned to erect an
institution of learning. He being the President of the Board of
Trustees, has succeeded in erecting a school (Lane College), situated
on four acres of land, which is situated at Jackson, Tenn., his home.
The work on the main building of this school was begun in 1893. He
has raised and paid out $9,000, and is in great need of $6,000 for its
completion, of which more than two hundred students are in attend¬
ance each term.
gT H, CIiIFFOHD was born at Williamsport, W. Va., Setpember 13y
m 1849. Before he had reached his majority he became proficient
# as a penman. In 1870 he went to Wheeling, where he taught a,
successful writing school. He followed this avocation in 1871, 1872
and 1873 in the State of Ohio. He graduated at Stover College at
Harper's Ferry in 1878. For ten consecutive years he was principal
of the public school of Martinsburg.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
353
354 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
SELF CULTURE.
BY S. A. WESTON, LINCOLNVILLE, S. C.
HE secret of self-culture lies in training the will to decide to the
fate of an enlightened conscience. Self-culture may be di¬
vided into three" parts, the physical, the moral and the'intel¬
lectual. First, we may not be able to treat each of these divisions
exhaustively. Second, we must not develop it exclusively; but the
three must be wisely trained to make it complete. You may think this
subject not worthy of referring to; but it is astonishing how much
may be accomplished by the energetic and persevering, who are
careful to use fragments of spare time, that the idle permit to pass
by. God has garnished our minds with priceless qualities of far
more value than precious diamonds, or lustered ore imprisoned in
the bosom of the earth, and as we dig after wealth and precious
stones let us dig after knowledge which is a power bestowed upon all
who realize its value. The grand idea of self-training is to make us
more useful, more studious that we may employ our opportunities to
greater and grander advantages. We must learn the difference be¬
tween the true and the false. We must not believe a thing because
everybody says so; trace back as far as possible, find out the truth
for yourself, there is no better employment for the mind; it makes
it elastic and ready to render the necessary service when called
upon. Set a price upon your leisure moments, remember they are
sands of precious gold, and if they are properly used they will pro¬
cure a stock of precious and great thoughts, thoughts that will be
grand in securing you better and higher situations than you now fill.
Self-education is another subject to refer to. It is something
more than mere reading for amusement, it requires a prolonged and
laboring study. No one can hope to rise in life by mere reading.
You must study hard if you wish to advance in the world and pre¬
pare for a higher position than the one you now fill. Diligently and
earnestly you must labor or in after years how can you hope to stand
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
355
beside those who have done excellent work for their fellow beings ?
Be sure and imitate good examples, for soon you will take a part in
the active scenes of this life, and you will either lead or be led. How
sad to think of this, for I do believe that God has blessed everyone
of us to do what others have done if we could only realize the mean¬
ing of self-culture.
How can the golden crop be garnered in until after the seed has
been sown, nor do the stones turn up as we pass to reveal the hidden
wealth beneath. How can we expect to stand still and be con¬
querors? We must labor if we must win. There are ages yet to
live, if not here somewhere else. It may not be on this earth, but
the grave is the lock which must be opened before we enjoy the
treasure beyond its dark keeping, before we can go to the punish¬
ment or reward that awaits us. The impression cannot be made 'till
after the type is set in order that- the errors may be shown in the
proof. Let us then look around and see the rich earth, the laughirfg
brook that runs joyously along; see the woods; listen to the sweet
songs of the birds; look on the flower that fills the earth with its
sweet fragrance, then look upon the trees that plume their bright
pinions in the air; stand on the seashore and observe the beautiful
shells, then think, oh, think. But the young are not always ready to
devote themselves to this slow, toilsome self-culture. Could they
soar on the wings of lazy genius the world would be filled'with great
men and women; but this can never be, God donates to his favorite
children, he conducts none but the studious and laboring to distinc¬
tion. For instance, Lincoln, our first martyred President, in his
early life of privation, his successive victories maintained disadvan¬
tages, his life is worthy of imitation. Even the late Vice President
Henry Wilson in speaking of his early life said: "I was born in
poverty; want sat on my table; I knew what it was to ask a mother
for bread when she had none to give." We have learned that he was
nurtured in adversity; had a vigorous constitution and, above all,
had an inspiration. He read whatever book came to his hand. The
first month after he was twenty-one years of age he spent in cutting
logs, working at the rate of fifteen hours a day and receiving for the
work the munificent sum of $6. Speaking of this event, he says:
"Three dollars looked as large to me as the moon to-night." The
after events of his history are written on the hearts of his country¬
men. He never received elevation, dollars nor place that were not
the result of his honest exertions; therefore, his life was made up of
356
AFRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
great and noble qualities, and should be an encouragement to every
young man and woman.
' I have only presented these names as illustrations of self-training,
as we all know, their histories are in every library and almost every
household. Their years were full of struggles and trials, such as
few of us have ever realized. Let us then, as men and women, imi¬
tate these bright examples. To-day there are a great many men and
women that are deficient along the line of a good education but have
excellent minds, and because they are not graduates are kept back,
and labor under great disadvantages ; but I would urge upon all and
present this important subject, Self-education.
The deficiencies of early years need not keep you back, press to
the front with untiring zeal, there is no such word as fail, and I will
assure you an elevation in the world. The great thoughts of great
men are precious at nominal prices—public lectures are abundant,
attend the best of them, treasure up the richest ideas and, above all,
learn to reflect more than you read. Reading is to the mind what
eating is to the body. So to eat without giving nature time to assim¬
ilate is to rob her, first of health, then life; so to read without re¬
flecting is to cram the intellect and paralyze the mind. In all cases,
dear friends, reflect more than you read in order to present what you.
read to your hearers. In reading of Benjamin Franklin's life we
learn that *he was never taught by a teacher nor even guided by
them. For like many of us he did not have these high advantages,
but his education progressed under the supervision of his own mind.
He had to correct his own errors, and you, dear friends, can do the
same with the few opportunities, and you may become as eminent
and useful a man as Bejamin Franklin.— Charleston Enquirer.
"IiACKS RAGE PRIDE.
JflEV. A. F. BEARD, D.D., one of the corresponding secretaries of
l\ the American Missionary Association relates an incident in the
\ April Missionary, that is interesting, and should be instructive
to every son and daughter of the Afro-American race. In the very
heart of the black belt of Mississippi, is located the great Tugaloo
University. It was while visiting this school that the following inci-
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
357
dent occurred. Dr. Beard says, "A discussion of the topic 'How
can We Improve Our Homes?' called from one of the students these
words:"
"I find the Negro lacks race pride. He despises his own makeup.
Who of you ever heard any Negro say that he thought the general
characteristics of his race were as becoming as those of other races ?
Nor or they. The Anglo-Saxon is proud of his race characteristics.
The Indian is, also, but the Negro despises himself, and would be
anything else than what God has made him. But how can we escape
hell if we hate ourselves because we are Negroes, when this is the
divine wisdom of a just God? We may talk about improving our
homes by getting an education as much as we please, but we will nev¬
er be anything until we have race pride, and try to carry out the
great plan of God who made us and knew what is best for us. Let us
be genuine Negroes, pure and good, and not desire a drop of other
blood in our veins."
assigned by seventeen intelligent colored men' why the
negro should be proud of his race.
1. Dear Sir : You ask me to assign a reason why the Negro should
be "proud of his race." I say, ''Because of its antiquity.'' A care¬
ful investigation shows that the early history of all races had its
origin in the "one blood of all nations of men" who dwell upon the
face of the earth.
2. '' Because of their kind disposition. He is ready at all times,
and under almost all circumstances, to assist a fellow-man in distress,
regardless of the color of his skin."
3. I answer, '' Because of their cheerfulness. Even our white friends
admit that we have the happiest and most cheerful disposition of any
race of people on earth."
4. "I think every Afro-American should be proud of his race, be¬
cause 'it has builded better than we knew.' "
5. '' Why should I be proud of my race ? " " Because of the liter¬
ary achievements of our leading men and women. Some of them
have climbed to dizzy heights, and are still climbing."
6. "I think I can answer your question by saying, 'We should be
358
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
proud of our race because it is making such progrsss from a moral
standpoint.''
7. "You ask me to assign a reason why the Negro should be proud
of his race. I am sorry you want but one reason. I would like to
give a dozen or more, but since I am limited to one, I answer, Be¬
cause of its ability to write its own history."
8. " Because of its intelligence. When the Negro has had the same
advantages, he has been able to measure swords with his Caucasian
brother on every contested field."
. 9. "Because we are a race of No one will deny that the
Negro stands first when it comes to natural instrumental or vocal
music."
10. "We should be proud of our race because of its giant master¬
spirits who are able to grapple with the political and religious prob¬
lems of the nineteenth century.''
11. "I am proud of the Afro-American because I believe that God
intended that the 'Dark Continent' should be bronght to the light of
the gospel of Jesus Christ through his instrumentality."
12. "Possibly we can assign no better reason to your question,
' Why should the Negro be proud of his race f' than the fact that God
has delivered it from the bondage of slavery."
13. "I am proud of my race because God made us, and I think for
this reason we should have more race pride.''
14. "I am asked why I should be proud of the Negro race. My re¬
ply is, Because it is willing to let bygones be bygones and do all it can
toward the elevation of its, once down-trodden and degraded people."
15. "The Negro should be proud of his race because of its prog¬
ress. The past thirty years have demonstrated to the world that our
race has accumulated more property than any other under similar
circumstances. We now pay taxes on $300,000,000 worth of prop¬
erty."
16. "You ask me why I should be proud of our race? In the lan¬
guage of our late Douglass, I answer, 'Not because of the height
to which we have attained, but from the depth from which we have
come.' "
17. "The question you ask is easily answered. I am proud of the
Negro race; but you ask for a reason. I think my best reason is
because it 'has been found worthy of such noble friends among the
white race as yourself. The Lord bless you in your work. The race
will owe you a debt of gratitude forever."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 359
SLAVERY IN THE NORTH.
HE first State to abolish slavery within her borders was Ver¬
mont, which adopted a plan for general emancipation in 1777,
before she had joined the Union, and in 1800 slavery in that.
State had entirely ceased. The new Massachusetts Constitution,
adopted in 1780, contained a clause declaring that " all men are born
free and equal, and have certain natural, essential and inalienable
rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and de¬
fending their lives and liberties," which had the effect of freeing all
the slaves, a very, small number, then held within the borders of that
State. In 1780 there were 4,000 slaves in Pennsylvania, and in that
year their gradual emancipation was provided for by legislative en¬
actment. Sixty-four of these were still living in bondage, however,
in 1840. Rhode Island and Connecticut followed the example of
Pennsylvania, and the former had but five slaves left in 1840, and the
later seventeen. New York passed a gradual emancipation act in
1799, at which time she had upward of 20,000 slaves, and slavery was
totally abolished in the State from July 4, 1827. In 1850 there were
still 236 persons living in bondage in New Jersey, although the State
had adopted the gradual emancipation plan in 1804. The census of
1810 showed that there were no slaves held in Massachusetts, New
Hampshire or Vermont, New Hampshire having emancipated the
few slaves held in the State between 1800 and 1810. In Pennsyl¬
vania, New York and New Jersey, large numbers of slaves who could
not be held in those States were nefariously sold to Southern slave-
dealers by unprincipled owners, notwithstanding the fact that each
State had adopted, at the time of emancipation, the most stringent
laws regarding the exportation of slaves. By the census of 1860 it
■ was shown that slavery was entirely abolished North of Mason and
Dixon's line.—Fugitive Facts.
360 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
FREEDMAN'S BANK.
E take the following article from Fugitive Facts by Robert
Thorne: ''This institution, he says, was established in March,
1865, as a charitable enterprise, to encourage frugality and
thrift among the newly liberated slaves. The institution was started
at first in Washington, but afterward branch banks to the number of
thirty-four were located in different parts of the Union. The bank
was not intended to be a money-making concern, either for bankers
or for depositors, but as a place of deposit for the savings of Ne¬
groes, which savings were to be invested in the stocks, bonds, treas¬
ury notes and other securities of the United States. During the ex¬
istence of the bank, nine years, it handled no less than $56,000,000 of
deposits, the Negroes being led to believe that the safety of the in¬
stitution was guaranteed by the Government, which was untrue.
The institution was managed by a number of trustees of unsavory
financial reputation, and as a consequence, at the expiration of nine
years it suspended payment. At the investigation which was made
by a committee appointed by Congress a most scandalous condition
of affairs was discovered. The regulations of the charter had been
completely ignored, and the funds had been dissipated by loans made
upon inadequate securities. By law the investments of the bank
were confined to Government securities alone. Unimproved real-
estate, unsalable stocks and personal notes were among the assets of
the bank. Deficits and embezzlements at the branch banks also pro¬
duced many losses. The unsecured debts owed to the depositors
amounted to $2,900,000, and the assets yielded about $1,700,000. For
some years three bank commissioners were employed, at a salary of
$3,000 each, to wind up the affairs of the institution. After $475,000
had been expended in this "winding-up" process the affairs of the
bank were all turned over to the Comptroller of the Currency. Divi¬
dends have been paid at various times; but many small depositors,
through ignorance and despair, forfeited their dividends by not call¬
ing for them. In all, 77,000 dividends, amounting to $112,000, were
thus forfeited."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
361
THE WHITE MAN AND THE COLORED MAN
AS CHRISTIAN CITIZENS.
BY REV. WILLIAM D. JOHNSON, D.D.
[Being- the address delivered by him as fraternal delegate from the African M. E.
Church to the General Conference of the M. E. Church, South, Atlanta, May 22, 1878. J
Mr. Chairman, Bishops and Brethren in Christ:
1|ET me here state a circumstance which has just now occurred.
«pr When in the vestry there we were consulting your committee,
among whom is your illustrious Christian Governor, the Hon.
A. H. Colquitt (applause). Feeling an unusual thirst, and expecting in
a few moments to appear before you, thoughtlessly I asked him if
there was water to drink. He, looking about the room, answered,
"There is none; I will get you some." I insisted not; but presently
it was brought by a brother minister, and handed me by the Governor.
I said, " Governor you must allow me to deny myself this distin¬
guished favor, as it recalls so vividly the episode of the Warrior
King of Israel, when with parched lips he cried from the rocky cave
of Adullam, ' Oh, that one would give me drink of water of the well
of Bethlehem that is at the gate!' And when three of his valiant
captains broke through the host of the enemy and returned to him
with the water, for which his soul was longing, regarding it as the
water of life, he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord."
(Applause.) " So may this transcendent emblem of purity and love,
from the hand of your most honored co-laborer and friend of the
human race, ever remain as a memorial unto the Lord of the friend¬
ship existing between the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, upon this first exchange of
formal fraternal greeting.'' (Applause.)
It was not with great reluctance that I was hurried away from the
quiet of my pastoral work to a position of the highest eminence, in
appearing before you as a fraternal messenger of the African M. E.
Church, as you are doubtless aware that certain others had been ex-
362
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
pected to do this distinguished service; and since we are here, it
strikes me that silence to the next Quadrennial would be for us the
most becoming introduction to your graces. But since the world is
waiting for some indication of the real animus of the two races
brought, for once, face to face in authoritative assembly, let me
speak, and God grant me words befitting the occasion.
And, Mr. Chairman, your General Conference being made up, as it
is, of the best intellects and purest hearts of the land, and seeing
we come as the fraternal messengers of a peculiar people, who sus¬
tain also peculiar circumstances, and at a peculiar time, I can very
readily conceive that you are making all allowance for informalities
and saying, just state your observations as best you may.
First of all then, in the name of our six bishops, eight thousand
itinerant and local preachers, our members and congregations aggre¬
gating nearly half a million souls, and above all in the name of Jesus
Christ our Lord, we greet you. We rejoice at your triumph and
are anxious to assure you our hearty good will. (Applause.)
I trust I shall here be pardoned for obtruding what might in some
way contribute to more solid judgments upon whatever may be ad¬
vanced by your humble speaker to-day. Born upon your strong
border State of Maryland, my father a slave and his own father a
planter of the royal type, my mother a free woman descended from
the African kings, educated in Pennsylvania through the patronage
of that great and good man, so justly esteemed in this State, the Hon.
fm. E. Dodge, (applause) and from the further fact that I was
raised in our Sabbath schools, graduated as a stewart, class leader,
exhorter, local preacher, deacon and elder, being for the last ten
years a preacher in Florida and Georgia, and a member of our last
General Conference, in view of all this I shall no doubt obtain, if not
the approbation of many, at least the credit of knowing whereof I
affirm.
There was once a question as to the maternal relationship of a cer¬
tain child, and when the question could not be settled by the parties
more immediately interested, it was decided at a stroke, by the
wisest of all judges, when he said, "Divide the living child." The
precarious condition of the living child bears a strong analogy to the
history we might repeat in the hearing of our mother to-day. At
least, you were our mother when we left the grand old mansion of
American Methodism many years ago.
"We have never forgotten those tender years, nor the deep concern
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 363
of our mother. But we return to-day with, our sheaves of rejoicing,
to tell only to confiding ears our deep regard for you, and to state
some little part of our experience.
Bishops and brethren: The African people of the United States,
long silent themselves, being confounded, like Job and his friends,
by the deep suffering and untowardness of our situation, presenting,
as we have done and do to-day, the great human problem of the nine¬
teenth century, often misjudged by our foes and misrepresented by
those unauthorized to speak, or unacquainted with our heart and true
condition, and, as for the first time, we have the high privilege of
your venerable presence and patient hearing, let it be declared we
have come of age to-day, and can speak for ourselves. (Great ap¬
plause.)
Then, in the name of the African M. E. Church, and I declare the
true sentiments of thousands, I say, that for your church and your
race we cherish the kindliest feelings that ever found a lodgment in
the human breast. (Applause.) Of this you need not be told. Let
speak your former missionaries among us, who now hold seats upon
this floor, and whose hearts have so often burned within them as they
have seen the world sown by them in such humble soil burst forth
into abundant prosperity. Ask the hundred thousand of your lay¬
men who still survive the dead, how we conducted ourselves as til¬
lers of the soil, as servants about the dwelling, and as common wor¬
shipers in the temple of God! Ask your battle-scarred veterans who
left their all to the mercy of relentless circumstances, and went, in
answer to the clarion call of the trumpet to the gigantic and unnat¬
ural strife of the Second Revolution! Ask them, who looked at their
interests at home; (great cheering) who raised their earth-works
upon the field; who buried the young hero so far away from his home,
or' returned his ashes to the stricken hearts which hung breathless
upon the hour! Who protected their wives and little ones from the
ravages of wild beasts, and the worse ravages of famine? And the
answer is returned from a million heaving bosoms, as a monument of
everlasting remembrance to the benevolence of the colored race in
America. (Immense applause.) And these are they who greet you
to-day, through their chief organization, the .African Methodist
Episcopal Church in the United States of America. (Loud and con¬
tinued applause.)
And now, though the yoke which bound the master and the slave
together in such close and mutual responsibility, has been shivered
364
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
by the rude shock of war, we find ourselves still standing by your
side as natural allies against an unfriendly world. (Applause.)
Mr. Chairman: It was as one of the nations included in our Lord's
inheritance, that we were sent to you over two hundred years ago
for instruction in the government of the Prince of Peace (applause)
that the little leaven might be hidden within the true and trusty
hearts of the chosen representatives of a mighty race; and right
well have you performed your duty. And if you did scold a little
sometimes—(applause)—it was as a teacher and a friend. It was
through you we learned of Christ, and to-day graduated from the
highest department of the common Methodism, instructed in the
arts, the sciences, the literatature, the religion, and the morality of
this age of light, we only await the command of the Chief Shepherd
and Bishop of Souls. We know his voice; and as we have well
learned the much coveted lesson of obedience, we shall be found
moving as his good providence may direct. Whether it be that we
shall stand with you under the banner of the E Pluribus Unum in this
land, and hold up the standard of Jesus to the on-coming millions
who seek the fire of our religious liberty, or whether in whole or in
part, as a people, we shall away to our fathers and our'father-land,
God knoweth. So far, we are at sea, sailing under sealed orders;
and the only instruction we now have is : "Do good unto all men, es¬
pecially unto them who are of the household of faith."—Gal. vi. 10.
(Applause.)
Mr. Chairman: We must be pardoned if wa sometimes show a de¬
cided wish for development (laughter), since progress is a law of
life; and as illustration of the inherent principle, we are told that in
the ice-bound belts of Siberia, where the entire summer consists of
but a few days, the vegetation may almost be detected in the act of
growing. (Applause.)
We must understand that the different nations make up the house¬
hold of our Father in Heaven just as different children make up the
household of the natural parent. Thus the elder are set to instruct
the younger until the good Father sets off these also in a separate
house. Hence we conceive it now to be our duty to gather all the
scattered bands of the colored Methodist family into one household
for better protection and instruction till in his wisdom Jesus shall
otherwise indicate. (Applause.)
Mr. Chairman: We can never forget the magnanimity of your or¬
ganization to us in the dark days succeeding the close of the war;
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 365
how your ministers recognized our divine commission, in many
cases turning over to us the property as well as the people, with
their prayers and benediction. (Applause.)
We remember also how helpful have been the kind words you have
spoken to us both in our pastorates and annual sessions. How also
you have so cordially thrown open the doors of your metropolitan
churches to our bishops and preachers, thus declaring in the midst
of doubts and fears, no whit behind the chiefest, that character and
ability, and not the mere accidents of color and clime, entitle man¬
kind to respect. And to-day you have set the seal upon it.
And, although your labor of love has added greatly to our instru¬
mentality as an organization, although our vast numbers may sur¬
pass even the figures before indicated, with four million dollars of
property, the wolf never cares how many the sheep may be; besides
when we look out on the fields already white into harvest, how many
are there yet to be brought to the Master! And, while we have six
eminently holy men who abound in labors by night and by day; while
we count in the ranks of our ministers D.D.'s and LL.D.'s, (laughter)
with young men who are heroically struggling after knowledge, we
point to our Book Concern (laughter) about at par with others on the
score of difficulties (great laughter), to our ably-edited weekly news¬
paper, to our effective University and lesser schools either carried
forward or projected; and last, but not least, we point to our regu¬
larly educated young missionary, with his brave young wife, bat¬
tling against the most fearful odds in the war-stricken island of
Hayti, sustained by the noble women of our church (applause), and
to one other of our missions on the Bahama Islands.
Now, Mr. Chairman, after all this, it must be apparent to you that
in comparison with the work to be done—crippled and ostracised as
we have been, yet persisting like a "root out of the dry ground"—
I say, you must perceive that our strength is simply insignificant.
Then, brethren in Christ, to-day, in the name of the African M.
E. Church I appeal to you! You know our condition as well, if not
better, than we can tell you; for I contend that I venture nothing in
saying that the white and black men of the South are better ac¬
quainted with each other than any other two distinct races or por¬
tions of races upon the face of the globe (applause); and it is only by
the dust raised in the great upheaval that has caused a change of
position, that "blindness in part happened" to us both. (Applause.)
But, thank God, it has almost subsided, with the best consequences
366
AFRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
to us all. Your eyes open much faster than ours (laughter); but I
assure you that many thousand "blind will receive their sight" by
your proceedings to-day. (Applause.)
Mr. Chairman: I ask, How can the unenlightened perceive the
viciousness of vice? How can they guard against the plausible de¬
lusions of popery, whose keen artillery is turned upon us to-day?
(Applause.) How stand against the sweeping deluge of intemper¬
ance that is rolling down upon us like a fiery flood ? Echo repeat it,
How? General Conference, in all this you can assist us. Yea, more,
you can tell the unbelievers among your own people, if any there be,
that the African M. E. Church and the race of its members are your
friends, and not your foes. (Applause.) You can pour oil upon the
troubled waters of ignorance and strife among our people. You can
protect them in all these high privileges you have so generously ac¬
corded them. Above and beyond all, you can educate them. Igno¬
rant, they love you; but educated, they, will love you more. (Great
applause.)
This General Conference can form a grand galaxy of States around
the great Empire State of Georgia, that has done so nobly for the
education of her colored citizens, so that they will even vie with her
in lighting the undying flame of intelligence that shall illuminate con¬
tinents and worlds when it shall burst forth in its glory upon the
Christian firmament. Then I ask you, brethren, beloved in Christ,
will you not do it? (Applause.)
One other request, and I ask no more; and let it be written upon
the eternal rock. Mr. Chairman and brethren, will you not see to it
that the great honor you have to-day bestowed upon the last in¬
heritors of heaven—for all nations shall be there—in admitting us
into one of the highest ecclesiastical courts of the world, shall for¬
ever stand as the criterion for all lesser and inferior places where
we ought to be?
Mr. Chairman: We declare our heart to you, as a body we desire
to reverse the principle of the Arab of the Desert whose "hand is
against every man and every man's hand against him," and stretch¬
ing out our hands first to you and then to the human family, we de¬
sire to join our voice with the united declaration of Methodism,
everywhere breaking out like the sound of many waters, in the im¬
mortal words of the First Founder, our common Wesley, when he
said, "I have a league offensive and defensive with every soldier of
Christ." (Applause.)
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 367
It has ever been a fact that great men were born out of the de¬
mands of the times in which they lived. We have ever affirmed, and
I believe it to-day, that if the colored people of this country are ever
elevated, and that they must be, it could only be done through their
own personal efforts, sanctioned and encouraged by the white people
of the land, and I believe, further, Mr. Chairman, that the strong
advocate of African-American Methodism and the African race, the
"arms of whose hands shall be made strong by the hands of the
mighty God of Jacob," that advocate, I believe, is yet to arise out of
the assembly of massive intellects and fearless moral heroes who fol¬
low the lead of the conscientious Christian men of your honorable
body—men who have ever been ready to peril their lives and their all
for the right, as they have understood it to be the right. (Great ap¬
plause.) God speed the day of his coming. Let him arise. (Re¬
newed applause.) Let his voice be heard for the poor and the op¬
pressed! God give his speech the wings of the lightning and the
power of the earthquake to proclaim "peace on earth and good will to
men." (Applause.)
Now, Mr. Chairman, I must have done, ("Go on.") But let me as¬
sure you that the religious truth which was planted by your mission¬
aries among us in the days long ago, has ever been guarded with all
the vigilance of the sacred fire. The same "hymns and spiritual
songs," which stirred the depths of those days, are still to be heard
in all our sanctuaries. And there are those among us who still speak
with the most affectionate regard of those holy and devoted minis¬
ters, Bishops Capers and Wightman, the Rev. Drs. Pierce and
Evans, Godfrey, J. W. Burke, and a host of others of their former
pastors and guides. (Applause.)
God bless the church and the General Conference, and increase it
more abundantly! (Amens.) And if there is ever to be an organic
unification of all the Methodist bodies, you may depend upon it, we
shall not be found wanting (laughter and applause), even if we are to
be the foot of the grand autonomy, since to some of us the foot is
the principal feature of beauty (great laughter), and is sometimes
suggestive of the highest use, yea, even double honor, especially
where the exercise of great strength or rapid locomotion is required.
(Renewed laughter.) Already by its aid, being "shod with the prep¬
aration of the Gospel of peace," we are brought up through great
tribulation to sit with you in one of the "heavenly places in Christ
Jesus." (Applause.)
368
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Here, time depends upon a fleeting breath! We must pass but too
soon from our victories upon the Asiatic plains and the halls of the
Montezumas. We can give but a glance to the contending hosts
upon the far away isles of the sea, and the cloven tongues of fire sit¬
ting in grandeur upon the Eternal City. Worlds of light sweep the
path of vision; and there, your sainted Bishop Marvin flashes around
the earth, as a golden band of fire; and in an instant, as it were, he
departs; he is "not, for God took him." But, hark! A voice divides
the flame. It is "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the
horsemen* thereof!" It is answered by the prophetic response, roll¬
ing upward from the near future: "The watchmen shall lift up the
voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye
to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion!"
God speed the day! Amen. (Applause.)
THE LOW PERCENTAGE OF MORTGAGED PROPERTY IN
THE SOUTH AND ITS RELATION TO THE
NEGRO POPULATION.
riNE of the notable showings of the last census is the low percent-
pj age of mortgaged property in the South. In Georgia this per¬
centage is 3.18; in Tennessee, 3.87; in Florida, 3.63; in Alabama,
3.98, and in Louisiana, 3.94. The census of 1890 also gives another
evidence, tnat is more direct, of the improved condition of the Ne¬
groes in the South. In 1890 there were 12,690,152 homes and farms
in the United States, and of this number 1,186,174 are occupied by
pure blacks and 224,595 by mulattoes. Of the Negroes, 207,616 own
their own homes or farms, and 978,558 rent them. Of the mulattoes,
56,662 own, and 167,923 rent. The percentage of mortgaged property
owned by Negroes is only 10.71, while the percentage of mortgaged
property for the whole country is 38.97. Of the property held by
Negroes, 88.58 per cent is owned without incumbrance. In the
North Atlantic States there are 5,808 homes and farms owned by
Negroes free from mortgage, and 3,921 that are mortgaged; in the
North Central States there are 20,060 homes and farms owned by
Negroes free from incumbrance, and 9,691 that are mortgaged; in
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS" OF THE RACE. 369
the South Central States there are 100,591 homes and farms owned
by Negroes free from incumbrances, and 7,608 that are mortgaged;
in the "Western States there are 1,204 farms and homes owned free
by Negroes, and 289 that are mortgaged. In the whole country there
are 234,747 homes and farms owned by Negroes free from all incum¬
brance, and 29,541 that are mortgaged. In the South the percentage
of home owners is larger than in the North, and the proportion of
these owners on farms of their own is larger than that of those who
have homes in cities and villages. With the white race the condition
is just opposite, the larger percentage of owners having homes in
cities and villages rather than farms.—Chicago Inter Ocean.
BY REV. J. C. EMBRY, D.D., PHILADELPHIA, PA.
E prefer this title to all others for the reason that it is eupho¬
nious, beautiful, true. It is a correct as well as euphonious
description of the class of men to whom it should be applied.
"We believe that the scholarly descendants of our African forefathers
should neither adopt nor recognize the intended stigma which Euro¬
pean and American slave holders invented for us We have the
highest and most affectionate regard for "the brother in black" as
we ought to have for all the children of our Father's household.
The boy in bl^ck is as sure to be heard from in the years just before
us as the government of God is sure and just. But the point we
make is that the title ''Negro'' is too narrow and exclusive to com¬
prehend the race. It is certain that all Africans are not Negroes,
nor are all who are Negroes Africans. But why should the race
name of the millions in Africa, and the millions of African* descent
in America, be derived from color only f No such rule is applied to
any other of the great races of men. The Caucasian, the Indian, the
Mongolian, the Arabian tell us only of the people's origin to which
these names apply. We hold that if geographical divisions are suffi¬
cient to give title and description to all others, it ought to be suffi¬
cient for us. This title "Negro" is an intruder—an outlaw in our
literature—it is not the language of science, nor the voice of religion
9A
370
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
and fraternity. No scholar among us, and especially no Christian
scholar, ought to tolerate it, in book, pamphlet or paper. It de¬
serves banishment from our literature. Standing here to-day, we
denounce it in the name of Christian scholarship as a device of our
enemies, designed to make us contemptible in the eyes of the world.
To our cultured fellow citizen, the Hon. John.M. Langston, is due
the honor of giving us the title most nearly correct. He was the
first, so we are informed, to speak and write of the "colored Ameri¬
can," with reference to the people of African descent. But there,
as in the other case, objection lies against a color title for the race.
It is comprehensive enough, to be sure. For as distinguishing its
subjects from the people called white, it embraces all blacks, all In¬
dians, Mongolians, Mexicans, Malayans and all others who may
choose to come among us. Hence the adjective epithet is too large,
and we must reject it. To Mrs. M. I. Lee, an honored foster-child
of Wilberforce University, we owe the honor of introducing into our
literature the only accurate, beautiful and classic title ever applied
to our race. In a thoughtful, rippling poem, first delivered on these
grounds and afterward published in the A. M. E. Church Review, she
gave us the title, "Af-Merican," by contraction from Afer, Afra,
Afrum, the pure classic phrase of Horace and Ovid. We say let
this just name stand. Tested by any rule, historic, literary or scien¬
tific it is gold, containing as it does, all the elements of color, weight
and ring In correcting proof, when you have written and come to
this honored title, say to your printer "stet!" and if any man ask
you why so, tell him she (Africa) is the land of our origin; and since
she is, by the facts of history and archaeology, mother of the oldest
civilization, the oldest science, the oldest art, she is by eminent fit¬
ness placed first in the compound title, "Afro-American." Let it
stand!
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
371
WADE HAMPTON DEFENDING THE NEGRO.
flME brings about many changes. Some of them are very strange
indeed. At the breaking out of the late Civil "War, so it is said,
Gen. Wade Hampton, of South Carolina, was the largest slave¬
holder in the South, and he was also the last man to acknowledge the
changed condition of things under the Constitution of the United
States. While addressing a Democratic meeting from the court
house steps at Staunton, Va., in 1880 he said: "We are fighting to¬
day for the principles for which Lee and Jackson fought." But
those principles did not prevail, as the good people of this country
would not have them, and to-day no man better understands that
fact than does Gen. Wade Hampton for he has been educated. He
has been forced to make common cause with the colored voters of his
State, because the machinery which Gen. Hampton's party built up
for the suppression of Negro, votes has been turned against the Gen¬
eral and his friends, and he finds it as a "two-edged sword, cutting
between the bone and the marrow."
General Hampton comes to the rescue of the Negro. He speaks
for him, and in so doing he tells a truth which the American people
ought to thoroughly understand and appreciate, and that is that the
Negro is the conservative element in American politics, and that no
harm will ever come to the Government by allowing him to vote just
as he has a mind to. Gen. Wade Hampton said so much in a public
utterance only last week. This is the test of the man who has known
the Negro in every capacity, and is competent to speak concerning
him.
General Wade Hampton upholds the Goff decision, and in so doing
sustains the Federal Constitution, and ex-Senator M. C. Butler fol¬
lows suit. We are glad of the attitude they have assumed, and we
hope that they will throw the prestige of their names, and the weight
of their powerful influence on the side of a full vote and a fair count,
and thereby make it possible for every man who is entitled to vote to
have an opportunity to cast that vote as he sees fit, and have it
counted as cast.—Colored America7i.
372 afro-american encyclopaedia.
OUR FALLEN HEROES.
delivered by rev. g. v. clark, before the whittier associa¬
tion, of memphis, tennessee.
Introduction.
EMBERS of the Whittier Association, ladies and gentlemen:
To me the name of your organization is one most fitting and
proper. In adopting it you have done yourselves and the race
great credit. One needs only to read the poems written by John
Greenleaf Whittier to see the wisdom of your association in taking
the name it now bears so proudly, and holds up to the world with
such becoming grace and dignity. If you wish to know how he
hated oppression, and desired with a longing heart to see slavery
abolished in this and all other lands, just read the following poems:
"Toussaint L'Ouverture," "The Slave Ships," 41 The Yankee
Girls," "Song of the Free," "The Hunters of Men," "Clerical
Oppressors," "The Christian Slave," "A Sabbath Scene" and many
others equally brave and orthodox.
Gentlemen, of the Association, prosperity and long life be to you
in your laudable endeavor. I am asked to address you on "Our
Fallen Heroes." That the Negro race is of greatest antiquity; a.
hardy people; endowed with some enviable qualities; has and is
struggling under almost insuperable obstacles and burdens; has al¬
ways been loyal to the old flag which now floats over a free united
people; shown himself worthy and competent to a commendable de¬
gree ; that he has contributed and does by his own strong right arm.
add to the material development of his country; and as a soldier,
he has, in every struggle of his country for liberty marched to
battle, laid bare his noble breast, fought like the bravest and died by
the thousands that he might attest his devotion to the cause he
loved; yea, that a braver, more docile, more reliable, self-sacrificing
soldier never donned uniform or bore arms more creditably against
his country's foe, no student or history will question or deny. With
this declaration let us proceed to notice historical facts. Hear them 1
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
373
Historians tell us that the Negro, even when a slave, has shown a
greater willingness to lay himself upon the altar of his country than
the white man North or South has been willing to allow him to do.
But a wise, over-ruling Providence has invariably opened the way,
and in he has gone to do all he could to help save the government
against her foes. Hence, we see him in the war for American Inde¬
pendence against British injustice, the War of 1812, and that of the
late rebellion against the Federal Government.
The Negro in the Revolutionary War.
And here, before the war was on we find a Negro, in the person of
Crispus Attucks, in the streets of Boston, endeavoring to repel the
advance of the British troops on their march through the city. The
feeling against these soldiers, on the part of the citizens was intense.
Urged on by the popular indignation, Crispus Attucks, the leader,
advanced upon them with his motley crew using as weapons, stones,
clubs and their clenched fists, crying: "The way to get rid of these
soldiers is to attack the main guard; strike at the root; this is the
nesV The order was given and the attack was made. The British
fired upon them and Crispus Attucks fell dead. This brave Negro
leader was the first to shed blood, and that his own, for American
independence. He with the three white heroes who died on the same
spot were buried in the same grave. Of them the poet says:
Iyong- as in freedom's cause the wise contend,
Dear to your country shall your fame extend;
While to the world the lettered stone shall tell
Where Caldwell, Attucks, Gray and Manerick fell.
The scene of this sacrifice was under the shadow of Fanueil Hall,
known as the Cradle of Liberty, and withjn whose sacred precincts
the body of our hero was laid in state till the day of burial. Ameri¬
can discontent with British taxation without representation in¬
creased until the Revolutionary War broke out in all its fury. Here
again the black hero claims first honor. There is a historical spot in
Charlestown, Mass., marked by that old Revolutionary monument,
Bunker Hill. It was here on the 17th day of June, 1775, that the
troops of King George pitched battle against the hardy sons of irre¬
pressible America. The gallant British Maj. Pitcairn ordered the
charge, saying, "The day is ours." His commanding presence and
courage so alarmed the Americans that none seemed to know what
must be done. . Then it was that the intrepid Negro soldier, Peter
374
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Salem, advancing to the front, leveling1 his gun at the King's officer,
sent a ball through his body and killed him. This shot won the day
for American freedom from the British yoke. So long, therefore,
as Bunker Hill monument shall be remembered, so long let the mem¬
ory of the black hero of that day hold a green spot in our minds—
erect an imperishable monument to his praise and honor. Right
here notice that the Negro shed his own blood first and was first too
to spill the blood of the enemy to give America the boon she then
sought and gained. Another Negro who comes in here to get honor¬
able mention was Salem Poor. He was a man of dignified bearing,
fearless as a soldier and trusted as a comrade. Fifteen white men
of eminence, who had full knowledge of him (I quote only a small
part of their high praise of him—note their language) said:
To set forth the particulars of his conduct would be tedious; we only beg- leave to
say, in the person of this said Negro, centers a brave, g-allant soldier. The reward due
to so great and distinguished a character, we submit to the Congress.
We are told of another daring, successful feat of a Negro soldier
in Newport, R. I. Lieutenant Col. Barton laid the plan for the
capture of the British Maj. General Prescott. The Negro soldier
was named Prince. Barton and Prince were close together. The
guard was misled by them. The house was reached. Prince, by
well-directed rams with his hard head, gained entrance to the man¬
sion. Once inside he forced open Gen. Prescott's bed-room door,
with butts of the head, and captured his man before he could recover
from his surprise. This was a double military stroke as an impor¬
tant prisoner was made and an American general was set free, in the
person of Maj. General Lee. In recognition of the valuable ser¬
vices of the Rhode Island Negro troops in this war, let us listen a
moment to the words of Rev. De Harris, himself a white soldier and
an anti-slavery man. He said:
Yes, a reg-iment of Negroes, fighting- for our liberty and independence—not a white
man among them, but their officers, stationed in this same and responsible position.
Had they been unfaithful, or given way before the enemy all would have been lost.
Three times in succession were they attacked, with most desperate valor and fury, by
well disciplined and veteran troops, and three times did they successfully repel the as¬
sault, and thus preserved our army from capture. They fought through the war. They
were brave, hardy troops. They helped to g'ain our liberty and independence.
Let it be remembered by all, that by far the greater part of the
Negroes who fought so nobly in the war for independence, were at
the outbreak of the same, slaves. They were promised their free¬
dom as a reward for their services. This was not adhered to after
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 375
the war closed and independence was secured. This is to be remem¬
bered among the many other wrongs done the poor Negro by his
white superiors. With a full knowledge of these injustices, the Ne¬
gro is willing still to endure it, hoping for a better day, and he is still
at the beck and call of his country when it needs his service. Re-en¬
slavement was not all that the ex-revolutionary Negro veterans were
compelled to endure at the hands of white men. Let us notice one
instance. In a battle in charge of Gen. Stump, the Americans were
badly repulsed. In a critical moment, JefFry, who was only a com¬
mon Negro, soldier, rushed forward and mounted a horse, took the
command and gained the day for the Americans. As a reward for this
successful bravery, he was titled Major Jeffiry. Long after the war
he was respected by all classes. See this aged hero, with the weight
of seventy odd years upon him, ripe for the grave, and looking for
the Master's summons to his well-deserved reward. On the verge of
the grave he had heaped Upon him an indignity from a white ruffian,
which he resented in self defense. For this, he received on his
nacked person thirty-nine lashes. Humiliated by such disgrace
and injustice, his proud heart broke, and he sank to rise no more.
The valuable services rendered by Negro troops was finally recog¬
nized by the whole country. They were not generally wanted for
soldiers until the masters found they could be saved themselves
from service by substituting the slvaves in their stead, and, too,
when white men shirked the duty of defending their country from
the foreign foe.
As to the number engaged in this war I know not, but judging
from the loss Virginia is said to have sustained, there must have
been at least 50,000 Negroes who fought to gain American Indepen¬
dence. In battle, they were the acknowledged equals of the white
soldiery. Let the Negroes feel the force of the lines which go thus:
"Our country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,"
and take courage. Let the Negro youth learn, with pride, what the
black American heroes did in Revolutionary times, to give to the
world the grandest republic ever known.
Then following down the line of the history of our country, we
come to the war known as the "War of 1812. This war was waged
against the British as a protest against the insults which that gov¬
ernment perpetrated upon our nation's navy. The strife culminated
376
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
in the battle of New Orleans. That city, which is the queen city of
the Gulf, was threatened by the invasion of the royal troops. This
caused great alarm among the Americans. The hearts of the people
beat heavy with fear. Gen. Jackson, who was in command of our in¬
terests at that place, called for volunteers. The black sons of the
republic, rejoicing ijl the opportunity given them to serve their coun¬
try, flew to arms at once. Five hundred of them placed themselves
at the command of Gen. Jackson. These were the more acceptable,
because the whites were divided on the issues of the war. The hour
of conflict came on. Every man, black and white, was a general in
himself, and an inveterate foe. The enemy advanced, the order to
fire was given and executed with precision and deadly effect. When
the smoke of battle was cleared away, the British were gone, leaving
their dead and wounded on the battlefield, dved in their own blood.
7 *j
The day was the Americans, with equal honors to the black and white
heroes. Thus we see freedom's cause defended again by the noble
black braves.
Note the words of Hon. Root. C. Winthrop, in Congress, in 1850.
He said:
"But, however it may have been in the Northern States, I can tell the Senator what
happened in the Southern States at this period. I believe that I shall be borne out in
saying- that ho regiments did better service at New Orleans than did the black regi¬
ments, which were org-anized under Gen. Jackson himself, after a most glorious appeal
to the patriotism and honor of the people of color of that reg-ion; and which, after they
came out of the war, received the thanks of Gen. Jackson, in a proclamation which has
been thoug-ht worthy of being- inscribed on the pages of history."
All of this and more also, is to be said of their valor in naval bat¬
tles.
We now come, with pride, to the late war of the Rebellion. Let us
tell what part the Negro took in that strife as concisely as our time
will allow. First, be it remembered, that as in the Revolutionary
War, the Negro, in the beginning, was hot wanted to do battle for the
Union. Soon, however, his perfect fitness, valor, heroism, and pa¬
triotism won for him due recognition at the hands of Banks, Thomas,
Sherman, Sheridan, Grant, President A. Lincoln and the liberty-
loving people of the country from Maine, the pine tree State on the
East, to California, the golden shores on the West. Tell it to our
children that their fathers rallied to the stars and stripes for free¬
dom and the Union to the number of 192,000 of black braves, as true
and tried as ever pulled the trigger of a musket; 80,000 laid down
their lives. Were they false to any trust? Never! Never I Were
THOUGHSTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF LHE RACE. 377
they cowards? The confederates, whom they fought so well, have
never charged them with it. Were they obedient to the commands
of their superiors? Why, just for this one soldier quality, they
were the pride and boast of their commanders. All of this was
done in the face of every conceivable indignity heaped upon them
and discrimination unfavorable to them as soldiers of war. This
came from white comrades and officers in the Federal ranks which
makes it almost unpardonable. From the enemy came even worse
things, by far. The Confederates, obeying the proclamation of the
Confederate President, refused to make prisoners of Negroes.
Agreeable to the sentiments of that mandate we have the massacre
of Fort Pillow in Kentucky, where every Negro soldier, 262 in
number, were slain.
We shall make brief mention now of other battles in which our
heroes took a noticeable part. The first of these is that of Port
Hudson. Before going into this battle the regimental colors were
presented with this charge; Col. Stafford said:
Color-g-uard, protect, defend, die for, but do not surrender these flags.
Hear ye this Negro sergeant's eloquent reply. He said:
Colonel, I will bring- back these colors to you in honor or report to God the reason
why.
Brave words these.
After a long, wearisome march they reached the scene of battle.
They were repeatedly ordered to charge the enemy's stronghold, and
repeatedly they obeyed with alacrity and undaunted courage, under
a torrent of grape shot and musket balls. It was:
" Cannon to the right of them,
Cannon to the left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Vollied and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell."
What must they do?
" Theirs was not to make reply,
Theirs was not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die."
Seven times they charged the Confederate inpregnable fortress
only to fall back with diminished numbers. It was here they proved
to the world that Negroes will fight. The color guard did not return
with his flags, but reported to God the reason why, together with the
hundreds who fell by his side. To speak in detail of our fallen
378
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
heroes in the battles at Milliken's Bend, Fort Wayne, Olustee, Boy-
kin's Mills, and a score of other contests in which the odds were
against us, would be to repeat in substance what has already been
said. In all these battles the foe were made to respect the Negro
soldiers, while friends rejoiced and gloried in such intrepid, fearless
allies. Let us, however, speak particularly, but briefly of our col¬
ored troops in the battles of Nashville and Petersburg. On the
former field, 10,000 "black phalanx" soldiers were arranged in battle
array; after the smoke of the battle had cleared away, 3,000 Negro
heroes were found dead on the field, a noble sacrifice on freedom's
altar. "When Gen. Thomas rode over the battle field and saw the
bodies of colored soldiers lay side by side with the foremost on the
very works of the enemy, he turned to his staff, saying:
Gentlemen, the question is settled; Negroes will fight.
Now, a word about Petersburg. This was a stronghold of the
Confederacy. To dislodge them, tons of powder were buried near
their lines. It was to be exploded, and in the consequent confusion,
in the Confederate ranks, a charge was to be made and capture their
forces. 4,400 Negro braves were on hand to do this work. The re¬
fusal to allow them to do so, many believe, lost the day to the Union
Army. Ah! but the black braves that day proved that they were
willing to fight, bleed and die for their kindred in chains so cruelly
forged. Black men fell on the very parapet of the enemy's works, in
a hand to hand fight with his white antagonists. The soil was satu¬
rated in the blood of colored valiants. When Petersburg did fall
into Federal hands, and Richmond followed later, Negro soldiers
were among the first to enter and claim these cities in the name of
the Federal Government. Close on the fall of these Confederate
cities, Lee surrendered at Appomattox under the shade of the old
apple tree. Thus ended *the war leaving our brave black heroes
covered with glory and crowned with imperishable laurels. When,
therefore, the last drum shall beat, the last bugle note shall sound,
and the roll call of nations shall be heard, and the names of Phillip,
Leonidas, Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Napoleon and Wellington
are sounded on the lips of the worshipers of heroes, with equal praise
shall be heard the name of Attucks, Peter Salem, Captain Cailloux,
Colonel Shaw, the talented, and Toussaint L'Overture, a race with
such indomitable courage, under such discouragements, must have
under God a future, inspiring and glorious.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 379
IN MEM0R1AM OF THE
LATE HON. FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCH.
ASHINGTON, D. C., February 21.—Frederick Douglass died
suddenly at his home in the suburbs of this city last night, at
7 o'clock. He had been apparently in his accustomed good
health during the day, and attended the meeting of the National
Woman's Council. Returning home he was chatting quietly with
his wife when he suddenly clasped his hands to his heart and fell
over unconscious. Death followed in twenty minutes afterward.
Frederick Douglass, the most remarkable man of Negro blood yet
produced in the United t States, was born in Talbot County, Mary¬
land, in February 1817, and had just completed his seventy-eighth
year. He was the mulatto son of a Negro slave mother, and conse¬
quently himself born a slave. At a very early age he went to Balti¬
more to live, where he acquired a rudimentary education. His
owner allowed him to employ his own time at $3 a week, and he ob¬
tained work in a shipyard. "When just 21 years old he ran away
to New York, and from there went to New Bedford, Mass., where he
supported himself as a laborer. He came, by some means, under
the observation of William Lloyd Garrison, who assisted his efforts at
self-education, and under Garrison's auspices he was brought out as
an orator at abolition meetings in New England. In 1841 he at¬
tended an anti-slavery convention at Nantucket and made a speech
that brought him into national notice. After this, as agent of the
Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society, he traveled through the North¬
ern States making abolition speeches. Anti-slavery agitation was a
sensitive and exciting theme in that period of the country's history,
and the bold utterances of the colored orator, the first of his race to
display such capability, made him a very much discussed person.
He afterward edited The North Star, an abolition paper, at Rochester,
N. Y., and published one or two books, giving his experience as a
slave, and intended to promote the then fast growing abolition senti¬
ment.
380
afro-american encyclopaedia.
The Maryland family to whom Douglass had always belonged as a
slave were named Lloyds, but after going North he adopted for him¬
self the name he has since borne. When he had become distin¬
guished his friends in England raised a purse of $750, with which
his freedom was legally purchased.
He visited England in 1845, and made many speeches that were
well received. He was charged with conspiracy in the John Brown
raids into Virginia in 1859, and Governor Wise made a requisition
for his arrest on the Governor of Michigan. Legal complications
were avoided by a second visit to England. When the civil war
broke out he urged emancipation and the employment of Negro
troops. Later he was active in organizing Negro regiments in the
North. Since the war he has held various offices under Republican
administrations. Mr. Cleveland removed him from the office of
Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia in 1886, and three
years later Mr. Harrison made him Minister to Hayti, the last of¬
ficial position that he filled. The Haytian Government made him one
of the commissioners for its exhibit at the Columbian Exposition at
Chicago.
In early life, while residing at New Bedford, Mass., Douglass was
married to a woman of his own color, by whom he had two sons and a
daughter that survive him. A few years ago he was married to
Helen Pitts, a white woman from New England, who was employed
as a clerk in the office while he was Recorder of Deeds. In appear¬
ance Douglass' Caucasian blood was very manifest. He was of
bright complexion, with prominent, clearly defined features and hair
only slightly curly. In old age he has worn his hair and beard long,
which gave him an air at once striking and venerable. His oratorical
gift was of no ordinary quality, and no man in American public life
was a greater factor in that agitation which led up to the events of
1860-65 and created such a revolution in the country's condition.
He leaves a fortune, the accumulation of savings during a long life,
estimated by some as high as $200,000.
A great, a good man is gone from among us.—Houston (Texas)
■ Freeman.
~\ ■
He has built a monument of perpetual interest in the mind of the
American citizen, which will de handed down from generation to
generation.—Philadelphia Speck.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 381
FREDERICK DOUGIrASS.
BY WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.
Y earliest recollection of Frederick Douglass was about 1845,
when I was seven years old, and lie used occasionally to come
to my father's house. The story of his early life, and the in¬
terests attaching to his personality made a great impression upon
me. In the anti-slavery meetings his eloquence always attracted,
especially as he spoke of slavery with an interior knowledge and ex¬
perience that no white abolitionist could possess. The iron had en¬
tered his soul, and his burning words were most effective. He was
a natural speaker, having a fine presence; a powerful voice, admira¬
bly in control; an ease and force of expression, without that fatal flu¬
ency so often the bane of ready speakers; a native wit and gift of
sarcasm; and, behind all, an intellectual quality that weighted
every sentence. Other colored orators have attained great success
upon the platform and in the pulpit;, but it is no disparagement to
them to say that Frederick Douglass towers above them all, like
Saul among his brethren. My own conviction is that, had he been
thrown as a white man into the nation's councils,—even when Web¬
ster, Clay, and Calhoun were in the ascendant, with equal early ad¬
vantages,—he would not have been dwarfed by their companionship.
The abolitionists were very few in those days. In Boston only
three or four houses were ready to entertain colored people, or anti-
slavery advocates. Of those who kept open houses, I can recall only
Francis Jackson, Joseph Southwick, and my father. At any time,
day or night, they were liable to be called upon to shelter fugitive
slaves on their way to Canada, or receive itinerant lecturers, or oth¬
ers who had suffered for the cause. The fugitives came to.our house
as a natural refuge, and the feelings of the household were harrowed
up by the details of cruelty which the poor terrified creatures told.
But more impressive than any words were the scarred backs and
maimed limbs, the welt made by the driver's lash .being most often
in evidence. Sometimes white men who had tried to help slaves to
escape were brutally dealt with. A noble man, Capt. Jonathan Walk-
382
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
er, allowed some slaves to escape on his vessel. He was a Down
East skipper, and his vessel was in the coasting trade. He was
arrested, imprisoned, and sentenced to have his right hand branded.
I remember the astonishment with which my brothers and myself
examined the rigid letters on his palm, "S.S." They were supposed
to stand for slave-stealer, but the abolitionist insisted that their true
meaning was "Slave Savior." He was a gentle and brave man. The
story of his experiences is preserved in a book, which contains a
picture of the branded hand.
In 1846 Mr. Douglass was sent to England on an anti-slavery mis¬
sion, his old friend James N. Buffum accompanying him. There
he lectured to enormous and enthusiastic audiences, making a host
of friends for life. The color prejudice did not exist in Europe,
and the man who was dragged out of the Lynn car, and barred out of
American churches and theatres, was received on equal terms in
fashionable drawing-rooms and in the houses of the nobility in Great
Britain. It was a gratful contrast from persecution and malignity to
courtesy, appreciation, and respect. It is strange that any colored
person, once feeling the difference, was ever tempted to come back to
the land of chains.
Samuel J. May, in his delightful "Recollections of the Anti-slav¬
ery Conflict," tells of Mr. Douglass' reception in Great Britain:
"He was treated with great attention by the abolitionists of the
United Kingdon, was invited to lecture everywhere, and rendered
most valuable services to the cause of his oppressed countrymen.
So deeply did he interest the philanthropists of that country that
they paid $750 to procure from his master a formal, legal certifi¬
cate of manumission, so that on his return to the United States, he
would be no longer liable to be sent back into slavery."
Douglass' own delight in the sudden transition from a region of
prejudice and persecution, to an atmosphere of equality and respect
was expressed in an eloquent letter to his friend, Mr. Garrison, to be
found in "The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass."
Mr. Douglass moved to Rochester, N. Y., and established a paper
of his own about the year 1847, and, on account of differences with
his old friends, no longer visited them as was his wont. But wher¬
ever he lived or went the marked personality of the man, his elo¬
quence and intellect, and, added thereto, a tact and judgment that
allayed social antagonisms, and never unnecessarily aroused them,
made him a center of force and attraction. It was the tendency of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 383
many colored men who felt deeply the degradation inflicted upon them,
simply on account of color, to emphasize their sensitiveness, and be
quick to resent the least appearance of a slight. Not so with Fred¬
erick Douglass. He never looked for insult, nor showed a conscious¬
ness that he was different from other men. To meet him and con¬
verse, one would forget that he was of a despised race, and think
only of the charming qualities which this interesting human being
possessed. It was an evidence of his magnanimity and greatness of
spirit.
I remember a story of Douglass and Sojourner Truth, a character
as remarkable in her way as Douglass was in his. She was a thor¬
ough African, of unmixed blood, gaunt and black. She was born a
slave at New York, and emancipated when slavery was abolished in
the State. She could neither read nor write, whereas Douglass had
educated himself and was the peer of any so-called self-made white
man. At an anti-slavery meeting, when the aspect of affairs was
particularly dark, Douglass was speaking, and indulging in a gloomy
view of the situation. Sojourner, who was a listener, and was pos¬
sessed with an intense religious faith, was disturbed at the tone of
despondency, and in a moment relieved her feelings, and those of the
meeting as well, by saying in her deep voice, "Is God dead, Freder¬
ick?" Nobody could appreciate the hit better than himself, and the
closing remarks were in a more hopeful strain.
John Brown, when contemplating his raid on Harper's Ferry took
Douglass into his confidence. After the tragedy, Douglass was
sought by Governor Wise, of Virginia, who issued a requisition for his
arrest, to escape which, he went again to England, staying till the
danger had blown over. Of the wealth and honor that naturally came
to Frederick Douglass in his later years, I do not propose to speak.
They happen in the lives of all successful men. Of course it was
noteworthy for an ex-slave to be Marshal of the District of Columbia,
under both a Republican and a Democratic administration, and be re¬
ceived and honored at the White House in a high official capacity.
His last representative distinction was at the World's Fair, where
during its existence he was a conspicuous and attractive personality.
Since the war, he has lived on a fine estate at Anacostia, Washington,
where he died so suddenly the other day.
He took a sympathetic interest in reforms, notably that of woman's
suffrage. The day of his death he attended the great convention oi
women in Washington, and was escorted in honor to the platform by
384 AFRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
two ladies, one of whom was his old Rochester anti-slavery friend
and neighbor, Miss Susan B. Anthony. With Frederick Douglass
has passed away a life as full of romance and wonder as can be
found in the world of fiction. His career is an incentive and encour¬
agement to all down-trodden and unfortunate human beings.—The
Monthly Review.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS AS AN ORATOR.
BY HON. JOSIAH T. SETTLE, OF MEMPHIS, TENN.
O word in the English language is more indiscriminately used
than the word orator, and in speaking of Frederick Douglass as
an orator, we should mutually understand what an orator is,
that we may to some extent properly estimate his greatness. The
mere orator is the production of the schools of rhetoric, and oratory
lies in the method of expression; rhetoric is indeed the theory of
which oratory is the practice. It is the art of speaking well, speak¬
ing according to the rules of rhetoric. A man may therefore be an
orator of some distinction and yet be a very ordinary man. "While
the orator is the production of art, it does not follow that art alone
can produce all the elements necessary to make the truly great
orator. There are as many grades of orators as of painters or
poets. Every man who daubs canvas may be called a painter but he
is by no means a Rapheal or Angelo. Every man who can write a
verse may be called a poet, but he is neither a Shakespeare nor Mit-
ton; and so every man who delivers a discourse embracing all the
necessary elements of oratory may be called an orator, but he is
neither a Frederick Douglass nor a Wendell Philips. The truly
great orator must possess a quality that cannot be acquired, some¬
thing that is born in him, he must possess in addition to all the other
elements of the orator, the power to produce eloquence, and he is
called great in proportion to the extent he is eloquent. Oratory is
an imitative art, and is used to express the sentiments of others,
while eloquence speaks one's own feelings and comes from the heart
and speaks to the heart. A mother pleading for the restoration of
her child torn from her arms, employs her eloquence, while the
lawyer at the bar employs his oratory in defence of his client.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 385
There is sometimes a mute eloquence in look or jesture, that is not
even denied to dumb brutes, that speaks for more than all the
studied speech and graces of the orator. Eloquence often consists
in a mere look" or jesture, while oratory must always be accompanied
with a large display of words. In a word, there is the same difference
between eloquence and oratory, there is between nature and art. If
to all the other elements of the orator be added the divine power of.
producing eloquence, then indeed is the possessor an orator in the
broadest acceptation of the word. Eloquence is to the orator what
fragrance is to the flower, what power is to the engine, and what the
soul is to the body. To say what eloquence is would to me be impos¬
sible. I cannot describe it. It has never been described and defini¬
tions are failures. Many have tried to analyze it and think they un¬
derstand it and will sell you a recipe to make it. To me it is inde¬
scribable and will only communicate itself. Eloquence is not a
property of matter, it does not dwell in the mind, nor is it a quality
of spirit; it does not inhabit a man's body nor have its seat in the
soul, nor hide in the passions, nor run in the blood, nor haunt the
voice, nor linger in the manner, jesture or look. All may unite to
produce it, but it cannot be produced by the highest art of the most
accomplished orator. It lies out of the realm of mere art, nature and
happy circumstances may combine- to produce it, but born of an in¬
spired moment its memory alone lives. The great Webster said:
"True eloquence cannot be brought from afar, labor and learning
may toil for it, but they toil for it in vain. It must exist in the sub¬
ject, the occasion and the man." The great man whose life and char¬
acter we commemorate to-day was all that the schools of rhetoric
could make as an orator, and endowed by nature with that rare power,
which when the occasion demanded could produce the highest type
of eloquence, combining in his nature probably as high a type of the
eloquent orator as this or any age has ever produced. Measured by
the greatest products of the world, he ranks among the best, and if
indeed, we consider the conditions of his birth, and the difficulties of
race prejudice he had to encounter and overcome before he reached
the acme of his fame, we must concede he traveled further along the
road to greatness than any other orator who ever lived.
Demosthenes, the first great 'orator of the world, was born 'a free
man and of distinguished family, and at an early age was placed
under the best instructors and given every opportunity to perfect
himself in the arts of oratory. Cicero, the greatest orator of free
25
386
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
or imperial Rome, was the son of a man of wealth and culture, who
carried him to Rome at an early age and placed him under the instruc¬
tion of Cras'sus, the orator. Here all that wealth and power and
influence could do, was done to perfect him as an orator ; and the
Roman Senate was the theater of his triumphs, and the power of
Rome was his to make himself immortal; and he will live as long as
learning lives, next to Demosthenes, as the most accomplished orator
of ancient times. Yet his greatest efforts will live rather for beauty
of language and rhetorical perfection than for pure and lofty elo¬
quence. His orations against Catiline, and his appeal for the poet
Archeas, and his defense of Milo, were the productions of the states¬
man and lawyer, rather than of the divinely inspired orator. And
so the great orators of modern times, in the English-speaking
world, were nearly all born of rich and distinguished parentage and
favored with all the opportunities which birth, wealth and power
could give. Lord Brougham was born into the peerage, Canning
came from a distinguished ancestry, Edmund Burke, the gifted son
of Ireland, was the son of a great lawyer, who carried him to London
to better prepare him for his seat in parliament; and Fox, of whom
Burke said "he was the greatest debator the world ever saw," was
put in parliament by his father at the age of 19. William Pitt who,
at the age of 23, was the premier of England and at 25 master of his
cabinet and the idol of his king, his parliament and his people, was
the son of Lord Chatham, himself one of the most distinguished
orators and statesmen England ever produced, and so the great ora¬
tors of our own country, if not "born in the purple," had unob¬
structed roads to distinction. Patrick Henry found a field and time
for the display of his impassioned and eloquent oratory in the Vir¬
ginia Convention, when he, a free man, saw political chains and
slavery in longer submitting to British rule; and so with Webster
and Haynes and Clay and Sumner and Lamar and Blaine and Gar¬
field and all the other great American orators. They all had parents
and training and friends, they were all free in body and soul and
mind to catch the enthusiasm of the newest and greatest republic
on earth, in which there was a field for the development of the
genius of every white man where there was no limit to their ambi¬
tion. To them there were no barriers of race or condition to en¬
counter or overcome, upon their ocean of life there were no Charybdis
and Scylla; they could bend th£ir sails to any breeze and with their
genius extract progress from every force.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
387
Every white American, who had achieved distinction as an orator
in this country up to the time Douglass began his career, had a fair
field with the broadest opportunities, in which to realize the summit
of his ambition He knew every avenue to distinction was open to
him, and that there was no limit to his achievements, save that put
upon him by Deity in the hour of his creation. The glories of a new
and grander civilization were his, the resources of this great and
wonderful country were his, and the blessings of the greatest and, to
him, the most liberal form of government on earth were his heritage.
Baptized in the fire of freedom, he drank from the fountain of liberty,
and with an enthusiam born of his surroundings, the white American
entered upon his career to greatness with advantages superior to
those ever before enjoyed by any race or nationality in the history of
the world. How vastly different were the conditions under which
Frederick Douglass began his career! How dark and starless was
the moral and political sky under which he was born. Nowhere on
earth did the waiting angel, who bore from God the jewel of his soul
to place it in his mortal body, grope through more intense Egyptian
darkness, than when nearly eighty years ago he wound his way along
the sands of the sterile "Eastern Shore" of Maryland, seeking
among the cabins of the lowly slaves, the casket of his jewel; and
when the lordly Master Loyd knew he had another slave the Ameri¬
can people little dreamed that in this slave America would find one of
her greatest orators.' No orator of ancient or modern times was
ever so lowly born. The poorest white boy of this time, though born
a pauper, was rich compared with him, for he was born the market
value of his body, poorer than poverty. When he had struggled
through boyhood, and in his young manhood found freedom by flight,
though free, how dark must have been the clouds above him! What
orator in the history of the world ever stood upon the threshold of
his manhood under such conditions ?
At the age when Demosthenes was under the best instruction Ath¬
ens flourished; when Cicero, under the instruction of Crassus, had
mastered the arts of oratory, and had the Roman forum for this dis¬
play; when Brougham, Burke, Canning, Fox, and Pitts had taken
their degrees from college, and their seats in parliament; when Pat¬
rick Henry had tasted the sweets of American independence, and in
the future saw the greatness of his country; when Webster had
graduated from Dartmouth, and had already won distinction as law¬
yer and statesman; when Clay had begun his glorious career, and
388
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
was the brightest and newest star in the political firmament of Ms
beloved State; when Charles Sumner had left the classic halls of
Harvard and was the growing pride of the "old bay State," at this
time of life, when all the other great orators named had started upon
their careers under the most flattering conditions, Frederick Doug¬
lass was a fugitive slave, only- free while he remained out of the
reach of the slave catcher. He had never seen inside of a school
house or college. While others were inspired by love of country to
deeds of greatness, he had no country to love; no avenue to distinction
was open to him; there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could as¬
pire to. Such were the conditions under which Douglass began his
career as an orator. Dark indeed must have seemed his future when
he looked out upon it.
But when invited by an anti-slavery society in "New England"
for the first time to deliver an address against slavery, he revealed
to himself and to his hearers the wonderful powers of the inspired
orator, and sounded the key-note of his future greatness. His
speeches against slavery were the greatest productions of his life.
These gave him his greatness as an orator. In this field he was with¬
out a rival. Though at the beginning he was a stranger to schools of
rhetoric, he seemed to have been gifted by nature with all the
requisites of oratory and, more, he inherited what the schools could
not give. Wherever he spoke throughout the North he aroused the
hearts of men to a sense of the wrongs of ' slavery as no other
speaker had ever done, his arraignment of the great crime fanned
the embers of abolitionism into a flame that shone from one side of
this country to the other and reached beyond the seas. No orator of
any age or race ever sprung so quickly into permanent prominence
as did Douglass. He was soon known everywhere, and when he
went to England and spoke throughout England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales, he received such ovations as few Americans of any race
or nationality have ever received before or since. The guest of
John Bright, he was entertained by the nobility of Great Britain
wherever he went. Though a fugitive slave in free America, he was
a man in monarchical England, and was accorded his proper place
among the distinguished men abroad, though denied recognition even
as a man at home. So strong was the sentiment which he aroused
against slavery by his speeches abroad, and so strong was the sen¬
timent for his personal safety, that his friends abroad raised the
requisite amount to purchase his freedom. Thus did British gold
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
389
pay to an American master the price of an American to the manor
born, that he might return to the land of his birth and be free.
Upon his return from abroad he began more earnestly and eloquently
than ever his war upon America's national crime. His experience
abroad made him more powerful than ever, and his speeches were
marvels of eloquence. The oratory of Douglass was not the oratory
of the schools of rhetoric. It was of a higher, grander and sub-
limer character. The schools were but the imitators of the art of
which he was the master.
Though in maturer years he became one of the most widely read
and thoroughly informed men of any age, and was at home in every
department of learning, no amount of culture could equal the in¬
spired efforts of his earlier life. His carefully prepared lectures
before refined and cultured audiences, upon the platform of the
lyceum on learned subjects do not equal, in eloquent oratory, his
anti-slavery speeches ; and the Elder Douglass reading from a care¬
fully prepared manuscript, upon some social or economic question
did not reach the heights of oratory to which the younger and in¬
spired Douglass reached, when with the fire of his soul aglow in
every feature and utterance, he stood before enraptured audiences
and hurled his terrible denunciations against slavery. To him
nature was most prodigal in her gifts; his form was majestic, his
height above the average and his step elastic, while on his broad and
symmetrical shoulders rested the magnificent head which once seen
towering above the throngs of men could never be forgotten. When
standing before his audience his very appearance commanded atten¬
tion, and when his voice fell upon their ears they realized its power
and influence. Few great orators were ever blessed with such a
voice as he. Strong and powerful, yet it could be as soft and musi¬
cal as the sound of an asolian harp. As a speaker he was clear, easy
and flowing with matter; his attitude, voice and gesture were all in
perfect harmony, to this he added creation, inspiration and heart and
soul. He gave life to inanimate things, beauty to ugliness, and
grandeur to the commonplace. His voice could melt to the soft,
sweet tones of conversation with its marvelous, flexile flow. In his
description of the tender, the beautiful and the pathetic, he would
use the dear, sweet words of every-day life, everyone of which
would bring the clinging memory and warmth of the fireside flowing
as gently as the touch of caressing hands, at times he created the
marvelous thing we call sympathy, which comes and places the
390
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
speaker's pulse against the listerners' hearts, and they beat and throb
together. Then" sympathy becomes magnetism, and the highest
point of eloquent oratory is reached, when speaker and listeners be¬
come one, with one life, one emotion, kindling and glowing and flow¬
ing together, and finding exquisitely satisfying expression by the
mouth of the speaker, mutually giving and receiving, the audience
bearing the speaker on and upward, and the speaker lifting the audi¬
ence to higher and still higher lfevels.
When he denounced wrong and demanded redress his voice could
become as deep and terrible as the roar of the cataract, and his
words the strongest and best the English language could furnish;
with a master's hand he brushed away the sophistry of wrong,
plucked the trembling heart from his subject and held it before his
astonished audience. His best and greatest speeches were those he
made against slavery; on them he won his fame, and on them his
greatness as an orator will forever rest. Never in -the history of
the world was there such a crime, and never such a man as Douglass
to denounce it. For who knew slavery as he knew it? And who
could see it as he saw it? And who could denounce it as he did?
When he arose to denounce this monster there was no necessity for
the arts of oratory, the products of the highest art were absorbed in
the terrible earnest with which he spoke. At such times he was
what art may try to imitate, but what nature alone can produce, as
well try to imitate Niagara with mechanics' tools, or by science pro¬
duce another Mount Blanc, as for the rhetorician to duplicate the
eloquent oratory of Douglass against slavery—his argument was
unanswerable, his invective deep and burning, his sarcasm wither¬
ing, and his pathos and pity so tender and touching, that he caused
the bosom to swell with anguish and the eyes to fill with tears.
On one occasion sometime before emancipation, he attended the
Fourth of July celebration, I think, at Rochester; he was then a man
. of international fame, and was called upon to speak. I have not seen
the speech in print for more than 30 years, but as I read it then and
remember it now, taken in- connection with the times and circum¬
stances under which it was made, the man and the occasion, nothing
could have been more truly eloquent. When he arose and looked
over his audience, among other things he said: Why am I called
upon to speak on an occasion like this? Why should I celebrate your
Fourth of July? What freedom have my people and I to celebrate?
Above your shouts, and the roar of your cannon I can hear the crack
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS, OP THE RACE.
391
of the slave whip, the clanking of the chains and the groans of my
enslaved brethren in the South. Your rejoicings do but fill to over¬
flow my cup of bitterness! You were willing to bare your breasts to
English cannon to evade a tax on tea, but you turn a deaf ear to three
millions of human beings made in the image of God, who are vainly
pleading to you in chains, that they may own their own bodies and
that they may be protected in the commonest ties of husband and
wife and parent and child. While you celebrate the anniversary of
your independence, you have coiled up in the bosom of your youth¬
ful republic the serpent of slavery, sucking her life's blood, and send¬
ing its poison into every member of her body. Your Declaration of
Independence is a lie! and your flag contaminates the very air of God.
Every stripe upon it represents the blood and bondage of my people,
and every star glitters to your country's shame." *
In 1871, when slavery was dead, and the government of his birth
began to recognize his worth, be went abroad again, not as a fugitive
slave, but bearing the commission of his government, as assistant
secretary to the commission sent by President Grant to the Repub¬
lic of Santo Domingo. His last and most distinguished services
abroad were as Minister to Hayti. His services there are a part of
the diplomatic history of our country. At no time, however, was
Douglass, the statesman or diplomat more signally honored abroad
than when as a fugitive he first went to England, and spoke through¬
out the united Kingdom, receiving one continual ovation all over the
British Isles. And no services he has rendered his country, how¬
ever great or distinguished they may have been, since emancipation,
can be compared to those he rendered his country and mankind by
his sublime work in the overthrow of slavery, and enfranchisement
of his race. Had Frederick Douglass been a white man, he would no
doubt have found his place in the United States Senate, and taken
rank with the greatest statesman of his time, but his enduring fame
will be that of the orator. No race prejudice could keep him from
rising to distinction in the firmament of the world's greatest orators,
and no star will shine brighter and with more enduring splendor than
that which glitters to the name of Frederick Douglass. God grant
that his mantle may fall upon some younger man of the race, who will
take up the work where he left it, and with an eloquence and love of
race, as pure and patriotic as his, do as much to release us from our
moral, social, intellectual, and political thralldom, as did Frederick
Douglass to release us from the chains of slavery.
392
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
MR. DOUGLASS AS A TALKER.
BY ROBERT H. TERRELL.
XT is a great pity that some Boswell was not at the elbow of Fred-
jf eriek Douglass all the days of his later life to jot down and to
preserve to posterity his precious gems of speech. It is painful
to think that some of his most delightful sayings, and pleasing bon
mdts have never appeared in print, and are irrecoverably lost. Mr.
Douglass was an unrivaled talker and liked to talk among his friends.
One hour with him at his home' on Cedar Hill when he was in the
vein of talk was worth a week's reading of books.
In private conversation there was a sparkle in Mr. Douglass'
words, a flow in his sentiments, a grace in his manner as sweet
as summer, a calm and cheerful philosophy that no pen can pho¬
tograph, no language accurately illustrate. He could tell of his
own trials and triumphs in the most modest way. I once heard him
repeat a climax to one of his famous speeches delivered forty years
ago. It was eloquent even in its repetition. On some patriotic oc¬
casion he had been invited to speak. Having declared to his audi¬
ence that he was no part of that day or that event, he said: "There
is no mountain so high, no valley so deep, no plain so extensive in all
this broad land where I may stand and call these hands my own." I
quote from memory. And then there would be tears in his voice.
He could relate an incident with so much pathos that there would be
few dry eyes among his listeners. He used to tell how he had been
invited to deliver an address in other days in our Western towns.
Quite an audience assembled to hear him. When he had concluded
his speech no man was found gracious enough to invite him to his
home and offer him a bed and a supper. So he wandered away down
the road all alone, at last into a deserted graveyard, and while stand¬
ing there amidst the graves of the dead the thought came to him
that "Foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son
man hath not where to lay his head." Said Martin Luther, " Sorrow
has pressed many sweet songs out of me." Injustice to an oppressed
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
393
people and sorrow for their condition gave both music and strength
to the utterances of Frederick Douglass.
Mr. Douglass believed in the colored people. He believed that
in this country there is a great future for them and that they will
ultimately justify every prophecy for good made with regard to
them. He not only gave expression to his belief in their ability to
become capable men of business if given a fair trial, but he empha¬
sized that confidence by contributing his money liberally to help
their industrial enterprises. Right here in the city of Washington
he was the first President of the Industrial Building and Savings
Company; a large stock holder in the Alpha Life Insurance Com¬
pany, and one of the heaviest depositors in the Capital Savings
Bank—all institutions controlled and managed by colored men. It
is fresh in the memory of everyone how he attempted three years*
ago to establish what was called the Freedom Manufacturing Com¬
pany. The object of this concern was to buy a part of the old estate
in Maryland upon which Mr. Douglass had lived and suffered as a
slave, and there to plant a great industrial school for colored boys
and girls as well as build factories that would give employment to
hundreds of colored men and women. The scheme failed utterly,
Ibecause of the lack of support by the colored people. Its death car-
Tied with it many hundreds of Mr. Douglass' dollars.
I saw Justice Harlan, of the United States Supreme Court, at Mr.
Douglass' funeral, paying his last respects to one who in life had
"been his friend. It was a memorable occasion when I last saw Judge
Harlan and Frederick Douglas together. It was a scene that repre¬
sented the most striking contrast between the periods of the his¬
tory of our nation. The Honorable Justice was presiding officer of
a meeting at which Mr. Douglass was the chief speaker. Only
thirty-five years before a Justice of the same court had made his
name notorious by rendering a decision that placed even Frederick
Douglass outside of the pale of human association. Roger Brooke
Taney, in his elaborate opinion in the famous Dred Scott case de¬
clared that a Negro had neither social nor civil rights, nor legal
•capacity. When Frederick Douglass and Justice Harlan met on the
same platform, on the occasion referred to, each valuing the other
for his worth as a man, here was a scene that represented a change
in public sentiment that was more than revolutionary.—The Monthly
Review*
394
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
THE GRAND OLD HERO-
BY W. H. CROGMAN.
[Extract from a memorial address delivered at Atlanta, Ga.]
FREDERICK DOUGLASS is dead! How strange that sounds to
those of us who from earliest boyhood have been accustomed to
hear him spoken of as the living exponent of all that is noblest
and best in the race. The mind reluctantly accepts the unwelcome
truth. And yet it is a truth—a serious, a solemn truth. Frederick
Douglass is no more. The grand old hero of a thousand battles has
at last fallen before the shaft of the common destroyer, and upon his
well-battered shield loving hands have tenderly'borne that stalwart
form to its last, long resting-place. Earth to earth, dust to dust,
ashes to ashes! And is that all? Nay, verily, I tell you, no ordinary
piece of clay has been laid away in the silent tomb. JSTo mean or
craven spirit has suddenly taken its flight. A character so massive,
so colossal in its proportions, a life so singularly grand in its achieve¬
ments, passes not away unnoticed. The great mad world in its giddy
rush after material gains has paused to take note that a great man
has fallen in our Israel; and humanity, enriched and blessed by his
long and faithful services, lingers in tearful gratitude about his new-
made grave. It were well for us to pause. It were well for us, turn¬
ing aside from the humdrum duties of the day, to lay upon his bier
the tribute of gratitude and affection. It were well for us to con¬
template, even though briefly, that remarkable life, and discover if
we may, what were the elements that, entering into it, made it so
strong, so symmetrical, so sublime.
This country will never again see another Douglass; this world
will never again see another Douglass; for in all probability there
will never again exist that peculiar combination of circumstances to
produce exactly such a type of manhood. Man is, in a measure, the
product of environment. Yet it would be injustice to Frederick
Douglass to say that he was simply great because of environment.
He was great in spite of environment. Born a slave, subjected in
his early youth and manhood to all the degrading, stultifying, de-
The late Hon. Frederick Douglass.
396
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
moralizing influences of slavery, he has left behind him after a public
life, long and varied and stormy, a name as clean and spotless as
driven snow. Take notice of this, young men, you who have ambi¬
tions, you who are aspiring to public place and position and power.
Take notice that a public life need not be separated from unsullied
honor.
I said Frederick Douglass was great in spite of environment. Had
there been no slavery to fight, no freedom to win, he would still have
been a great man. Greatness was inherent in his being, and circum¬
stances simply evoked it. He was one of those choice spirits whom
the Almighty sends into this world with the stamp of a great mission
upon their very form and features. Said Sam Johnsqn, with refer¬
ence to Burke: "Sir, if you were to see him under London Bridge
in a mixed multitude who had hastily run there out of a passing
shower, you would instantly recognize him as a great man." The
same could well have been said of Douglass. No one could look on
that massive, well-formed head, that strong, leonine face, with eyes
that even in the seventies could flash fire, without feeling the power
of a great personality, Those of you who saw him here in Atlanta a
few years ago will long remember him. Nimble as a lad, straight as
an arrow, tall, broad-shouldered, well-proportioned, he was just such
a form as the old Greek sculptor would have delighted to put in
marble. ,
The splendid physique of Douglass was in keeping with the
strength and grasp of his masterly mind. Without the privilege of
a day's instruction in a school-room, he acquired a fund of useful
knowledge that would put to shame the meagre attainments of many
a college graduate. His speeches and writings are models of pure
English style, and are characterized by simplicity, directness, force,
and elegance.
Many of the interesting facts and incidents in the life of this great
man will udoubtedly be brought out by the speakers and essayists to
follow. If I were asked to sum up in a word what made Douglass
great, I would say a noble purpose—the purpose to render the
largest possible service to mankind. Verily he has served us well,
faithfully, unselfishly; and now, full of years and full of honors,
loaded with such distinction as this poor world has to give, he dies—
dies as he lived—a brave, strong, pure, good man.
No more shall we behold that manly form. No more shall we lis¬
ten to those eloquent lips upon which for over fifty years so many
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
397
thousands have hung with rapture—those eloquent lips that have
made his name famous in two hemispheres, and will surely keep it so
as long as freedom has a history, God grant that the mantle of this
old hero may fall upon a worthy successor! God grant that our
young men, contemplating his life and emulating his example, may be
lifted up to a higher conception of life, of duty, of responsibility, of
usefulness!
ever occupied the attention of the 'American people, and se¬
cured a hearing from the civilized world.
His life work was completed years ago, and yet he persistently re¬
fused to retire, and expressed a desire to remain in public life to the
last.
Mr. Douglass' career during recent years has been somewhat re¬
markable in that he has shown a disposition to encourage every race
enterprise which appeared to deserve success, and to speak out in
behalf of a people with whom he was identified, and time and again
he had been called upon to defend.
He was truly a remarkable man, and his transcendent greatness
will be all the more apparent since he has left this world, in which for
half a century he has been the most striking figure.
He was a lover of mankind, and the implacable foe of oppression.
He became the watchman on the wall, and at no time did he give
forth an uncertain sound.
He was independent and conscientious in all of his utterances, deal¬
ing with great questions, and an authority upon many things which
transpired during his life time.
He never lost entirely his old-time eloquence.
A race sheds tears over his bier, remembering only the many ex¬
cellent characteristics, and the exercise of those mighty powers
which did so much to hasten enfranchisement, and cause them to
GOOD-NIGHT, DOUGLASS,
BY JOHN MITCHELL, ESQ., ED. "THE PLANET."
398
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
drink from the fountain of freedom, the life-inspiring draught of
emancipation.
Stricken at his post of duty, falling on his knees as he received the
summons, he bowed his head in submission to the divine will, and
child-like was led to the heavenly home on high, no doubt accompa¬
nied by the strains of sweet music. May our good-night be like his.
HON. B. P. S. PINCHBACK, IN "COLORED AMERICAN."
[Extract from an address delivered in Washington.]
IS love of liberty and flight to obtain it, and his thirst for knowl¬
edge, which he acquired to such a remarkable degree, demon¬
strate that he was no ordinary man. He would not only be free
himself, but he must do something to shatter the fetters which
bound in hopeless bondage, millions of other human beings. Self-
emancipated and self-taught! What a wonderful and striking object-
lesson to young and aspiring mankind everywhere his life presents
in its march from the poor and unlettered slave boy to the orator,
editor, statesman and one of the foremost men of his time. It
forcibly illustrates the marvelous possibilities of the human intel¬
lect when afforded opportunities for development and the stimulus
of a field for employment. It is a very common thing for writers
and public speakers to declare that opportunity is nothing; that
men make their own opportunity. The history of the world's great
men does not, in my opinion, sustain this assertion. Rare gifts, and
even genius itself, remains dormant and undiscovered when sub¬
jected to the rust of inactivity. The human mind and intellect must
have constant employment to obtain their highest perfection, and
there never was in the history of the world a more inspiring cause
than the abolition of American slavery, the cause in which Mr.
Douglass labored and which wrought in him such a marvelous devel¬
opment. With the fall of slavery his occupation was not, like
Othello's, gone; its attendant evils, prejudice and hatred, wrong and
injustice, continued to follow the race, and this kept him like a sen¬
tinel on the watch tower of public opinion, ever ready and willing to
enter in dignified and manly terms his protest against their en¬
croachment upon his people. It was this ceaseless demand upon his
time and talents which accounts for his continued growth and the
colossal form he reached in the public eye.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 399
His life is picturesque and interesting from every point of view;
but in no way more remarkable than in its wonderful perseverance
and endurance. It has often been said of Mr. Douglass that he was
not a leader, and in the common acception of the term, this is true.
It was not his province to lead men, he soared away above such a
leadership into the realms of thought and reason. But in the
broader, deeper and higher sense—the maker and molder of public
sentiment—he was a leader of leaders, "the noblest Roman of them
all." The great men who preceded him were all, without an excep¬
tion, the outgrowth of fortuitous circumstances or the descendants
of illustrious ancestors. In their several fields of action they not
only had precedents to guide and assist them in their labors, but
abundant resources and an army of followers.
Not so with Mr. Douglass. He had nothing but his tongue and pen to
advance the great cause in which he was enlisted. The human brain
and heart were the citadels he had to besiege, storm, and capture.
His own people were, in the main, in the most abject slavery, and ut¬
terly unable to render him any assistance, and a large majority of
the dominant class—the people before whom he must plead his cause
—were strongly fortified against him by race prejudice and hatred.
On all sides trials and perils without a parallel in the world's history
confronted him, but he never faltered, and for over half a century,
with more than Spartan courage, he performed with his eloquent
tongue and matchless pen, inestimable service for his down-trodden
and helpless people.
A born orator, and possessed of rare eloquence, he also had an
abundance of that still rarer gift—common sense. It was this qual¬
ity which enabled him to avoid extremes and exaggeration in his pub¬
lic utterances.
Incessant ,and aggressive in his war on slavery, he made his argu¬
ment against it with such consummate judgment, that he commanded
the attention of friend and foe alike, and acquired the fame which has
placed his name high up on the scroll of the famous men of the world.
Without a precedent or predecessor, he leaves no imitator or suc¬
cessor. Both he and the occasion which developed him are gone
forever. Measured by his humble origin, bis limited opportunities,
his poverty of resources, and the uncongenial field in which he had to
labor, he leaves an impress upon the civilized portion of mankind un¬
excelled by any other man in either ancient or modern times, except
the lowly Nazarene.
400
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
What a splendid panorama his life presents! and how singularly
fortunate he was in living to see the fruition of his labor, and the real¬
ization of his dearest hopes, the emancipation and enfranchisement
of the race for whom he had labored so long and earnestly.
It was a consolation and jo}?" vouchsafed to very few men. He was
conscious of the fact and it mellowed and sweetened his disposition,
softened his heart toward all mankind, and rendered him forgiving
and indulgent even to his bitterest opponents.
On his last dajr on earth, I had the pleasure of listening, to one of
his charming conversations, in which he was always instructive and
entertaining. He was apparently hale and hearty, and deeply con¬
cerned about the shadows which still lower over the future of the
race in this country. A tinge of sadness pervaded his conversation,
but it was relieved by the most boyish glee and satisfaction with
which he spoke of the compliment he had just received from the
Ladies Convention. It was a splendid compliment to a splendid man,
and was highly appreciated by him.
On that day, as ever before, the uppermost thought with him was
the betterment of the condition of his people; and it was while in the
act of going forth to speak words of encouragement to them, that the
grim monster seized him. The end was sudden, but providential.
It was meet that his majestic form should be spared the ravages of
disease and decrepitude. It was with intellect undimmed, mind un¬
impaired, strength vigorous, and armor still on, that he fell. Pecu¬
liar and extraordinary in life, exceptional in death! His absence
from the affairs of life leaves a void which I fear generation after
generation will not see filled. It will require no statue of marble, or
bronze, or granite monument to perpetuate his name and fame. His
great services to humanity are a living monument, and it will last as
long as memory holds a place in the brain of man.
Rev. Rush H. Shippen related some interesting incidents and
memories of Douglass, and Rev. W. A. Creditt discussed Douglass*
place in history. Mrs. Charlotte Fortin Grimke read a poem, and
Mrs. Lena Miller McKinney sang a solo. The benediction was of¬
fered by Rev. Francis J. Grimke, after the adoption of the following
resolution as the sense of the meeting, offered by Mr. F. G. Barba-
does:
"Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting of citizens that in
the death of Frederick Douglass America has lost a most distin¬
guished son and the Negro race a leader and champion whose whole
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 401
life was one of unswerving devotion to their redemption from slav¬
ery, their rights as citizens, their progress as a people. That ' fame
and honor from no condition rise' was exemplified in his life more
than in that of any other man of his time. He was born a slave, yet
he became a chieftain in the army of anti-slavery men and women;
for twenty-five years his clear voice, in stentorian tones, rang out for
the nationality of freedom. His battle cry was, 'Let my people go.'
His contribution to the anti-slavery cause makes a splendid chapter
in its history.
"The story of his own sorrows and sufferings, no less than his elo¬
quence, touched the hearts of two continents, and did much towards
winning for the millions of bondmen in America the sympathy of
Christendom. And when the emancipation and enfranchisement of
his people came, he then turned his attention to their preparation for
citizenship, with all its dignities alid responsibilities. His voice and
his pen and his personal influence were always enlisted in the cause
of the oppressed. He believed profoundly in the brotherhood of hu¬
manity and in the equality of races, and during his entire public
life he never once compromised his convictions to any expediency or
policy for the purpose of advancing his personal ends. Everywhere
in his speeches and writings shine out noble sentiments and lofty
standards of duty—indices of the purity of his thoughts, the great¬
ness of his soul, and the beauty of his character.
"The lessons of his public career will be an inspiration to the pres¬
ent and future generations of the American Negroes to righteous de¬
termination and aspiration for attaining the highest possibilities of
our country. Such was his private life that mothers will endeavor
to teach their sons to emulate it and keep it constantly before them
as an ideal. We mourn the loss to our country of so great a citizen."
HflVEH " liHflT" DOUGIiASS an eloquent tongue, touched, as it
were, by a live coal from the altar of liberty and patriotism that
aroused a nation to rise up against such a cruel system as slav¬
ery. No voice or pen, save those of William Lloyd Garrison and
Harriet Beecher Stowe, contributed more liberally or effectively to
the cause of freedom than the voice of the late Frederick Douglass.
He was never a patronizer or syncophant. He believed in the man¬
hood rights of man—not as white man or black man, but as a man.
He knew but one race, and that was the human race. He combated
402
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
all counter arguments and maintained his position to the last. He
has held several important and responsible offices, among which we
name a member of the Territorial Council of the District of Columbia,
Marshall of the District of Columbia, Recorder of Deeds and United
States Minister to the Republic of Hayti. His integrity and con¬
sistency in the principles of right and virtue have never been
brought into question. He was also the author of several books, the
greatest of which is the "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass."
Mr. Douglass early learned to believe on the Lord and accept him
as his guide and help. He remarked while addressing the A. M. E.
Zion Centennial Committee: "Nearly fifty years ago the A. M. E.
Zion Church at New Bedford gave me license to preach and I have
been preaching ever since." He had written a friend that he could
not accept any invitation to travel far to deliver a lecture, but he
promised to come as far South as Salisbury, N. C., to visit Livings¬
tone College. Had he lived he would have been Livingstone's next
annual orator. But he is gone. He ceased at once to work and live.
He was about to leave his home to deliver a lecture for the benefit of
a church when lie was stricken down. Shortly after his death the car¬
riage that was to have conveyed him to the church rolled up; but it
was too late. An earlier carriage, or chariot if you choose, had come
and borne his spirit home to the God who gave it. His death leaves
the race without a successor to him and deprives the nation of one
of its greatest and purest men.—Star of Zion.
HON. J. C. NAPIER'S EULOGY, IN "NASHVILLE CITIZEN."
[Extract of Memorial Address.]
f^HERE has been removed from the scene of his earthly labors
I one of America's greatest citizens. Born to the heritage of a
bondage, nurtured at the breast of a slave, rocked in the cradle
of adversity, taught in the school of slavery and oppression, he over¬
came all the disadvantages and hardships of his environments: he
burst the bonds that held him as a slave and launched the ship of his
life upon one of the most illustrious and useful voyages ever accom¬
plished by an American citizen. From his obscure birtl} to his il¬
lustrious death and burial it can but be conceded that he traveled
more miles of usefulness to humanity, to his country, to his race
than any of his co-workers. He loved the Southland and the place of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
403
his birth; he loved his neighbors of all colors, creed and sexes, and
he fled from the South, not to escape the Southland itself, but to
satisfy his restless spirit and to escape the chain's influence of bon¬
dage. As soon as he arrived at the age of discretion he began to
hate the institution of slavery, and from that time until its entire
abolition in his native land he allowed no opportunity to escape, to
strike a blow at its existence. How unceasing and how effectual
were these blows the history of his country will tell all generations
to come. He loved his country too much to look disinterestedly on
and see its prosperity blighted, and its greatness obscured by the
destructive and degrading influence of slavery. He therefore de¬
spised slavery'for his country's sake. He loved his race and the
cause of humanity with too deep affection to permit any earthly con¬
sideration to change his determination to devote his entire life to se¬
curing its freedom and elevation to the highest plane of citizenship.
To the end therefore that shackels might be stricken from the arms
of 7,000,000 of slaves of his own race and fellow men, he fought the
institution of slavery wisely, but always with all the vehemence and
power with which his God had so liberally endowed him. A brighter
star than that worn by Frederick Douglass will not appear in the
crown of any American citizen in recognition of his great services
in the overthrow of slavery in this country, and in the emancipation
of thought and speech and in the personal liberty of the citizen.
When race prejudice shall have died, when men shall be judged by
their worth, by their work, by their intentions; when history shall
look impartially on and judge him and the men of his times, no name
will be written higher upon the roll of honor as a philanthropist, as
a patriot, as an orator, as a leader, as a liberator and as a benefactor
to his country and his race, than will be that of Frederick Douglass.
He was honest, honorable and upright in all his walks of life, whether
in the performance of duty he was called to high or low estate the
same sense of honor, courage and uprightness characterized his
every act and movement. His career is full of ripe honors, civil,
diplomatic and literary. His name and his services are indissolubly
linked with liberty wherever in the English language the word free¬
dom is pronounced. Frederick Douglass' race is proud of the heri¬
tage he has bequeathed it.
404
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA
fjlE DEATH of pf*EDE$lCK DOUGMSS has been followed by
wide public notice of the honors he had received, the consider-
tion with which he has been treated and the position he has
filled. But it is worth while remembering, in the interest of justice
and equality, twin duties of the Republic, that these honors and this
consideration were both infinitely less than he would have received
in any other civilized country in the world, though more than one
American goes through life imagining that "the Republic is oppor¬
tunity '' for all its citizens in a better sense than in other lands. As
a matter of fact, it is not, where color is concerned.
In England, with his ability as a speaker, Frederick Douglass
would unquestionably have become a member of Parliament, and he
might easily have been knighted, as men darker than he have been.
In France he would have found Dumas, a man darker than himself,
honored through life in every social circle, and after death, one of the
few whose statue stands in the Theatre Francais. If, as might
easily have been the case, Douglass had been elected to the French
Academy he would have found there, now and in the past, men of
his race. In no corner of France and in no part of Europe would
he have found the hotel, the theatre, the railroad car, the school,
or the home in which he would not have been accepted on his merits
as a man and his manners as a gentleman.—Philadelphia Press.
IHE UNEXPECTED flflD SUDDEJSl DEATH OF mt*. DOtfGliASS
I1 I A
^ has awakened a sense of profound sympathy never before ex¬
pressed toward a person identified with the Negro race, and
seldom toward one of the white race. "We are not surprised at the
manifestations of profound respect and sorrow of the colored people,
and we rejoice, too, that the white race has shown almost equal re¬
gard for his memory, by their attendance when he lay in state in
Washington, and when his body was interred in Rochester. The
press has voiced the sentiment of the nation in the full and eulogistic
notices of his life. Frederick Douglass deserved it all.
No man, perhaps, in this country has broken through so heavy a
crust of ignorance, poverty, and race prejudice as was done by this
boy bora on a slave plantation, stealing his education, fleeing from
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 405
his slave home, and then achieving for himself a rank among the
foremost men of the nation in intelligence, eloquence, and of personal
influence in the great anti-slavery struggle of this country. He has
achieved honors in the public service of the nation, and has faithfully
and honorably fulfilled every trust laid upon him.
Mr. Douglass is among the last survivors of that band of Aboli¬
tionists that were so potent in their influence in arousing the nation
to the evils of slavery. The recent death of Theodore D. Weld, in
his ninety-first year, recalls a name now almost forgotten, but that
two generations ago indicated the foremost orator in the anti-slavery
ranks. .The poet of anti-slavery, Whittier, has gone recently, and
now the most conspicuous name left of that noble band is that of Mrs.
Harriet Beecher Stowe.
The American Missionary Association has reason to congratulate
itself that its last annual meeting was made memorable by the pres¬
ence of Mr. Douglass, and its vast audience stirred most deeply by
his eloquent address. In that address he expressed his gratitude
for himself and his people for the work done by the Association in
their behalf. And in a letter subsepuently addressed to the senior
secretary of the Association, he says, in speaking of that address:
"I am very glad to have been able thus publicly to record my sense
of the value of the great work of the Association in saving my people.
I am a friend of free thought and free inquiry, but I find them to be
no substitute for the work of educating the ignorant and lifting up
the lowly. Time and toil have nearly taken me away from the lecture
field, but I still have a good word to say in the cause to which the
American Missionary Association is devoted."—The American Mis¬
sionary.
H. DOUGLiflSS HAD RH U^PliEflSflflT EXPEfUEriCE as pres¬
ident of the "Freedman's Savings and Trust Company,"
otherwise known as the Freedman's Bank, to which office he
was elected at a time when by the grossest mismanagement and
actual theft on the part of its officers it was inevitably becoming
bankrupt. This connection, as he says in his life, brought upon him
such detraction and abuse as he had never encountered, and yet he
was in no respect blamable, and his sole effort in his office was to
wind up the concern with as little loss to the depositors as might be.
Mr. Douglass married, a few years after his escape from slavery,
406 afko-american encyclopedia.
a woman of his race who had also escaped, and she was the mother
of his children, all of whom, we believe, are still living, worthy citi¬
zens, doing their work in the world. A few years ago he married
Miss Helen M. Pitts, a white woman of fine breeding and culture,
who had been a clerk in the United States Marshal's office in. "Wash¬
ington. The marriage brought to him for a while some unpopularity
• among the people of his race, and even caused some family trouble,
but neither result was lasting. Those who met Mr. and Mrs. Doug¬
lass in their fine home at Anacostia know that the marriage justified
itself in the perfect community of relations. It should be added that
Frederick Douglass has been, from the earliest impulse of his public
life, an advocate of the suffrage for women.—Springfield Republican.
IilpH HIS CEf^TAljMliY WAS, covering the span
of slavery, a freedom gained by flight, his subsequent freedom
by purchase, and the subsequent freedom of his race through
the fortunes of a war in which they took no controlling part. Lead¬
ing up to this war, the undoubted eloquence of Douglass contributed
a great deal. It was felt throughout the North that if a man of his
talent was a fair type of his race, that their freedom was worth pro¬
curing at any cost. The result, of course, has been disappointing to
those enthusiasts, for Douglass was but the meteoric exception in a
cloudless sky. Even the form of his exception did not indicate the
strong traits which characterize great people, for it is a fact of histo¬
ry that many of the weakest people of the earth have excelled in the
one line of oratory. For the last few years Douglass has not been in
favor with his people. He lost caste with them when he did not es¬
teem one of their women worthy of being his wife, but married a
white woman instead. Having lost the favor of the women of his
race, the sentimental chord which made his name as music to their
ears was snapped in twain.—Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution.
The death of Hon. Frederick Douglass, announced in these col¬
umns last week, has called forth from every section and every class
expressions of the deepest regret and sympathy. Memorial services
have been held in all parts of the country, and the most tender trib¬
utes of respect have been paid to his memory.—American Baptist.'
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
407
It was vouchsafed to Mr. Douglass to live to a ripe old age, and to
see the cause for which he struggled and with which he was so
closely identifiied, blossom and ripen into a glorious fruitage. He
died rich in honors, but richer still in the affections of patriotic and
liberty-loving people everywhere; and in the humble cabin home of
the lowly, as well as in those of more affluent circumstances, his
name will ever remain as an inspiration to high and noble deeds.—
JSfeiv Orleans Monitor.
Frederick Douglass, thoroughly identified with the colored race
in the public estimation, though with a full half of white blood in his
veins, was a man superior in mental ability to the average represen¬
tative in the Congress of the United States. He had a taste for pol¬
itics, and many of the characteristics of that class of men who are
known as politicians. Yet Frederick Douglass never ventured to
offer himself as a candidate for Congress in any Northern district.
The truth is, and it may as well be admitted, that there is a great
deal of color prejudice North as well as South. We have never be¬
lieved in electing a man to office because he belonged to the colored
race, but where races are equally recognized as entitled to citizen¬
ship there is no adequate reason for refusing a man the distinction
in public to which his talents entitle him because his skin is darker
than that of most of his fellows. The country is not yet equal to
according this justice, but perhaps it may be in the next century.—
Boston Herald.
- Frederick Douglass stood for a cause, and his name is symbol¬
ical of the struggle for human liberty in the United States. He was
the oracle of his people. He spoke for them, and they listened to
his counsel and followed where he led. A man with a more angular
character could not have accomplished what Mr. Douglass did. It is
well for the race that he so thoroughly comprehended the temper of
the American people, and was able to disarm opposition by good
natured argument. Those who would wear his mantle must take up
the fight where he left it off, and move forward only as fast as the
sentiment of the country will allow. A new leader will have oppor¬
tunities for aggressiveness beyond those shown Mr. Douglass.—The
Colored Americun, Washington.
The most unfortunate thing about Mr. Douglass' death is the fact
that so many picayune leaders of small calibre will want to take his
place.—Galveston Witness.
408
afro-american encyclopaedia.
The black race is entitled to the highest development of which it is
capable; but if those who assume to be its leaders have nothing bet¬
ter to advise, by precept and example, than to extinguish all its
peculiarities and characteristics by amalgamation with other races,
then they show their lack of faith in the people for whose advance¬
ment they profess to be so solicitous. Frederick Douglass was emi¬
nent as an orator, and was so successful a politician as to be able to
secure almost perpetual office-holding. In the course of his public
life he amassed a fortune, and it will be interesting to know if he has
devoted any of it to the benefit and improvement of the people who
so well deserve his benevolence and bounty.—New Orleans Picayune.
He loved his country because he believed with all sensible people
that though the present seems dark and gloomy, there is in store for
the Negro a brighter future, and a day when equal justice will be
meted out to all. He was a splendid writer because he was a close
student and a deep thinker, an effective speaker because he knew
his subject, and treated it after the manner of Chatham and Fox, in
strong and trenchant phraseology. He was a ripe scholar, a sublime
orator, and the world's model of what a man can do for himself.—
Boston Courant.
The death of Frederick Douglass removes the most notable man of
Negro blood this country has ever produced, and, barring Alexander
Dumas, the elder, the most remarkable man the world has ever
known with an African admixture in his lineage. Thirty years of
freedom to the 7,000,000 Negroes of the South, with all that has been
done for their education, has not produced the equal of the runaway
slave who won his way to a world-wide renown nearly half a century
ago.—Nashville Banner.
He was one of the world's grand figures, an imposing character
who spoke noble words and lived a noble life. He died the greatest
American Negro, yet it comes as a significant thought that all but a
small portion of the nation have paid a fitting tribute to his high
character and worth as one of the foremost of Americans.—Chicago
Free Speech.
Our whole country was recently called to lament the death of this
distinguished man. There is no need for us here to speak of his life
and worth, for these are known to us all. In his death we sustain
the loss of a man whose name and fame was loved and respected by
people of all races.—Georgia Speaker.
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race. 409
Times have changed indeed when the House of Representatives in
North Carolina adjourns in honor of Frederick Doug-lass. But it
should be remembered that the majority in the Legislature at
Raleigh is composed of Republican and Populist members, while
the Democratic members, representing the old regime, voted against
the resolution. It is significant of a new era in the South, however,
when a legislature body of whatever party stripe goes out of its
way to honor a former slave.—Providence Journal.
Frederick Douglass was thrice an American. In his veins ran
the blood of three races—the races that owned the land, that found
the land, and that developed the land at the bidding of its discov¬
erers: the Indian, the white man and the Negro. He cannot really
be considered as a typical Negro. He was not one in birth, though
his lot made him one in sentiment. "With allowance for every right¬
ful sentiment it must be said that up to this time the Negro has not
proved himself an equal of the white man. Perhaps it is too soon to
find him so.—Brooklyn Eagle.
His life is a remarkable example of ability without arrogance, of
success without vanity, of rising from bondage through injustice,
poverty and inhumanity to equality with the greatest of his time,
without ever counseling violence or committing an unlawful act.
His life is a landmark in the progress of human rights. He was the
grandest man of African descent this century has seen.—Norfolk
(Va.) Recorder.
When the death of Mr. Douglass was announced it sent a thrill of
regret through the breast of liberty-loving people everywhere.
Friends and foes alike recognized that a great man, one of the heroic
figures of a heroic struggle in the world's history had passed away.—
New York Age.
It is befitting that the Negroes everywhere hold memorial services
in honor of this "this great and honored" Negro.—Columbia (8.. C.)
Record.
There should be a monument reared to the memory of Mr. Doug¬
lass for his true citizenship and ardent labor for his race.—Ilopkins-
ville {Ky.) Indicator.
A long and useful life—many of its best years given to the free¬
dom and elevation of his people—has been closed.—Sam, Francisco
f Cal.) Western Outlook.
410
afro-american encyclopaedia.
No man ever found in this great man s condition and surroundings
has paved his way to greater fame.—Pueblo {Colo.) Times.
We do not expect to see another Douglass, but the lesson of his life
is to us a legacy worth preserving.—Providence {R. I.) Sun.
In the the death of Frederick Douglass the race loses its most
conspicuous representative.—Seguine {Tex.) New Test.
America loses a statesman of whom she had just cause to .be
proud, and the colored race a champion whose place cannot be filled.—
Huntsville {Ala.) Journal.
In the death of Mr. Douglass it may be said that it is certainly
the first time the loss of a colored man is mourned throughout the
nation.—Leavenworth {Kan.) Herald.
No man had done more to win the hearts of his race, and no man
enjoyed more of the admiration, esteem and confidence of his peo¬
ple.— Cleveland {Ohio) Voice of the People.
As a philanthropist he takes rank with Gladstone, of England.
As an orator he was the equal to Webster, Sumner, Phillips, Choate
and Clay.—Omaha {Neb.) Enterprise.
Mr. Douglass was an historic character, and whatever his foibles,
a great American. His long life has been a very active and emi¬
nently successful one.—New Orleans Daily Crusader.
The death of the Hon. Frederick Douglass renders vacant a sphere
in American civil, political and social life which can never be filled
as Douglass filled it.—Ilearne {Texas) Independent.
He has been a positive force in all movements for the improvement
of mankind, and goes to an eternal rest with a career which is simply
romantic and wonderful.—Cleveland {Ohio) Gazette.
It will not be admitted now, but it will be conceded bye-and-bye
that America's greatest human product to the world was imperson¬
ated in Frederick Douglass.—Philadelphia Christian Recorder.
The condition of affairs that produced Mr. Douglass is also the
same that made it possible for Lincoln, Garrison, and the host of
great men who battled for human liberties and rights. The world
will never see another Frederick Douglass, but the colored race
needs men of his kind—strong, brave, and inspiring.—Denver {Col.)
Statesman.
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race.
411
For more than forty years he has been contending for the rights
of humanity. Thinkers in all parts of the world have heard Mr.
Douglass' plea and pronounced it just.—Baltimore Afro-American.
In Mr. Douglass we have the possibilities of the race clearly
brought out; with Mr. Douglass there was no Negro problem; and
he was all right. He has made the way, let us walk therein.—Phila¬
delphia Astonisher.
In honor of the distinguished leader of the Negro race we show
our respect by coming out in mourning this issue, for truly a great
man has passed away—the Hon. Frederick Douglass.—Omaha (.Web.)
Progress.
The history of Frederick Douglass is a part of the political history
of the United States, prior and anterior to 1847, and he was the
greatest Afro-American leader of his day and generation.—San Fran¬
cisco Elevator.
May the race for which he stood emulate his desire for the attain¬
ment of noble purposes, and bend their whole living to the completion
of those aims that distinguished his days, and gave a lustre which
stamps him among the foremost of the world's great men.— Chicago
Free-Speech.
Frederick Douglass is not dead, but sleepeth. A man so great
and good in all things cannot die; a soul so pure and noble is, when
dissolution comes, but transplanted to a higher sphere, to rest from,
the burdens of life's toil and labor.—Springfield {111.) State Capital.
r
Dougdass is dead! The only, and ^ncompflarable defender of uni¬
versal freedom has passed the river and gone to rest. The race still
has Langston, but all of the Langstons in the country cannot fill the
shoes of that grand old man, Frederick Douglass.—San Antonio {Tex.)
Blade.
His idea of an education was to make men love right things, love
industry, knowledge, purity, and hunger and thirst after justice.
He had no selfish ambition. God gave him the mental force, and he
added to it enthusiasm, and industriously lived for the education and
enlightenment of the world. While our race's master's spirit is to
sleep forever, his work will go on and his memory grow brighter as
people recall the vigor of his effort, and the integrity of his purpose.
'—Martinburg (West Va.) Pioneer-Press.
412
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
TflE DHflTfl op JWTI?. DOUGliflSS the colored people throughout
the United States and the world sustain a great and irreparable
loss. The period of history through which this grand old man
passed was characterized as a period of wrong, injustice, supersti¬
tion and crime. In his life he saw the dawn of a new civilization,
and he lived to witness the gladdest scene that the drama of Ameri¬
can history has thus far produced. Mr. Douglass was an honest,
sympathetic man; he shuddered at the thought of cruelty. He was
a sincere man; he worked earnestly for the cause of liberty. He
was a good man; he planted the seed of kindness in every heart that
neared him. As an orator, as a calm, persuasive logician, as an
eloquent defender of the rights of man, as a pioneer,—a torch bearer
in the fore-ranks of a new and splendid phase of American civiliza¬
tion; as an incontrovertible evidence of the susceptibility of the
Negro to attain a higher rank in the scale of mental acquisition, Mr.
Douglass has not had a peer among all the great men of his race.
Mr. Douglass was not superstitious. He did not yield to the relig¬
ious emotions peculiar to his race. He was a man of splendid com¬
mon sense—of excellent qualities of mind. He entertained lofty
ideals, appreciated beauty, loved music and enjoyed the association
of the purest and best men and women of every race.
Throughout the entire history of the world men have risen to emi¬
nence and power step by step, from the lowest level and the hum¬
blest sphere of social life, and have taken their places alongside of
the noblest and best men of the world. Great generals, great sol"
diers, great orators, great scientists, great artists, great musicians,
and great poets—all have, in obedience to the manifest and unaltera¬
ble laws of cause and effect, filled their places in the natural and per¬
fect systems of progression in the scientific scheme of the universe,
and none have failed to leave a memory in the heart and brain of man,
when true greatness was evident. The career of great men has a
beginning, a climax, and an end. At every point may be observed
interesting and often exciting events, but events that are as com¬
prehensive and comprehensible, as plain and simple, as rounded and
complete as the warm rays of the noon-day sun in summer. Tried
by whatever standard, Frederick Douglass was a great man—natu¬
rally great—truly great. He was as dignified, as commanding, as
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 413
courageous, and as elegant in the art and use of English as most men
of his period, regardless of race or condition. Born a poor, miser¬
able slave, reared at the breast of want, unable to share the comforts
and pleasures of the world, he stepped out into the broad arena of
life and fought his battle for justice and truth; he told his own story
in a manner inimitable, and he won laurels that will remain fresh and
green as long as memory shall hold her seat in the human brain.
True greatness is immortal; it shines brighter and brighter, it be¬
comes clearer and clearer as the ages roll by. It improves with
time, and the truly great can never be lost to memory. The story of
the life of Frederick Douglass will be a theme for the poet, a prob¬
lem for the scientist, a subject for the artist, and an inspiration for
the musician. He will figure conspicuously in comedy and tragedy,
in song and epic, and generations yet unborn will know and love
him for the great work he accomplished in his day.—Editorial in the
Monthly Herald of Boston.
EDMONIA LEWIS, SCULPTRESS.
R. M. F. COOK, in speaking of the subject of this sketch says:
Her father was a Negro and her mother was an Indian. Both
died early in life and she was raised by the Chippewa tribe.
After obtaining a few years at school, she made her way to Boston
where she landed penniless and friendless. Wandering through one
of the streets she observed the statue of Franklin, and, to use her own
expression, "was seized with a desire to make something like that
man standing there." She sought the studio of a sculptor and was
soon at work. She learned quite rapidly and soon began to realize
good pay for her work. Prof. G. W. Williams says: "Edmonia
Lewis, the Negro sculptress, is in herself a great prophecy of the
possibilities of the sisters of her race. Of lowly birth, left an or¬
phan when quite young, unable to obtain a liberal education, she
nevertheless determined to be something and somebody." To-day
she has a studio in Rome and a place in the administration of the
lovers of art on two continents. One of her latest pieces of work is
"Hagerin the Wilderness," which is valued at $6,000. She is the
pride of her race in her profession, and her studio is an object of
interest to travelers of every nationality.
414 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Congregational Methodist (Colored).
Number of organizations, 9; churches, 5; seating capacity, 585;
halls, 4; seating capacity, 450; value of property, $525; mem¬
bers, 319.
Union American Methodist Episcopal Church.
This body was formed in 1813 by colored members who seceded
from the Methodist Episcopal Church. In point of doctrine it is the
same as the original church, and its church government is similar.
The Colored Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
This body was organized in the year 1867 by colored members of
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In point of doctrine it is the
same as the mother church, and its church government is the same.
They have several handsome church buildings, and one church
paper, the Colored Cumberland Presbyterian, edited and published
by Rev. J. M. W. Deshong, at Fayetteville, Tenn. We take the fol¬
lowing from their latest statistical report: Synods, 6; presbyteries,
22; church buildings, 500; value of church property, $150,000; elders
and deacons, 1,500; ordained ministers, 475; licentiates and candi¬
dates, 325; communicants, 51,000; Sunday schools, 475; officers and
teachers, 2,375; scholars, 45,000. They are found chiefly in Tennes¬
see, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Alabama and Mis¬
sissippi.
The Outlook for Colored Cumberland Presbyterians.
By Rev. E. J. Simpson, Providence, Ky.
I wish to call the attention of the members of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, both the clergy and the laity, to a few things
that we Colored Cumberland Presbyterians must have if we ever
make our church a power for good among our people, things abso¬
lutely necessary for our present growth and future usefulness:
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
415
First, our ministerial force is not sufficient or competent to do the
work that needs to be done. We must have more and better equipped
ministers. The time has now arrived in the history of our church
when the people demand better preaching. Our people are fast
becoming a reading people. In some communities the pew is in
advance of the pulpit. It can be truthfully said of our people now,
as was of the Athenians, "Education is advancing and the people
are beginning to reap the benefits of liberty," but they are by no
means satisfied with their condition. The long wall of ignorance that
has surrounded them for, lo, these many years, is wearing away;
for the voice of the teacher is heard in the land. The ministry for
this people and for this age must be educated for, and consecrated to,
the work of preaching the gospel of the Son of God intelligently.
The only remedy for these growing evils among us—is to establish a
few—say three good schools, one in Alabama, one in Tennessee, and
one in Kentucky. It will be remembered that Missouri has secured
what was formerly know as the "Bowling Green College." We will
certainly need the financial and prayerful aid of the mother church
in establishing and maintaining these schools.
On the subject of education I wish to introduce a quotation from
Mr. Fortune, which I deem worthy of a much wider circulation. He
says: "I do not hesitate to say that if the vast sums of money
already expended, and now being spent, in the equipment and main¬
tenance of colleges and universities for the so-called higher educa¬
tion of colored youths, had been expended in establishing and main¬
taining primary schools and schools of applied science, the race
would have been profited vastly more than it has, both mentally and
materially, while the result would have operated more advantageously
to the State, and satisfactorily to the munificent benefactors." "I
do not inveigh," said he, "against higher education. I simply
maintain that the sort of education that the colored people of the
South stand most in need of is elementary and industrial." I think
Mr. Fortune has the right conception of the needs of our people.
Now the crisis has come in our church. Who will help by word,
deed, or donation?
Colored Catholics.
"On the first of January next there will assemble at Washington,
D. C., a convention of colored members of the Roman Catholic
Church. The announcement of this fact is a surprise to many Prot-
416
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
estants, who are not aware that there are not sufficient colored
Roman Catholics in the United States to constitute a convention.
The home missionary work done by the Catholics during the past
twenty years, however, among the colored people has been consider¬
able. Since the Civil War the Roman Church has been quietly ex¬
tending its influence among the Negroes in the South, and its work
has resulted in a large number of converts.
"The colored people are not associated with the Roman Church in
the minds of the people of the United States. They are regarded
as Methodists, Baptists or Presbyterians, especially the first. But
it is not so elsewhere. The whole inhabitants of the Spanish-Ameri¬
can States are used to seeing their colored brethren worshiping at
the altW of the Roman Church. In the Spanish and Portu¬
gese West Indies, the Negroes are all Romanists. In the United
States before the Civil War, except in Baltimore, in New Orleans
and in St. Augustine and Key West, there were few colored people
members of the Roman Church, but during the last quarter-century
many schools, orphan asylums, convents and seminaries have been
established. At the time of gathering these statistics there was at
least one church in each of the following cities: New York, Rich¬
mond, Washington, Kerwick, Petersburg, Lexington, Louisville,
Bardstown, St. Louis, Cincinnati and San Antonio. In each of the
following cities there are two churches: New Orleans, Quincy, St.
Paul and Charleston. These cities all have colored Catholic schools.
There are two orders of colored nuns in America. Two publications
are devoted to the interests of the Roman Catholic Negroes, the St.
Joseph? s Advocate, of Baltimore, and the American Catholic Tribune,
of Cincinnati. As to membership there are 200,000 active colored
members of the Roman Church in America. The number who have
been members and who have dropped away is supposed to be a great
many more. It is claimed that the membership is rapidly increas¬
ing. Until recently the Negro race was not represented in the
priesthood; at present, however, they have one ordained priest, who
is a full-blooded Negro, Rev. Augustus Tolton, and others have be¬
gun their studies with a view to taking their places at the altar.
Many of the leading prelates have expressed themselves in favor of
the coming convention in Washington. Cardinal Gibbons, Arch¬
bishop Elder, and others have sent their colored brethren words of
cheer, and a large number of Roman Catholic journals have also en¬
dorsed the proposed assumbly."
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
417
A Model Church.
The Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, located at No. 20 Tur-
ley street, Memphis, Tenn., was established in the month of June,
A.D., 1882, with Rev. R. N. Countee as pastor.
It had become evident that secret societies, as conducted by the
colored people of this city, were proving not only a hindrance to
the moral and financial progress of the race, but a detriment to the
Church of Christ as well.
Next, it was found that the use of intoxicating liquors by members
was bringing reproach upon the church, and, in 'a measure, was de¬
stroying its saving influence. In addition to these, came the church
festivals, with their desecrating effects, and sacrilegious customs.
So, in order to shun these evil results, and thus-place the Church
of Christ in its proper attitude before the world, it was deemed
necessary to abandon each and all of these evil customs. Accord¬
ingly, " no secret societies, no liquor drinking, no church festivals,n
became the triple motto and passport into the membership of the
church.
But before these principles could be maintained, and the need of
secret societies no longer felt, it was necessary to devise some plan
by which the sick might be properly cared for, and the dead might
have a decent burial. This emergency was properly met by estab¬
lishing for this purpose a "sinking fund" within the church.
This plan was found to give perfect satisfaction, and to-day, out of
a membership of more than three hundred, not one is a member of a
secret society, nor is known to indulge in the use of intoxicating
liquors as a beverage, and not a festival has ever been given within
the church for any purpose whatever. It may also be added that few
of this number are known to indulge in the use of tobacco in any form.
Only one method of raising money is used, and that is to ask for
the simple cash that God has enabled the contributors to earn by
honest labor or legitimate pursuit.
To show that a church can prosper under these regulations, this
church property is valued at $10,000, without a dollar of incumbr¬
ance or outstanding debt. Its collections, taking into consideration
the size of its congregations, compared with those of other churches,
exceed those of any other church in this city.
It would not be too much to say that the average intelligence of the
membership of this church, is at least as great as that of any other
colored church in the South, and perhaps within the limits of these
27
418
afro-american encyclopedia.
United States of America. All the other internal regulations of the
church are in accord with those mentioned above.
The order and manner of conducting religious services are in keep¬
ing with the best practices.
There are no factions nor rivalries in the church, both old and
young adjusting themselves to their proper spheres and working to¬
gether harmoniously for the advancement of the cause of Christ in
the world. God the father, and his son Jesus Christ, are the only
worshipful masters recognized, and whatever honor and praise there
may be given, are rendered to God and his church, to whom alone
they are justly due, and not to puny man and corrupt worldly or¬
ganizations. This is what we term "a model church."
Rev. T. J. Searcy is at present pastor in charge.
Elias S. "Webb.
Bethel A. M. E. Church, Detroit, Mich.,
Was organized in 1840, by Rev. John M. Brown, later on, Bishop of
same denomination. The first building was erected on what was
then called Lafayette St. (now Champlain St), in 1845. The society
had great prosperity here; but in 1889 the business portion of the
city had so extended and surrounded the church that the members
found it necessary to sell and buy further up town. This they did,
securing a location on the corner of Napoleon and Hastings streets.
Here they built an elaborate brick edifice with stone trimmings,
with all modern conveniences. The present building has a main au¬
ditorium up stairs that will seat about 700 persons. This is a model
of beauty, and is finished in the latest style. The furnishings are
all in antique oak. The basement has a large lecture roqm, from
which is cut off by folding doors, class rooms, library, cook kitchen,
and parlors. This is one of the best churches of the A. M. E. con¬
nection, and the largest and finest church edifice owned by colored
people in the State of Michigan. Rev. J. D. Barksdale, is its pres¬
ent (1895) pastor.
History op the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in Amer¬
ica. By Rev. R. S. Williams.
The pages of profane history abound with truths relating to the
rise and fall, the progress and refinement of nations from their dark
and dim origin, and mark the steps by which they rose to eminence
in wealth and power of civilization. The researches of general his¬
tory furnish entertainment and communicate instructions, and give
Trinity C. M. E. Church,
Augusta, Ga.
420
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
a more thorough knowledge and extensive acquaintance with man- •
kind, together with his experience and the accumulated wisdom of
ages. But to the Christian the history of the church must appear
more interesting and worthy of the concentration of thoug'ht and dil¬
igent study than the revolutions of empires. Asa mighty force, the
church is operating in the moral, intellectual, and religious world; a
force whose every impulse is fraught with life and death; a force
that has been divinely directed and providentially succored and sus¬
tained amid the upheavals of strife and the stormy commotions of
the past.
In the detail of events, it exhibits unquestionable proofs of the
power and wisdom and goodness of God. Its history is the history
of religion, of the accomplishment of a long series of purposes and
prophecies, and of the execution of a scheme to which all the other
parts of the divine administration are subservient. The early pe¬
riods of the history of nations are generally fabulous, and but for
the light reflected from a sacred source would be more so. The his¬
tory of the first stage of the Christian church is more engaging than
that of any anterior or posterior period. It is engaging because it
is miraculous; it is edifying because it records noble examples of
faith, charity, patience, and zeal. It arrests the attention and
touches the heart, as nothing else can, by displaying the triumphs of
the gospel over the combined malice and wisdom of the world.
Christianity is a heaven-devised system; its attributes are peculiar,
and its provisions are abundant. It is the world's grand lever of ele¬
vation* into fellowship with God; it brings earth into communion
with heaven; it teaches man to aspire to sonship of God and associa¬
tion with angels. Sublime indeed are the corporate relations and
affinities of the church—the mystic body of Christ vitalized with the
combative relations of life and elements of death, and where every
throbbing pulse is surcharged with the palpitating energies of eter¬
nal destiny.
That the world of Christian activities was never so busily nor so
efficiently discharging its work is a truth that needs no demonstra¬
tion, a truth illustrating itself on every hand, and in every direction.
Beneficent influences and church agencies are not only more abun¬
dant than ever before, but they are managed with an economy and
utilizing force that have never been equaled, and with a spirit that
savors less of sectionalism, and more of the spirit the great Head of
the church. The organizations are, of course, denominational; but
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
421
these denominations are coming, more than ever before, to regard
each other as batallions of one great army, rather than opposing
forces. Methodism is one of the youngest daughters of the recog¬
nized sisterhood of churches, and the Colored Methodist Episcopal
Church in America, is the youngest daughter in the Methodist family.
In 1874, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, concluded it would
be best for their colored membership to be in a seperate organiza¬
tion, and so we were organized in a separate body. To-day we are
strong and healthy, and with a steady growth. We are Arminian in
theology, Episcopal in government, and Wesieyan in polity—scarcely
a quarter of a century old. Called of God, the C. M. E. Church burst
forth from the womb of necessity, and with the birth agonies of a
great heart moved by the Holy Ghost, she came into being to swell
the number of the faithful and help in the glorious work of evangel¬
izing the world. Her premises are well chosen, her methods of op¬
eration well defined, her position well founded, and her voice unwav¬
ering. She is stern, fixed and definite in her teaching. Her church
government and doctrine are the same as her mother. Distinctively,
she insists on the old way of salvation—justification by faith, regen¬
eration by the Holy Spirit, sanctification, and the perseverance of
the saints. At no time in our previous history was our church more
vigorous and determined than now. Among the ministry—itinerant
and local—among the Sunday schools and their officers, and through¬
out the entire membership, as a rule, there is life, motion, and a rest¬
lessness that inspire zeal and inflame enthusiasm not unlike the
spirit that nerved the hearts and stirred the minds of the pioneers
of our holy Methodism.
There is a stir in all the departments of our work, and God is
gradually, but gloriously removing our hindrances, enriching our
experiences, deepening our piety, perfecting our equipments, ex¬
panding our borders, and annually adding to our swelling numbers
thousands of precious souls, who pant for a zeal to do and die, and
for a courage that knows no surrender. What 'could be more inspir¬
ing?—the country growing, the church growing, the advancement of
the cause of God keeping pace with her environments, and not infre¬
quently dictating to the advance guards of science and philosophy.
The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America has 4
bishops, 22 annual conferences, 1,224 traveling preachers, 2,354 local
preachers, 3,672 churches, 126,893 members, 2,061 Sunday Schools,
9,731 officers and teachers, 78,928 scholars.
422
afro-american encyclopaedia.
Institutions.
We have five institutions of learning, all of which are doing a glo¬
rious work in the social, moral, and religious elevation of the hun¬
dreds who annually crowd their walls to seek such instructions as
only Christian schools can give. No church can survive that neg¬
lects its educational work. The work of Christian education is a
matter of solemn and serious import. It is the key that unlocks
that condition which softens and refines character, and furthers the
progress of virtue and religion. The Colored Methodist Episcopal
Church has established Payne Institute, at Augusta, Ga.; the Lane
Institute, of Jackson, Tenn.; the Haygood Seminary, of Washington,
Ark.; and the Homer Institute, of Homer, La., and the Holsey
Institute, of Lumber City, Ga. The two former of these are turn¬
ing out scores of young men for the ministry and other professions
annually.
Our church is aggressive and wide awake to the issues of the day,
and pronounced in all her utterances relative to them. "Whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are of good report, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, think on these things."
Politics.
As a church, we are non-political. Our one business is, and has
ever been, to preach the uncompounded gospel of the Crusified. We
are committed to no political party. We vote when and for whom we
will; but no minister in our church can be a politician on the stump
and a minister in the pulpit at the same time. The church has
expressed itself plainly on this subject, and the controlling manage¬
ment has rigidly enforced its requirements.
Prohibition.
Against this monstrous vice—the liquor traffic—our church is an
avowed antagonist; against this legalized traffic of human life and
happiness her voice is heard and her actions directed. The desire
for human happiness, the interest of human progress, and the neces¬
sity of being consistent with the fundamental principles of the holy
religion of Christ make us feel it an imperative duty, as well as a
potential privilege, to exert ourselves as an organized influence
against this avaricious, palm-itching, death-dealing, soul-destroying
and hell-wrought evil of saloonism. The same reason that makes it
thoughsts, doings, and sayings of lhe race. 423
our duty so save men from one evil makes it our duty to save them
from all sin and subsequent temptations to evil, as far as practicable.
Our Missionary Work.
Our missionary fields are as yet confined to the United States of
America; we have no foreign mission established, but we have the
matter at heart, and efforts are being made to secure means and pre¬
pare men for missionary operations in some unpre-empted portion of
African territory; but as yet we find ripe fields for missionary work
on our "native heath," especially in the western portions of the
country, where our people are going by the thousands. It has been
our constant effort to develop these fields, and thus enhance the pos¬
sibility of successful operations in a foreign field when we take up
that work. God has most wonderfully blessed our plans in this
respect, as is shown by the results. We are preaching the gospel
to-day to more people, and with better results, than at any time in
the history of our church. So great have been the needs for houses
of worship—places to meet, to praise, and to pray—that church
extension plans were inaugurated at onr last General Conference;
societies have been formed throughout the church for the purpose
of extending our work. These have accomplished untold good for
the church, and bid fair to push her borders in all sections.
We have one church paper, The Christian Index, published at
Jackson, Tenn. It is the official organ of the church, and is con¬
trolled by the General Conference.
May God strengthen our hands, lengthen our days, and crown our
labors!
The Freewill Baptist Denomination.
The Freewill Baptists in the United States formed their first
church in New Durham, N. H., in the year 1780, by Rev. Benjamin
Randall. The causes which led to their rise had been in operation
for years. State Congregationalism was usurping everything at the
centers, but assuming the extreme type, as seen later in Dr. Em¬
mons, without always pressing the fire and devotion of President
Edwards. The religious needs of the community were not satisfied;
men everywhere were discussing theological phases of religion; fre¬
quently the most learned were bitterest opposers of spiritual re¬
ligion in its revival type. Hyper-Calvinism enthroned, dethroned
human agency and established a form of fatalism. In ministerial
424
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
preparation collegiate erudition was substituted for scriptural re¬
generation. The State was taxed to support the church. Infant
baptism swelled church membership and brought all kinds of world-
liness within the very ranks of Zion. Religion was cold and formal,
if not dead; but the gloom is soon to give way before*the dawn.
Jonathan Edwards is soon stirring his brethren, the Congregational-
ists, with burning words which are read on both sides of the sea.
George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley, from the ranks of
the English Episcopal Church, are scattering abroad up and down
America, fires of Pentecost. . Count Zinzendorf is planting his
Moravian Mission among our Indians. From the days of Roger
Williams the Baptists have been exerting an influence among the
rising settlements of America. The first Baptist Church in the
British Empire was organized in London in 1633. The second in
1639 which also fixes the date of the first organization in America at
Providence, R. I. During the next hundred and fifty years Baptist
sentiments, largely of the Arminian type (see Arminian Baptists),
were promulgated from Rhode Island to the Carolinas. The Calvin-
istic Baptists, with an educated ministry, taught a limited atonement
among these liberal Baptist Churches and drew away most of them to
their views. In September, 1765, Dr. Manning became the First
President of Brown University. In 1770 eleven Baptist Churches
had been established in New Hampshire, ten in Maine and one in
Vermont. For the next fourteen years a church a year was planted
by the Baptists among the rising settlements of New Hampshire.
In the silence concerning speculative theology incident to revival
work in a newly-settled country Randall came. He organized the
Durham Church as a Baptist Church (see New Hampshire), also (see
Benjamin Randall). And from this new Durham Church, this de¬
nomination appeared for the first time as organized and distinctive
in the year 1780. The causes leading to the separation from the
Baptist Church were two.
The first is found in the Arminian tendencies, existing, to a limited
extent, among, some of the early Baptist Churches. It is true that,
generally, the early Baptist Churches of this country were Calvin-
istic, yet there were members, and some ministers, who having be¬
longed in England to that division of Baptists called ''General," and
who have always been moderate Calvinists, and some of them Armin¬
ian, brought those views with them and sought to propagate them
in the churches in the United States. This would, of course, awaken
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 425
opposition, and in time cause just such a separation as led to the de¬
nomination under consideration. The second cause is found in the
Antinomianism evidently spreading to a considerable extent about
this time, and which in a quarter of a century later, caused the seces¬
sion of another body, known as Old School Baptists, leaving the
great body of Baptists, of whom we have given an account, Calvin-
ists, without falling into Anti-nomianism on the one hand, or Armin-
ianism on the other. The founder of this body was the Rev. Benja¬
min Randall. He was a powerful preacher, with sound sense and
fervent piety. He was converted at New Castle, N. H., under the
preaching of the celebrated George Whitefield, when twenty-two years
of age. About four years after his conversion, in 1776, he united
with the Calvinistic Baptist Church in Berwick. Feeling called to
preach, license was granted him by the church to "exercise his gift,"
which he did with remarkable success. He was instrumental in the
promotion of an extensive revival of religion in Dover, N. H., the
place of his birth, and in many other places. He imbibed Arminian
notions, thus dissenting from the body with which he had connected
himself. The Baptist Church in Berwick met, considered his case,
and disfellowshiped him. There was no denomination in existence
in America to which he and his followers could naturally ally them¬
selves.
On the mode and subjects of baptism they were Baptists, but Bap¬
tists were Calvinists while they were Arminians. The year that he
was expelled from the Berwick Church, the church in London and
Canterbury, with its minister, and the church in Stafford and min¬
ister, protested against Calvinism and stood independent until
they united with Mr. Randall and his little band. By these minis¬
ters Mr. Randall was ordained, in March, 1780, and on June 30th fol¬
lowing, he organized in New Durham, N. H., the first Freewill Bap¬
tist Church. Like all new sects, terms of reproach were used in de¬
scribing them. They were called Randallites, General Provisioners,
New Lights, and Freewills, the last of which has clung to them,
and which they have accepted, being known now as Freewill Bap¬
tists. The "little vine soon ran over the wall," and in less than two
years several churches were organized in the State of Maine, and
their whole number was nine. In the fall of 1781, Mr. Randall made
an eastern tour, and preached in several towns west of, and on the
Kennebec River, in most of which places he saw revivals begin.
Churches and ministers continued to multiply, and for the purpose
426
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
of preserving unanimity of views and co-operation of efforts, as well
as for mutual edification, a quarterly meeting was organized in four
years from the first church organization. Within the first twelve
years these Baptists had come to be quite numerous in Maine and
New Hampshire, and had extended into Vermont, and soon after into
Rhode Island and several other States.
The first yearly meeting was held in New Durham, in June, 1792.
Elder Randall died in 1808, and was ably succeeded by Elder John
Calby. This successful evangelist carried the doctrines of the
church into the West, and had entered upon a southern tour when he
died in Norfolk, Va., in 1817. A General Conference was organized
in 1827, and was at first an annual session. It has since become bien¬
nial, and we are a unit with the great body of Baptists on the subject
of baptism and the question of church government, but we do not
accept the doctrines of Calvinism. We deny personal, unconditional
election to eternal life in Christ, in consequence of an eternal decree.
Hence, we repudiate the doctrine of final perseverance, as explained
in harmony with the Calvinistic theory, but that election is made
sure by perseverance only. We differ also, on the subject of com¬
munion, practicing what is known as "open communion," and do not,
like the regular Baptists, regard immersion as essential to commun¬
ion. In fact, we do not regard baptism as a scriptual pre-requisite
to the Lord's table. In this we differ from others as much as from
the great body of our Baptist brethren. The Freewill Baptists
have been bold and unflinching abolitionists from their birth. The
Freewill Baptist denomination organized their first anti-slavery soci¬
ety at Sugar Hill, N. H., June 2, 1843. William Lloyd Garrison says,
"It gives me great pleasure to mention one Christian denomination
that deserves to be excepted from the censures I have been com¬
pelled to bestow upon the rest. I allude (says Mr. Garrison), to the
Freewill Baptists, who, from the beginning, refused to receive slave
. holders into communion, and most of whom were prompt to espouse
the doctrine of immediate emancipation."
Our Register and Year Book for 1895, reports the statistics of the
church as follows: Sixty yearly meetings, 202 quarterly meetings,
1,550 churches, 1,323 ordained ministers, 241 licensed preachers,
total membership 85,565, the value of church property $2,662,120.
The total amount raised by the denomination in 1894, was $54,088.21.
Denominational literary institutions, Bates College, Lewiston, Me.;
Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Mich.; Keuka College, Keuka, N. Y.;
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 427
Latin School, Lewiston, Me.; Lyndon Institute, Lyndon Center, Vt.;
Maine Central Institute, Pittsfield, Me.; New Hampton Institution,
New Hampton, N. H.; North Dakota University, Wogansport, N. D.;
Parker College, Winnebago City, Minn.; Storer College, Harper's
Ferry, W. Va. The printing establishment is located at 457 Shaw-
mut Ave., Boston, Mass.
COLORED MISSIONARY BAPTISTS IN SOUTHERN STATES.
Colored Baptists in the Southern States as taken from the Amer¬
ican Baptist Year Book, 1894:
AI/ABAMA.
Number of
Associations.
Ordained
Ministers.
Number of
Churches.
Church
Membership.
Number of
Sunday Schools.
Officers and
Teachers.
Number of
Pupils.
Value of
Church
Property.
61
74 (w)
767
976 (w)
1,349
1,620 (w)
135,975
104,514 (w)
451
626 (w)
777
3,033 (w)
16,277
28,231 (w)
$ 479,858
1,182,769 (w)
ARKANSAS.
30
467
785
50,268
180
249
8,808
$ 264,862
48 (w)
812 (w)
1,235 (w)
63,400 (w)
309 (w)
934 (w)
11,980 (w)
385,136 (w)
FLORIDA.
10
23 (w)
100
243 (w)
343
445 (w)
22,546
20,983 (w)
68
204 (w)
2,097
7,266 (w)
$ 161,039
259,600 (w)
GEORGIA.
63
72 (w)
1,428
1,141 (w)
1,810
1,776 (w)
191,684
152,911 (w)
669
971 (w)
2,039
4,106 (w)
33,132
42,899 (w)
$ 1.063,081
1,773,161 (w)
INDIAN TERRITORY.
193 (w)
15
274 (w)
3,010
10,067 (w)
428 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
KENTUCKY.
IS
63 (w)
544
938
650
1,490 (w)
72,874
154,863 (w)
233
72) (w)
1^,924
40,919 (w)
$ 275,610
2,249,872 (w)
LOUISIANA.
17
24 (w)
596
239 (w)
945
488
84,644
27,243 (w)
, 530
176 (w)
1,685
328 (w)
31,637
4,062 (w)
$ 567,608
207,565 (w)
MARYLAND.
17
42 (w)
21
53 (w)
2,940
9,011 (w)
19
62 (w)
134
1,041 (w)
2,596
10,523 (w)
% 62,900
681,225 (w)
MISSISSIPPI.
47
51 (w)
869
609 (w)
1,371
1,184 (w)
112,990
86,712 (w)
525
512 (w)
1,595 1 16,768
1,681 (w) j 16,841 (w)
$ 515,410
773,112 (w)
MISSOURI.
9
73 (w)
151
1,258 (w)
266
1,696 (w)
20,169
124,875 (w)
92
951 (w)
552
5,996 (w)
3 395
53^626 (w)
$ 390,123
2,411,225 (w)
NORTH CAROLINA.
38
S3 (w)
525
832 (w)
1,138
1,481 (w)
110,750
145,053 (w)
515
1,044 (w)
2,121
6,939 (w)
32,130
63,770 (w)
$ 384,622
1,091,462 (w)
SOUTH CAROLINA.
31
35 (w)
600
428 (w)
855
855 (w)
130,717
85,675 (w)
626
648 (w)
2,506
4,446 (w)
33,946
38,033 (w)
S 538,290
952,232 (w)
TENNESSEE.
19
223 '
575
90,124
264
623
11,949
$ 313,196
49 (w)
972 (w)
1,365 (w)
111,560 (w)
678 (w)
3,135 (w)
36,650 (w)
1,423,744 (w)
TEXAS.
32
868
1.351
93,623
305
589
12,014
$ 582,046
92 (w)
1,619 (w)
2,436 (w)
147,228 (w)
812 (w)
3,915 (w)
37,032 (w)
1,444,230 (w)
VIRGINIA.
26
23 (w)
700
473 (w)
1,184
859 (w)
217,682
102,016 (w)
502
798 (w)
2,439
8,081 (w)
32,226
63,275 (w)
$ 1,175,748
1,950,315 (w)
WEST VIRGINIA.
3
16 (w)
261 (w)
50
495
3,306
32,882 (w)
S 42,585
412.549 (w;
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
429
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE
COLORED PEOPLE.
BY REV. A. L. PHILLIPS,
Field Secretary of Colored Evangelistic Work, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Facts are the fuel that feed the fires of intelligent zeal. The
church never realized her duty to the heathen until the facts of their
condition were brought forth and laid upon her mind and conscience.
In no individual church is missionary enthusiasm so strong as where
the members study the missionary journals, and where the pastor is
a sort of animated encyclopaedia of missions. What are a few per¬
tinent facts concerning our duty to the colored people?
The first fact is the Negro himself. There is not, and cannot be
any doubt as to his existence. He multiplies and increases steadily.
Whatever may be the fond dreams or elaborate schemes as to his de¬
portation or colonization, the fact is that he is not now ready for
either, nor has any practical plan been devised for the work, nor
could anything be accomplished in many years. So far as we are
concerned the Negroes are permanent citizens. This is not the place
to discuss the Negro's political condition, nor is it fitting here to
enter into the question of his social life. These phases of his condi¬
tion have already claimed, and have held a disproportionate share of
the public thought. The sole business of the church is to attend to
the religious life of people. Our consciences demand of our brains
and hearts an answer to the question, " What is our religious rela¬
tion to the Negroes?" It is impossible to turn away from it,
because God has thrust it upon us and keeps it before us. How shall
we answer it ?
What is the religious condition of the Negroes? It would be very
difficut to make a general statement that would cover the whole case.
It is a fact that there are many genuine Christians among them, men
and women, who, having an intelligent idea of the plan of salvation
and the demands of a holy life, are earnestly trying to walk worthy
of their vocation. On the other hand there are multitudes who, even
if they exercise saving faith, yet know very little of the nature and
demands of holiness. Again, there are vast numbers of them who
430
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
have no saving faith, and are given up to wickedness. The last
report of the Freedman's Board (Northern Presbyterian) speaks of
the "separation between religion and morality, which is the supreme
danger of the southern black churches." The best general concep¬
tion of their religious state may be had by a study of the character,
training, and influence of their preachers. Here again general state¬
ments must be made with care, because there are multitudes of col¬
ored ministers who are truly pious and thoroughly educated. He no
doubt preaches what he thinks he knows. His reading is (most)
wretched. How can he expound what he does not understand? His
ignorance does not clip the wings of his ambition. Often he does not
rest satisfied with the control of the religion of his flock, but seeks
to direct their politics also. A Negro of excellent character and
great influence, who loves his race, has said that a majority of the
colored ministers were unfit to preach.
A great many Negroes cannot read; they are essentially depend¬
ent on their ministers for their religious training; they follow them
blindly; shall not both fall into the ditch ? Evils must be known to
be remedied. No unkindness is intended when it is said that among
the colored people violations of the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth
commandments are alarmingly common. Let it be distinctly under¬
stood that there are many notable exceptions, both among preachers
and people, to the above statements, which are intended to apply to
average conditions. The second fact worthy of special note is the
existence of our church in close daOy contact with the Negroes. We
are no longer a small body of Christians, nor are we weak, nor does
poverty consume us. We are alive, awake, and at work.
The methods and results of missionary work compare favorably
with those of any denomination. Is it not a fact that we have too
much neglected these people that the providence of God has put at
our doors? What is the relation of'our church to the colored people?
1. We are nea/rer each other. This nearness necessarily begets
knowledge. It would be very difficult for an intelligent member of
the Southern Presbyterian Church to keep from knowing a great deal
about the condition of the colored folks.
2. As matters are now we come in business contact with them daily,
almost hourly.
3. We have far more knowledge than they.
4. There is a present possibility among us of possessing more
spiritual force.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
431
5. "We have vastly greater stores of wealth than they.
6. We are deeply interested in them. Their happiness is necessa¬
rily dependent on our good will; our happiness will be a dream with¬
out their good will. It cannot be otherwise.
The Southern Presbyterian Church has never refused to recognize
her responsibility for the evangelization of the Negroes. At the
meeting of the first General Assembly in 1861, the religious instruc¬
tion of slaves was considered, and at almost every meeting since
then, the attention of the churches has been directed to it. Various
schemes were proposed and some of them adopted. It was not, how¬
ever, until the Assembly of 1874, that a definite policy was adopted,
which remains until to-day.
Our Policy.
It may be briefly stated thus: Our church is resolved in the establish¬
ment and development of a separate, independent, self-sustaining, Colored
Presbyterian Church, ministered to by colored preachers of approved piety
and such training as shall best suit them for their actual life work. This
aid we hope to give in the form of sympathetic, practical counsel,
liberal offerings of money, and training for their ministers. We
claim that this cause is wise, because
1. It will earliest lead to a manly spirit of independence on the
part of the colored Christians themselves.
2. It will remove the reproach of their fellow Christians that they
are a mere annex to the white church. There can be but little doubt
that the grand proportions of the colored Baptist and Methodist
Churches are largely due to their independence and separate corpo¬
rate existence.
3. The}?" ask for it. The colored Presbyterians of the Synods of
Alabama and Mississippi have most respectfully petitioned those
bodies to allow them to form presbyteries for themselves.
matters now stand, without attempting to justify or to condemn
the state of affairs, it will be impossible for Presbyterians to reach
them satisfactorily without separate organizations. Whatever their
theory, in practice most churches pursue this policy.
The New York Evangelist of July 24, 1890, declares editorially:
"The Southern people understand the character of the Negro bet¬
ter than we do, and the Christian people of the South, whatever be
their views of slavery or the war, are just as sincere in their desire
for the salvation of their former servants as we are. Multitudes of
432
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
them have a zeal and a tenderness in their behalf that we do not be¬
gin to approach." These are sincere and true words. This supe¬
rior knowledge and this sincere sympathy for the Negro's condition,
best fit the Southern Christian for this work. To meet the demands
of the case we have established the "Colored Evangelistic Fund,"
the collection and disbursement of which are committed to the As¬
sembly's Executive Committee of Home Missions, stationed in At¬
lanta, Ga. Two departments of work are dependent on this fund:
1. Tuscaloosa Institute.
2. Sustenation of colored ministers.
In 1875 the General Assembly referred the question of the estab¬
lishment of a school for the training of colored ministers to a spe¬
cial committee. In 1876 a plan for such a school was adopted. In
1877 the school was located at Tuscaloosa, Ala., and opened for work.
This Institute is under the control of the General Assembly, but its
work is directed by the "Executive Committee for the education of
a colored ministry."
The Assembly owns the lot and building, which are more valuable
than when first purchased. The building is of wood, and contains
three rooms, two of which are recitation rooms, while the other is
used as a library. It is furnished with convenient desks, maps, etc.
The library contains 1,500 volumes, the gifts of interested friends.
The course of study covers a period of four years. Such branches
of learning are taught as experience shows to be most helpful to the
student, and most useful to his life work. The whole institution
centers about the English Bible. The standards of our faith are
systematically and thoroughly taught. Instruction in Latin and
Greek will be given at the discretion of the faculty.
There is no charge for tuition to any properly qualified colored
candidate for the ministry. The church pays the cost of the board,
medical attendance, fuel and text-books of Presbyterians only. The
students either furnish their own clothes, or are provided by the free
and frequent distribution of clothing, the gift of friends of the
cause far and near. Of the 24 colored ministers and licentiates now
in connection with our church, nineteen have attended the Institute.
When a colored man is graduated from Tuscaloosa Institute, licensed
or ordained to preach, the only work open to him is amongst colored
people. Negro members of the Southern Presbyterian Church are at
present few in number and very poor. Their ministers, who are often
men of family, have three possible means of support before them.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 433
1. They can work with their hands, or teach, or do other work not
strictly ministerial.
2. They can rely upon the colored churches for a support.
3. The partial support derived from either of the above means may
be supplemented by the general fund of our church. Experience
shows that our colored ministers are not unwilling to work with their
hands or to teach. Many of them do so labor earnestly. It is evi¬
dent that the more time they spend in this labor, the less will they
have to devote to study and pastoral work.
The question is often asked, " Can Presbyterianism do anything
for the Negroes?" This question involves another, viz.: "Does
Presbyterianism preach the gospel ?'' That it does preach the gos¬
pel with purity, simplicity and power, few persons doubt. It does
reach them directly and positively. In our church, North and
South, there are now more than seventeen thousand colored communi¬
cants. The testimony of our colored ministers shows conclusively
that our doctrines and polity are slowly but surely taking hold upon
them.
Our operations must be greatly enlarged in order to meet the in¬
creasing demands made upon us. New fields are opening and old
plans need enlargement. If we are to meet with large success we
must establish schools. The colored people as a rule prize education
and they love the church that gives it to them. A field for Christian
work rich in promise lies at our feet and stretches out before our
eyes. Other churches have entered this field and have reaped large
harvests. As sure as the sun rises, the Negroes will be educated.
If we do not at once enter more vigorously into this, our opportunity
will pass away. Political expediency and social economy are alike
powerless to regulate the relations of man to God, and of man to man.
The gospel of Jesus Christ in the church, in the school, in the home,
in the heart, in the life of man, be they white or be they black, can
alone save us from most unhappy strife and confusion. God has
made us trustees of that gospel for every lost son of Adam.
Let our church arise and throw into the solution of this question
her immense stores of learning, her spiritual energy accumulated
through centuries of prayer, persecution and work, her everlasting
power, and the quieting influences of gentle charity. A pure gospel,
a holy, learned ministry, Bible schools for the cultivation of learning
and piety—these shall be her offerings to her colored friends. Then
shall we have discharged a measure of our duty, and can hope to see
28
434 afro-american encyclopaedia.
the " race question" dissolved like mist before the rising sun. Let
us arise and do the Master's will, for the night draws nigh when no
man can work!
The third annual report of the Colored Presbyterian Church, made
May 17,1894: Ministers. 44; licentiates, 3; candidates, 23; churches,
66; ruling elders, 130; deacons, 83; communicants, 1,505; Sabbath
school scholars, 1,749.
THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
by rev. james a. davis, b.d.
HE organization of churches, the founding of ecclesiastical sys¬
tems of government, and the opening up of new fields of intel¬
lectual, moral and spiritual reform, that the light of the gospel
may be made to flow into the souls of men, are events of the greatest
moment, and should be held memorable in the annals of history.
For that which is done to better the condition of men in a spiritual
sense is divinely approved and worthy in the highest degree of
human praise and exemplification. Hence this sketch of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Organization.
The A. M. E. Church was born in restless and feverish times, and
is, therefore, the natural product of its age. The period which
gave it birth was one of wonderful changes and of relentless opposi¬
tion to every form of oppression, whether ecclesiastical, political,
social or intellectual. It witnessed the uprising of the people against
the abuse of feudalism and the divine rights of kings, and, withal,
one of the grandest struggles of human history for the inalienable
rights of the people—the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness; the great intellectual throbbings and deep heart impulses
of a generation and an age that saw the culmination of centuries of
struggle for civil and religious liberty.
The repeating at every fireside, from every pulpit and platform,
in every school-house, and in every newspaper, the famous Declara¬
tion of Independence, "All men are created free and equal; " the
pealing forth of the peans of victory by the "Old Liberty Bell" over
St. John A. M. E Church,
Nashville, Tenn.
436
AFRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
British tyranny, and the shouts of freedom everywhere upon the air,
by the American people, all served to awaken in Allen and his com¬
peers the spirit not only of civil but religious liberty. They heard
all around them the triumphant shouts of victory over oppression,
while in God's house the iron heel of injustice, of discrimination, of
inhumanity, reigned.
The spirit of religious revolution seized them, and they resolved
to have not only civil, but religious liberty. In the midst, therefore,
of these transitional and multiplying events, the record informs, on
April 9, 1816, Rev. Richard Allen, Jacob Taspsico, Clayton Dur¬
ham, James Champion and Thomas Webster, of Philadelphia, Pa.;
Daniel Coker, Richard Williams, Henry Hayden, Stephen Hill, Ed¬
ward Williamson, and Nicholas Gailliard, of Baltimore, Md.; Peter
Spencer, of Wilmington, Del.; Jacob Marsh, Edward Jackson, and
William Andrews, of Attleborough, Pa., and Peter Cuff, met together
in a convention in Philadelphia, Pa., to take under consideration the
advisability of an independent church organization in which color
or previous condition of servitude could be no barrier to acceptable
membership. Of this convention Rev. Richard Allen was elected
chairman, Rev. Daniel Coker was elected vice-president, and Richard
Allen, Jr., was chosen secretary.
The convention resolved, "That we will favor an independent
church organization," " and the committee appointed on doctrine and
discipline reported for the government of the church the Discipline of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was agreed upon, the presid¬
ing elder system excepted. The record further informs us that on
the 11th day of - April Rev. Richard Allen was elected to the
Bishopric, and by the imposition of the hands of five regularly
ordained elders, was set apart to the holy office in the church of
God. The convention, having assumed an organic form, there was
planted firmly and deeply in the soil of divine favor a standard of
religious liberty, manhood and practical Christianity, and thus com¬
pleted one of the most important events of the age.
At the time the A. M. E. Church was organized it was like tiie
source of Ezekiel's river, where imperceptible waters issued from
the side of the mountain, and ultimately became a river so deep and
wide that no one could ford it.
The birth of the A. M. E. Church did not, doubtless, demand the
presence of the newspaper reporters, nor was the event heralded
among the nations of the earth, nor promulgated among the Christ-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 437
ian denominations of our land. Possibly there was no religious dig¬
nitary beyond Bishop "White anywhere in the land that had any inti¬
mate knowledge of the movement which has culminated in this
already powerful organization; and likely he had very little, if any,
faith in its final success, by reason of the illiteracy and limited abil¬
ities for which the Negro race was then noted. But we have learned
to despise not the day of small things. The A. M. E. Church, says
one of our prelates, was organized at the foot of a mountain, and
that mountain was Jesus Christ the Lord. Imperceptible waters
issued out, and invisible agencies, except to the eye of an all-
seeing God, were operating in song, prayer, feeble preaching, and
pious lives; and the sequence has been a river—deep and wide—
that none will attempt to ridicule or gainsay; a river that is water¬
ing the roots of hundreds of thousands of human trees, and is send¬
ing its vitalizing stream into distant continents. The growth of the
A. M. E. Church has indeed been phenomenal.
Organized in 1816 in a blacksmith shop in Philadelphia, Pa., with
but sixteen members and one bishop, possessing nothing but faith in
God and the justice of their cause, it has, in the characteristic
spirit of Methodism, pushed steadily forward until to-day it ranks
the third denomination in the great Methodist family, having 9 bish¬
ops (12 deceased); 8 general officers, 4,150 traveling preachers, 9,913
local preachers, 500,000 members, 4,275 Sunday schools, 41,958 Sun-
school teachers, 325,000 Sunday school scholars, and 1,483,018 ad¬
herents, making a grand total of 2,359,079 souls marching under the
banner of African Methodism. To meet the moral, intellectual and
spiritual needs of this vast number of communicants and adherents,
the A. M. E. Church has built 4,069 churches, 2 universities, 2 col¬
leges, and 20 high schools, normal institutes and academies at a cost
$5,522,709.25. These figures are gathered from the latest statistics
of 1890.
The A. M. E. connection is comprised of 59 conferences, embrac¬
ing the United States, the Dominion of Canada, Hayti and Africa
and is presided over by Rt. Rev. A. W. Wayman, D.D., Rt. Rev. H.
M. Turner, D.D., LL.D., Rt. Rev. W. J. Gaines, D.D., Rt. Rev. B,
W. Arnett, D.D., Rt. Rev. B. T. Tanner, D.D., Rt. Rev. A. Grant,
D.D., Rt. Rev. B. F. Lee, D.D., Ph.D., LL.D., Rt. Rev. M. B. Salter
D.D., Rt. Rev. J. A. Handy, D.D. The missionary, educational
Sunday school, financial and literary interests of the church art
classified into departments, and manned by eight efficient genera
438
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
officers, each of which is supported by a general board representing
the several districts of the church.
Standing at the head of the missionary, the first and most sacred
of all the church departments, is the eloquent secretary, Rev. W.
B. Derrick, D.D., before whose thundering eloquence the beleagured
walls of the citadel of sin are crumbling and affording to African
Methodism strategic positions from whence it is hurliug with ter¬
rific effect red hot, gospel shot into the allied cohorts of sin. Aye,
indeed, under his persuasive eloquence for the cross of Christ, city
and village, cotton fields and rice swamps, hamlet, and borough, are
being inspired to greater self-sacrifice and nobler missionary efforts.
And be it said to the credit of the rugged sons of Allen with "heart
of flame and tongue of fire," they are not only assisting in carrying
the light of the gospel to the benighted of this country, but to
Africa, land of precious memory, and to the isles of the sea. Rev.
W. D. Johnson, D.D., of Atlanta, Ga., is the efficient secretary of
education.
Methodism it is said received its first impulse in the halls of learn¬
ing, and is, therefore, not only the patron, but the founder and guar¬
dian of seminaries, colleges, and universities. True to the spirit of
Christianity and the history of Methodism, the African Methodist
Episcopal Church has, from its organization, been committed to the
fostering and extension of Christian education.
Bishop D. A. Payne, who for forty years was a bishop in the A. M.
E. Church will be remembered, honored, and revered through many
generations as the apostle of an educated ministry, the patron of
learning, and the founder of Wilberforce University. On the 10th of
March, 1863, Bishop Payne, single handed and alone, purchased
from the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the name of
the A. M. E. Church, Wilberforce University, and thus opened the
way for the education of the Negro youth of the country. This cen¬
tre of learning, planted in troublesome times, has grown and devel¬
oped in the face of many oppositions and discouragements, until large
and substantial buildings have taken the place of the less commo¬
dious ones of other days, and the class of six has given place to hun¬
dreds who annually tread its halls, and drink at the fountain of her
nectar lore. At the present, Rev. S. T. Mitchell, A.M., D.D., is the
honored President of this, the oldest and largest Negro institution
in the world, owned, supported, and controlled entirely by Negroes.
Besides Wilberforce University at Xenia, Ohio; Allen University
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
439
at Columbia, S. C., Paul Quinn College at Waco, Texas; and Morris
Brown College at the Gate City of the South, there are twenty other
high, normal and industrial schools which stand monuments of the
Christian liberality and unsurpassed heroism of a people once op¬
pressed, scattered and pealed.
Perhaps, next to our educational institutions is the connectional
Sunday School Union, located at Nashville, Tenn. And it is the re¬
sult of the organizing and executive ability, the push and energy of
its founder and present incumbent, Rev. C. S. Smith, D.D. This
department was organized at Cape May, N. J., August 11, 1882, and
has more than met the most sanguine expectations of its founder and
supporters in filling a long felt want in the church. From a very
small beginning it has grown into an institution of wonderful strength
and magnitude, and from present indications is destined to be the
great publishing center of the A. M. E. Church.
From its five story stone front, well equipped publishing house
worth $30,000, looking down upon the spot where once Negro man¬
hood and womanhood were sold as chattel, 900,000 Sunday school pub¬
lications issue quarterly, and are scattered like leaves from the tree
of life all over this country, the Dominion of Canada, Hayti, and on
Africa's sunny shores for the healing of the nation. The receipts of
the institution for the last quadrennium amounting to $82,623.21,
shows the volume of business done by this department and the abil¬
ity of the church for self-government. To the memory of Dr. C. S.
Smith and the young army of African Methodists, this institution
will stand, when those of marble, brass and stone like "monarch's
gems, shall blend in common dust."
The Publication Department, the oldest of all the church depart¬
ments was organized in 1818, and chartered April 24, 1855, Rev. Jos¬
eph M. Corr being its first general officer. For many years it strug¬
gled with but little success, owing to the fact that where the masses
of colored people lived, they were not allowed to read or write. In
many of the States it was a penal offense to know how to read God's
word or to write one's name; hence, the disadvantage under which it
labored for years. But despite it all it continued to live and to plead
the cause of an oppressed humanity at the bar of public opinion, and
to-day is an acknowledged power in all the church, and throughout
Chistiandom for fighting caste and sin, and in pointing its communi¬
cants to a higher plane of Christian excellence. From this department
the most of the church's periodicals and books are published. Under
440
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
the present efficient general manager, Rev. J. C. Embry, D.D., it is
in a most prosperous condition, having recently built and furnished
in the most approved style a new publishing house at a cost of $33,000.
The Financial Department was organized in May, 1872, and is one
of the most important branches of the church organization and has
attained to a degree of proficiency in work and service, in a little
over two-score years, its resources considered, that is indeed marvel¬
ous. Under its first secretary, Rev. John H. W. Burley, the re¬
ceipts to the department amounted to $95,000; under its second,
Rev. B. W. Arnett, D.D. (now bishop), $200,000. Under his succes¬
sor, Rev. James A. Handy, D.D. (now bishop), $313,341.44, and under
the present incumbent, Rev. J. H. Armstrong, D.D., the receipts bid
fair to reach $500,000. The Financial Department has fine property
in "Washington City for general connectional purposes, in which is
located the present Department of Finance and the General Bureau
of African Methodism. From this department the schools of learn¬
ing, the publication department, the general officers and bishops re¬
ceive their support.
The Church Extension Society was organized in May, 1892, and is
the youngest of all the church departments. To the credit of this
infant department it must be said that during its brief existence it
has manifested a vigor and hold upon life that is in every way com¬
mendable, and which has not been excelled by any of the extension
societies of the older denominations, and which ■ clearly stamps it as
a child of providence brought forth at the most opportune moment,
in answer to the crying necessities of the hour. Its receipts for the
first fiscal year amounted to $8,008.05, and from present indications
will reach $50,000 the first quadrennium. From these figures its
power to assist, poor and struggling societies in the way of loans and
donations, and of rescuing from the iron grasp of heartless money
lenders heavily mortgaged churches, is at once apparent. The or¬
ganization of the Church Extension Society marks an epoch in the
history of the A. M. E. Church.
These general officers at the head of these several church depart¬
ments represent the great financiers of the connection who have
proven to the world that the ability, of which other races boast as
the heritage of generations, has been developed by them in a single
generation. These master minds have shown a power of organization
and self-government under the most unfavorable conditions, and have
commanded the respect and commendation of the Christian world.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
441
The Church Organs.
The Christian Recorder is the leading organ of the church, and was
established in 1848 with Rev. M. M. Clark as editor. Rev. H. T.
Johnson, D.D., Ph.D., is its presentable and brilliant editor. Its
Weekly issues are far up into the thousands. The A. M. E. Church
Review was created by order of the General Conference, May, 1884,
with Rev. B. T. Tanner, D.D. (now bishop), editor. It is at present
under the management of the scholarly Rev. L. J. Coppin, D.D. It
has no equal as a literary production in ISTegro literature. It repre¬
sents the scholarship of the race throughout the world, and is quoted
by leading newspapers and magazines as authority upon all subjects
which have to do with the moral, religious and intellectual progress
of the people whom it especially represents. Its circulation is be¬
tween three and four thousand. The Voice of 3fissions, edited by
Bishop H. M. Turner, D.D., LL.D.; the Southern Christian Recorder,
edited by Rev. A. M. Green, D.D.; the Bugle Blast and the Child's
Recorder, edited by Rev. C. S. Smith, D.D., have each a large circula¬
tion, and they are accomplishing much for the development of the
church and the elevation of the race.
442 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA. .
THE -AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH.
BY REV. GEO. W. CLINTON, A.M., fiDITOR OF THE "STAR OF ZION."
HE African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church like its parent, the
great Methodist Episcopal Church, is the child of Providence.
• Methodism made its advent in America about the year 1765.
At the organization of this world-wide religious body in New York
City, persons of African descent were among those who constituted
the first society. The first class organized was composed of Negroes
and Irishmen. Negroes continued to form a part of the first organi¬
zation until 1796, when the rapid growth and baneful influence of
caste prejudice forbade their enjoying the sacraments until the white
members were all served. Such unchristian indignities as this and
the denial of other church privileges, including a' refusal to grant
those who felt themselves called of God to teach and exercise pas¬
toral function among their brethren, caused the leading colored mem¬
bers to withdraw from the M. E. Church and form a separate and
independent organization in 1796. According to established history,
this was the first separate, distinct and independent African M. E.
Church organized in this country. Among the founders who partici¬
pated in this first organization and engaged in the erection of the
first church building were: James Varick, Francis Jacobs, Wm.
Brown, June Scott, Samuel Pontler, Thomas Miller, Wm. Hamilton,
Abram Thompson and "Wm. Miller. Of this number James Yarick,
June Scott and Thomas Miller became preachers, and James Varick
was elected the first bishop or superintendent, as the chief pastors
of this church were then called.
The first place of worship in which this new society held service
was an old building on Cross street, between Mulberry and Orange
streets, which had been previously used as a stable. This house was
fitted up and arranged for a church, and here the A. M. E. Zion de¬
nomination launched its little bark upon the then somewhat turbulent
religious tide of the Western world. This was the parent organiza¬
tion of the A. M. E. Zion Church; but at the first the founders did
not publicly announce their plans or give out the name until a few
years afterward. At a meeting held three years after the organize-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 443
tion was formed it was decided to declare their purpose. In addition
to the persons named above, there were present at this meeting1 the
following brethren: George E. Moore, Thomas Simpkins, David
Bias, George White, Thomas Cook, John Freeman and George Col¬
lins. The first Board of Trustees was Francis Jacobs, William
Brown, Thomas Miller, Peter Williams, Thomas Simpkins, William
Hamilton and George Collins. This society built their first church,
which was a frame structure 45x55 feet, in 1800 on the corner of
Church and Leonard streets, and called it Zion. This is the cause of
Zion being incorporated as a part of the denominational name. Ar¬
ticles of incorporation were taken out on February 16, 1801, and re¬
corded in the book for the incorporation of religious societies.
Weio York City, J¥. Fi, March 9, 1801.—The above transaction com¬
pleted the organization and setting apart of the A. M. E. Zion
Church as an independent religious body. The General Conference
of the mother M. E. Church gave official recognition of this new
child of Methodism by sending its greetings and fraternal good will
through Rev. John McCorkle, April 6, 1801.
The A. M. E. Zion Church employed white preachers of the M. E.
Church for about twenty years after its separation from the mother
chuach. In 1820 Abram Thompson and James Varick were elected
elders on the first day of October, they being the first elders elected
in this ehurch. The two preachers above named and Levin Smith
were ordained elders June 17th, 1821, by Rev. James Covell, D.D.,
Rev. Sylvester Hutchinson and Rev. William Stillwell, elders of the
M. E. Church. As early as 1800 local, deacons ordained by the M.
E. Conference had served in the A. M. E. Zion Church. At the first
Conference of this denomination, which was held in June, 1821, Rev.
William Phoebus of the mother church presided. This Conference
agreed upon a system of "limited episcopacy," and elected Elder
James Yarick Bishop, or Superintendent, he being the first officer
of that rank elected by the church.
The discipline which governed this body had been adopted at the
meeting in 1820. The articles of religion and polity adopted were
the same as those which governed the M. E. Church. When the
church was organized in 1796, it had a membership numbering less
than seventy souls. After almost a quarter of a century had expired,
its borders had not spread beyond the State of New York, and the
membership had not reached five hundred, and all the property ac¬
quired at that time was worth only about thirty-five thousand dollars.
444
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
After 1823, the church began to spread her borders into other Cen-.
tral and Eastern States; but the existence and predominance of
slavery prevented the establishment of the church in the South. In
1860, there were eighty-five organized congregations, sixty-four,
church buildings, five annual Conferences, four thousand and six
hundred members, owning two hundred and forty-eight thousand
dollars worth of property, and occupying territory in eleven States.
While the din of war still raged, and the smoke of battle was yet
darkening the Southern skies, Bishop Jos. Jackson Clinton, D.D., and
Elder Jas. "Walker Hood, now Bishop J. W. Hood, D.D., LL.D., made
their way into the South as early as 1863, and began to preach among
their newly emancipated brethren and to build up churches wherever
opportunity offered.
In North Carolina, the first Southern Conference was organized
thirty-two years ago. With the exception of the presiding Bishop
and Elder Hood those who constituted this Conference were recently
emancipated from slavery by Lincoln's famous proclamation, and not
yet enjoying the lull privileges of freedom. From North Carolina
the work of the church was carried into all of the Southern States as
rapidly as openings, men and means would permit. In North Caro¬
lina there are three annual Conferences, besides territory occupied
by the Virginia and Blue Ridge Conferences, one hundred and eleven
thousand members, five hundred and twenty-six church buildings
and two of the chief institutions of the church. Alabama comes next
in numerical strength.
In this State there are four annual Conferences, about three hun¬
dred ministers, more than three hundred and fifty church buildings,
eighty-nine thousand members and the second high grade educational
institution of the church. To-day, Demcember 27, 1894, the A. M. E.
Zion Church has thirty-two regularly organized annual Conferences
in America and Canada, and one missionary conference in Africa. It
has one thousand seven hundred and fifty organizations and a mem¬
bership of four hundred and eleven thousand. This membership
worships in one thousand and six hundred churches owned by the
denomination, which with other property are valued at two million
seven hundred and fifty thousand, one hundred and thirty dollars.
The church has had twenty-two bishops, six of whom are now living.
The church now has one thousand and three hundred elders, eight
hundred and fifty deacons, and occupies territory in thirty-one
States of the union besides Canada, Africa and the Island of the sea.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
445
Institutions.
The Book Concern and Mission Board are the oldest institutions of
the church. The Book Concern is located next door to the mother
church, 353 Bleecker street, New York City. It does an extensive
business throughout the church besides the local trade and now has
a stock of books, plates and other valuable matter worth twelve thou¬
sand dollars. The Star of Zion, the A. M. E. Zion Quarterly Bevieiu,
the Official Directory, Sunday school literature, the Quarterly Alma¬
nac, and the Livingstone, a college magazine, constitute the periodical
literature of the church. In addition to these, the church has also
published her own Discipline, Hand Book on Discipline, three his¬
tories, a new hymnal with twenty-nine hymns by her own ministers,
three books of sermons, viz.: by Bishop J. W. Hood, S. T. Jones and
Rev. Geo. L. Blackwell, A.M., S.T.B., Dean of the Theological De¬
partment of Livingstone College, and a number of pamphlets and
smaller publications all by authors who are members of the church.
The Centennial history which recounts the first hundred years' work
of the church has been written by Bishop J. W. Hood, D.D., LL.D.,
the senior bishop of the church, and is now in press. (Since writing
the above book has been put on the market and is an 8mo. volume of
over six hundred pages.)
Educational Institutions.
Zion Hill Collegiate Institute, located near Washington, Pa., was
the first educational institution of the church of note. Its distance
from the center of Negro population and the bulk of the member¬
ship of the church caused it to be abandoned about sixteen years
ago. Rush University, named in honor of Bishop Christopher Rush,
a founder and first historian of the church, was located at Fayette-
ville, N. C., several years ago; but it too was also abandoned, the
property sold and an institution was established at Concord, N. C.,
about fourteen years ago, known as Zion Wesley Institute, took the
the place of Rush University. After operating at Concord on a
a small scale for two years, it was moved to Salisbury, N. C., on one
of the most beautiful sites in the old "North State." It was chartered
after being at Salisbury for a while as Zion Wesley College and later
as Livingstone College which name it still bears. The college stands
on fifty acres of land, owned by the connection, has five commodious
buildings, three of which are of brick and all enclosed by a neat
446
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
fence. The grounds are well kept and the whole property is valued
at one hundred thousand dollars.
The chief factor in building up this institution to its present stand¬
ard of renown and prosperity as a great educational center was the
late Dr. Joseph C. Price, acknowledged on two continents as the
foremost educator and greatest orator the Negro race has yet
produced. The revered dust of this great man now sleep in the
bosom of • the campus of the institution which he very largely made
what it is.
Livingstone College has four departments, namely, Preparatory,
jSTormal, Collegiate and Theological. Each of these departments is
well manned by efficient and thoroughly trained instructors, three of
whom are graduates of the school and all the others hail from well-
known, high-grade and popular colleges. The college has already
graduated one hundred and twenty students, many of whom occupy
foremost positions in the pulpits of the church, in the school room
and other business vocations among the race in the government ser¬
vice. An Industrial Department is also connected with this institu¬
tion, and some of the best printing done by any race institution is
turned out from the Livingstone press.
At Lancaster and Rock Hill in South Carolina are the Lancaster
High School and Clinton Institute respectively, both schools of high
grade with an enrollment of over four hundred students. Profs.
W. R. Douglass, A.B., and R. J. Crockett, A.B., both graduates of
Livingstone College, are at the head of these two schools. Jones
University, founded by Bishop Chas. C. Petty, A.M., D.D., and
named in honor of the late Bishop Singleton. Thomas Jones, D.D.,
one of the ablest pulpit orators and theologians the race ever pro¬
duced is located in the classic city of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and stands
on a beautiful eminence overlooking the Warrior river. This school
had an enrollment of nearly two hundred present, one hundred and
fifty-six students when last visited by the writer. Prof. David Wil¬
liam Parker, A.B., is the president of this institution.
Atkinson College, named in honor of a wealthy coal dealer and
property holder, Mr. J. B. Atkinson, of Earlington, Ky., is located
at Madisonville, Ky. It has three splendid buildings, a splendid
site with ample grounds. The present attendance numbers nearly
one hundred students. Rev. G. B. Walker, A.B., is president.
Greenville College, located at Greenville, Tenn., was founded by a
number of ministers of the Tennessee Conference under the admin-
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
447
istration of Bishop Thomas H. Lomax, D.D. Rev. R. A. Morrisey,
A.B., the president, is building this school up rapidly. It owns
$8,000 worth of property clear of debt, and had fifty-six students
when the writer last heard from it.
There are a few other schools of less note and in the formative
period of their existence, each and all of which are owned by and
operated under the auspices of the A. M. E. Zion Church.
New Publication House.
At Charlotte, N. C., where there are about five thpusand members
of this denomination, the Bishop and General officers acting* for the
church have purchased a splendid four-story brick edifice, 89x39
feet on College street; in the center of the city, at the cost of $6,000.
The Sunday school Union, which was organized six years ago, is now
located in this building in which a job office is also in successful op¬
eration. The building bears the name of our first bishop and is
known as the Varick Memorial Publication House. During the pres¬
ent quadrennium two of the bishops of the church have died, namely,
Bishop John J. Moore, D.D., at the advanced age of 89 years, 25 of
which had been spent in Episcopacy; and Bishop Joseph P. Thomp¬
son, M.D., D.D., at the ripe old age of 76, 18 of which had been
spent in the Episcopacy. The church is now engaged in making
preparation to celebrate its one hundredth anniversary in the city of
New York in October, 1896. It is designed to make this centennial
the grandest race event yet celebrated in this country. Other de¬
nominations will be asked to participate in the exercises. The A.
M. E. Zion Church has been a great factor in the development of the
moral, intellectual and general advancement of the Negro in Amer¬
ica. Some of the greatest leaders of which the race can boast have
come up in this church.
James Varick and Christopher Rush, founders and bishops of the
earlier period, were men who possessed great minds and strong ele¬
ments of leadership. Their successors, Bishops Joseph J. Clinton,
D.D., Singleton T. Jones, D.D., and John J. Moore, D.D., were men
who were equal to their compeers in any of the Methodist Churches
of their day. The late Henry M. Wilson, D.D., a graduate of
Princeton; Wibur G. Strong, now residing at Tampa, Fla.; William
Howard Day, D.D., the general secretary of the church; R. R. Mor¬
ris, A.M., D.D., superintendent of the Sunday School Union and
editor of the Sunday school literature; Jacob Thomas, D.D., of New
448
afro-american encyclopaedia.
York; Jehu Holliday, D.D., agent of the Book Concern; J. E. Price,
D.D., of Pennsylvania; J. B. Small, D.D., of Pennsylvania; E.
H. Curry, D.D., of Kentucky; the late Dr. J. C. Price, the great
Frederick Douglass, Hon. J. C. Dancey, Editor T. Thomas Fortune,
Prof. J. D. Baltimore, President William H. Goler, of Livingstone
College, and a score or more of other great race leaders, are now or
have been allied with this church, and attribute their success in life
in a large measure to their connection with it. The church prides
herself upon having produced some of the greatest preachers of the
race, and upon having one of the best educated, most exemplary and
progressive set of young men belonging to any church organization
of the race. In every movement started for the amelioration and
advancement of the race since 1796, the A. M. E. Zion Church, or
men belonging to it, have taken active and prominent part.
Means of Support.
The church and its institutions are supported by the membership.
The bishops, general officers, colleges, institutions, worn out and
superannuated preachers are supported from a fund made up from a
collection of fifty cents per member. The church has missionary,
educational and Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Depart¬
ments under efficient management, and each working along its special
line for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ, the lifting up of
the race and the betterment of mankind in general. The bishops
and general officers who control and manage the affairs of the church
are: Rt. Rev. James W. Hood, D.D., LL.D., Senior Bishop, Fayette-
ville, N. C.; Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Lomax, D.D., Charlotte, N. C.; Rt.
Rev. Charles C. Petty, D.D., Newbern, N. C.; Rt. Rev. Cicero R.
Harris, D.D., Salisbury, N. C.; Rt. Rev. Isonj C. Clinton, D.D., Lan¬
caster, S. C.; Rt. Rev. Alexander Walters, D.D., Jersey City, N. J.;
Rev. Wm. Howard Day, D.D., General Secretary, Harrisburg, Pa.;
Rev. J. W. Alstork, D.D., General Treasurer, Montgomery, Ala.;
Rev. Geo. W. Clinton, A.M., editor of the Star of Zion, Salisbury, N.
C.; Rev. R. R. Morris, A.M., D.D., Superintendent Sunday School
Union, Charlotte, 1ST. C.; Rev. T. A. Weathington, Secretary Sunday
School Union, Montgomery, Ala.; Hon. John C. Dancy, editor of the
A. M. E. Zion Quarterly, Salisbury, N. C.; Rev. J. H. Manley, D.D.,
Secretary of Missionary Department, Petersburg, Va.; Prof. S. G.
Atkins, A.M., Secretary of Educational Department, Winston, N. C.;
Rev. Wm. H. Goler, D.D., President Livingstone College, Salisbury,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 449
N. C.; Mrs. Mary J. Jones, President Woman's Home and Foreign
Missionary Society, Washington, D. C.; Rev. Geo. L. Black well, Dean
Theological School, Salisbury, N. C.; Mrs. K. P. Hood, Secretary
Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society, Fayetteville, N. C.;
Mrs. Sadie E. C. Petty, Treasurer Woman's Home and Foreign Mis¬
sionary Society, Newbern, N. C. The next general Cenference of
the church will be held in State Street Church, Mobile, Ala., begin¬
ning the first Wednesday in May, 1896, and continuing in session till
its business is completed. It will be composed of about two hundred
and sixty ministerial and sixty lay delegates besides the general of¬
ficers. It is the endeavor of the church to raise one hundred thou¬
sand dollars during its centennial year. Should it be successful in
this effort it will be able to pay off every debt, better r-quip its old
institutions and establish and equip new ones, which will enable it to
begin the second century of its existence in such condition to do
more for God and humanity than ever before. The prospect is full
of promise and the forces are all alive and on the alert. Feeling her¬
self to be the child of Providence, the A. M. E. Zion Church thanks
God for what he has done through her in the past and takes courage
and invokes his guidance and aid that she may be used by her great
head to achieve greater victories in the future.
Of the great Methodist bodies in this country the A. M. E. Zion
Church was the first to give recognition to her laity in annual and
general Conferences having equal voting privileges with the minis¬
terial delegates. She was the first to admit woman to enlarged church
privileges such as lay delegates to annual and general Conferences,
and is strongly, in favor of granting them increased powers and priv*
ileges in the work of the church. Appended hereto is a summary of
the latest statistics: Bishops, 6; active elders, 1,300; active deacons,
850; local elders, 212; local deacons, 296; superannuated elders and
deacons, 72; traveling preachers, 408; local preachers, 1,234; ex-
horters, 775; members, 411,000; probationers, 8,314.
"Let those who write do so from beneath the shadow of the cross,
and teach the people that the gospel is more potential than dyna¬
mite ; that men can do much, but God can do more; that it is better
to trust in the Lord and their own individual efforts, than it is to
trust in any political organization."—Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett,
D. D., in Afro-American Press.
, ■ 29
450
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
SERMONIC DEPARTMENT
THE SOURCE OF ALL TRUE COURAGE.
" The Iyord is the strength of my life ; of whom shall I be afraid? "
f IND a man who knows in his soul that God is indeed the strength
of his life, and you will find a true hero. He will not be fright-
-jr ened into a panic when he hears lions roar. He cannot be
frightened into doing the wrong thing by the sight of a fiery fur¬
nace seven times heated, and he will do the right thing, even when to
do it seems to lead straight toward the prison or the poorhouse.
Don't you know that Goliath is a great giant, David, and that his
spear is like a weaver's beam and beside that, he is armed from
head to foot, and has been a man of war from his youth, while
you are only a boy? Better go back to your sheep, lad, and leave
fighting to those who have learned the trade of war. "The Lord is
the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" But every¬
body in the king's army is afraid of the giant, David. Better go a
little slow right here. Goliath is as fierce as a wild beast, and has
killed hundreds of men, while you are an untried youth. " Thy serv¬
ant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philis¬
tine shall be as one of them." But if you will go out to fight him,
David, be prudent, boy, and do all you can to make yourself an equal
match. Put on the king's armor, son. It's the best in the camp.
What! pulling it cff again ? It makes you look real fierce. Better
keep it on, boy. Perhaps the sight of it will drive the giant back.
Why, you're not going bare handed, David? You'll be whipped to
death. "The Lord is the strength of my life." Not the king's
armor; not the king's sword. And the next we see of the stripling
he is coming back up the hill with giant's head in his hand. The
Lord was the strength of David's life.—Mam's Horn.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 451
AN EDUCATIONAL SERMON ON THE NEEDS OF THE
NEGRO.
[Delivered by Rev. A. A. "Whitman, of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, at
Sherman, Texas, at the request of Bishop I^ee.]
HAT I shall have to say to-night on the subject of "The Educa¬
tion of the Negro" may be understood to voice the sentiments
of Bishop Lee and more than 500 ministers of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church in the State of Texas. We have estab¬
lished at Waco, in this State, Paul Quinn College, which is destined
to be the great center from which shall radiate the trained forces
which are to put into practice our ideas of what is needful in the way
of education for the Negro. And while we as a church own and con¬
trol this college we wish it to be understood that we are not narrowly
denominational. Our doors are open to all and our chief interest cen¬
ters in the bringing out of the usefulness of the Negro as a citizen
and not in any denominational bias. We want the Negro to become a
desirable and happy citizen of Texas and of the Union, and to this
end we are directing our every effort. Twenty-five years of earnest,
active engagement in this work have given us, we think, the oppor¬
tunity to see pretty clearly what the Negro needs in the way of a
successful education, and we are going to strive to give him that in
the plainest way possible.
'' I have chosen as a text Job v. 23, viz.: ' For thou shalt be in league
with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at
peace with thee.' Theme: 'A Business Education.' I have chosen
Job as' the subject of our discourse to-night from the fact that he was
an ideal business man—a success in this world. Job had a business
education, resting upon the strong foundation of a moral education,
and this is precisely what we shall insist upon in the education of the
Negro. The Book says: 'His substance was 7,000 sheep, 3,000
camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 she asses and a very great household.'
In our day Job would have been rated at about a quarter of a million,
a very wealthy man even now. In his day ' he was the greatest of all
the men of the East.' Here was a.successful man; successful in his
household, for he had 'seven sons and three daughters,' and all of
452
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
these had their own houses; and successful in business, for he was
very rich. But behind all of this the record is that ' he was a perfect
and upright man, one who feared God and eschewed evil.' Here is
the man. Business qualifications resting on a moral foundation.
"Now, when this man exhorts his fellowmen from his own experi¬
ence, he tells them in substance that ' they should be in league with
the stones of the field and at peace with the beasts,' and then he as¬
sures them that ' they shall laugh at destruction and famine.' This
is to the point. The stones, the fields, the beasts, these are the
means and he who, having an honest, upright heart can intelligently
manage these, ' be in league with them,' is a success. And this is so.
To begin with we are going to see, first, to the moral education of
such as come under our care. As we understand it, subordinated
morals are as 'rottenness in the bones.' A heart that is corrupt is a
nest of evils destroying all the good that may come from simply en¬
lightening the mind. A ship without a rudder, a mariner without a
compass, tossed and driven by the breakers in their wrath, is the
man who has an enlightened mind but has no morals. We want the
plain teachings of the gospel of Jesus made known to our people and
incorporated into the conduct of their lives as a first principle for all
education. Christ Jesus first; the arts and sciences afterward.
"It is often remarked that for stately character and sterling influ¬
ence many old ex-slaves now surpass their educated offspring. Do
you ask, why so? By what is it that they are so distinguished? I
answer by their piety! The moral atmosphere around them in early
life was pure. They knew nothing of 'craps' and races, baseball
and 'policy.' They breathed a pure moral atmosphere, and this is
what we need first of ail for the Negro now.
"It may be said that in the matter of gaming the Negro is not dif¬
ferent from his white neighbor, but not so. I notice that just as
whisky means race ruin for the Indian, so do 'craps' and 'policy'
mean the utter degradation of the Negro. With these practices cur¬
rent among Negroes, Yale, Harvard and Vassar will do them no good.
A degraded manhood puts an end to citizenship. The Negro needs,
first, a moral education. I now lay down a rule: Anything which
will make the immigrant undesirable to the body of citizens in this
country. Next to a moral education the Negro needs industrial
training. The heart first and the hand next.
"We need to begin in a business way right at the bottom and grow
up from the ground. We need to know how to make a living. That
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
453
education which fails to fit one to do this fails to educate. He who
has not the business parts and qualifications in him to earn a living
is a dependent—a pauper, as it were—and undesirable as a citizen,
regardless of any amount of useless information that may be found
lying around loose in his cranium. The Negro, the masses must
come back to the ground. Business is the root and bottom of the
education he needs now. The Negro must be found taking a helping
part—lending a helping hand in the exercises and business of his
day; thus having himself needed by the State. This is the root of
the whole master.
"We must begin at the ground and the tilling of the soil should lead
in all our pursuits. Here is a great secret. Man's independence
grows up out of the soil. It is never a fungus. The Negro must be
trained to know how to intelligently and successfully till the soil;
and what is more he must learn to love the occupation. He must
know the farm, the orchard and the vineyard. He must see that his
farm is a dukedom. He must find that stalwart independence comes
up with his cotton and corn. The landscape beautified and ennobled
by the touch of care and endeared by the fond and exalted idea of
possession must be to him the rallying point for his patriotism. Cin-
cinnatus, "Washington, Lincoln, Grant, mightiest of earth, dignified
their lives by tilling the soil. The Negro must see this. Pastures
filled with horses and cattle; ample barns and great farm houses are
grander way marks for civilization than all the monuments ever
reared on the fields of battle. Back to this idea the Negro must
come and make a start. It must be taught into his brains to see this
truth. The educated Negro is prejudiced too often against the farm.
This is due to the fact that in slavery we were employed most in til¬
ling the soil. Our task then was a thankless one, and anything
which reminds us of it now is distasteful to us. Education must
correct this. The man who reads Greek and Latin while he sits in
idleness waiting for something to do is an inferior man; while he
who tills the soil is a sovereign, though he knows little of books.
The Negro must not be afraid of the clods; he must come out of the
shade. He must learn that there is more music in a hand saw than
there is in a guitar, and a great deal better pay He must feel that
it is no disgrace to go to work after he has gone to school. He must
understand that a liberal education is as valuable to him who tills
the soil as it is to the professions. Along this line we shall earnestly
direct our efforts.
454
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
"Next to the tilling of the soil the Negro must learn the value of
being skilled in mechanics. He must learn to mingle his thoughts
with his labor. He must be taught to see that if he can chop wood
and earn $1 per day, he may by using saw and chisel earn twice that
amount and work no harder than before; and again by using steam
and lathe and scroll he can earn ten times that amount and still work
no harder. This we understand is practical education, to enlighten
the citizen first concerning his nearest environments—earth, air,
water, wood, stone, metal—first become acquainted with these and
then come on with your theorems, your hypothesis, your abstrac¬
tions and such. First the dinner pot and the loom, and then the be¬
atitudes—poetry, painting and the like. After a moral and industrial
training they who have the talent, the means and the leisure may pur¬
sue their studies into the province of higher education, language,
literatue, the arts and the sciences. All hold out brilliant induce¬
ments for such as strive to find ' room at the top.'
"And here I emphasize: The Negro who expects to find employ¬
ment successfully in the learned professions must appear before
mankind thoroughly equipped, for such is the order of business in
our world to-day that the very best talent in the world is, for a rea¬
sonable fee, at the service of the masses of the colored people.
"We shall therefore insist upon thoroughness as absolutely indis¬
pensable to higher education. We may no more have men to preach
who are too ignorant to do anything else. We shall cease conferring
titles upon men who are ignorant of the constitution, the laws and
history of our country. We shall let higher education mean higher
education. The work before us is good and we are hopeful at the
task. Texas is a great field and we shall proudly appreciate the fact
that there are greater remaining opportunities for the Negro here than
anywhere else in the United States. I find among the eager thou¬
sands of white people who crowd to the great meetings under this
tabernacle that there is an abiding interest in the Christian welfare
of the Negro. Such have been the courtesies and aid extended to
me in the great work by white people that I am consumed by grati¬
tude. I see before us vistas opening more dazzling than the optim¬
ist's most sanguine dream. More than two thousand white people,
ladies and gentlemen, have Stood here under this canopy with us in
Sherman, and under the sweet influences of our holy religion they
have found their cheeks aglow with the bright tears of joy and hope,
as the promises of God have been made precious to us by faith. And
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 455
what shall the end be but the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus to
enlighten us all by the ' word of his grace, which is able to build us up
in all things and give us an inheritance among them that are sancti¬
fied.' "
PRKYER,
BY REV. G. W. DUPEE, D.D., PADUCAH, KY.
"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and
not to faint." I^uke xviii. 1.
HE meaning and moral of the parable are evident; that as afflic¬
tion and desolation were coming on the land, and they should
have need of much patience and continual fortitude, and the
constant influence and protection of the Almighty, therefore, they
should be instant in prayer.
That prayer was coeval with the fallen race we cannot doubt, and
it was, in all probability, associated with the first sacrifices. The
first definite account of its public observance occurs in the
remarkable expression recorded in the lifetime of Enos, the
son of Seth: "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord."
(Gen. iv. 26.) Prom that time a life of prayer evidently marked the
distinction between the pious and the wicked. The habit was evi¬
dently maintained in the chosen family of Abraham, as is evident
from frequent instances in the history of the Hebrew patriarchs.
We have no proof whether before the exile, prayer was customa¬
rily joined with sacrificial offerings. Moses gave no special com¬
mands with reference to this part of religious service. About the
time of the exile, our records begin with the Levites to recite prayer.
As a private devotion, prayer has always been in use.
Well, what is prayer? It is the lifting up of the soul in faithful
desire to Almighty God, through Jesus Christ, for the mercies and
blessings that he alone can give. "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up
my soul." (Ps. xxv. 1.)
The only form of prayer for perpetual use in the Old Testament is
the one connected with the offering of tithes and first-fruits, and con¬
taining in simple form the important elements of prayer—acknowl¬
edgment of God's mercy, self-dedication, and prayer for future
456
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
blessing. The most remarkable prayers in the Old Testament are
those of Solomon at the dedication of the Temple, and Joshua, the
High Priest, and his colleagues after the captivity. The former is a
prayer for God's presence with his people in time of national defeat,
and the latter contains a recital of God's blessings to the children of
Israel, from Abraham to the captivity, a confession of their contin¬
ual sin, and a fresh dedication of themselves to the covenant.
Nothing can be more rational or consistent than this duty. It is a
divine injunction that men should always pray, and not faint. It is
highly proper that we should acknowledge the obligations we are un¬
der to our Heavenly Father, and supplicate his throne for the bless¬
ings we stand in need of.
The object of prayer is God alone, through Jesus Christ as the me¬
diator. All supplications, therefore, to saints and angels are not only
useless, but blasphemous. All worship of the creature, however ex¬
alted that creature is, is idolatry, and is strictly prohibited in the
sacred law of God. Nor or we to pray to the Trinity as three dis¬
tinct Gods; for though the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be ad¬
dressed in various parts of the Scripture, yet never as three Gods,
for that would lead us directly to the doctrine of polytheism; the
mode the Scripture points out is to address the Father through the
Son, depending on the Spirit to help our infirmities, "for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself mak-
eth intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
It must be observed that the nature of this duty does not consist
in the elevation of the voice, the posture of the body, the use of the
form, or the mere extemporary use of words, nor, properly speaking,
in anything of an exterior nature; but simply the offering of your
desires to God. "Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find,
knock and it shall be opened unto you."
There are different kinds of prayer. Secret prayer is one kind of
prayer to which we should attend. "But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall
reward thee openly." Secret prayer has its name from the manner
in which Christ recommended it. He himself set us an example, and
it has been the practice of the saints of every age. There are some
particular occasions when this duty may be practiced ,to advantage,
as when we are entering into any important situation; undertaking
anything of consequence; when calamities surround us ; or when ease
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
457
ana prosperity attend us. As secret prayer is calculated to inspire
us with peace, and promote our real happiness, we should be watch¬
ful lest the intrusion of company and the cares of the world should
prevent us from the constant exercise of this necessary and impor¬
tant duty.
Acceptable prayer is always made in faith, believing' the promises
of God and trusting his mercy, "but let him ask in faith." (Jas. i. 6.)
And again, acceptable prayer is always answered. "I waited pa¬
tiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.''
Family prayer is another part not to be neglected. It is true
there is no absolute command for this in God's word; yet, from
hints, allusions and examples we may learn that it was the practice
of ancient saints—Abraham, David, Solomon, Joshua and Job. The
objection often made to family prayer is want of time, but this is a
very frivolous excuse, since the time allotted for this purpose need be
but short, and may be easily redeemed from sleep or business. Were
you, like Abraham, entertaining an angel unawares, what would be
the report he would take back to heaven? "Would he find you com¬
manding your children and your household, and teaching them the
way of the Lord? Would he find an altar in your dwelling? Do you
worship God with your children? If not then God is not in your
house. A prayerless family is a godless family.
Social prayer is another kind Christians are called upon to attend.
It is called social because it is offered by a society of Christians in
their collective capacity, convened for that particular purpose. The
posture of prayer, says Dr. Smith, among the Jews, "seems to have
been most often standing, unless the prayers were offered with
especial solemnity and humiliation, which was naturally expressed
by kneeling or prostration." However early in the morning you
may seek the gate of access, you find it already open, and however
deep the midnight moment when you find yourself in the sudden
arms of death, the wings of prayer can bring an instant Savior ; and
this wherever you are. It needs not that you ascend some Pisgah.
It needs not that you pull off your shoes on some holy ground. It
needs not to be a costly temple. It may be in a field, or on the
crowded street. It may be a hillside where the Man of Sorrows
spent the night in prayer. We can have access to prayer in all
places, at all times, and under all circumstances.
Prayer can obtain everything; can open the windows of heaven
and shut the gates of hell; can detain an angel until he leaves a
458
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
blessing, can arrest the sin in his course and send the winds upon
our errands. Pray often, dear reader, for prayer is a shield to the
soul. The time spent in prayer never hinders, but furthers and
prospers a man's journey and business; therefore, never go about
thy business till thou hast prayed, and let your prayer be that of the
sweet Psalmist of Israel: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and
renew a right spirit within me." "Cast me not away from thy pres¬
ence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." "Restore unto me the
joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit." "Then
will I teach transgressors thy way, and sinners shall be converted
unto thee." Everything is to be a subject of prayer. Paul says,
"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplica¬
tion, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God,
and the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep
your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."
MENTAL AND PHYSIGAL: GULTURE.
[Delivered before the North Missouri Conference by Rev. Jas. H. Turner.]
"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ear to the words of knowledge."
Proverbs xxiii. 12.
HE words of the text are those of a great and good man, a man
whose renown went abroad and caused men not only to wonder
with amazement on account of his wisdom, but eagerly sought
an acquaintance with him that they might learn the secret of his
greatness, and be enabled to unlock the doors of knowledge and en¬
rich the mind with the precious gems of wisdom. This wonderful
king advised them to apply their hearts unto instruction, and their
ears to the words of knowledge. Hence, ever since the utterance
of Solomon to the present age, we hear the earnest cry, "more edu¬
cation," press onward and upward. Education defined is drawing
out the mental powers; the cultivation of the human faculties. We
must recognize that the brains, well cultivated, are the controlling
forces. Education should be one of the greatest objects of to-day
among those who wish to become noble, and earnestly desire to pos¬
sess more than an empty shell, or in other words, a worthless brain.
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race.
459
He who would do something great and noble, must with an unfalter¬
ing determination apply himself to the work.
Mental Culture.
Too much cannot be said pertaining to the importance of mental
training. The development and cultivation of the faculties of the
mind is the principal object of a liberal education. All the powers of
the mind should be in harmony, that there may be no undue prepon¬
derance of one faculty over another. Bishop D. A. Payne struck the
keynote when he said, "Education in its broadest sense means edu¬
cation of the head, education of the heart and education of the
hands." "It is the sea that cuts our iron bars like wax" and heaps
them up in a solid shaft strong enough to be the pivot of a revolving
planet. It is education that cuts from the soul of humanity the
groveling pursuits of life, and builds the mind strong enough to be
serviceable in the fields of labor. Education is not the business-like
process of giving a man various ideas upon any subject; it is bring¬
ing out the strength and improvement of a man's susceptibilities, in
order to prepare him for his fellowmen and his own final destiny.
The faculties of man are like burnished gold, which show more and
more its worth. The human soul in this present and progressive
age without some education is like a ship without a rudder, or like
the marble in the quarry, which does not show any of its inherent
beauties until the skilled polisher brings to view the hidden colors,
makes the surface to • shine and discovers every ornamented vein
that runs through its body. Education in like manner, does not
show its worth and grandeur until the possessor goes to work upon
his own mind, and draws out every hidden virtue. "Without help it
never makes its appearance. Education is a power when rightly
used, and a curse when abused; it begins the gentleman, but sound
judgment must finish him. In the construction of a building, it is
strictly necessary to secure a firm foundation in order to erect a
magnificent structure, one that will not simply be an ornament of at¬
traction to the eyes of its observers, or those living in the com¬
munity in which it is reared; but it should be a comfort to the pos-
sesser and its occupants also. Those in possession of an education
should be a blessing and beneficial to others as well as self; and, if
you do not improve the advantages given you, you sin against your
Creator. Castelar, the silver tongued orator of Europe, remembered
"That Switzerland is stronger in her liberties, stronger in her in-
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dividual rights and privileges of her citizens, stronger in her moral
and religious development, than she is on the granite of her Alps,
because of the general intelligence of her inhabitants growing out of
the attention given to education. God help us as a race to become
stronger in gaining a permanent foothold in the onward march to in¬
telligence and victory. If the breadth of the river hinders our ad¬
vance, let us bridge it and travel onward. "We must not look back¬
ward, but forward. Early cultivation or instructions are demanded
by our Creator. Why not take advantage of this wise counsel? The
general welfare of our government requires it, and the future hope
of the race is dependent on the same basis.
Physical Culture.
My hearers, I would not have you to understand that I mean to
recommend or instil within your minds the importance of an educa¬
tion, that we may shun or be above work; such is not my intention.
All honest work is honorable and is not to be despised. Anything
worth having can only be obtained by working for it. I say, go to
work; and whatever your hands find to do, strive to do that with all
your might, such is the admonition which nature utters in every
ear. The very bones, muscles and fluids which compose our frame
are all passing in an unceasing progression to a new organic con¬
dition. The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in
every individual. It is labor that strengthens the muscles, wields
the axe, drives the plow, scatters the seed and reaps the harvest.
But the accepted training properly given in the school room, makes
our boys better farmers, mechanics, laborers, etc., because they
have learned to use their minds actively in the work. It will also
better fit our daughters for life's usefulness, because it enlarges the
narrow bounds of their lives and shows them the limitations of the
past and the grand possibilities of the future. If it is essential to
cultivate the faculties of man, then it is equally necessary that the
phj^sical man be educated in the science of agriculture and mechani¬
cal arts. If we desire a race of hardy young men, they must be taught
the arts of manual labor, to exercise the muscles as well as the
tongue. "A willing heart makes nimble fingers." One of the
Lions in the way of a prosperous career in the future of the youth
fco-day, is idleness or self-indulgence. They are taught that hard
work is a deep disgrace. Our sons and daughters are too often
brought into market as men and women before their physical struc-
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race. 461
ture is fully developed, which is one of the dreadful causes of so
many shipwrecked lives. As Hon. W. F. Wiley said: "We live too
fast. We are always in too much haste. Our sons usurp the sta¬
tions and assume the responsibilities of men before they are full-
grown boys. Our daughters aspire to womanhood when they should
still be in the nursery." Teach your girls the arts of housekeeping,
dressmaking, millinery, needle work, etc., before turning them out as
their own free agents or mistresses into the world, and you will
then give us a healthy and economical, as well as an industrious class
of young men and women who will be beautiful in stature, hardy in
muscular strength and manly in deportment, instead of a set of
spendthrifts.
True education embraces all of these things. As a race we are in
need of more general education. We must possess energy, an
invincible determination and a firm purpose, once fixed, and then,
victory or death. We cannot afford to stand shivering at the cold
wintry blasts of discouragements, but earnestly ask God to keep us
and press onward. The wintry days of discouragements will disap¬
pear, and the glorious warmth and sunshine of victory will o'er-
shadow us. We are also in need of more educated farmers, carpen¬
ters, or dealers in and manufacturers of speciality, who shall trans¬
mit by blood or example to the coming generations a more vigor¬
ous intellect and capacity for business, instead of filling the coffers
of the rich. "The man who gives his children habits of industry
provides for them better than by giving them a fortune."
We don't want an educated race of paupers and bums, but a race of
strong men and women that will dare and do; strong also, intellect¬
ually, physically, and morally.
Moral Culture.
Oh! if this latent power could only be more successfully aroused,
our sin-stained earth would certainly arise and shine in a glorious
triumph. We aim at mental greatness, intellectual strength, and
they are divine gifts, but moral rectitude is stronger than they.
"His head is seldom far wrong whose heart is always right."
Then let us, when on the verge of doing wrong, stand in awe of our¬
selves, and dread the witness within us. . One can so train themselves
to right thinking and right acting, that uprightness will be his na¬
ture. There is in uprightness a penetrative power that nothing can
withstand. Its bars cannot be broken; they are stonger than iron.
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Remember, if the seed of morality is not sown, there is no need of
cultivation. We must first prepare the soil for sowing. After
planting, watchfulness, in order that the weeds may not grow up and
injure the grain. Comparatively speaking, the mind and brain are
the soil; ambition, will, and self-respect the cultivators. The
grand harvest is morality. Morals is the golden staff of life; the
human soul without this noble trait is indeed wanting, the heart is
uneducated, and life is but a waste. It is the noble character that is
not to be bartered for wealth nor beauty. They may form a brilliant
to the diamond; but ah! at last, they only expose more plainly the
false glare.
There are two kinds of everything, the genuine and the counterfeit.
Morality claims only the genuine. Often the counterfeit is purchased
for genuine, but soon its charming hues must banish. In like man¬
ner we are often deceived in persons who polish their characters for
a season; as the polish begins to wear off, we see more and more a
solid bed of blackness that was hid beneath the once glittering jewels.
It is not what we seem to be, but what we really are that leads to
honor and victory. It has been well said, "All that glitters is not
gold." In the Bible, praise is given not to the strong man who
taketh a city, but to the stronger man who ruleth his own spirit.
The stronger man is he, who by discipline, exercises a control over
his thoughts, his speech, and his acts. A man may, and can culti¬
vate his morals. Nine-tenths of the vicious desires that degrade so¬
ciety, and which, when indulged, swell into crime that disgrace it,
would sink into insignificance before the advance of self-discipline,
self-respect, courage, and self-control.
The first seminary of moral culture, and the best, is the home.
Next comes the school, and after that, the world—the great school of
practical life. We must dig far beneath the earth's surface to find
the genuine, costly, and precious metal. Thus it is in morality. We
must earnestly aim, work, reach, and hold that which is pure; not
merely to please man, but rather for self's comfort and your Creator,
before whom you must appear in the judgment.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
463
CHRIST BRINGING US TO GOD BY RECONCILIATION
AND GLORIFICATION.
[Preached by Rev. R. H. Alston in the Berean Presbyterian Church, New Orleans,
April 28th, 1895.]
" For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he mig-ht
bring us to God."—I Peter iii. 18.
f^IHE scope of the apostle in this place is to justify Christians for
I a day of suffering, in order to their cheerful sustaining of which
he prescribes two excellent rules, first, to get a good conscience
within them; and, secondly, to set the example of Christ's suffer¬
ings before them. "For Christ hath once suffered for sins." The
suffering of Christ for us is the great motive engaging Christians to
suffer for him. In these words we have the sufficiency and fullness
of Christ's sufferings in the particle "once," Christ needs to suf¬
fer no more, having completed that whole work at once. The cause
of Christ's suffering is "sins;" not his own, but ours. And see the
admirable grace and unexampled love of Christ to us sinners, "the
just for the unjust," in which words the substitution of Christ in
the room and place of sinners is plainly expressed. The design of
Christ's sufferings was "to bring us to God," and the issue of the
sufferings of Christ, which was the death of Christ in the flesh and
the quickening of Christ after death by the Spirit.
The doctrine we now propose to illustrate is that the end of Christ's
death and sufferings was to bring all those for whom he died unto
God. In the explication two things must be considered: What Christ's
bringing us to God imports, and what influence the death of Christ'
has upon this design of bringing us to God.
I. What Christ bringing us to God im/ports. Generally it denotes
our state of reconciliation and our state of glorification. By recon¬
ciliation we are brought nigh to God. Ye are made nigh, that is,
reconciled by the blood of Christ. We are said to come to God, the
Judge of all. By reconciliation we are brought nigh unto God now;
by glorification we shall be brought home to God hereafter. We
shall be ever with the Lord. But more particularly this phrase,
"that he might bring us to God," imports:
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1. That the chief happiness of man consists in the enjoyment of
God. The creature has as necessary a dependence upon God for hap¬
piness as the stream has upon the fountain, or the image in the glass
upon the face of him who looks into it. The sum of the creature's
misery lies in this, "Depart from me," which separation from God
being the principal part of his damnation; so on the contrary the
chief happiness of the creature consists in the enjoyment and blessed
vision of God. "I shall be satisfied when I awake in his likeness."
2. It implies man's apostasy from God. "But now in Christ Jesus,
ye, who sometime were far off, are made nigh by the blood of
Christ." Those whom Christ brings unto God were before far off from
him, both in condition and disposition. They were far off from his
church, from the promises, from the Christian hope, and from God
himself; and, therefore, from all good, like the prodigal son in the
far country. ' Unconverted sinners remove themselves at a distance
from God, and God puts them at a distance ; he beholds the proud
afar off.
3. Christ's bringing to God implies our inability of ourselves to
return to God. We must be brought back by Christ, or perish for¬
ever in separation from God. The lost sheep is made the emblem of
the lost sinner. The shepherd seeks it, finds it, and carries it back
upon his shoulders. The apostle plainly tells us "when we were
without strength," and what is worse, altogether unable to help our¬
selves out of that condition; lost, and no visible way open for our re¬
covery; our condition deplorable, and in a manner desperate; and,
therefore, our salvation is said to come to us "in due time." God's
time to help and save is when those that are to be saved are without
strength, that his power and grace may be the more magnified.
4. Christ's bringing us to God implies that God's justice was once
the great bar between him and man. Man can have no access to
God, but by Christ, and he brings to God in no other way but that
of satisfaction, by his blood. "He hath suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." Better that ten
thousand worlds should perish forever, than that God should lose
the honor of his justice. We are said to be justified "freely by his
grace," which implies that it came freely to us, but Christ bought it
and paid dearly for it in his own blood. Hence this great bar to our
enjoyment of God is effectually removed by the death of Christ,
whereby God's justice is not only fully satisfied, but highly honored
and glorified. And so the way by which we are brought to God is
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
465
again opened, to the wonder and joy of all believers, by the blood
and sufferings of Christ.
5. It shows us the happiness of believers above all people. These
only shall be brought to God in a reconciled state. Others indeed
shall be brought to God as a judge to be condemned; believers only
are brought to God in the mediator's hand as a reconciled Father to
be made blessed forever in the enjoyment of him. Every believer is
brought singly at his death, and all believers shall be brought jointly
and solemnly presented to God in the great day. They shall all be
presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy. The privilege of believers in that day will lie in divers things.
(1) They shall all be brought to God together. This will be the gen¬
eral assembly mentioned in Hebrews. There shall be a collection of
believers in all ages of the world into one blessed assembly. They
shall come from the North and South, the East and West, and shall
sit down in the kingdom of God. Oh, what a glorious train will be
seen following the Redeemer in that day! (2) As the saints shall be
collected into one body, so they shall be all brought and presented
unto God faultless and without blemish. As a new garment just
from the fuller's hand without spot, and thoroughly stretched that
it contains no wrinkle; so the church, and through it all believers
is to be presented unto God through Christ without spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, a "glorious" church. All sin perfectly separated
when death had separated their souls and bodies. (3) As believers
shall be brought together and that in a state of absolute purity and
perfection, so they shall be all brought to God. This is1 that trans¬
forming and sanctifying vision of which the Scriptures frequently
speak. They shall see his face, in the vision whereof is "fullness of
joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore.The bless¬
edness of the saints consists in their fruition of God. To see God in
his word and works is the happiness of saints on earth; but to see
him face to face will be the fullness of their blessedness in heaven.
(4) To be brought to God implies a state of perfect joy and highest
delight. "With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they
shall enter the King's palace." It will be a day of universal joy
when all the saints are brought home to God in a perfect state. For
God the Father will rejoice when Christ brings home that precious
number of his elect whom he redeemed by his blood. He rejoices iD
them now, though imperfect and under many corruptions and weak¬
nesses. How much more will he rejoice in them when Christ pre-
30
466
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
sents them without spot. Jesus Christ will exceedingly rejoice. It
will be the day of gladness and satisfaction of his heart; for now,
and not till now, he receives his mystical fullness, beholds all the
blessed issues of his death, which cannot but give him unspeakable
joy. "He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satis¬
fied."
The day in which believers are brought home to God will be a day
of unspeakable joy to the Holy Spirit himself; for unto this all his
sanctifying designs had respect. To this day he sealed them and
stirred up desires in their hearts that cannot be uttered. Thus the
blessed persons, Father, Son and Spirit will rejoice in the bringing
home of the elect to God. For as it is the greatest joy to a man to see
the designs which he has been long projecting and anticipating at
last brought to a happy issue, much more will it be so here, each
person in the Holy Trinity being deeply concerned in this blessed
design. The angels of God will rejoice at the bringing of believers
to him. "The spirits of just men made perfect will be united in one
general assembly with an innumerable company of angels." Great
is the love of angels to redeemed ones! They rejoiced at the incarna¬
tion of Christ for them; they delight to pry into the mystery of
their redemption. They were delighted at their conversion, which
was the day of their espousals to Christ. They have been careful
over them and serviceable to them in the world, and' cannot but re¬
joice exceedingly to see them all brought home in safety to their
Father's house. Christ's bringing believers to God will be a matter
of unspeakable joy to themselves, for whatever acquaintance they
had with God here, whatever anticipation they had of heaven and
glory to come, yet the sight of God and Christ the Redeemer will be
an unspeakable surprise to them in that day. It will be the full sat¬
isfaction of all their desires.
II. Let it be considered what influence the DEATH OF CHRIST hath
upon this design, and you will find much every way.
1. The death of Christ removes all obstacles out of the way of this
mercy. The bars hindering our access to God were such as nothing
but the death of Christ could remove. The guilt of sin barred us
from his gracious presence. The pollution of sin excluded us from
God. The enmity of our nature stopped up our way to God, and by
reason therof fallen man has no desire to come to God. The justice of
God like a flaming sword turning every way, kept all men from access
to God; and Satan, that malicious adversary, lay as a lion in the way
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 467
to God. O with what bars were the gates of heaven shut against our
souls! The way to God was filled with difficulties which none but
Christ could remove, and he has effectually removed them all. The
way is now opened, even the new and living way, consecrated for us
by his blood. The death of Christ effectually removes the guilt of sin;
washes away the pollution of sin; takes away the enmity of nature;
satisfies all the demands of justice; has broken all the power of
Satan; and consequently the way to God is fully opened to believers
by the blood of Jesus.
2. The blood of Christ purchased for believers thevr right to this
privilege. '' But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth
his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons," that
is, both the relations and inheritance of sons. There was worth
enough in the precious blood of Christ to pay all our debts to justice,
to purchase for us this invaluable privilege. We must put this un¬
speakable mercy of being brought to God to the account of the death
of Christ. No believer had ever tasted the sweetness of such a
mercy if Christ had not tasted the bitterness of death for him.
Now let us draw a few inferences from these precious truths :
1. Great is the preciousness and worth of souls, that the life of
Christ should be given to redeem and recover them to God. As God
laid out his counsel from all eternity upon them to project the way of
their salvation, so the Lord Jesus, in pursuance of that blessed de¬
sign, came from the bosom of the Father and shed his invaluable
blood to bring them to God. No wise man expends vast sums to
obtain trifling commodities. How cheap soever our souls are in our
estimation, it is evident they are of precious esteem in the eyes of
Christ.
2. Redeemed souls must expect no rest or satisfaction this side of
heaven. The life of believers in this world is a life of expectation—
they are now coming to God. God is the center and rest of their
souls. As the rivers cannot rest until they pour themselves into the
bosom of the sea, so neither can renewed souls find rest till they
come into the bosom of God. There are four things which disturb
the souls of believers in this world—afflictions, temptations, corrup¬
tions and absence from God. If tlie three former causes of dis¬
quietude were totally removed, so that a believer were placed in a
condition upon earth where no affliction could disturb him, no temp¬
tation trouble him, no corruption defile or grieve him, yet his very
468
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
absence from God must still keep him dissatisfied. "Whilst we are
,at home in the body we are absent from the Lord."
3. What pleasant thoughts should all believers have of death!
When they die they shall fully be brought home to God. Death is to
the saints as the door by which they enter into the enjoyment of God.
The dying Christian is almost home; yet a few pangs more and he
comes to God in whose presence is fullness of joy, " having a desire
to depart" said Paul, "and to be with Christ which is far better."
4. How comfortable and sweet should the communications of Chris¬
tians be with one another! Christ bringing them all to God through
this vale of tears. They are now in the way to him—all bound for
heaven—going home to God, their everlasting rest in glory. Every
hour, every duty brings them nearear to their journey's end. "Now
is our salvation nearer than when we believed." O what manner of
heavenly communications and ravishing discourses should believers
have with each other as they walk by the way! O what pleasant and
delightful converse should they have about the place and state
whither Christ is bringing them! What transporting and transform¬
ing visions they shall have when they are brought home to God!
How surprisingly glorious to them the sight of Jesus Christ will be,
who died to bring them to God! How should such discourse sweeten
their passage through the world, strengthen and encourage the de¬
jected and feeble minded, and honor and adorn their profession!
Thus lived the believers of old. "By faith he sojourned in the land
of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with
Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, for he
looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
God." But alas! most Christians are either so entangled in the
cares, or so ensnared by the pleasures which almost constantly take
up their thoughts by the way, that there is little room for discourse
of Christ and heaven among them. The apostle charges it upon the
Thessalonians to "comfort one another."
5. How unreasonable are the dejections of believers on account of
the troubles they meet with in the world. It is true, afflictions of all
kinds attend believers in their way to God. Through many tribula¬
tions we must enter into the Kingdom. But what then ? Must we
despond and drop under them as other men? Surely not. If afflic¬
tions be the way through which you must come to God, then never be
discouraged at affliction. Troubles are of excellent use, under the
blessing of the Spirit, to further Christ's great design in bringing
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 469
you to God. How often would you turn ont of the way which leads
to God, if he did not hedge your way with thorns. Doubtless when
you come home to God, you "shall find you have been more beholden
to your troubles than to your comforts for bringing you thither.
The sweetness of the end will infinitely more than recompense the
sorrows of the way, "nor are they worthy to be compared with the
glory that shall be revealed in you."
6. How are all believers under obligations to follow Jesus whither¬
soever he goes ? Thus are the saints described: ' These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were re¬
deemed from among men, being the first fruits of God to the Lamb.
If it be the design of Christ to bring us to God, it is our duty to fol¬
low Christ in all the paths of obedience through which he now leads
us, as ever we expect to be brought home to God at last. "We are
made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence
steadfast to the end." If we have followed him through many suffer¬
ings and turn away from him at last, we lose all we have done and
suffered in religion, and shall never reach home to God. The crown
of life belongs to them who are faithful unto death.
7. Let all who desire to come to God hereafter, come to Christ by
faith now. There is no other way to the Father but by Christ. No
other way to Christ but by faith. How vain are the hopes and expecta¬
tions of all unbelievers. Be sure that death shall bring you to God as
an avenging Judge, if Christ does not bring you to God as a recon¬
ciled Father. "Without holiness no man shall see God." The door
of hope is closed against all Christless persons. "No man cometh
unto the Father but by me." Let this persuade sinners to come to
Christ, for with him is liberty for poor captives. The devil per¬
suades you that the ways of godliness are a bondage; but if ever God
regenerates you, you will find his ways ways of pleasantness, and all
his paths peace. Oh, what a sweet voice cometh down from heaven
to your souls this day, saying, "As ever you hope to come to God,
and enjoy the blessings that are here, come unto Christ, obey his
calls, give up yourselves to his government, and you shall certainly
be brought to God. As sure as you shall now be brought to Jesus
Christ by spiritual union, so sure you will be brought to God in frui¬
tion." See the grace of Christ for sinners! He empties himself of
glory that we might be filled. He became poor that we might be
rich. He is made a curse that.we might enjoy the blessing. He sub¬
mits to be crowned with thorns that we might be crowned with glory
470
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
and honor. He is ready, willing, and even striving to bring you to
God by his Spirit. Can you reject him? Will you slight his offered
hand of love? Oh, may your souls turn to him this day, and bless
God for Jesus Christ, the new and living way!
"GOD AVENGING THE WRONGED."
, [Sermon by Rev. W. R. Templeton, pastor Washington Street Presbyterian Church,
Reading", Pa.]
"And the L,ord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know
not: Am I my brother's keeper ? And he said, What hast thou done ? the voice of thy
brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground."—Gen. iv. 9-10.
HE words selected, and the incident connected with them are
■ by no means unfamiliar, since they are associated with a most
sad and painful affair. Our first parents have born to them
two sons, Cain and Abel. The one was a keeper of sheep, the other
a tiller of the ground. As was customary for offerings to be made
unto the Lord, they likewise come, bringing each one his offering.
One brings the hastily gathered fruit of the ground, the other brings
the carefully selected firstling of his flock; the result of the acts
may be best determined by the following words: " And the Lord had
respect unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering he
had not respect," "And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell."
Only a short while after, in a field are these two brothers together;
a conversation perhaps somewhat heated occurs between them. As
an outcome thereof, we are furnished with the first sad account of a
brother's cruel death, a brother's murder. A few words describe it
all: "And it came to pass when they were in the field that Cain rose
up against Abel his brother and slew him." The deed is scarcely
done ere the voice from heaven is heard making direct inquiry of the
cruel perpetrator. " And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel
thy brother ? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
And he said, what hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood
crieth unto me from the ground." From these words would we draw
a few lessons.
The inquiry made in this instance is a most important one, and
should be carefully considered. "And the Lord said unto Cain,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
471
Where is Abel, thy brother?" The question in this instance asked
by Jehovah is not for the sake of his own enlightenment, but rather
that he might awaken the conscience of the criminal before him, and
at last bring him to sincere repentance; he had been guilty of a ter¬
rible crime, of smiting to the earth and moistening the ground with
a brother's blood. God comes and inquires, not for a friend, nor a
stranger simply, but a brother; one his own flesh and blood. "Abel,
thy brother, where is he?" On touching the brotherhood of man we
touch very tender ties. Occasionally much is heard about the
brotherhood of man, and the fatherhood of God, which souflds and
reads well, but do all men recognize as they should the fact, while
God in heaven is the father of all, that men dwelling on the earth,
whatever may be their nationality, are likewise brethren, and where
man intentionally wrongs and destroys the life of his fellow-man, he
wrongs and destroys the life of a brother, and the wrong, be it
remembered, goes not unnoticed. God, the judge of all the earth,
sees, hears, and in his own appointed way and time makes diligent
search and brings to light the guilty one, awakens his conscience,
and makes of him the direct inquiry, "Where is Abel, thy brother?"
The inquiry is not only important, "but in its nature retributive,
intended not only to. awaken Cain to a consciousness of his late deed,
but also to vindicate the memory of Abel." One fitly observes:
"God does not allow his saints to be slaughtered at the caprice and
passion of man without a retributive interview with the murderer.
"When nations have slain the good, then it is that God has held ter
rible controversy with them. It is not always the law of heaven to
prevent or turn aside the stroke of anger, but it is always the law of
heaven to avenge it." In these facts we should find greater comfort,
and be content to leave the settlement of all wrongs in the hands of
Him who has said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."
We note the insolent reply which is made by Cain: "Am I my
brother's keeper?" Cain as marked is not only guilty of a crime,
but added thereto is the spirit of insolence so plainly manifested,
not only so, proceeding still further, he hesitates not to utter a false¬
hood regarding his brother's whereabouts. In answer to the query
made concerning his brother, his reply is, "I know not." It would
hardly be possible, one remarks, to express in human language a re¬
ply more fraught with falsehood, insolence and contempt of divine
authority than is couched in these words. He not only boldly denies
all knowledge of the fact, but with amazing hardihood charges im-
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pertinence upon his Judge in putting to him this question as if he
had no right to interrogate him respecting it. At the present time
men speak and act much in the same way regarding their brother
man; they with impunity can wrong him, shamefully treat him, de¬
stroy his property and even take his life. When interrogated, how¬
ever, regarding their actions, they disclaim all knowledge of the
brother that has been wronged; they proclaim they are not his
keeper. The law in this instance is set at naught, justice fails in
claiming her own, while the guilty culprit heartily laughs, and con¬
gratulates himself over his apparent successful escape, but it is only
apparent. God on high sees, hears and well understands all that is
in progress below, and when he sees fit, his time being always the
best, will come forth to vindicate the cause of the wronged and the
oppressed. We need not go far to discover this sad state of affairs
at the present time of man's inhumanity to man. In the Southern
section of our country of late have been enacted scenes which them¬
selves . were sufficient to mantle this fair land of ours with shame,
this land of which poets write and sing as being "the land of the
free and the home of the brave." On hearing these words sung, we
sometimes are compelled to bow the head and say, this only is true in
the abstract but no further. God grant to hasten on the day when it
shall be more than this. The spirit and insolence of Cain are to
some extent still rampant to-day; men cannot deny it. In the South¬
ern portion of the country, in many instances, we believe, men for
no other crime than their dark complexion, and because belonging to
the despised Negro race are ruthlessly dragged from their homes,
taken to the forests, the swamps, or some other secluded place,
whither they are either brutally hanged or mercilessly shot down
like brutes. Cain arising in his might and slaying his brother Abel
in his weakness, and when questioned regarding his brother and the
crime committed, with the same spirit of insolence, declares he
knows nothing about him, and he is not his brother's keeper.
We note Jehovah's searching inquiry and solemn declaration:
"What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood cries unto
me from the ground. In this instance the question is changed, it is
no longer a query concerning Abel, but one bearing directly on the
subject Cain and his acts, "What hast thou done?" how startling
and doubtless convincing must have been the voice to Cain, possibly
he may have solaced himself with the thought of having effectually
and successfully silenced the voice of Abel, imagining with many of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
473
the present day, that dead men tell no tales. Abel, the quiet and in¬
offensive brother, with little to say while living, now dead, not only
speaks, but his blood from the ground cries vehemently to God for
vengeance; do what he will or may, Cain is unable to hush this
voice; it will not hush, and like the famous ghost it will not down;
this voice has continued to cry until reaching the throne of God,
has enhanced his ear, and "broguht him down to plead the cause of
inujred innocence." The same God in heaven to-day sees and hears
the piteous cries of the injured and distressed; the same Judge is still
sitting on his throne, who shall and will do right. True, at the pres¬
ent time, wicked men may think they have most successfully covered
their tracks and concealed their crimes ; they may imagine the voice
of the poor, the innocent, has been forever silenced in death, but
they forget the innocent blood which under the cover of night has
been shed over and over again, has had given it tongues which cry
a,nd still continue crying to the most high God for vengeance. The
cry ascending will be eventually heard, as has been the cry of the op¬
pressed in the past. He will come in behalf of the injured and
cruelly abused, as this nation, with others have heretofore known him
to do, will bring to light the guilty ones, and make of them, as of
Cain, the convincing inquiry, "What hast thou done? The voice of
thy brother's blood crieth to me from the ground. "Oppression, as one
observes, and silence are no hindrance to God in judging the cause
which the world so mistakenly fancies to be buried." Let us here¬
with commit our cause, and the cause of our terribly abused and
greatly persecuted brethren, into the hands of Him who will assur¬
edly do right, and see that eventually right is done. "For the needy
shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not
perish forever." "Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail; let the
heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the
nations may know themselves to be but men."
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AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
THE PENITENT THIEF ON THE GROSS.
BY REV. ZECHARIAH HARRISON, MOUNT VERNON, IND.
" To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." St. Luke xxiii. 43.
O whom was this spoken? To the penitent thief or murderer,
and not to his companion. Just so He speaks to you and me
to-day; and to all of those who want the staff of life, not to
those who feel that they can walk all alone without the blessed Sav¬
ior. Think of it! Christ on the cross is like Christ on the throne:
He (Christ) stopped dying to save a perishing soul from hell, just so
I feel He will suspend all business of his throne, to rescue the per¬
ishing, to care for the dying, to snatch them in pity from sin and the
grave. Now is the judgment of this world, one departs with a curse,
the other with a blessing. Though Christ was himself in the great¬
est struggle and agony, and yet he had a word of comfort for a poor
dying sinner that committed himself to him. My brother,, this indi¬
cates that even great sinners^ if true penitents, shall, through Christ,
obtain not only pardon, but paradise, Heb. ix: 15. This magnifies
the riches of free grace. By whom was this spoken? This was an¬
other mediatorial word which Christ spoke, though on a particular
occasion, yet with a general intention to explain the true intent of his
sufferings; as he died to purchase the forgiveness of sins for us,
(v 34) so also to purchase eternal life for us. Christ here lets us
know that he was going to paradise himself; to hades—the invisible
world; his human soul was removing to the place of separate souls;
not the place of the damned, but to paradise, the place of the blessed.
.By this he assures us that his satisfaction was accepted, and the
Father was well pleased with what he was doing and had done, or
efte he had not gone to paradise. That was the beginning of the joy
set before him, with the prospect of which he comforted himself.
He went by the cross to the crown, and we must not' think of going
any other way, or of being perfected but by sufferings. Christ here
lets all penitent believers know, that when they die they shall im¬
mediately go to be with him, that where I am tHey shall be also.
Just see what the believing murderer said to the other malefactor
(vs. 40, 41).
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
475
1. He reproved him as being- destitute of the fear of God, and of
not having any sense of religion. If thou hast any humanity in thee,
thou wouldst not insult even thy fellow-sufferer; thou too art a dying-
man.
2. He owns that they deserved what was being done to them; for
he said, "we indeed justly." Probably they both suffered for the
same crime, and therefore he spoke with the more assurance, we re¬
ceive the due reward of our deeds. This magnifies divine grace as
acting in a distinguishing way. These two had been comrades in sin
and suffering, and yet one is loved and the other is lost; then how
true are the teachings of Christ, "One shall be taken and the other
left." Again, here was a dying sinner praying to a dying Savior.
What a lonely conversation between two individuals while dying. It
was the honor of Christ to be thus prayed to, though on the cross re¬
proached and reviled; it was the happiness of the thief thus to pray;
perhaps he never prayed before, and yet now was Heard and saved at
the last gasp. While there is life there is hope, and while there is
hope there is room for prayer.
1. Observe his faith. In his confession of sin (v. 41) he dis¬
covered repentance toward God; and in this petition, faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ. He owns him to be the Lord, and to have a
kingdom, and that he was going to it, that he should have authority
in it, and that all who should believe and confess could go to this
place and 'have authority with him. Christ was now in the depth of
disgrace, deserted by his disciples, reviled by his own nation, suf-
. fering as a pretender, and not delivered by his Father. Notice
again, this praying malefactor believed there was another life after
this, and desired to be happy in that life, not as the other thief, to
be saved from the cross only, but when the cross had done its worst.
2. Observe his humility. All his request is, Lord, remember me.
Oh, that the world of sinners would cry out to-day, "Lord, remem¬
ber me." We think the answer which would be heard all the world
around would be this: "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise."
He never prayed to the Lord to be preferred before someone else, as
to have great honors at his right or left hand, though he drank of
Christ's bitter cup; though he was baptized with his baptism, in his
suffering, and yet he only asked to be remembered when Christ came
into his kingdom. It is a single instance, an act of grace, well
suited to honor the extraordinary occasion which once occurred; but
never can again occur; teaching us. to despair of none, and that none
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ought to despair of themselves; but yet checking presumption, and
showing, by contrast with the case of the other thief, that in general
men die as they live. Christ was to that thief what a father was to
his children.
Years ago a striking incident is said to have occurred in Paris,
France. In the back street of that city a fire broke out at midnight.
It was in a narrow court, and the houses were built with the upper
stories overhanging, so that the top stories almost touched. And in
the middle of the room, a father sleeping with his small children was
suddenly awakened by the smoke. And in a moment he jumped out
of bed, swept away the frame work of his window;, and the next mo¬
ment was safe across through the window of the opposite house.
But he had forgotten the children. When he saw their terrified
faces, without a moment's hesitation he placed his foot against the
sill of the house where he was, launched his body forward and
grasped the window of the burning house, thus making himself a
living bridge between the two. One by one his children crawled
over his body to the other side, but as the last one was passing, the
father cried, "Quick, quick, I can't hold much longer." No sooner
did the chteers of the crowd announce the last child was over than
the father's hold relaxed, and he fell to the pavement and was taken
up dead. An illustration of Him who bridged the chasm for the
races of men, at the cost of his life, between the two worlds; and
say, To-day thou shalt be with me in paradise.
" The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, thou vile as he,
Wash all my sins away."
Rev. D. A. Gaddie was born in Kentucky, May 21, 1836. In his
twenty-third year he professed faith in Christ and in his twenty-
ninth year he was ordained to preach the unsearchable riches of His
grace. He was chosen moderator of the General Association of Ken¬
tucky Baptist at Bowling Green. At the National Convention held
in St. Louis, August 25, 1886, he was elected treasurer. The degree
of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by the State Univer¬
sity, May 17, 1887.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 477
THE GENTENNIAL OF MODERN MISSIONS.
[Sermon delivered by Elder M. Vann, before the American National Baptist Con¬
vention, and the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, U. S. A., in the Vermont Avenue
Baptist Church, Washington, D. C., Sunday afternoon, September 17, 1893.]
"Ask of me and I shall g"ive thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost
parts of the earth for thy possession." Psalms ii. 8.
S we stand in this, the last decade of the nineteenth century,
and turn our eyes backward through the misty space of the
past hundred years, we are made to exclaim, " Marvelous in our
eyes are the Lord's doings." But the very first hint of the cen¬
tury's developments open up such vast fields for elaborate, yes,
endless discussions, that we will at once cut short and enter upon
the subject; and in order that you may come more in sympathy with
it, let us define some terms.
Mission is of Latin origin and literally means a sending forth.
A Christian Missionary then is one sent forth to propagate? Chris¬
tianity, and Christian missions are the means of sending forth
embassadors to proclaim the good news to every creature. This
scheme of gospel missions, or the mission of gospel, is based upon
the Father's promise to give to the Son "the heathen for an inherit¬
ance and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession." And
upon the Son's universal commission, founded in the universal need
of man and covered by a universal atonement for man. It was in
keeping with this plan, or pre-arrangement, if you please, that
Christ Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of man, came into this
world, born of the Virgin, manifested God in the flesh; acknowl¬
edged by the Father, raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit and
ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high to receive domin¬
ion over the earth. "Thy throne is an everlasting throne, O God,
and thy dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of
the earth." Every opposition, every barrier to his ultimate tri¬
umph over the whole earth, is to be crushed, broken, dashed to
pieces like a potter's vessel. "All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth."
Now that there have always been some communities or sects of
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people since the days of John the Baptist until now that have held
to the New Testament gospel and therefore have been Mission¬
ary Baptists in spirit and in truth, no well-informed person will
deny. But the true churches (the Missionary Baptist) were so
circumscribed by persecution and other difficulties that down to
the latter part of the eighteenth century and to the beginning of the
present century, the missionary spirit was little else than a latent
principle.
The apostles, it is said, visited every country beneath the sun be¬
fore they died, certainly every nation accessible by the protection
and civilization of the Roman Empire. This was the Augustine, the
golden age of peace. But. under the subsequent disturbance of man
and revolution, especially under the usurpation of Romanism and
the dark ages of superstition, the world was locked out from any¬
thing like evangelical missions. As I have already intimated, the
sect that maintained a pure gospel and kept the testimony of Christ,
was driven into caves, dens and mountain fastnesses, and it was not
until the Reformation of the sixteenth century that the missionary
and the school teacher began to go abroad.
Not even until the present century have the gates of Japan
opened, the walls of China crumbled, the jungles of India and Africa
awakened, and the long locked doors of papal superstition and des¬
potism yielded to the key of liberty and light. Religious and politi¬
cal freedom in America and Europe, following the reformation of
Luther, has unshackled the genius and energy of the masses, de¬
throned the absolutism of monarchs, started into life a thousand
educational and commercial enterprises, sent the explorer and exca¬
vator into the unknown, and has harnessed the forces of nature until
the world is in touch, and, therefore, akin as never before since the
days of creation. In the beginning of this century and the close of
the last (1792), about one hundred years ago, Cary, from the old
world, and Judson, from the new, together with their co-adjutors, in¬
cluding Lott Cary, the Negro apostle to Africa, started the great
practical missionary evangelization of the world. No practical effort
of the kind had ever been made since the apostolic age. Animated
by the great idea that Christianity was under obligation in the light
of God's promises and the authorit}7" of Christ's commission to give
the gospel to the heathen, these men, in the language of the immortal
Munsey, said: "Sin is an immense river running through secret
channels from hell's seething ocean, until it broke out upon this
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 479
world in the Garden of Eden. There, at the foot of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, as its source, a noisy spring, bub¬
bling with escape of baleful gases, in whose tenebrous depths a ser¬
pent lives. Ever enlarging, this river flows all around the world.
Onward it sweeps. Upon its banks no flowers grow, no foliage waves,
but perpetual desolation pitches its pavilions upon the eternal
strand, relieved here and there by bald acories rocks, upon which
weeping spirits sit and curse the day they were born. In all the
universe there is no river so wide, so deep, and so swift as this. Its
floods are black, its waves are towering, and it goes surging and
roaring along the bottomless lake ; everlasting lightning penciling
every billowy crest with angry fire, and^thunders bounding from
bank to bank and bursting with awful crash, strewing dread ruin all
around. Then turning their eyes from this terrestrial corruption to
the 'unquenchable lake of fire and brimstone,' surrounded by pre¬
cipitous shores of black and beating crags, over whose surface beat
eternal storms, the fiery waves, lashing and dashing and groaning
around all these shores, bubbles dancing on every wave, and swell
and burst, emit fumes and smoke threaded with serpent flames, in
whose ascending volumes everlasting lightnings flash and cross,
while the unfettered thunders of God upon hell's infernal drums
roll the eternal bass in hell's everlasting uproar, and beat time to the
ceaseless groans of the lost."
These sad pictures with .their fearful realities stirred the mag¬
nanimous souls of these modern apostles until they burned as with
fire from the altar of God, and these few men shoved out upon the
scene by the unseen but powerful hand of God, started into opera¬
tions, from humble beginnings, the gigantic missionary machinery
which now moves and blesses the world. And the results which fol¬
lowed are but a divine vindication of Cary's sublime conception of
Christian obligation and of his lofty motto, " Attempt great things
for God, expect great things from God."
The Work.
The work of these few men has put into operation two hundred
and eighty missionary societies, in every denomination, in every
country, and the statistical report at present stands about as follows:
Stations and out stations, 12,000; missionaries, 14,000; ordained na¬
tives, 4,150; churches, 5,471; communicants, 735,991; adherents,
2,300,000; contributions, nearly $12,000,000 annually.
480
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This is an estimate far below the present status of missionary
work in the world, but it is about the best statistical report attain¬
able, and when we come to consider what has been done, the souls
converted, the total amount of money raised for missions, home and
foreign, in the last hundred years, we can have but little conception
of the great amount of good which has been accomplished.
Japan, China, Australia, the Fiji Islands, Burmah, India, Persia,
Turkey, Cuba, Mexico, Italy, and other papal countries in Europe
and South America, the Indians of our own country, and last, but by
no means least, ten millions of Negroes in America, and many thou¬
sands of our brethren in dark, bleeding Africa, have been the recip¬
ients of this grand missionary movement of the nineteenth century.
Obstacles Removed.
And now let us pause and notice the general effect upon the world.
Obstacles innumerable have been overcome, and barriers seemingly
insurmountable, have been removed.
God has been operating in the material and physical world to make
a way for his word "to run and be glorified." One hundred years
ago the method of traveling was on foot or on horseback, or in ox¬
carts, or by sailing vessels on the water, at the rate of three or four
miles an hour. Now we harness the "iron horse" to our palace cars
and fill his lungs with fiery breath, and place his tireless hoof upon
the iron track, and we sit down, or lie down, as we choose, to wake
up impatient with the teamster if we have not sped across the longi¬
tude at the rate of thirty to sixty miles an hour. It used to take
from three to six months to cross the ocean, now we take our "alls"
and sit down within our floating palaces, bid adieu to loved ones on
American shores Monday morning, and attend the great London
Tabernacle, so long enchanted by the saintly Spurgeon, by the next
Sabbath morning. But even this rapid travel is too slow for this rest¬
less age in which we live. We are trying now to invent air ships,
which untrammelled by the resistance of the water, or the friction
of the earth, shall transport us at the rate of five hundred miles
an hour across land or water.
What do these things all mean? They mean more than money,
than commerce, than civilization. They mean that God has not only
been opening the gate of foreign lands for the entrance of the mis¬
sionary, but that he has been preparing ways by which the mission¬
ary can go faster, and the gospel can be carried quicker to these
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 481
heathen lands. Every country beneath the sun is now open to mis¬
sionary work, with the exception of little mountain clad Thibet, and
it is said that the missionary is sitting at her gates waiting for them
to open. One hundred years ago the Bible was only accessible to
one-third of the human race; now it has been translated into five
times as many languages as were spoken on the day of Pentecost, and
has been rendered accessible to nine-tenths of the population upon
the face of the globe. In all this work, one hundred years of mis¬
sions, the Baptists have had the honor of starting it, and they have
shared the largest parts of its results. Wherever Baptist mission¬
aries have gone they have found the readiest reception of their prin¬
ciples, and they have out prospered any other denomination. Yea,
more, one of the astounding facts of the present day is that the Bap¬
tists, with all their "narrowness" and "selfishness," and while they
have not raised one-fourth of the money spent, they have shared half
the results of all missionary work of the whole world combined. In
1783, a few years before Judson went to India and turned Baptist,
the Congregationalists in the United States had 75,000 members, in
1890 they had half a million (506,782). During the same period, the
Baptists, with scarcely no institutions of learning to begin with, and
from 45,000 members has grown to three million and a half.
What has God wrought! Since 1792, about one hundred years ago,
the Baptists have increased from 424 ministers to 2,400, from 470
churches to 2,600, from 35,100 communicants to 3,500,000. In the
language of Prof. E. B. Hubbert: "The church historians grow
jubilant over the amazing spread of Christianity in the early centu¬
ries, and the Christian apologist uses this triumph progress as a proof
of its establishment through supernatural agencies, an invincible
proof of its divine origin and character. But the statistics of the
American churches show that in the United States alone, the Bap¬
tists alone, have gained more converts in ninety years than the en¬
tire Christian Church gained throughout the world in the first two
hundred years, and more than six times as many as were gained in
the first century. If any people on earth should feel encouraged
above others, or more deeply obligated than others, it should be the
Baptists. Now in all this work of the nineteenth century, Christian¬
ity has but entered the field, made a beginning, and the great work
lies in the future. But few of the present missionary fields have
been occupied long, and by far the greater number of missionaries
ever sent into foreign fields have gone out in the last twenty years.
31
482
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
And though this be but a century of beginning how grand is this be¬
ginning! This preparatory work of the nineteenth century, and
what promise it gives in the more rapid and complete work of the
twentieth century. How it begins to look as if God's promise to give
to his Son the heathen for an inheritance and the uttermost parts of
the earth for a possession was beginning to be fulfilled. But let
us look at the fact that the conquest of the heathen world has but
begun. The population of the world which must be taken for our
king is 1,500,000,000.
In Asia there are 800,000,000; in Africa, 210,000,000; in Europe,
350,000,000; in America, 110,000,000; in the Island world, 30,000,000.
Of this number there are 35,000,000 Protestants and 105,000,000
Protestant adherents, total 140,000,000; the Greek church is 90,000,-
000; the Roman Catholics, 205,000,000; Jews, 8,000,000; Mohamme¬
dans, 175,000,000; Pagan and heathen, 882,000,000; total, 1,500,000,-
000, the population of the earth. Nearly two-thirds of the world
are not even nominally Christian and yet untouched by the gospel,
and out of that which claims to be Christian, a large number need
missionary labor; over one-half, as in Papal and Mahommedan lands;
not to speak of those within our own churches whose hearts have
never been "sprinkled from an evil conscience, nor bodies washed in
pure water." What a gigantic struggle yet to give the gospel to this
world for which Christ died and which some da}?" must be his entire
possession. But the work will go on rapidly which was so long and
slow in beginning. One hundred years ago, converts in heathen
lands to Christianity did not exceed one hundred communicants and
adherents; to-day there are more than three million and most of these
in the last twenty years. According to this arithmetical ratio of in¬
crease, what a vast multitude will have turned to Christ in the next
fifty years. In another century the work will be done! At least the
gospel will be preached to all the world, and the end will have to
come to the gospel dispensation; nay, God may finish the work and
cut it short in ten years. The icebergs are long melting before they
suddenly break under the perpetual rays of the summer sun. We
cannot tell now what may take place in a day of this rapid age.
Steam and electricity are now the mighty forces which impel the
world to progress, and knowledge is rapidly covering the earth as the
waters cover the sea.
Jesus may have the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost
parts of the earth for his possession sooner than we imagine. He
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 483
mav come suddenly and quickly and as we see this rapid dissemina¬
tion of the gospel to all the nations of the earth, let us be on the
lookout for the end and for his coming. In conclusion, my brethren,
this question comes seriously home to our hearts. What are we
doing in view of these solemn and potent facts? Are we doing our
part in this great centennial year of missions to give the heathen
and the world to Christ? My sisters and brethren, I believe in the
future church. If we do our duty at home, erelong we may listen
to hear from the watch towers of India, the land of many lords, the
cheering cry, "One Lord," and from Europe, the land so long torn
by different faiths, the watchman shall send forth the shout, "One
faith," and from American watchtowers, the land where so many
spiritual battles have been fought over the iniatory rite into the
church, shall be heralded the unanimous voice, "One baptism," and
when Africa, our fatherland, dark and bleeding Africa, the land so
long isolated from the rest of the world, as though she had not a
common origin and could not claim God as her father, shall come
forth the voice, "One God, the Father of us all," and then when the
hosts of the redeemed from every land and every tongue and kin¬
dred and people shall join in the triumphant chorus, "One Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through you all and in you all." Then will the Lord come and we
shall be gathered home to the great Author of missions through
Christ our Lord.
THE SONG OF BELIEVERS.
[Sermon by Bishop L. H. Holsey, C. M. D. Church, Augusta, Ga.]
"I will sing' of mercy and judgment, unto thee, O Iyord, will I sing."—Psalm ci. 1.
HOEVER reads the history of man, weighs his sorrows, and
measures his joys, will read the history of song and the
anthem of his days. Indeed, his pilgrimage through life's
thorny mazes is a pilgrimage of song, inspired by the lights and
shadows that shine and shade his pathway. Age or nation, clime or
condition, cannot take from him this plaintive and melodious strain
that ramifies his individuality, and fills his moments with this God-
given and heavenly flame.
484
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
There is in man a golden harp of a thousand sympathetic chords,
whose deep and resonant tones dance on the golden strings, and
vibrate to the music of the spheres, and to the melodies of the heart.
Plodding the lower walks of tears and sorrows, or whether on the
joyful wing of prosperity, or the dull thug of the funeral dirge, the
carol of the sweetest note will stir the soul, revolutionize the heart,
and lift the drooping spirit to the altitude of God and the sunny
plains of heaven.
Song is an antidote to the broken heart, the laboring soul, and the
burdened spirit. It is paradisical in the garden of the soul. But
the song of redemption is pre-eminently " the song." It is the song
of songs. It is the sweetest note on angels' lips, and the sweetest
anthem of the skies. Indeed, the song of redemption is the thrilling
cry that has stirred the ages, ramified the centuries, filled the
decades, inspired the prophets, fired the tongues of bards, poets and
seers, and cheered the millions with the music of God, of his Christ.
Touched by the omnific finger of God's love, and set to the dulcet
strains of joy, the song of redemption shall go ringing through the
nations, down the declivities of time, thread the centers of civil¬
ization, cross the howling sea of death, and ring on up to God and
heaven, and thence through the countless ages, and the evolving
cycles of'endless duration.
1. But what is song? Song is the music of the soul—the harmo¬
nious vibrations of the deep chords of the heart and the melodies of
the spirit life. It involves the elevation of the affections, and the
utterances of the lips by which some theme, doctrine or topic is
proclaimed aloud and exultingly before and in the presence of others.
In a broader sense, it is the vibration of the musical harmonies of
the empire of God agitative and active. It is an effort of a kindred
spark to return to its native sun and rehabilitate in its native clime.
It is the divinity in man rising to God, its ultimatum and parent head
from whence it came. It is the better and higher nature of man
springing forward and leaping heavenward. It is the soul plodding
the deep blue serial sea upon its fiery pinions in 'search after God,
its Maker, "who giveth songs in the night." Song implies harmony
in sentiment and strain. Strain is the vehicle, the chariot wheels of
song, but sentiment and doctrine are the life and spirit; but song is
more. It is a spiritual animation, a flame that stimulates, revives
and quickens the moral, mental and spiritual manhood. It is true
song, like speech, may be greatly improved by the process of cul-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 485
ture and practice, and should be cultivated by the whole human race,
for no system of training can be complete without it; yet there is in
man an inborn or innate attribute of song. An attribute, when
touched by the hand of sorrow or joy, makes the chambers of the
soul resonant with the symphonies of angels and euphonies of
heaven. This attribute in man is an element or attribute of' song.
It is an essential quality of his spiritual and religious instinct, a
part of his organic spiritual constituency. It is organic and God-
given. It is a part of his individual and indestructable selfhood.
Music is the harmonies expressed, song is the vehement act of ex¬
pression. This attribute of song in man has its counterpart in crea¬
tion. Creation is a system of musical harmonies uniting in a com¬
mon unity, and that common unity is the unit of all unites, which is
God. He is the grand total of all the totalities in the universe. All
the threads and lines of days and years, of events, acts, facts,
natures, beings, agencies, entities and things though nameless—cen¬
ter in his will and power, glory and majesty. The millenniums, with
their creative acts and facts; with their mighty ponderable and im¬
ponderable realites, are yoked and linked together by the indissolu¬
ble bands of his high and majestic authority. At his command,
angels fly, devils fall, comets flash, suns burn, stars twinkle and sys¬
tems live. Around him all things dance and play in the inimitable
beatitudes of magnificent harmony, and dash their splintered shafts
and shattered spars at his feet and tremble at his voice.
Man is most in harmony with the universe and the music of the
spheres when' the deep and dulcet tones of the octachords of the
soul are attuned and set to the music of God, and of his Christ by the
Holy Spirit. The innate principle of song in man is the gift of God
in a like sense as speech is the gift of God. "When God made man he
placed within his duplex nature certain elements and faculties that
compose his indestructible selfhood that are essential parts of him.
These elements and faculties were in perfect harmony, the one with
all the others. There was no clashing or discord or want of har¬
mony in the universal diapason, but the octaves of his being was
filled and thrilled through and through with the seraphic flame of
love and the music of God.
It is true, that some of the faculties of his nature were more prom¬
inent than others, but nevertheless, they were there. They existed
then, and will exist as long as man is man. Place or condition, age
or state, cannot destroy or annihilate these elements of his being, be-
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cause he is finished in the fact of his being. He is fully man in all
these powers and principles that imply a finished work of God. No
new property or attribute is to be added in this or any other state,
because his personality and individual identity is complete in all its
parts. It is true, there may be deep and latent powers of the soul of
which we are not conscious, and which are yet to be developed in a
future state; there may be possibilities of endless progression, de¬
velopment and expansion that await us in the great beyond. Our
time in this life is too short, and the hemispheres of earth too nar¬
row for the excursions and expitriations of the soul—the vital
flame of life. Yet these facts do not imply that new faculties and
elements are to be added to the manhood of man, but they imply pro¬
gression, thrift, and go, and indefinite development. Indeed, man is
but imperfectly known in the present state. He knows but little of
himself and fellow pilgrims, because this is the twilight of his being,
the infancy of his life, and the morning of the days of his years. The
strongest are weak, and the wisest of the sons of men are ignorant.
Therefore, the difference is in the extent of his faculties in expan¬
sion, application, and development, and not that new faculties are to
be added in another and future state. The canon of perfection was
closed in the first act of his creation. True, there is to be, and must
be a change, but only such a change as imply physical, mental, and
spiritual renovation, but this change and renovation do not take on
any new constituency, but a purification and readjustment of that
which was in the daj?- of his creation. Yet it seems true that those fac¬
ulties and agencies that are best fitted for his immediate use are most
developed, and exhibit a grace and prominence that seem to obliter¬
ate or, at least, to greatly crowd and overshadow the others, and there
is an apparent want of harmony in the nature and extent of their use.
But this does not prove that any new principle is necessary to com¬
plete his nature or the fullness of his being. Speech, knowledge,
volition, memory, choice, taste, appetite, and all the faculties, come
in the totality of his inherent and native self. Every constructive
element, every thread and line of his nature is necessary for the ulti¬
mate end and completion of the whole.
To extract one of these parts or faculties of his nature would un¬
balance the unity of his being and destroy its harmonious relations;
therefore, man has a whole and completely defined status in the fact
of his being. But in this nature there must be an association of all
its parts to all other of those parts that compose his being, there
THOUGHSTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF LHE RACE.
487
must be an elective affinity to ramify and join together all of the
several parts, and give grace, beauty and symmetry to the finished
man. Thus song is the golden sunlight that gilded the horizon of the
ages with the gladness of the day of Christ, making every flower of
hope bloom, the hills smile, and every lily, rose and violet blush in
maiden sweetness amid the universal gush of joys.
But song is old. It is older than our physical earth, and was used in
heaven before used on earth. Long anterior before "the heavens and
the earth rose out of chaos," it was pressed into the service of the
eldest children of eternity, who tuned their golden lutes upon the
highest empyrean of the first creations, and sang glorious anthems
to the all-powerful and all-glorious God. Long before a ray of light
went dancing through the darkness that covered earth and heaven,
and when as yet the morning star had not hung his pendent lamp in
the orient, nor the golden goddess of the evening had snuffed her
candle on the .shading- Occident of a setting sun; when, as yet, king
darkness held our earth and heavens in his iron grip and sable
bands of most intense night, who had reigned through myriads of
millenniums, was exiled by the Almighty, and the irrevocable first of
his power.
"Ye shades dispel, the External said,
At once the involving- darkness fled,
And nature sprung- to light."
Darkness fled, "and nature sprung to light," while mighty and
majestic systems played on their burning orbits as blazing around
the throne of God. Where all was once dark, empty and void, there
glory and beauty and the displays of Almighty power alid everlast¬
ing; then it was that " the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy."
But song is universal, and is inherent in nature. Creation is God's
great harp, with billions of living strings that join in the universal
harmonies in one grand chorus. Creation sings of God the Creator,
the ages sing of his eternity, the heavens sing of his glory, and the
earth of his power, and hell sings of justice. From the burning lips
of the lost to the enchanting melodies of blazing seraphs, song rises
to God without stint or limit from every part of creation. All nature
sings, especially when its golden chords are struck and vibrated by
the plenipotent finger of God. There is music around us, above us,
within us, and beneath us. The mighty orchestra with its rocking
chimes sends its rills through the ages, stirs and stimulates the na-
488
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tions with hope, faith and joy. But man must die. The siren song of
death lulls thee to long and sound repose, only to be awakened by the
funeral dirge of time, when the stentorian lays of the archangel,
in measured verse and solemn strains, shall revive and vivify all that
have fallen on sleep. Go take your stand upon some high rocky prom¬
ontory by the raging sea, and listen to the great bass drum of God.
The winds blowing, the sea roaring and spitting the frothy breath of
its anger into the dark and musky clouds above, and agitating its
deep and pebbly currents as if stirred by the fiery blasts of hell.
The plenipotent finger of the plenipotent God strikes the fiery
chords of the air, and his red lightnings flash along on their burning
cables, sending their sopranic anthems to hiss and howl and join the
bassic strains below. High above it all is the screeching and hiss¬
ing of the angry storm, with the mottled, scarred and dusky face of
its triumphant king, rolling upon wheels of torrid amber, mixed with
fire and blood, and the shattered greatness of nature's might and
virgint. The thundering chariot of God is rolling in the clouds,
while from his burning and brazen car incandescent forked tongues
of flame leap out from the caravansaries of rain, as if a thousand
golden cymbals had been struck by the hands of a thousand arch¬
angels in heaven's aerial sea. The bosom of the clouds is re¬
charged with electricity—the subtle vitality of nature—and their
sable bands yield, and in sunder break, baptizing herb, sea and land
with the blessings of heaven. "When the harsh notes had fled
away upon the wing of the cloud, then nature, in sweeter and softer
notes of praise and joy, is still heard, striking her silver strings
upon her organ keys, and musical harmonies dance through the
octaves of the spheres. Blow, ye heavenly zephyrs, blow, agitate,
oscillate, and vibrate your grand old octachords until oceanic isles
and rock-ribbed hills and smiling plains join in the mighty chorus
and the gush of thrilling joys.
But song is sentiment and doctrine, and has its hero. The song of crea¬
tion has God for its hero, and the song of redemption has Christ for
its charming embodiment of sweetness and melodies. In creation, the
harmonies of spheres sing of God, the hero of its elements, and the
master of its magnificent parts, forces, properties and powers.
Every part is filled with God and instinct.
The whole earth is crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God."
"The heavens declare his glory and the firmament showeth his
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND. SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 489
powers." "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord," says the sweet
singer of Israel. Again he says, "Praise the Lord from thee ye
dragons, and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and vapors, stormy winds
fulfilling his word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and cedars,
beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying fowl, kings of the
earth and all people, princes and judges of the earth, both young
men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of
the Lord." Here God is the hero of creation's songs, the vital
center into which all the golden strings of creation's melodies,
anthems and choruses in perpetual and eternal celebration and for¬
ever pour their orchestral thunders at his feet. Christianity is the
ethical system—the high moral code-—of the universe, and has Christ
for its head, its song and its hero. He is the redemptive and heroic
"prince of peace," of whom the ages have sung. The song is old
and long, but sweet, soft, inspiring and thrilling. "Of him who did
salvation bring" the first archangels sang. Living coals of heavenly
fire dropped from the golden censers of angels and started David's
harp afresh with deeper notes and softer tunes descriptive of Mes¬
siah and .his triumphs. Indeed the Old Testament Scriptures in
verse, the whole of which is a part of the mighty anthems of re¬
demption. The Christ of the prophets is the Christ of the ages.
He is the life and subject of all their song and the joy of our salva¬
tion. He cheered the hearts, fired the tongue of bards and poets,
and dwelt in sweetest strain upon the consecrated lips of priest and
prophet, prince and king, while the rough seers and shepherds in the
wild and weird desert, took up the thrilling cry and sent it back to
the walled city dome, then hurling its gleeful notes up to heaven and
its joys on to God. Angels heard, while the ages poured their verses
on the temple hill of God, awaiting "the day-spring from on high."
It is night. Shepherds are in the plains watching their flocks. An
angelic legate appears. From heaven's high arch he came. A halo
of dazzling splendors encircled his face, rapt in the soft accents of
peace, thrown out upon the wing of a heavenly carol. His theme is
the culmination of the long and hoary decades. "And an angel said
unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to all people." . . . "And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and
saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and goodwill
toward men.' " But the text says, "I will sing of merGy and judg¬
ment; unto thee, O Lord, I will sing."
490
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
But what is mercy f Mercy is a compound of goodness, patience,
and kindness to a lost and sinning race, to whom it is extended as a
method of escape. God is good to all, to men, to angels, and inferior
creatures. But to man his goodness is extended until it becomes
more than mere goodness—it is mercy. It is melting pity, borne away
from God on the wings of his love and goodness to all the sinning race
of Adam. It is an invention of Deity, to reach and rescue that which
could not be reached and saved by other methods. It presents to the
world of man the only gateway of redemption from punishment and
eternal "banishment from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of
of his power." Mercy has no existence except in its exercise, and
therefore, it is not an attribute or perfection of Deity. Now an at¬
tribute is an essential quality or a part of the eternal mind of God,
without which God would not be God.
Eternity, self-existence, all power, all knowledge, immutability,
foreknowledge, prescience, infinite wisdom are some of the attri¬
butes of God, because they are essential parts and elements of his
character. "Without these, or any one of them, he could not be what
he is—the only and eternal Jehovah. We can conceive of God with¬
out the existence 01 mercy, but we cannot conceive him to be the eter¬
nal mind without those natural perfections that we call attributes.
Could his power be taken away, he would cease to be God. Take
away wisdom, or goodness, or his eternity, and he ceases to be what
he is, what he always was, and what he always will be—the eternal
Jehovah. But take away his mercy, and he is still "the same yester¬
day, and to-day, and forever." Adam, before his fall, was morally
pure and perfectly holy, and, therefore, in that state, he could be a
subject of divine mercy. He was not in a state to need mercy, there¬
fore none was exercised toward him. The same principle applies to
all the tribes and nationalities of the holy angels that have main¬
tained their original state of purity and integrity of character. But
all creatures, whether men, or angels, or other intelligencies of the
universe, needed the existence of the attributes, and were dependent
upon their own being, perpetuity, and happiness. His infinite power,
wisdom, and goodness were an absolute necessity to the indefinite ex¬
tension of their being, and the supplying of their wants. Yes, they
needed his love, his goodness, his wisdom, justice, omnipotence, and
all the attributes of his nature, even in a state of perfect purity and
happiness. But in such a state they did not need any mercy, because
that could only be extended to a fallen and sinning- race of beings.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 491
Mere power could create, preserve, or annihilate, but could not save
the sinning race. Justice could condemn, but could not forgive, jus¬
tify, and purify, which were necessary for the redemption of the fal¬
len race. The province of justice is to comdemn the guilty as. well
as to clear the righteous. The province of power is to execute the
dreadful sentence in the former, and execute and announce the hap¬
py acquittal in the latter. So with all the perfections of Deity. The
attributes of God hold their repective offices, and operate their sev¬
eral and wonderful functions, but none of them and all of them, could
save one guilty sinner. No, the complex government of God needed
a strain of softer threads and finer mould to reach and save the
sinning and the lost. It needed the invention of Deity, and an as¬
semblage and combinations of attributes, so attuned and balanced as
to harmonize with the nature, plan, and the whole government of
God.
CANONS OF INTERPRETATION.
[Sermon by Dr. Preston Taylor, Pastor of L,ee Ave. Christian Church, Nashville, Tenn.]
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing- the word of truth." 2 Tim. ii. 15.
fORN, in his introduction, gives three rules of interpretation:
(1) Literary, (2) Metaphor, (3) History.
1. When you open a book or subject, throw all the literary
productions you can command on it, from the beginning get the
views of your subject well in hand, and walk up to it, be master and
not servant, for the revealed things belong to man and hidden things
to God. Half a century ago most men dared not open the Book of
Revelation; could not understand it; the book was a hidden mystery;
but the student of to-day, on opening the book, finds the difficiency
that confronted our fathers years ago. But there are the literary
lights of Scott, Clark, Barns, the voice of seven thunders and
others, all opening up with new ideas, aiding the disciple in reach¬
ing the conclusion. Traveling in company with these beacons, one
is made to feel he can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth
him and the dark Satan he has so much dreaded, has burst forth
492
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
with the most pleasant fruit. There may be some things that we ar
to see through a glass darkly, but God has opened wide the store
house of wisdom to all, that the way of life and the plan of salvatioi
may stand out in full view with this inscription. All Scripture ii
given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for re
proof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the mai
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works
Nothing is lacking in the Book of Life to supply man's fullest needs,
and he is prohibited from adding or taking from the contents of this
book. He is admonished to study this revelation of God, not tc
change or improve or destroy its laws and precepts. Man cannot
show himself approved unto God unless he has used the material that
God has given him. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet offend in one point, he,is guilty of all; one link out of the chain
destroys the usefulness of the entire cable. Let us picture out a
ship crossing the ocean full of cargo and living freight. Proudly she
sails with all her mammoth machinery in motion and her sails un¬
furled to the breezes, but, alas, she springs a leak, soon the waters of
the mighty deep pour in and all goes down in destruction. How
many ships of Zion labeled the people of the most high God, ap¬
parently well equipped with the ordinances of the Lord Jesus, are
sailing through life with banners? But every man's work must be
tested, for many will say in judgment, Lord have we not done many
wonderful works? But then the Lord will say to them, I have never
known you. My ways are not your ways, says the Almighty. As the
heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways above your ways.
Absolutely an adherence to the word is necessary to make a work¬
man that needeth not to be ashamed. Put yourself a few years
hence, when your work will have been finished, at least the time allot¬
ted for you to finish it when you will stand before the judge and say
to him, Behold, here is my work that thou gavest me to do. When the
examination begins it will be on the basis that God made with Moses,
"Make all things according to the pattern shown to thee in the
mountain." But what if the judge should say, This garment is not
cut according to my pattern, have you not made new patterns?
Friend, why are you here without a wedding garment on? To be
speechless without a defense, would be a position of a criminal of
great magnitude, and to preach any other gospel than that which has
already been preached would' be to call down a curse on the promul¬
gator. Decide now which will you take, the reward for doing duty, or
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 493
the punishment for negligence. Her paths are paths of pleasant¬
ness, and all her ways are ways of peace to them that walk in them,
and so teach others. But if the blind lead the blind both will fall in
the ditch together. The Bible is not a catacomb. "Why seek you
the living among the dead?" There has been a resurrection and as¬
cension of our Savior, and he invites all the nations of the earth to
come unto him and be saved. But those who come must recognize
him as the author of their salvation and not expunge his conditions
and institute those of men. Man's redemption is conditional. God
changes the heart by faith, but if there is no faith in the heart God
cannot change the heart, for faith is the condition of the change. Re¬
pentance changes the life, but if the supplicant refuses to repent,
he destoys the new life; baptised changes the state, but what if
the candidate refuses to be baptism, he cannot be regenerated or
translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's
dear Son. These are some of the conditions that Jesus converts sin¬
ners into Christians, these bring them from the world into the
church, and then he has conditions to carry them from the church to
the kingdom of heaven. Add to your faith courage; and to courage,
knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance,
patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kind¬
ness; and to brotherly kindness, charity; for ii these things be in
you, and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that
lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgot¬
ten that he was purged from his old sins.
2. The Metaphor, to study the Bible with any degree of intel¬
ligence and candor one must get all the similitudes that can be found
on the subject in hand, bring out every analysis and resolve them
into the principle. No one has ever been able to discover a single
contradiction in all the Bible. What at first may seem to be a mys¬
tery to the reader from the surface, he needs only to harmonize the
passages in hand, and always allow the Scriptures to interpret them¬
selves. If God cannot make himself understood through the Holy
Writ surely our construction of things would bring greater confu¬
sion and scatter the true meaning to the four winds of the earth.
Already the curvation is too visible. Indeed, the curves have been
made so sharp until accidents are unavoidable, and many good inten¬
tions might have been made fruitful, and garnered tJae ripened grain
for the kingdom. It does not. take the eye of an angel to discover
494
AFRO-AMERICAN EN CYCLOPAEDIA.
the state of things already existing among the followers of Christ.
Men have regarded the rights of the Bible so little until it is a com¬
mon occurrence to see a man call his neighbors together and set him¬
self up a little kingdom or church, and declare himself monarch, and
proclaim his mandates to his subjects; and, at will, takes in and
turns out those whom he may choose, and thus sets aside the pre¬
scribed conditions of the New Testament. On the fellowship and
withdrawal, we would refrain from describing much of the preach¬
ing that is altogether foreign to the teaching of the Bible, to say
nothing of the wild emotions that are practiced in many of the
churches of to-day. The wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated. If we would only
accept of the wisdom of God, through the gospel of his son Jesus,
what a breaking down of the middle wall, that has so long separated
the people of God; and there would be a union of all the vast army
of God, marshaled by the great head of the church, and reviewed by
the host of heaven; and what an ingathering there would be of con¬
verts, enrolled upon the register of the saved. To be in the midst
of such a grand sight would be joy and gladness to the constituency of
heaven. We cannot charge it to the Bible for the deluded state we
are in, for the inspired book of God is for a united people; and when
one is born of its regeneration it brings him into a union with God and
his church, and there he is to contend earnestly for the faith once
delivered to the saints. The law of nature, as well as science, has
taught us we cannot find interpretation until we have first found
the law of agreement, and make the beginning and ending blend into
one. W e are afraid too many think of the Bible as the man said of
mill, "There are five brothers, and each owns five-fourths of that
mill." But when he was told there were only four-fourths in any¬
thing, said he, "Yes, but you will remember that is a big mill." The
Bible is a big book covering thousands of years and treating on all
the important subjects of the world and many of its visitors to its
pages get entirely lost and will hardly find themselves until Gabriel
finds them in judgment. Reading the Bible is much like the prayers
offered, instead of reconciling ourselves to the will of God, we try to
blend God to our will. A woman once said to me, God don't answer
prayer; said I, What is it he has not answered ? Why, said she, I
have asked him for these ten years to take my husband out of the
world that I may marry a Christian man. God answered her prayer
by leaving him in the world and making a Christian out of him. A
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
495
mother sent for me once to preach her child's funeral and said, I have
prayed God to make my boy a pure boy, a useful boy, and here he
has let him die. Why, God answered her prayer; if that boy had
lived he would have been perhaps contrary to the mother's prayer,
and wishing to save him, God took him home where he would be
pure and useful. We too often overlook the resignation of our pray¬
ers, "Not my will, but thy will be done."
In the commission of Jesus to his disciples, go, means never
stop doing good for your brother man; to be a follower of Jesus re¬
quires a consecrated life. The erroneous idea of some is when they
were invited to join the church all they were required to do was to
yield obedience to the ordinances and sit down upon the work of oth¬
ers and ride into heaven with folded arms and closed mouths. "When
the call is made come and join the church it means come work for
Jesus, come live a useful life in the service of the Lord. The
church is like the ship of Jonah, it is overloaded with too many
"sleepers," the ship master needs to ask them to arise and call upon
their God, if so be, God may think upon us that we perish not. A
great shaking among the dry bones would greatly replenish and
bring about a healthy growth. Indifference is the greatest draw¬
back the church is experiencing to-day; indifference once invited,
is like a contagous disease, it is hard to get rid of. It always wants
company, and, like the roaring lion, it seeks to devour all; and many
times the disciples pray, " Lord increase our faith." Like the poor,
the impious we have with us always, and much of the time and
labor that ought to be spent in converting the world have to be given
to the weak among us. They are those who are always ready to ride
on some strong man's back. Help me, is the cry, instead of helping
themselves and growing strong to help others. "We should all put
into practice the words of Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to
receive." But our imperative duty is to lose none that have been
committed to our care. The lost one has around him the most of our
tears, prayers and labor. Like the seamen we are pulling for the
shore with our brother, unwilling to leave him behind to the breakers.
After all it is refreshing to know that God will save the city if a
few are faithful, and that Jesus still walks in the midst of his church
and holds out his hands to the sinking, saying, "Be thou faithful
until death and I will give thee a crown of life."
3. History contains the great events of all ages. It is the arsenal
from which we gather the knowledge of all periods, and with it we
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are enabled to draw nigh up to the very mouth of the speaker, anc
look into the past and see the lives and characters of the noble anc
chrivalrous, and review their mighty deeds that have been written
upon the Rock of Ages; and like the lighthouse out on a dark ocean,
throws out the rays of light upon a perilous sea to the struggling
seamen. "What would this dark world be without the history ol
Moses, Job,-Paul or Christ? Take away the narratives of these
and others, and you know but little. Yes, the Bible is a volume of
history, and God and his co-efficients are the historians; and one of
these writers said: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the
presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but
these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
But it is very largely the unwritten law that brings about the con¬
fusion. We must take the Bible and the Bible alone, as the safe¬
guard against all importation.
The Bible is broad enough for all believers to stand upon, and is the
only medium that can be offered as a basis of union for all the people
of God. There are some things written in history we all wish could
be erased, and the white pages have been blackened. But as history
repeats itself, let the revolution tell of the return to Jerusalem, and
the whole family on earth and in heaven wearing the same name.
Let God be the referee for all differences, and all his people imbued
with the idea of following his example of love, and not speculate upon
the word of God. Don't let it be said it is the voice of Jacob, but
the hand of Esau. Don't bring into the holy calling deception, but
be living epistles of the Lord, and fully represent him. "Worship
elevates us if it be of God, or brings us down if it be of the devil.
The worship of the God of war, Mars, was the heathen idea of mak¬
ing the soldiers brave; the worship of the God of wine, Bacchus, was
the idea of the manufacturers of disseminating their trade; the
worship of the God of the stars, Venus, was another idea of the
savage nations ; but our God, who made the heavens and earth, is the
only true God to worship in the beauty of holiness. Let us come
before him with the whole armor on; let the church get into the
Spirit of God, and when you meet with difficulties remember there
are some things that cannot be cast out only by fasting and prayer;
for God's ears are ever open to the cry of the righteous, when they
call with a purpose to obey him. History divulges an interesting
pathway of the church of Christ. Jesus said, '4 Upon this rock I
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 497
will build my church." The world had lived through two dispensa¬
tions, the patriarchal and Jewish, and now had in their midst an eter¬
nal king, who was about to set up a kingdom or a church under the
new dispensation of things. How shall we identify this church, and
how do we know we are members of Christ, unless we know his
church? It is not enough to know we are in a church, but if we wish
to be saved we must know we are in the church of the living God.
A church not built on the foundation which God laid is not the com¬
munity which the Lord calls my church, "for other foundations can
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."—1 Cor. iii. 11.
A church not founded in the right place is not the church of
Christ; "for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the
Lord from Jerusalem."—Isaiah ii. 3. A church not established at
the right time is not the church of Christ. "And that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem."—Luke xxiv. 47. No church can
be the true church that has not been founded by Christ and his apos¬
tles. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth."—Matt, xxviii. 18. A
church with any other law than the one given by the head of the
church is not the kingdom of Christ. Any church labeled with
a human name, not founded in the New Testament, is not the
church of Christ, "and thou shalt be called by a new name, which
the mouth of the Lord shall name."—Isaiah lxii. 2. The church
was established on the day of Pentecost.—Acts ii. The mem¬
bers of this church were named in honor of Christ, "and the dis¬
ciples were called Christians first in Antioch."—Acts xi. 26. These
propositions are of such great magnitude that we will be forever
lost if we don't believe and act upon them. We are begotten
by the word of God, aud all who are saved by this word are made
Christians, and added to the church of Christ; but all who are begot¬
ten by the commandments of men, are made sectarians, and become
members of a denomination, and are amenable to their laws and
customs. But the true church is the temple of God and the pillar
of all truth, and God dwells therein, and the invitation is to all,
"Come unto me and be saved." But we must consider the last line
of the text, " Rightly dividing the word of truth." May I ask what
is your method for reading the Bible? "We demand a system for
everything. On opening the Bible you will find a place for every¬
thing, and everything in its place. My rule I have adopted for many
32
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years in reading the Bible is to find out: (1) Who the letter is
addressed to; (2) Who wrote it; (3) Under what circumstances was
it written; (4) What is its contents.
Then I am better prepared to reason with the sender of the docu¬
ment. The first time I read the Bible through from Genesis to
Revelation was to find out what was in it; the second time was to
comprehend it; the third time was to obey it, and the after times
were to converse and better understand the writers. You will find
it to be a great advantage to put yourself in the spirit of prayer and
reconciliation to fully comprehend the instructors of the inspired
word of God. A great deal of self-control is quite necessary to
come before the men of the Bible than of the world and its con¬
tents. Let the whole heart and life of you be given to the subject
for the present, and you will be filled with new life, with the Holy
Spirit and will find yourself transfigured into new purposes and
work. The half-starved churches get their supply from a half-fed
ministry, who depends on gathering the food after he has kindled
the fire in the pulpit and his congregation all seated before him. A
minister came to me not long since and said, "I find much difficulty
in selecting and preparing my subjects." After questioning him I
found he devote.d only Saturdays to the study and preparation of his
sermons. I pointed out a barrel that stood under the eave of the
house, and asked him could he account for the staves and hoops get¬
ting loose and letting in between them the wide crevices. Why,
said he, they have drawn off all the water and failed to put more in.
You are a walking barrel of the same similitude. If you would be
successful in your calling, deliver your goods and refill at once with
more. What would you think of a merchant, after his week's trade,
to wait until some one called for his articles before having them
ready? Keep filled up brim full of the word of truth, for an idle
heart is the workshop of the devil, and he will thoroughly occupy it
•with his wares of death.
The divisions of the Bible are the Old and New Testaments. The
Old Testament consists of the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the
Psalms, which are not of force now. Paul says they were our
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The New Testament contains
four divisions: The four Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles and the
Revelations. "Rightly dividing the word of truth" does not author¬
ize you to lay the book upon the dissecting table and everyone take
what best suits him and his people. Every day we meet inquiries
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
499
asking for the good old way, the way of holiness, and you are the
sign board m the forks of the road, with hand pointing to the right
hand road, and the imprint is, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes
away the sins of the world." But some of the sentinels have gone
to sleep, and let many of the travelers take the wrong road. The
world furnishes four inquiries and Jesus furnishes the equal number
of answers for them. The first one of the inquiries is the unbe¬
liever. The first thing to do with him is to make him an unequivocal
believer, and he must go to the four gospels or the first division of
the New Testament to find the convincing power of the gospel.
There he meets face to face the one to which he has objected, and Jesus
reasons with him, and he sees and hears for himself and no longer
doubts but believes. Now that is the Bible's way of making be¬
lievers. " So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God." Rom. x. 17. David said the law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul; the testament is sure, making wise the simple.
The second inquirer is the sinner. He comes crying, "Men and
brethren, what must I do to be saved? " and the only answer is found
in the Acts of the Apostles. Here in this book of Acts are all the
conversions recorded in the New Testament. It furnishes a
complete history of all men and women brought into the king¬
dom by the ambassadors of Christ, and stands to-day as the
only mile post pointing men to the only way of salvation. This book
is to the sinner what the cities of refuge were to the Jews. Under
the law of Moses the gates stood open day and night, and the bright
lights shined out upon the highway. The road way is kept clear;
the watchman upon the wall stands to welcome the penitent into the
harbor, and all who enter are safe within the gates of the city. The
third inquirer is the Christian. He comes praying, "Lord increase
our faith." He has many difficulties to conquer and needs God's
grace to help in time of need, and the Lord has provided for his in¬
structions and comfort.
Here are twenty-one letters, beginning at Romans and ending with
Jude, all written for and addressed to the Cristians; and no one holds
the title to them but the followers of Christ. And the fourth in¬
quirer is the aged pilgrim of many years service for his Master,
with eyes dim, and bent oven his staff; hoary hairs have long been
his crown of righteousness—like Israel of old, he has long waited
for his passport. Here the book of Revelation is to him what
Mount Pisgah was to Moses. He climbs upon its summit and views
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the landscape over, and reads, "Be thou faithful until death, and I
will give thee a crown of life." Thus how beautiful the other world
opens up to us from, this life; even before we leave the shore we can
see the landing. It was Stephen that caught the sight and sounded
out aloud, '' I see the heavens open and the Son of man standing on
the right hand of God." Let the world stone you all it wants to,
God will take care of the martyr's blood. Standing by the side of
this aged pilgrim we see the Book of books open, and all the nations
of the earth are invited to read thereof, understand, and obey; and
then it is yours to reign with the righteous throughout eternity.
H7UVBITION.
[Sermon preached by Rev. G. V. Clark, at Second Congregational Church, Memphis,
Tenn., Sunday morning- June 16, 1895.]
Preliminary Remarks.
[HERE is a noble ambition in every successful individual or race.
Some one has said, "I am charged with ambition. The cha.rge
is true, and I glory in its truth. Let that ambition be a noble
one,, and who shall blame it." To aspire to success in business, any
.of the professions, or other calling worthy of a noble character, is
both praiseworthy and helpful. Ambition I will define, then, as that
passion of the soul which urges one to do and be all which one's en¬
dowments and opportunities will permit. A man or race not thus
impelled achieves but little that is worthy of note or attraction. Not
to be ambitious is to simply be content with nothing and to be
nobody. Ambition prompts you to say what others have done, you
can and will do. Difficulties, to such a man, are but stepping-stones
toward the accomplishment of his desired object, and hindrances are
but wings to facilitate his flight above the mountain peaks and across
the wide expanse between him and the realization of the object he
longs for. We should, then, glory in and encourage ambition, believ¬
ing that as colored Americans God is preserving us as his future re¬
serve race. In this connection I wish to call attention to a too prev¬
alent notion that obtains among colored people. The impression is
that the white race has achieved all that is great and worthy, which
is possible to achieve. Influenced toe strongly by that thought, the
thoughts, doings, and sayings op the race. 50i
colored man feels that there is nothing for him to accomplish either
in letters, arts, sciences, or of an industrial nature. Every avenue
is crowded, and pre-occupied, he says, by the white brother, and act¬
ing on such an impression, there is danger of his ceasing to be active,
curbing his ambition. Yielding to such an unwarrantable conclu¬
sion, the head-board for the grave of such a man or race might be
found and the epitaph written: Dead from lack of ambition. On the
other hand, if inspired with hope and determination, victory will be
snatched from defeat, and adversity furnish an occasion for showing
strength of soul, will, and character.
The Sermon.
My text is, "I set before you an open door, and no man can shut
it."—Rev. iii. 8. The application of the truth in the text was to the
church in Philadelphia, in Asia Minor. Then to all the Christian
world. The door opened is emblematic of the opportunities pre¬
sented to the church. In other words, it was a setting before the
church her mission—henceforward the church would not be so han¬
dicapped as before. Oppositions, such as had proved an obstacle
before, would cease; unbelief would not be so stubborn and unrea¬
sonable ; the gospel and its messengers would have easier access to
the world, Jews and Gentiles. We notice, too, that the opening is
by Christ, the great head of the church. Behind the church is. his
authority. None can, therefore, resist successfully her authority,
nor question with propriety her right to teach truth. The principles
to be promulgated are two, namely: Love to God supremely, and to
our neighbors as ourselves. The latter command, however, seems
to be regarded by men and races after they have reached the zenith
of power, as antiquated and abrogated. It is neither antiquated nor
abrogated, I boldly declare. The declaration of all the world to the
contrary, rich or poor, high or low, of whatever* race, country or na¬
tionality, do not alter the fact. Putting this truth in a little differ¬
ent form, Christ said, "They that are strong ought to bear the
infirmities of the weak." This the Lord means his church shall do,
and if she does not do this, for this is a cardinal principle of practi¬
cal Christianity, then I think he will set aside the church in her
present form, purifying her, and bring her forth clad in new, cleaner
garments. It is a burning shame that herein her robes are verily
stained with guilt. This idea of helpfulness to the weaker is not to
be understood as of limited application, but of universal force. A
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principle binding alike on church and state. It is intended to be
placed as a foundation stone for governmental, as well as ecclesiasti¬
cal righteousness and equity. Moreover, the divine blessing invar¬
iably attends the efforts of that people who make it the rule of their
lives, and the theme of their discussion, and the object of their every
endeavor to do unto others just as they wish to be done by. Christ
calls this the fulfillment of the royal law. Creeds, nationality, learn¬
ing, sciences, philosophy, splendidly equipped armies and navies,
with power to successfully resist the invasions of all foes, by wading
in their blood, all sink into insignificance when compared with this
great and all important principle. All else is worthless in the sight
of God when this is wanting. The open door, or opportunities, pre¬
sented the church of Christ, in the text, carries with it great respon¬
sibilities. There is no work necessary to the highest development
of the race, or the purity and happiness of mankind that is not here
offered through the church, a mission, higher in degree and
broader in extent than was ever committed to mortals before. The
length, breadth, height and magnitude of this trust hath not yet been
fully comprehended, I fear, by even the wisest and best of men.
This is due, in part, to inherited prejudices infused into the Christ¬
ian life, and part, also, from environment. If once the church gets
a clear understanding and a just conception of her high calling,
much, if not all, that now obstructs her entrance into that "open
door'' will vanish as mist before the rising sun. To this end I join
the poet who said:
" To her my "tears shall fall,
To her my prayers ascend,
To her my cares and toils be given,
Till toils and cares shall end."
In this commission the church is to know no race distinction nor
condition, but to preach Christ to both Jew and Gentile, bond and
free, African and Caucasian, rich and poor, ignorant and learned, all,
as equally under necessity to repent and believe in order to receive
salvation.
To preach is not sufficient, as practice speaks much louder than
words. Sectarianism, the caste spirit and the like are blots on
the escutcheon of Christians, by whomsoever practiced. It must be
renounced and denounced, else the grand opportunity offered by the
"open door" will be closed and barred eternally. Until Peter had
his house-top vision, and the church held her first council at Jerusa-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
503
lem, did the meanness and exclusiveness of caste and race antago¬
nism appear to these primitive saints. This was an excrescence pro¬
duced and made to develop on the body of Christ's bride, the church,
by the blind hate and racial exclusiveness among the first followers
of Christ. As in those days, this evil, with others, hindered the
church and caused the rejection of many churches by the Lord, so
will it continue to do to races and religions who refuse to practice
this spirit as required by Christ, the author of our religion.
Thus I have given you some thoughts on the primary application of
this Scripture teaching. I desire now to call attention to a second¬
ary consideration in this connection. There is a warning which
comes to us, of this most enlightened age of the world's history, in
the rise of four of the greatest nations known to the world, namely;
the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews and Anglo-Saxons. Let us consider
each in the order mentioned. I assume to begin with that God had
a mission of a far-reaching purpose in bringing each of these races
into historical notice. That mission I believe was to glorify and
serve God. I can conceive no divine purpose in raising up a nation
which does not have for its object the purest, most perfect obedi¬
ence and service of which that people is capable. We know the
Greeks were once the foremost race of antiquity, successful alike
on the field of battle and in the sphere of arts and letters. Their
skill as sculptors stands unsurpassed by any race of past ages.
They left to the world monuments of their genius and high achieve¬
ments, showing their exquisiteness of touch and delicacy of taste.
The literary quality of their writings* and public addresses show a
very advanced stage of scholarship. Their poetry will never cease
to be the wonder, and claim the admiration of the literary world.
Their philosophers are acknowledged by the great men of this age,
who are esteemed as learned, as master minds. To say all this is
but to proclaim the Greeks a highly intellectual, artistic people.
This is but the verdict of many centuries. It would be but partial
praise to say all I have in their behalf and fail to say that they were
great educators. When carried as captives from their native land
as prisoners of war it was a most common thing for them to be
brought as tutors in royal palaces, and among the nobility. This
was a result of an eagerness always to learn something new. In
war the aggressive, heroic and skillful. Their language as a vehicle
of communication is most admirable in lucidity and laconicalness.
In all of this you readily see what the Greeks gave the world show-
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ing their mental possibilities. But there is one more thing to men¬
tion which shows the spirit of a great race. It is that they were
possess'ed of love of personal liberty. No encroachment upon this
sacred ground was ever allowed to the state 'by them. Their idea of
government was that the state existed for the individual and not the
individual for good of the state. Having said so much, all of which
is true, one may ask why they were not retained and perpetuated.
Great warriors, artists, scholars and lovers of individual liberty in
a race, are not the chief element to qualify a race or individual for
permanence of existence before God. They were lacking in the first
and chief essential. God is seeking an ideal people. The Greeks
were not that people. Had they religion? The answer is yes. The
Apostle Paul declared they were too religious. Gods were more
easily found among Athenians than men. Their religion, like all
paganism, proved more degrading than elevating. The relation be¬
tween Jehovah and man was served by the nation rejecting him for
carnal things called gods. More still, the relation between man and
man was predominated by a debasing, sensual gratification which
destroyed all their noble aspirations. Having reached, therefore,
the summit of their glory in material and intellectual achievements,
and declining more and more rapidly, at the same time, in morality
and spiritual discernment, God wrote on the walls of the nation's hall
of revelry, "Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting."
Thus their doom came. They achieved greatness in everything but
one, and that was true godliness. No nation can be truly great with¬
out it. The door that was once opened to them finally closed and
that forever.
The Romans we next notice before the "open door" of opportuni¬
ties. Through many vicissitudes this great race passed from a mere
clannish state on up into a monarchy, and the world's first great re¬
public. From first to last, however, they were doomed to utter ex¬
tinction' because, mainly, they fell short of the divine ideal of great¬
ness. The Romans possessed, notwithstanding, many noble traits
or qualities necessary to produce greatness. They surpassed the
Greeks in some respects while they fell behind them in some others.
While the former exalted culture, the latter put stress upon unity
and order. By diplomacy they succeeded in forming helpful alli¬
ances such as afforded them great advantages in times of war. Un¬
der her splendidly equipped armies, on sea and land, she became the
mistress of the world. The Greeks with all their greatness be-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 505
came subject to Rome. The zenith of her glory was reached about
the transition period from a republic to a monarchy. Frpm that
time, owing to her vanity and vices, she steadily declined. Before,
however, her downfall came she was allowed to contribute something
substantial to the world's progress. I mention such as her arts,
sculpture, massive architecture, royal highways, a magnificently
organized government, matchless orators and statesmen, and a lan¬
guage both exquisite and expressive. By means of these the world is
in advance of what it was prior to the rise of the Romans into power
and supremacy over the world. For hundreds of years she wielded
the scepter. And, mark you, I believe under the controlling hand of
God, great blessings to mankind have resulted from the contribu¬
tions of this race. Their greatness none can dispute. But for one
needful indispensable virtue, which Rome lacked, she might to-day
still be in the ascendency among nations. This falling short was
that they failed to have, as a nation, the religion requiring supreme
love to God, and love for "our neighbors as ourselves." On every
other achievement without love as the chief element, was written,
"weighed and found wanting." This is the central thought in the
.divine mind and must be with nations. The displacement of this
ruling people was an act of God rather than the superior forces of
enemies. For the crime of ungodliness Rome, like Greece, was set
aside. She failed to enter the "open door." Their love of country,
learning and the domestic relation could not save them from ruin.
Let us take another highly favored race for our consideration.
These people were more than any other blessed of God. I refer to
the Hebrews, the descendants of Abraham. If God could be charged
with partiality because he seemed kinder and more considerate of
one race than another, it would be because of His great patience and
love for Israel. The story of how the race began and developed un¬
der Divine providence is fully known to all. Sacred and secular his¬
tory have most fully recorded the facts. /There was doubtless a far
reaching purpose in the mind of God in thus blessing and forbearing
. with his chosen yet most rebellious children. That purpose I con¬
ceive to be to raise up if possible an ideal race. It seemed at times
that God would in them accomplish greater results than in any other
race. He came nearer exhausting his goodness in helping this nation
than with any other. They sprung from faithful Abraham, devel¬
oped in their government, into families, tribes and untimately a
nation. In it all was the hand of God revealed.
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Now as to results. They were a means of direct communication
from God to the world. The best code of laws, many of the most
beautiful characters of men, women, and finally the world's Redeemer
came of that race. To them, as to no other, we are indebted through
God for that book, the Bible. It is at once unique, instructive and
the only authorized record of God, Christ and the future state, good
and bad. The oracles of God were committed to these people to be
transmitted to the world. This old world is a better one because
they lived and wrought. But like Greece and Rome they were found
wanting. Having been elevated to the highest distinction they
doomed themselves to a mighty fall. The same old charge of, "I
have somewhat against thee," was laid at their door. That old sen¬
tence, "thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting" was
written on the nation's walls. This, however, was not done until
they had many times been warned and entreated to repent. God fin¬
ished in and with them his work just so far as they were willing.
The door swung open before them for 2,500 years. They were free
to enter and were plead with to enter. Their final opportunity
came. The chances are forever gone now. As a nation, they are
without a country, shepherds without sheep. You say their down¬
fall was due to their rejection of Christ, but I say to you the cruci¬
fixion of the Messiah was but the culmination of an evil heart of cen¬
turies of growth. Yea, it was as much a breaking of the Golden
Rule, the sin against their fellowman, as a sin against God. In the
fall of Jerusalem the national crash came.
Take still another race, now on trial. I name to you the Anglo-
Saxons. In the unfolding of the divine will and providence, as man¬
ifested in rearing up of nations, this race comes into history with
great promise of permanency. They seem to possess more great qual¬
ities than any other hitherto noticed. It is a race of great energy,
intelligence, virtue, and courage. The great men and women of the
race that adorn the pages of history with a halo of glory exceed all
others. From this race have sprung great poets, artists, statesmen,
warriors, scholars, reformers, geniuses, philanthropists and devout
Christians. Such a race is destined, under God, to a great future.
Their foundation is extensive and firm. But one thing, however,
can cause their downfall. That one thing, too, seems now to threaten
the overthrow, namely, the sin against man, especially the weaker
brother. Around this class of human beings God seems to desire to
throw protection and encouragement. Diametrically opposed to
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 507
this (herein is the Golden Rule summed up) is the declaration of the
Anglo-Saxons to the effect that all races in the way of their civiliza¬
tion must go to the wall. That means a merciless declaration of war
on others. This spirit, let them remember, is irreconcilably at war
with the very spirit and genius of Christianity. This spirit and
genius are to bring back man to his Creator. That race that is in har¬
mony with this principle grasps in one hand the Almighty, and in the
other humanity. Thus there is an uplifting through first and sec¬
ond causes.
The great danger to this race lies in its prosperity and supremacy
over the weaker races. When they forget that all they are, or might
be, is due to divine favor only, and it seems they are forgetting in
the United States, then will come the beginning of the end. If the
advantages enjoyed by them but be ascribed to God's blessing, and
used to promote his glory and the welfare of his little ones, the
Anglo-Saxons will perpetuate their own supremacy and reflect glory
upon the name of the God of nations. The failure to deal justly by
their brethren will as surely send them into oblivion as that night
follows day. The sentence against them in that event will be, "Inas¬
much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me."
These shall go away to everlasting punishment, The door 6f oppor¬
tunity is open before this race. The most honored and blessed of
God are such as not only honor him, but who serve their fellow-
men best. What a high trust is here committed! The race seems,
however, to be committed firmly to their boasted pride and arro¬
gance, regardless of the warning which the fate of the Greeks,
Romans and Hebrews experienced will afford.
Has this race of blood and cruelty reached the pinnacle of its
glory? Is it in a state of sure, imperceptible decline? Have we
reached the beginning of a disgraceful end in the history of this
hitherto greatest race known to historians? Should this be the case,
then what? I answer, as one of them, it appears to me that the
Divine purpose is to place the colored American on trial, as he has
the races referred to, and is now doing with the above named race.
There are some distinguishing characteristics of this, my race,
which if called of God, into the service of mankind, will put a dis¬
tinctive stamp upon history never before made prominent. These
characteristics are: docility, patience under adversity, as shown
under American slavery, musical, imaginative, imitative, great en¬
durance in toil, forgiving, lovers of domestic life, religious. The
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race, moreover, is unequalled in natural oratory. Such a race must
have a future.
It is barely possible that the Divine purpose in permitting Ameri¬
can slavery was to raise up on this continent a future people, who,
catching all that is good of Anglo-Saxon civilization, and by the use
of his imitative genius, assimilate it with his own native qualities,
and so produce the ideal race which God is seeking. Certain it is
that while none can prove this position as the true one, yet none can
disapprove it. All I mean is that it is possible. The door is open
before us. By the righteous use of the endowments which the race
possesses, recognizing them as from God, a civilization distinctively
our own will be the country's blessing and salvation. The world,
too, will feel a quickening impulse from such a leavening influence.
I realize that the American colored man is without a past, such as is
the boast of Anglo-Saxons. There was a time when no race was any
better off than we are. They had to begin. So must we make a
beginning. All contemporary races have a bloody record to confront
them. The colored race is to make its conquests with a sheathed
sword. This is an age wherein the peace man, as did the Lord
Jesus Christ, is to contend against sin and error with righteousness
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Therefore
that race which approaches most nearly the divine ideal will endure
longest and accomplish most for the world's highest welfare. The
crown is not to the most*intellectual or warlike domineering race, but
to the one serving God and man best. Now, I would not have any
race serve God less, but I would have my own serve him best. A
failure to do this cannot be substituted by one nor all other noble
qualities. A holy competition for the Divine favor and honor will
greatly accelerate the speed of the race in striving for. the goal.
Mark you, hearer, that every other nation yet fully tried has been
rejected of God, not for what they were but for what they were not.
Each one contributed something to mankind's betterment, but so far
as they were concerned it all meant nothing. Greece gave the world
culture; Rome, law and order; the Hebrews, revelation and the
Savior; the Anglo-Saxon, science, social order and the most ad¬
vanced civilization. It is left to some race to yet give that best obe¬
dience which God requires, namely; give supremacy to God in head
and heart and to place our neighbors deep down in the citadel of our
heart or affections. I would therefore appeal to the colored Ameri¬
can to let the zeal of God and an impartial love for our fellowmen, of
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
509
all races and conditions, friends and foes, be the all-absorbing pas¬
sion of daily life. If you really love your race, if you would have it
stand on the very summit of the world's elevation, if you would
have it without a peer or parallel in the galaxy of the greatest of
nations, then let this love for both Divine and human burn on the
altar of your heart. With such God is most well pleased. There¬
fore, seize the opportunity and save the race from degradation and
irrevocable ruin. Such is the burden of my heart.
I N L-U E NOE.
BY REV. ALEX. CRUMMELL, D.D., RECTOR OF SAINT LUKE'S CHURCH
(EPISCOPAL), WASHINGTON, D. C.
"And Barak said unto her, " If thou wilt go with me, then I will g-o ; but if thou wilt
not go with me, then I will not go." Judg-es iv. 8.
SOTHING is more common in the world than man's eagerness for
power, and his pride in the possession of it. It is a sad re¬
flection, however, that a sense of the responsibility which
comes with power is the rarest of things. Men care but little for
the duties which spring from authority; they are almost thoughtless
of the responsibility which is allied to their influence.
Look at the master minds who have fought their way to thrones
and dominion; and see their after indifference to the welfare of those
subjected to them. How rare the instance where honor or fame has
been sought for and then used lor the good of man! How few the
noble characters who cared for the interests of society, who are anx¬
ious for the well-being of their fellow creatures. And yet to live
for man, to do good to man, is one of the grandest objects of our ex¬
istence. And perhaps there is hardly anything which is so offensive
to God as that selfish mode of living, alas, too common in this worlds
which says, sometimes in brazen words, sometimes in pretentious
but vulgar conduct, "What is the world to me? I want nothing of
it; I can take care of myself; I want nothing to do with it." But
smart as all this sounds, it is false and hollow. There is no sense or
reality in it. For never, in all the world's history, has there been a
man who, independent of man, was able to take care of himself.
Nor, on the other hand, has there ever been so lowly, so insignificant
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a human being, who did not in some way, affect society in some of its
dearest interests.
The truth is, every human being has influence; which is a part of
himself, and helps to make up his personal being. And as long as he
lives it goes out from him to others, for weal or for woe. Nay,
more; it is not limited to time. Once having lived, it never dies.
For the individnal may go down to the tomb and perish; but the pro¬
pelling wave of his influence has started, and never shall it cease in
its power; but it shall go on evermore, touching many a shore, and
lifting up or dashing down many an immortal craft journeying on¬
ward to eternity.
These suggestions have occurred to me, on considering the words
of the text, and which show, in a remarkable manner, the power held
by one human being over another. The occasion was as follows:
The children of Israel were grievously oppressed by Jabin, king
of Canaan. The Israelites, at this time, were governed by Deborah,
a prophetess; and the command of God came to her, that she should
take three thousand men to meet in deadly combat Sisera, the Cap¬
tain of Jabin's army, and thus throw off the yoke of the Canaanities.
To this end she goes to Barak, an eminent warrior, and commands
him—"Go and draw toward Mt. Tabor, and take with thee ten thou¬
sand men of the tribe of Naphthali and Zebulon; and I," he says,
"will draw unto thee to the river Kishon, Sisera, the Captain of
Jabin's army. . . . And I will deliver him unto thine hand."
Barak was evidently a man who, however valiant, could not act with¬
out a leader. In order to achieve anything, he must rest upon some
other arm than his own. Hence a consideration of his case will en¬
able us to understand the nature and the responsibility of that influ¬
ence which we all exercise in the relations of life.
1. In speaking upon this subject, I remark, first of all, that we are
accountable for our influence. I do not pause to prove that we have
influence; it is as certain as that we live. And for it we are held ac¬
countable by God, and are responsible to man. This is evident from
the very nature of influence. What is it? It is power ; the power
of one will over another. This power and authority go forth from
us to others in various ways. In speech, by action, by the glance of
the eye, by the expression of feeling, by the show of passion, by the
play of countenance, by the motion of the hand, by our dress, our
habits, our style of living, and our conduct. These are a few of the
numerous ways by which we influence the minds of men, and prompt
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 511
their lives. And now I ask—if I cause a man to do an act, am I not
responsible, i. en so far forth as I lead him to do it? Of course I am
not to bear the entire burden of his conduct, for he is a man as well
as I, and he is bound to think and judge for himself. But if I am.
the stronger, more controlling character, and use my influence to
guide him astray, and start him on his way to ruin, surely I am re¬
sponsible for what I do.
We see this more clearly in some of the prime relations of life.
We feel, for instance, that if a parent should purposely cripple a
child's leg, or maim its body, the civil authority should be invoked to
put a stop to such gross cruelty. For any one can see that both
father and mother are responsible for both the bodily members and
the physical growth of their children. So, too, with respect to the
mind. Suppose, for instance, that some English or German settlers
in Texas should refuse to have their children educated in the com¬
mon schools, but deliberately choose that they should learn the sav¬
agery and paganism of the heathen Indians; would not the civil
authority in that State at once interfere, take those children from
their parents, and have them brought up under the influences of cul¬
ture and civilization? And the basis of such interference would be
that the parents were responsible for the character of their chil¬
dren ; but having proved false to their responsibility, the State took
the place of the parents, and rescued them from ruin.
So in the marriage relation this mutual responsibility discovers
itself; and St. Paul brings it out in the case where one of the parties
might be a Christian, and the other a heathen: "For what knowest
thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband ; or how knowest
thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?" Now here is the
principle, that we are responsible for our influence. But it is mani¬
fest that this principle is not one that is local, partial, or limited. It
is a broad, general, universal principle; pertaining to souls under
all circumstances. And see how it reaches our fellow-creatures on
every side, with awful significance and tremendous power.
I am responsible for my influence; I am held, accountable by the
Almighty for the way in which I affect and prompt the souls of my
fellow-men. Then I am responsible for my influence upon you.
Then you are responsible for your influence upon me; and each and
every one of us is responsible for the influence we exert upon our
neighbors. Then we are responsible for the channels by which our
influence goes forth from us to others. Then, and you cannot resist
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the inference, we are responsible for the very looks we have; for the
conduct we exhibit; for the passions we manifest; for the habits we
have contracted; for the style of living we have formed; for the
mode of dress we have adopted; for the words and utterances of
our speech. For these are the channels of influence; the modes
whereby we touch the minds of others, and bend them to our ways
and will. They are the streams of all the strong power we possess,
by which that power goes forth from us, and is made to bear, with
decided effect, upon the being of our fellow-creatures.
And we are responsible for their outflowings; and though the in¬
fluence of a man differs somewhat, in kind, from his specific acts,
yet the law of divine justice comes in here, with the same force and
authority as in any outward deed. Influence, though invisible, is
still a man's doings ; my influence is, in fact, my act. It is what I
do, effect, or work out, in and through my fellow creatures. And for
all I do, whether outward or inward acts, I must render my account.
For all my influence, conscious or unconscious, I have got to stand
at the bar of judgment. And there God is the judge. And when
my time, or your time comes, you and I, and all of us, will hear that
question which fell of old upon the ears of the first-born son of man:
" What hast thou done? " Or that other that came before it: " Where
is thy brother?" And, Oh, good Lord, save us, even now, we be¬
seech thee, from the spirit of Cain! May we not, ungodly, think or
say, "Am I my brother's keeper? " But grant, through grace, that
we may all of us perceive the binding tie of humanity, and feel that
we are the servants of our fellow men, and bound to live for their
well-being and their blessedness. *
2. I go on now to speak of the measure of our responsibility for
our influence. Our accountability, it is evident, is proportioned to
our influence. Herein lies our stewardship. We are stewards of
God in this particular item of influence. That stewardship is a
light or weighty one, according as we have power, the more or less,
to direct or control the souls of men.
A little girl is beloved by her schoolmate; and so great power has
she over her that that schoolmate will do anything she wants her to
do, good or bad. She is responsible for her control over that child's
soul, and to God. They are both responsible for the power they pos¬
sess, the one over the other. A poor widow in a little town is idol¬
ized by her children, and they believe everything she. says, and will
do whatever she bids them; for nobody, in their opinion, is compar-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
513
able with their mother. She holds the souls of those little ones in her
hands, and God will call her to account for their character and con¬
duct. Here is a man in a community of such commanding power,
whether through wealth, talent, or character, that everybody quotes
him as authority, and aims to follow his track. As sure as God liv-
eth he will hold him responsible for his popularity and his power.
There is a woman of culture and refinement, whose word, style and
manner are admired and copied by all the women, both young and
old in her neighborhood. God holds her accountable for the full
measure of her influence.
Now the measure of responsibility in these cases is in proportion
to the degree of influence. The little school-girl does not bear the
same burden as the popular citizen ; for one may touch but one soul,
while the other may guide and control thousands. Neither is the
humble widow among her children as responsible as the accomplished
and fashionable lady, whose position and style stir and flutter a
whole community. So, likewise, a quiet, private gentleman is not
held as accountable as the great man who towers above everybody in
the State, and swaj^s the opinions, sentiments, and destiny of a na¬
tion. But you will notice that all are responsible; the one who
inspires but one or two souls, * as well as one that quickens and
inflames the minds of millions. But there is this difference, that he
or she who moulds or stimulates the lives of thousands rests under a
more awful burden than he who only acts upon two or three persons.
How clearly is this principle brought out in Scripture'; especially in
that most solemn portion of it, the parable of the talents, to which
your attention was called two Sundays ago. The lord of the vineyard
called them all to account, but the burden of responsibility fell more
heavily upon him who had received five talents than upon him who
had received two, or him who had received one. For the responsi¬
bility of five talents was more than twice as great as two, and con¬
sequently he who received five talents had to bring five talents more;
his responsibility being double and more than the servant who re¬
ceived two talents, and five times as great as he who had received but
one. And thus you see that we are responsible in proportion to the
amount of our talents or influence.
You will notice, however, that the man who received one talent
did not escape scrutiny because his talent or influence was small.
The lord called him to account for his one; that is, for just the
measure of responsibility the lord had put upon him; no more, no
33
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less. And note here the fact that the wicked and slothful servant
could not evade his responsibility. He tried to evade it; he buried
his talent in the ground; he pretended to be frightened at the great
weight of his responsibility; he affected to restore back to his mas¬
ter the talent that he had given him; nay, he went so far as to cast
the blame of his negligence upon the master himself; yea, even to
apply hard and reproachful terms to him. But none of these shifts
availed. When God gives a man a power of usefulness it is impossi¬
ble for that man to escape it. That burden remains ; that responsi¬
bility endures! The servant with one talent could not get rid of it.
It clung to him in the presence of his master. It clung to him in
the outer darkness, whither the angels of God cast him as a worth¬
less branch. And so it is with every one of us. You may have
.position and then throw yourself back upon it. You may have learn¬
ing, and may proudly withdraw yourself from the ignorant. You
may have wealth, and set yourself haughtily apart from the poor
and wretched. But after all you are a man, and you have the influ¬
ence of a man; and it is a gift of God, and you must answer for it.
So has God ordered it that according to the measure of man's infln-
ence, so is his responsibility, and for it he is required to render his
account to God!
3. But I hasten on to remark that influence is an awful, a perilous
thing when it assumes the form and proportions of mastery and con¬
trol. And this is often the case. The mass of men the world over
are governed by opinion and example. Imitation, too, is a most pow¬
erful agent in deciding the convictions and habits of - men. No doubt
it is God's will that certain prominent men should have authoritative
influence; that is the calling; to that they are elected by the
Almighty himself to the end that they may help to quicken inferior
wills, and to decide human destinies. Thus in the family relation
the words of a father or mother go with children to mature manhood,
and descend to children's children. How in our school-days our
hearts have become knit "as with hooks of steel" to companions
whom we have loved as Jonathan loved David, with a "love passing
the love of women." I have myself seen men moving about through
a nation after whom millions of men flowed as with the mighty car-
rent of a torrent; and when they spoke momentous questions were
settled, as though decisive utterances had come forth from an oracle
or a God.
How awful is the position of such men! How dreadful their re-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 515
sponsibility, if they but think perversely; if they but speak lightly
or at random; if their steps are crooked; if their ways are winding;
if there is no straightforwardness or integrity in them! Alas! alas!
how many are the poor souls who imitate their words and ways, and
follow in their footsteps to destruction and to woe!
Aye, the poison of bad influence is persistent, is abiding, is undy¬
ing. So there is an immortality of evil as well as that of good. Do
you think that the remembrance of the world's bad men has ever
perished? Do you think that Napoleon's burning thirst for glory
ceased in its influence when he was laid in his grave? No! Many
an ardent youth has since been fired by the same ungodly desire; and
careless of man and regardless of God has sighed and cried for like
power and opportunity to wade through slaughter to renown and
empire! But the illustrations of this controlling influence of men are
as common in the lowlier spheres of life as in the higher. Some¬
times a grand, noble parent serves his generation and blesses it, and
then sends down the crystal purity of his honor, and the odor of his
sanctity to children's children. Sometimes it is the reverse, and the
alcoholic blood and the alcoholic breath of a drunkard triumph over
the dominion of the grave, and reach over a whole generation of
men to his descendants, poisoning the atmosphere and polluting so¬
ciety by the sottishness of sons and grandsons. The fragrancy of
a holy ministry clings to the very pews, the roof, the pulpit of a
church, for generations; a false prophet, a bigot, a heretic, retains,
if I may so express it, "a savor of death," a vitality of rottenness
centuries after his bodily decay in the graveyard. And just so it is
with a school teacher; with a magistrate in a community; with a
superior woman in a neighborhood. In all these cases, if our man¬
ners, conduct or opinions control; if our word is law; how awful is
the responsibility! How perilous is our position! How continuous
our sway! Indeed, there is no such thing as the extirpation of evil
influence, any more than of good. The very carcasses of such
wretches as Alcibiades, Byron and Aaron Burr serve as manure to
produce a further brood of reprobates for the ruin of society.
U'en in our ashes live our wonted fires !
"Whether they be the Pentecostal fires lit up in our chaste bosoms by
the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier; or whether they are the damning fires
of lust, hate or mad ambition, kindled in our souls by the inflamma¬
tory agencies of the devil.
The text we are considering is one of the strongest instances of
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the importance and the power of influence. Barak put his soul upon
Deborah's. He staked his duty upon her will. Lacking self-reliance,
deficient in personal resolution, he placed himself under the domin¬
ion of her audacity, and resigned himself to the lead of her pluck
and spiritedness. If she would go, then he would go; if she would
not go neither would he. This was an instance of - human influence.
The Prophetess was to decide his duty and his destiny. Happily
she knew the will of God ; knew well her own duty; was fully aware
of the moral force she could bring to bear upon Barak. But suppose
she had been blind to these things? What then? You say, per¬
chance, God would have raised up some other deliverer for Israel, or
wrought some mighty miracle. But how do you know this ? Indeed,
you do not know it. Deborah was God's chosen agent, for the hour ;
and failure on her part, at this critical juncture, would have brought
confusion and ruin upon thousands, and possibly the serious injury
of God's chosen people.
Ah, brethren, that fearful "If thou wilt!" How many weak souls
have been led to recklessness and audacity by the thoughtless chal¬
lenge, "If you will do so, I will too." How many an "If thou wilt"
has brought weak-minded youth to drunkenness! How many vain
and foolish girls to extravagance, and then to moral pollution, and to
death! Indeed, it is a most fearful thing to have friends and kins¬
folk who are governed by mere desire, and not by conscience; who
never think of moral obligation; and whose entire influence upon
their weaker companions is a lure to excess and riot, an enticement
to dissipation and wantonness, a precipitation into profligacy and un¬
ending destruction! We are taught most powerfully by the discus¬
sion of this morning the great truth:
1. "That no man liveth unto himself." Isolation, disseverance,
absolute divorcement from our fellow creatures, is an impossibility.
We are bound up in individual sympathy with everything human.
From everyone of us goes out a telling influence, which acts upon
the souls of men and women and little children all their life, and
which will be felt throughout eternity. Every mature man and
woman here knows this, even if they do not act in accordance with
its moral significance. But I wish as well to impress this fact upon
the boys and girls here this morning. Dear children, everything
you do or say in life tells; tells upon souls ; tells in all time; tells
forever and ever. All your wicked passions tell upon others and
yourselves; all your bitter words tell upon your younger brothers
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 517
and sisters and companions; all your disobedience to parents and
teachers; all your forgetfulness of God. Nothing- that you do falls'
like leaves upon the ground ; nothing that you say drops like feathers
upon, the earth. Every word, every act, tells !
Every day of our life, by our speech, by our conduct, by our
lightest word, by our dress, by our habits, by our example, we are
either building up souls, or we are dragging them down to deepest
ruin. Beware, I beseech you, of the dread peril of the thought, if
but for a moment, that you can live for yourselves ; that you are to
care for nothing else but your own interests! Be careful of your in¬
fluence! Mind, I entreat you, how you touch or move the souls of
men about you. It had been better that you had never been born,
than that you should foster the delusion that you have nothing' to do
with the interests and well-being of the soul of even the humblest of
your neighbors. For they are our brethren—even the lowliest of
kind; and we are in trust for them, and for their souls. We live for
them, and they too live for us. Every breath of ours tells upon
their being, and th,eirs upon ours. And we shall only be earning the
deepest damnation if we have the assurance to look up to the great
white throne, and ask the Mighty One who sits thereon: "Am I my
brother's keeper?"
2. Again I remark that the subject we have been considering
teaches us as well that "no man dieth unto himself ;" and that there¬
fore we may expect to be called to account for the measure of influ¬
ence we have had in this world, and for the use we have made of it.
God will reckon with us at the session of the great court, at the last
day. That mighty gathering is designed for the settling of all the
accounts of the world. The husbandman, in the parable, who went
on a long journey, and then came back and required a reckoning; the
lord of the vineyard who took his departure into a far country, are
types of the coming of the Son of Man to judgment. Our influence
is among the deeds of life, which He will judge. They are our own
individual, personal acts; and for them we shall be called to account.
Whether that influence has been purposed or unconscious, it matters
not; we are, in every way, accountable for it. The thought is enough
to make the "boldest hold his breath for a time." But, weighty and
solemn as it is, let us strive to meet it, seeking the help of Christ;
and in all the relations of life, in all our intercourse with society, in.
our utterance of speech, in our walk and conversation, in our habits,
our dress and manners, may we never forget—nay, may we always
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remember—that there is a power going out from us which either lifts
men up to God, or drags them down to hell!
And thou, blessed, adorable Savior, have mercy upon us, in all our
weakness and infirmity! Leave us not, neither forsake us, Gracious
Master, lest we fall ourselves, or ruin others. But give us all grace
so to order our lives that our skirts may be free from the blood of
men. Help us, strong Son of Man, that through our example, and
by the impress of our character, many precious souls may be led,
savingly, into the pathways of life, to enter at length the golden gates
of the New Jerusalem!
THE VALUE OF THE SOUL.
BY THE LATE REV. J. C. PRICE, A.M., D.D., PRESIDENT OF LIVINGS¬
TONE COLLEGE, SALISBURY, N. C.
" For what is a man profited, if he shall g-ain the whole world, and lose his own
soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? " Matthew xvi. 20.
TN the boundless and created universe there is nothing unnecessary
J or worthless. Everything from an angel to an atom has some
value. But all things are not of the same value; for the nature
and end of one thing causes its worth to differ very materially from
that of another. In political economy value signifies the quantity of
labor or of the product of labor which will exchange for a given quan¬
tity of labor or of some other product thereof. And consequently
the value of an article is calculated, generally, on the comparative'
easiness of its manufacture or production. Again, whether things
are abundant or scarce, has much to do with their value, viewed
in the light of a demand. In the economy of creation it is evident
that God does not estimate things on these principles, for there is
no labor with him. He wills it, and the tiny blades of trembling
grass, as well as revolving worlds and suns spring into existence.
Neither is the worst of his creatures based on the relation of sup¬
ply and demand. With the Almighty there is an abundant supply
and with him there is no demand. But the true value of all his crea¬
tures is in proportion to the degree in which they manifest the glory
of that God, for "whose glory all things were and are created."
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 519
Elence the Scriptures tell us that men are of "more value than many
sparrows." In the text just read the value of one human soul is
strongly indicated by a forcible and pungent question. And when
we consider who the speaker is the language becomes more weighty
and significant, for the words of the text are from the loving heart
and undefiled lips of Jesus the Christ. His company of disciples is
around him. They are ignorant of the sufferings and cruel death
that are to come upon their Lord and Master, so Jesus began to show
unto them, "how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many
things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes and be killed, and
be raised again the third day." This news was shocking to them.
It so astonished Peter that he gave expression to his feeling by way
of a rebuke saying, "Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto
thee." But the Lord knew that he had to face cruel mockery, shame¬
ful inhumanities and an ignominious death for them and the world.
And it was also true that they should suffer many things for his
name's sake. He intimated the trials they would have to undergo,
and the sacrifices they would have to make. They are to be
similar to his own, therefore they must bear a cross, and some of
them must even be crucified for his sake. And for this reason they
must not consider life too dear to be sacrificed; and the favor of
men, the ease and enjoyment of the world must not be preferred
to its loss because of him. "For what is a man profited, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a
man give in exchange for his soul ? What is the soul ? The soul is
that material, immortal, living substance in us that wills, feels, and
moralizes and is the seat of our personalities. The soul then is the
man and the body is but an instrument under its control. The sug-
» gestive question concerning the value of the soul demands our atten¬
tion because Christ was the creator of the- soul. He, who is the ex¬
press image of the Godhead bodily, was with the Father when it was
said "Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness," and
when the lifeless clay, infused with that mysterious power called life,
became a living soul it was through his will and power; "for all
things were made by him, and without him was not anything made
that was made.'' Then as creator of the soul it is natural for him to
know something of its inestimable worth.
Admit if you please that we finite creatures cannot see this great
value of the soul which Christ would convey in these questions.
This would not weaken their force nor becloud the truth they reveal.
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Because one man sees and another does not see beauty in the waving*
wheat and tasseled corn, in the outspreading landscape and rolling
hills, in chiming sea waves and twinkling stars—it does not argue
that they are without their characteristic excellence and peculiar
grandeur. Besides this we do not speak thus concerning other
things of less importance in the ordinary affairs of life. In fact we
believe in a great many things we do not understand. You may not
know how the blood passes through the body or how many times it
circulates the whole frame in a stated time. Yet, since Hervey dis¬
covered the circulation of the blood, we believe in it.
How the soul is united to the body we can never tell in our present
state, yet where is the man that believes there is no connection be¬
tween soul and body? Men tell us these things, and we believe them.
My dear friends, why do we not believe Christ when he tells us the
soul is priceless in its worth? The sculptor's trained eye looks upon
the rough marble, covered it may be with rubbish and dirt, but he
sees in it the image or likeness of a Homer, a Washington, or a Sum¬
ner. So it is with that eye which pierces through all disguises to
which the darkness is as the light. Christ looks upon us, ruined as
we are by the fall, defaced and marred by sin; but beneath the de¬
formed body, its corruptible flesh and crumbling bones, he sees an
immortal soul, the image and likeness not of men nor angels, but
the image and likeness of the Almighty God—the eternal, immortal,
invisible Being. We accept the words of the sculptor; may the
Spirit help us to take the words of Christ, with all their deep mean¬
ing, to-day, if we have not before, and begin to think that the human
soul has a value that we finite creatures cannot estimate. The
words of the text are more significant when we remember that
Christ had a human soul. He was very man as well as very God.
In him was the mystical union of two natures, a Divine and human,
in one person. Hence the angel tells Joseph, "They shall call his
name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us."
The work he came to perform demanded such a person. The
broken law required blood; but God is a Spirit, he cannot bleed. It
claimed death as a penalty for its dishonor, but God is eternal and
invisible; he cannot die. Therefore he took upon himself this bur¬
densome humanity, and thus he became a mortal, visible man with a
human soul. His birth, his hungering and thirsting, his weeping
and dying, all declare that he was a man. But the arrow of death
could pierce only his humanity; for when it touched his divinity it
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 521
lost its sting and was shivered by the contact. And so the third
morning—this very day—revealed to the world his divinity. None
but our God can raise himself from the dead. See, the conquering
hero comes! He that was dead is alive for evermore. He has
wrestled from death and hell their keys. He has bound Satan in re¬
lentless chains; and, as his victorious chariot sweeps over the plains
of the invisible land, he drags "the roaring lion" at its wheels as
an evidence of his great triumph. And so we see that Christ is God
and man. Then let us believe him when he tells us that one human
soul is of more value than the whole world. The great value of the
soul, as indicated in Christ's words, may be inferred from what was
done for its redemption. "God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
The soul amid its ruins so moved the Father as to give His Only
Begotten to restore it to a state of grace, that it might return to
that happiness from which rash transgression had driven it. And
while the soul trembles under the impending wrath of Jehovah,
Jesus, blessed Jesus, became its substitute, and upon his head was
poured the voluntary sacrificial chastisement due to the soul as its
punishment. Oh, what a struggle it was to redeem those souls of
ours! What sacrifices our Redeemer had to make even before he
could enter upon the work of redemption. He was the great center
of attraction in heaven. To him all the spirits of that bright world
directed their adoration and praise. The revolution of planets, and
the chants of sweet and lofty strains by celestial seraphs added to
the volume of universal hallelujahs. But all this must be sacrificed
to save lost and perishing souls.
Angels, cease magnifying my name for awhile. Palmed victors,
who have obtained through faith in the promised Messiah, stop wav¬
ing your signs of triumph toward me; and star-crowned patriarchs,
prophets, priests and kings, "even the spirits of just men made per¬
fect," no longer prostrate yourselves before me nor cast your blood
bought trophies at my feet. All heaven silent. The awe-
stricken inhabitants thereof gaze in wonder and amazement while
the Son prepares to leave the place, his Father's house. Curiosity
seizes the angels. They try to understand this plan of redemption,
but they could not pierce the depths nor comprehend the heights of
God's love for a lost soul. But they recognize his power and wisdom
and cry out, '' Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals
522
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thereof." This was the preparatory work. He had to come to earth
and meet the great enemy of our souls; his armor is flesh, and he
girds upon his thigh the sword of the Spirit. He meets the enemy.
The struggle is long and bitter; but Christ, although he resisted
unto blood, came off the mighty conqueror. This victory was seen
in the days of prophecy. The Messianic prophet, looking from Pal¬
estine across the adjacent country, sees in his vision a strange, maj¬
estic and dignified person. He asks, "Who is this that cometh
from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this that is glo¬
rious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?'?
The answer comes back, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to
save." He asks again, "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel,
and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?" He an¬
swers, "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there
was none with me. Therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto
me." This arm brought salvation unto us and saved our souls. Do
you want to see what more Christ has done for our lost and guilty
souls? Follow the weeping church to Pilate's bar, as she follows
her persecuted Lord and Master. Go with her, as she goes with him
to Golgotha's summit. Stand with her, as she looks up to that cross
through her streaming tears. Behold the innocent Christ! See him
bleed, hear him groan and die. Then amid the great transaction and
from these heart-rending scenes learn something concerning the
value of a human soul; for—
" He dies ! The friend of sinners dies !
IyO ! Salem's daughters weep around;
A solemn darkness veils the skies,
A sudden trembling- shakes the ground.
Come, saints, and drop a tear or two
For him who groaned beneath your load;
He shed a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of richest blood."
Since it cost so much to ransom our souls, we, too, may now say,
"What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" But
what do we mean by the loss of the soul? What is it, my dear
friend, to lose your own soul ? It does not mean that the soul will be
annihilated or completely destroyed. It is even admitted by heathens
that there is an existence beyond the grave. In that state we will
be more conscious than in this; for all of our senses—hearing, see¬
ing and feeling, knowing and remembering—will be keener in the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 523
land of spirits than they are here. As the saved will be more quali¬
fied to enjoy the pleasure of heaven in their new bodies, so will the
lost soul feel more sharply the pains and pangs of hell. The
loss of the soul is the loss of all peace, purity and everything that
is God-like in us. It is to have no spiritual life. It is to be insen¬
sible to all that is good. It is to be denied the presence of God, to
be deprived of the glorious revelation which he will make to his be¬
loved people. It is to be shut out of heaven, and to have no well-
being whatever. This is not all we mean by a lost soul. The
entrance to heaven denied to a man is fearful and painful beyond
our conception, but shutting out of heaven signifies the shutting
in somewhere else. This somewhere else is the place of endless
torment. If we believe there is happiness in the heaven
above we must also believe there is woe in the hell be¬
low. This is the place of lost souls. The character of it'is ex¬
pressed in the strongest terms and painted in darkest shades by
Christ himself. It is where "the worm dieth not and the fire is not
quenched "Where the smoke of their torment goeth up forever."
And once within the confines of "weeping," "gnashing of teeth,"
"outer darkness," "unquenchable fire," with the "devil and his
angels," there is no coming out. Once there, we are there forever;
once doomed, we are doomed to all eternity. Then "what is a man
profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? "
The shortness of our stay in the world is an argument against our
preferring it at the expense of our souls. Man's days here are few
and full of trouble. His existence (seventy years) is but a flash,
compared with that eternity that awaits all living. Admit that we
could revel in all the pleasures of the world twenty-five, fifty or even
one hundred years, that we might drink deep and* long at the
sparkling bowl of innocent merriment, that we could participate in
all the pleasures of the captivating ball room, the alluring theatre
and the seducing card table, that we could stupefy our souls with the
sinful gratifications of flesh for a century, we would have to stop
sooner or later, for there comes a time in the history of every man
and every woman when God says thus far shalt thou go and no
farther, and death arrests us in the midst of our greatest joys.
Would you gain the momentary pleasures of the world and lose the
eternal bliss of heaven? Never. "For what is a man profited if he
shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" Neither can the
524
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world of intellectual pursuits be a compensation for a lost soul. Our
time in these studies of the mind is also limited. If we had the wis¬
dom and knowledge of a Solomon; if we, by our learning could soar
to yonder bright world, or by our wisdom construct an instrument
that would bring the stars to earth for our investigation, if we could
travel the unknown depths through the earth's crust and read its his¬
tory as engraved on the rugged rocks, yea, if we were the embodiment
of wisdom and the storehouse of universal knowledge, how long
would all this knowledge and wisdom last? They can endure but a
little while, for the withering and impartial hand Death strikes down
the wise as well as the foolish, the learned and the ignorant, and in a
moment we all go down to the grave, and God assures us "there is
no work, nor device, nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither
we go." Could we enjoy a thousand years' culture and extend our
research into untried regions this would be insignificant compared
with the well-being of the soul. " For what is a man profited if he
shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" But let us look
at this unreasonable exchange in another light. Suppose we could
live here forever. The world could not satisfy the desires of the
human soul. Man in his present state is never complete. His crav¬
ings have no bounds. He heaps up gold upon gold, still he is always
wanting gold. He climbs the topmost ladder of earthly glory and
fame, still his unsatisfied nature would go higher. Some have sub¬
dued nations, seized all known lands, but their greedy souls wept
because there were no more worlds to conquer.
My dear friends, we may exchange our souls for the world, but
the world with all its contents can never satisfy the human heart.
Let us take one example to show the inability of the world to satisfy
man. Byron was "a man of rank, and of capacious soul, who riches
had and fame beyond desire. An heir of flattery, to the titles born:
"A man of rank, and of capacious soul,
Who riches had and fame beyond desire,
An heir of flattery, to titles born,
And reputation and luxurious life,
Great man; the nations gazed and wondered much,
And praised : and called his evil good.
Wits wrote in favor of his wickedness,
And kings to do him honor took delight.
Thus full of titles, flattery, honor, fame ;
Beyond desire, beyond ambition, full—
He died—died of what ? of wretchedness,
Drank every, cup of joy, heard every trump of fame;
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
525
Drank early, deeply drank, drank draughts,
That common millions might have quenched, then died
Of thirst, becuse there was no more to drink."
My dear friends, there is an emptiness, a thirst in your souls that
nothing in this broad universe outside of God can fill.
" The world can never give
The bliss for which we sigh ;
'Tis not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die.
Beyond this vale of tears
There is a life above,
Unmeasured by the flight of years;
And all that life is love.
There is a death whose pang
Outlasts the fleeting breath ;
O what eternal horrors hang
Around the second death."
Another thought. If we live forever the world will not exist for¬
ever. It has its day of decline and destruction; for "the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall
pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fer¬
vent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned." What, will you lose your soul, which is eternal in its na¬
ture, to gain the whole world, which is to be destroyed by fiery ele¬
ments? You cannot afford to exchange a moment's pleasure for an
eternity of pain. Will you give the happiness of the redeemed for
the misery of the condemned? Then quit, to-night; quit the ex¬
change business. But you ask, Who are in the exchange business ?
Every man or womaTi who is out of Christ, who is without God and
without hope in the world, is in the exchange business.
The person who says I will get religion next year, or when I am
older, is exchanging his soul for a little time. For God may say to
you, "Thoufool, this night thy soul is required of thee." The indi¬
vidual who would go to one more ball, or have a few more games, and
then come to Christ, is exchanging the soul for the amusement of a
few hours. Yes, anything that keeps an unpardoned and polluted
sinner from the fountain opened in our Savior's side is the thing for
which a man exchanges his immortal soul. Ah, sad thought! I am
afraid that there are sometimes persons in the church who are en¬
gaged in the exchange business. They, whose lights do not shine,
who walk in darkness rather than light, and who are not living epis¬
tles known and read of all men, these are they who are in the
526
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exchange business, as well as the impenitent. But shall we continue
in that which degrades the soul, and dishonors him who bought it
with his own precious blood? No.
God warns us, my beloved brethren, in the history of Esau, who,
for one morsel of meat, exchanged his birthright, and afterwards,
when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he
found no place of repentance) though he sought it carefully, with
tears. He warns you, my unconverted hearer, by the history of
Dives, who exchanged his soul for purple, fine linen, and sumptuous
fare; but he afterwards lifted up his eyes in hell, being in torment.
Let all the earth keep silent before God, and let us hearken unto the
voice of the blessed Redeemer. "What is a man profited if he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what will a man give
in exchange for his soul?"
GHOIGE THOUGHTS AND UTTERANGES
OF WISE COLORED PEOPLE.
Color is the sign of trouble with judge and jury.—S. B. Wallace.
To make a contented slave you must make a thoughtless one.—
Frederick Douglass.
Don't aim to be consistent, but true. Consistency may lead to
error and wrong doing.—G. T. Robinson.
"The race must not forget the rock from whence they were hewn,
nor the pot from whence they were digged."—Wm. Still.
The amount of knowledge that a man has does not secure his use¬
fulness if he has so taken it in that he is lop-sided.—E. W. Blyden.
Remember, Christian Negroes, black as Cain, may be refined and
join the angelic train.—Phillis Wheatley.
If a man wants to know his own strength, he need not measure
himself. He needs only to size up the fellows who are pulling
against him to find out how strong he is.—Bishop Grant.
We cannot go to Africa and succeed with all our ignorance and pov¬
erty. Let our big men set out to break down immorality among
Negroes and white folks. Get Negroes to have more refinement and
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
527
race pride, use Negro books and papers, hang Negro pictures on
their walls; get up Negro industries and give deserving colored men
and women employment; break down superstition and mistrust.
Get Negroes to act decently both publicly and privately.—Athens
(Ga.) Clipper.
Stay as far away from danger as possible.—Capt. G. T. Robiwon.
Flirting with the truth is the modest way of calling a man a liar
without making him mad.—Editor Texas Gazette.
We are in favor of the saloons being closed twenty-four hours each
day and seven days in each week.—Rev. R. W. E. Ferguson.
The captive Jews could not sing by the waters of Babylon, but
the Negroes in the dark dungeon of American slavery made them¬
selves harps, tuned them to some of the most thrilling melodies.—
E. W. Blyden.
Each race is endowed with peculiar talents, and watchful to the
last degree is the great Creator over the individuality, the freedom
and independence of each.—E. W. Blyden.
"There is a future before the race; a great and useful future—a
future fraught with results which shall touch every phase of the
world's life, and bring men into sweeter harmony with each other and
with God."—Rev. Geo. C. Rowe.
"A Negro paper should pay special attention to those things
which concern the race. Take politics in small doses without any
shaking."—Hon. Geo. T. Robinson.
" Christian education and wealth is the colored man's only savior. •
Those two things acquired will do more to adjust his station in life
than any two acquisitions imaginable."—Editor Knoxville Gleaner.
"Negroes are more religious than white folks. They are more
emotional. Emotion is not a virtue, for some emotionalists are sadly
wanting in all the virtues."—Editor Nashville Citizen.
"I am exceedingly anxious that eyery young colored man and
woman should keep a hopeful and cheerful spirit as to the future.
Pespite all of our disadvantages and hardships, ever since our fore¬
fathers set foot upon American soil as slaves, our pathway has been
marked by progress. Think of it. We went into slavery pagans;
we came out Christians. We went into slavery a piece of property;
we came 'out American citizens. We went into slavery without a lan-
528
afro-american encyclopaedia.
guage; we came out speaking the proud Anglo-Saxon tongue. "We
went into slavery with slav6 chains clanking about our wrists; we
came out with the American ballot in our hands."—Prof. B. T. Wash¬
ington.
There is not a single Negro in the United States on the road to
practical truth, so far as his race is concerned. He feels something
in him; his instincts point to it, but. he cannot act out what he feels.
And when he has made up his mind to remain in America, he has also
made up his mind to surrender his race integrity; for he sees no
chance of its preservation.—E. W. Blyden.
"Give the women a free use of the ballot and the Upas tree of in¬
temperance will be hewn down by the axe of prohibition."—Mrs. M.
A. Mg Curdy.
"Influences may be set at work in your life and in mine, sup¬
ported by an earnest purpose, which, like a mighty anthem, shall
swell and expand, increasing in volume and sweetness as it makes its
way adown the years—drawing men through the power of that
Christian education which has been emphasized in us, to recognize
the beauty of knowledge and. wisdom, "whose ways are ways of
pleasantness and all her paths are peace."—Rev. George C. Rowe.
"There is a mistaken idea that 'culture' means to paint a little,
sing a little, dance a little, put on haughty airs, and to quote passages
from popular books. It means nothing of the kind. Culture means
politeness, charity, fairness, good temper and good conduct. Cul¬
ture is not a thing to make a display of; it is something to use so
moderately that people do not discover all at once that you have it."
—Editor Colored American.
While man can boast of great physical strength, skill and bull dog
courage, woman carries in her weak frame a moral courage very sel¬
dom found among men. If our race is to be a great race in this great
nation of races, our women must be largely instrumental in making
it so.—American Baptist.
Reading is to the mind what eating is to the body. So to eat with¬
out giving nature time to assimulate is to rob her, first of health, then
life; so to read without reflecting is to cram the intellect and para¬
lyze the mind. In all cases, dear friends, reflect more than you read,
in order to present what you read to your hearers.—8. A. Wesson,
Lincolnville, 8. C.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race. 529
Let us as Negroes educate; let us survive; let us live up to our
opportunities of doing good to ourselves and to others, so shall we
work out a glorious destiny upon earth, and contribute our share of
the good and great immorals out of every nation, that shall take
their places among "the spirits of just men made perfect who are
without fault before the throne."—Rev. Wm. D. Johnson, D.D.,
Athens, Ga.
"When I contemplate the actions of the American Negro on the
battlefields of the South—at the many scenes of carnage in which
he was engaged during the late War of Rebellion—with what hero¬
ism he performed deeds of valor, showing and demonstrating his
ability even at the cannon's mouth, my very heart bleeds for the foul
blot heaped upon the countless thousands of black men, who laid
their lives upon their country's altar, for the establishment and
perpetuity of this government."—Hon. J. A. Brown, in Ohio Legis¬
lature, Mcvrch 10, 1886.
"It will be a serious step for Africa, the emigrants themselves
and the cause of Christianity for any great number of Negroes who
do not know the primary principles of the Christian religion, and
the rudiments of self-government to migrate to that dark continent.
None but the very best people should go to Africa—none but wise
and industrious Christians should be encouraged nor induced to go
to that benighted land."—Professor Floyd.
The exiled Negro in the Western Hemisphere, in spite of slavery,
in spite of bitter prejudices, the dark passions of which he has been
the victim, has come under influences which have given him the ele¬
ments of a nobler civilization. The seed of a spiritual, intellectual,
industrial life has been planted in his bosom, which, when he is
transferred to the land of his fathers, will grow up into beauty, ex¬
pand into flower, and develop into fruit which the world will be glad
to welcome.—E. W. Blyden.
A potent factor for the elevation of the Negro that can be wielded
to better advantage in literary and debating societies than by any
other channel in the disseminating and encouragement of Negro lit¬
erature among the masses, for there is no intermediate agency that
will instill race pride, race confidence and race co-operation in the
Negro faster than reading race books and race papers.—Chas. V.
Monk,, Philadelphia.
34
530
afro-american encyclopaedia.
"Character possession is as essential to a people as to an indi¬
vidual. That is to say, the race without a greater percentage of
moral worth on its side is as helpless and hopeless as the man or
woman devoid of the same attribute of strength and greatness.
Those nations and peoples with centuries of history behind them
need not be so careful in the matter of virtuous conduct as those
who have made none or but little headway on the road to civilization
and race grandeur. The Afro-American youth therefore would do
well to rid himself of the delusions that he can afford to follow in the
wake of his dominant Caucasian companion so far as vice and immor¬
ality are involved. Japheth has reveled in success so long and main¬
tains such a grasp on the reins of universal mastery at present, that
he can with more propriety afford to take a day off than can his un¬
fortunate brother of Hamitic descent. From pulpits, lecture stands,
lyceums, tracts, books, papers, club rooms and every other medium
of reaching them, our young men should be given to understand that
they can ignore the claims of morality, virtue and religion only at
the greatest peril. Cards, dice, drink and dissipation in numberless
forms may be indulged in by the weak ones of the stronger race, but
those of our weaker race ;vho would be strong must avoid these
vices as they would shun poison."—Rev. JET. T. Johnson, Editor Chris¬
tian Recorder.
EXTRACTS FROM THE COLORED PRESS.
Make it your highest aim to be good wives; the race needs you
and must depend on you. When we come to calculate the forces that
decide the destiny of nations, it must be confessed that the mightiest
and grandest come from home, good homes, the very salt of society,
the strength and joy of any nation. Then banish from your minds,
I pray you, that labor in itself is harmful and degrading-.—Knoxvilh
Gleaner.
One of the hopeful signs of the times is the healthy condition of
our educational work. All the leading schools, conducted under our
church, are reported as having a good attendance of students and
doing sufficient work in preparing young men and women for the
duties and responsibilities of life.—Star of Zion.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
531
The Colored Building, Loan and Trust Company, of South Caro¬
lina, has just been organized at Allendale with $100,000 capital. The
company purposes to establish in every town in the State a branch
office. This is a commendable enterprise.—Pueblo Times.
The Home for Friendless Colored Girls, "Washington, D. C., has
received a donation of forty-two pieces of clothing from Mrs. Cleve¬
land. The president heard of the needs of the home and sent coal,
wood and everything needed in the pantry, from a barrel of flour and
hams down to salt and yeast cakes. Friends of Mrs. Cleveland who
learned of the institution through her, also made liberal donations.—
From Omaha Enterprise.
At this season of the year hundreds of our young men and women
will be thrown upon their own resources after graduating from the
schools. What opening is there for them ? Our thinking and mon¬
eyed men should study this question, and if they do, they will find
out that the only way for our educated ones to be provided for, is for
those of us who are able, to establish various kinds of businesses
and give them employment.—Savannah Tribune.
Every colored family should point with pride to the deeds of our
great men. The walls of our homes should be adorned with the
pictures of those of our own race who have proven that we are not
deficient in men of noble and towering deeds. The tables should
bear books of history and biography which would make our boys
and girls acquainted with what has been wrought for by the race. If
we do not look out for these points the next generation will not be
what it should be.—Editor Christian Clipper.
The white and the colored Catholics of Louisiana have been wor¬
shiping together in the same churches ever since Bienville planted
the French banner upon the banks of the river of St. Louis, now
called the Mississippi; indeed, all through the dark days of slavery
they knelt together at the same altar without any objection being
made to the "brother in black." But to-day the white Catholics find
the colored brother's presence to be distasteful, and this feeling has
taken shape in the setting apart for the use of colored Catholics of
the old church of Saint Joseph, which has been closed ever since the
congregation took possession of the new church of the same name.
All this shows that prejudice, instead of diminishing, is on the in¬
crease.—Hew Orleans Bepubiican. '
532
afro-american encyclopedia.
Summer excursions and picnics have started. Negroes in the
South spend every summer on these silly things twice enough money
to carry them through each succeeding fall and winter. The one
thing to be regretted about it all, is that you cannot succeed in mak¬
ing the great majority of Negroes see that it is detrimental to their
best interests to continue to patronize such things. It would be a
thousand times better if we, as a race, put one half as much in sav¬
ing banks as we invest on excursions and red lemonade.—Augusta
Sentinel.
A NEGRO BANK.
The support given our new bank is creditable in every respect, and
our people are to be commended for taking hold so readily. Now let
every colored business man in the community make his deposits
there, and soon we will have the respect of every white business man
in the community. Already the bank has several white depositors.
—Baltimore Standard.
RACE CO-OPERATION.
What the Afro-American most needs as a race-man is a larger
spirit of co-operation. He should encourage every worthy ambition
of a member of his race, and should patronize and foster every laud¬
able enterprise which is controlled by his people. The Afro-Ameri¬
can can only become a formidable factor in this country by uniting
his forces. It is too common to hear him speak disparagingly of the
efforts of his own race. Some Afro-American fossils and fogies take
a morbid delight in an adverse criticism of themselves. A first-class
funeral occasionally, is of incalculable benefit to the race.—Beacon
Light.
A WISE NEGRO EDITOR.
Some of our subscribers wish to know why we do not pay more at¬
tention to politics. Our reason is simple and plain. We do not see
what benefit comes to the colored people, as a race, by devoting so
much of their time and energy to building up the political fortunes
of white men, who do not care one whit for them, more than for
their votes. For twenty-five years we have been worshiping at the
shrine of some political god, and our returns are indeed very mea¬
gre. If we had turned our attention along material lines, we would
have been much better off to-day than we are. So far as the Negro
is concerned, the Herald will ever advise him to cease office hunting.
thoughts, doings, and sayings of the race.
533
It is a whirlpool "that has ruined more men than it has made bet¬
ter." Just glance over the field and see the men of our own acquain¬
tance who have been successful and see what they are doing. No,
dear friends, readers and subscribers, it is far better to spend that
energy in making an honest living, accumulating property, beautify¬
ing your homes, educating your children, and making good and use¬
ful members of your community, than in wasting your energies in
chasing phantoms which only the Anglo-Saxons can capture after a
hard struggle. Again, dear subscriber, remember that we are to
make our impress in this country along other than political lines. I
will write more on this subject when I have the leisure.—Petersburg
Herald.
Every law-abiding, self-respecting, hardworking colored citizen of
the United States should denounce in unmeasured terms those young
men of the race who do not work, but loaf; who do nothing to elevate
but everything to degrade the race; who choose the sunny side of
the street corners in winter and the shady side in summer; who use
all kinds of vulgar and indecent language, insulting ladies as they
pass. It is this loafing, nomadic young class that drifts to crimes,
caused by idleness, evil associations and the fact that this class does
not know the value of a dollar nor the enormity of a crime. These
young men are millstones welded by chains around the necks of
those of us who are trying to be something and do something in the
world. There are no palliating circumstances, no mitigating con¬
ditions—nothing on God's green earth—that will even to the slightest
degree excuse this worthless class.—Leavemvorth Herald.
Houston has among its population. broad and liberal-hearted men,
who are earnestly anxious for the Negro to acquire the fullest and
most comprehensive ideas of citizenship, and who lend their aid to
assist in his material advancement, but the point we aim to impress
is that the average white man does not understand the Negro as a
man. They do not contemplate him with regard to moral and per¬
sonal worth, but with regard to the darker side of life, as illustrated
by the vicious and criminal elements of his race, and as a dependent
mendicant appendage that must be tolerated and not encouraged.
If the self-respecting man of color received the same favorable con¬
sideration that the self-respecting white man receives, conditions
would be materially changed. The masses of the white population
are not the broad and liberal people that are often found in indi-
534
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
viduals. There does exist in the South and North a very good deal
of senseless prejudice against the Negro, and the sooner the man of
intelligence and worth is appreciated as such, the sooner will a per¬
fect era of good fellowship and manliness be predominant elements
of our citizenship. The white man does good for himself and for
posterity when he helps to build up to higher civilization the Negro,
along with the alien elements of population, which come from foreign
lands, and which are so easily and so quickly assimilated into the
body politic. Without asking for, and not even desiring, intercourse
of a social nature, the cultured and self-respecting colored man sim¬
ply and only desires sympathy of the helpful, friendly kind, or what
is better, to be left alone and not have his efforts to acquire the higher
civilization hindered or thwarted. The Negro desires "friendly re¬
lations with his neighbors," because he knows that he will be bene¬
fited and because no harm, but positive good, will come to his neigh¬
bors. The dispersion of ignorance and a continued upward, moral
and mental tendency is conducive to the betterment of all elements
of a community.—The (Texas) Freeman.
FLIRTING WOMEN.
The first question a man asks when he sees a girl flirting is,
whether she is respectable, or not: it raises a doubt at once. This
being the case, no modest girl can afford to indulge in the pastime.
When the down is brushed from the peach, its beauty is so marred
that it can never be restored, and when a young girl throws lightly
aside that sweet and modest reserve so becoming to a maiden, and
which so elevates her, and enables her to command the respect of all,
she loses her greatest charm and becomes rather cheap and com¬
mon. Flirting may Seem to the giddy and thoughtless girl wonder¬
fully amusing, and she may get the idea that she is facinating, but it
is a most degrading thing, and should be frowned upon by every
young lady who has an ambition to become a worthy and charming
young woman.—Huntsville (Ala.) Jowrnal.
THE SUNSHINE GIRL.
A fast young man decided to make a young lady a formal offer of
his heart and hand—all he was worth—hoping for a cordial reception.
He cautiously prefaced his declaration with a few questions, for he
had no intention of "throwing himself away." Did she love him
well enough to live in a cottage with him? Was she a good cook?
Did she think it a wife's duty to make home happy? Would she con-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
535
suit his tastes and wishes concerning her associates and pursuits of
life? Was she economical? Could she make her own clothes? etc.
The young lady said that before she answered his questions she
would assure him of some negative virtues she possessed. She never
drank, smoked or chewed; never owed a bill to her laundress or
tailor; never stayed out all night playing billiards; never lounged on
the street corners and ogled giddy girls; never stood in with the boys
for cigars and wine suppers. "Now," said she, rising indignantly,
"I am assured by those who know, that you do all these things, and
it is rather absurd for you to expect all the virtues in me, while you
do not possess any yourself. I can never be your wife." And she
bowed him out and left him on the cold door-step, a madder if not a
wiser man.—Congregational Herald.
TRAP FOR YOUNG OIRLS.
Many a poor worn out mother and broken down father have been
puzzled about raising their girls, never stopping to think that they
often set the trap, which'some one else only sprung to usher their
daughter headlong into eternity. Oftimes when ruin has visited the
home of some poor mother and stolen the dearest of the household,
she begins to look around to discover the cause, and yet fails to look
in the right direction. Every mother should hold as her most sacred
possession the virtue of her daughter, and should consider the loss of
one of them more than all the world. Dear reader, if you visited this
section and could step in for a moment you would readily conclude
that mothers were completely forgetting, fathers were unconcerned,
and brothers thoughtless. The trap is already set, in these portions,
to catch those of the fairer sex, and who has set this trap? Parents
who are not awake to their own interest, and who do not love their
family as they should. They allow their girls to receive company at
the turn of twelve years. Could there be a deeper pit for your girls
than this? Can there be anything that would sooner tend to lead
them astray? I say no. Try to restrain one about fourteen after
she has begun receiving company as early as twelve and you will
need no proof. Have you, mothers, noticed the pleas from mothers
all over the State urging "the age of consent bill?" If you have,
surely you will tighten up on these lines. This has not come.to me
as an idle tale, but I see the mighty ditch. May you have reason to
see even further than I see, but above all reach for and preserve the
respect and virtue of your girls. Have them place a high estimate
536 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
on virtue and in so doing you compel the young men to take a higher
and nobler stand. May the God of peace guide you, and may you
make the raising of your daughters and the care of your family an
every day study.—From The New Test.
MORE NEGRO THAN WHITE.
BY REV. G. V. CLARK IN "CHRISTIAN HERALD."
ANY of our white friends,when a Negro proves himself to be
truly great, hasten to claim that it is due to one or the other of
two causes. If a black man becomes great, as scores have done,
they say he is a wonder—a sort of a phenomenon. They assume that
it is not natural for a genuine Negro to be anything more than a step
above the brute. Hence they resort to desperate ends to show that
his greatness cannot be credited to the race. The race of itself, say
they, has no elements that will produce truly great men. These
declarations prove the ignorance and blind prejudice of this class.
If on the other hand, a great Negro is of mixed blood, Negro and
white, his greatness is due, they proudly boast, to the white blood
that is in him. According to what they admit, the mixing of Negro
and white blood in the same veins does not destroy the boasted great¬
ness of the Caucausian blood. I do not advocate the mixing. That
question is not one and the same with what I am talking about.
Since the death of Frederick Douglass, a number of newspapers,
while admitting and even extolling his greatness, have boldly said
that he was more white than Negro, and that owing to this fact Mr.
Douglass' greatness is to be ascribed. On this point I have this to
say: First, Mr. Douglass, in his autobiography, admits that he did
not know his father, but felt very strongly that he was a white man.
He also says that his mother was of Negro and Indian blood. Now,
putting the two facts together, namely: that he did not know his
father, and that his mother was of mixed blood, I claim that it is
very improbable that Mr. Douglass had a white father. Take two
other facts. In color he was light brown. His hair was woolly.
Now, it is admitted that if the father was white and his mother
mixed blood, as history records, the white blood would have shown
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
537
itself either in the hair or the complexion. Having seen and con¬
versed with this great and good man, I emphatically say that there
was not the slightest evidence in the color of the skin, nor in the
texture of his hair, nor even in his features, to show that his father
was white.
My conclusion is, therefore, that the evidence is all in favor of the
late Hon. Frederick Douglass' being the son of a colored man, and
woman of mixed blood. He is, without doubt, a most thoroughly
representative Negro. That he, like Dr. Crumwell, Professors Crog-
man, Scarborough, B. B. Wright, and Bishop Arnett of the A. M. E.
Church, and Dr. J. C. Price, all show conclusively the possibilities of
the Negro race in America. I hold that Mr. Douglass proves what
the Negro can be in character and intellect just what Mr. Gladstone
proves as to the possibilities of the Anglo-Saxon race. Character
and intellect are the chief elements which go to make a race as well
as a man, truly great.
fortune: on his people.
[Extract from an address by Hon. T. T. Fortune on " Colored People's Day " at the
Cotton Palance, Waco, Texas.]
Tl A DIES and gentlemen, it is often said of the Afro-American in
<pr the South that he has no past, that he has no history; but the
fact remains and it is recorded in the books where it will re¬
main "until the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds" that in
every crucial period in the history of this country he was very much
in evidence. He was the leader of the party that defied the British
in Boston harbor before actual war had been declared against the
mother country, and the commonwealth of Massachusetts has but
recently dedicated a monument to commemorate the fact, upon whose
front is engraved the names of Attucks, the black man, and Maverick
and Caldwell who with him shed the first blood that led to the inde¬
pendence of the American colonies and to the establishment of a re¬
public which is to-day one of the richest and most powerful on the
globe. And more than that: There were more than 3,000 Afro-
American soldiers enlisted in the revolutionary army commanded by
Gen. George Washington, of whom it has been written that he was
538
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
"first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his country¬
men." We, too, have part with those who have launched the ship of
state upon the ocean of nations, and we, too, can say with Longfellow:
" Then, too, sail on, oh Ship of State !
Sail on, oh Union, strong- and great;
Humanity with all its fears,
With all its hope of future years,
Is hanging- breathless on thy fate.
"We know what master laid thy keel,
What workmen wrought thy ribs of steel,
Who made each mast and sail and rope.
What anvils rang, what hammers beat,
In what a forge and what a heat
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope.
" Fear not each sudden sound and shock.
*' Tis of the wave and not the rock,
' Tis but the flapping of the sail,
And not a rent made by the gale!
In spite of rock and tempest roar,
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee;
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
Are all with thee, are all with thee! "
Go read what Gen. Andrew Jackson said to the black freeman of
New Orleans in the war of 1812, when the British troops invested
that stronghold; read the splendid promises he made them. Then
read the valor they displayed in the great battle in which Old Hick¬
ory routed the red coats. Then, saddest of all, go read how the
promises were broken, as they have always been by the American
white men, when made to black men! And in this same war of 1812,
mark the part the black soldier played in the navy, especially in the
splendid victory won by Commodore Perry on Lake Erie. In all the
Indian wars, especially that against the Seminoles in Florida, and
the Creeks and Choctaws of Alabama, we bore a valorous part. And
then in the great war between the states, this vast audience knows
that 200,000 black troops fought in the union army—fought like
tigers—and that 200,000 of them remained in the fields of the South
and made the supplies that kept the Confederate armies in the field,
and protected the wives and children of those in the field. Did not
these sable children wear the uniform of gray in a double sense? We
fought on both sides of the question. We did so knowing that the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 539
success of one side meant freedom to us, and that the success of the
other meant continued servitude. Ladies and gentlemen, you will
seek in vain for a parallel to this state of the case in all history.
How shall we account for it? It is worth the pains to seek for cause
of result so paradoxical and unusual in the history of mankind. I
think not. I think that philosophy and logic may both be silent in
the presence of a phenomenon for which a dozen reasons may be
given. We have the result.
The 200,000 who fought on the Union side received their reward,
the gratitude of a reunited people in which a small annual pension
reminds them; they received the emancipation of 4,500,000 of their
brethren from the bonds of chattel slavery; and they received the
right to vote, to take part in all high and holy functions of citizen¬
ship, of mankind. And what have they received who fought on the
side of the gray? This is a question upon which there is much dif¬
ference of opinion. A short time ago I read of the death and burial
of a black man who acted a part in one of the Mississippi regiments.
It does not matter what the part was. The man who digs out the
foundation of an empire, who cooks the soldier's food or grooms the
the trooper's charger plays his part as much as the general who
plans the battle and leads the army to victory. The mudsill of so¬
ciety is as necessary as the dome that rises in the sky; the "Web¬
ster s, the Calhouns, the Sumners, the Robert J. Walkers—well, this
man died. When he breathed his last he was drawing a pension from
the treasury of Mississippi. The hearse that bore his remains to
their final resting place was followed by a long line of veterans of
the lost cause, battle-scarred veterans of high and low degree, who
regarded the dead black as one of them. They laid him to rest in
the sod of his fellows; and the words of the poet sighed in the trees
this requiem:
" On fame's eternal camping- ground
His silent tent is spread;
And glory marks Vith silent round
The bivouac of the dead."
When I read this silent tribute in a New York paper my heart
swelled within me, and I forgot that the man honored had fought on
the lost .side of a great cause; I forgot that those who did him honor
had had it in their hearts to enslave me and mine. I remembered
only that the brave comrades of the brave dead, had stood at the
grave of a fellow soldier with uncovered head, and paid him the last
540
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
honors of war and friendship. I know that it is common to call
aloud against the white men of the South for certain acts of his
which conform neither to logic nor law, nor gratitude; but even
when doing this, I cannot forget that in every State, and city, and
hamlet, and plantation in the South, there has always been, and there
is to-day a helpful sympathy and interest which sustains the weak,
which cares for the sick, and in a measure respects the strong. And
I believe the time will come, when every difference, now a bone of con¬
tention between the races, will have been composed to the satisfac¬
tion of all parties interested. My faith in this respect is strong,
because I have seen so many changes for the better in the past
thirty years.—Texas Freeman.
/
HABITS AND ASSOCIATIONS.
BY CHAS. V. MONK.
fEW if any agencies can reach and practically benefit the Negro to
a proportionate extent as the encouragement of organizing and
cultivating literary societies among the masses, and it is an in¬
controvertible fact that the freedom of such societies affords more
inducement and develops the capacity of dispassionately analyzing
and examining those questions and problems that potently affect the
Negro more than any other means. And it is a lamentable fact that
the worth of such associations furnishes another spoke in the hub of
our existence, and until this matter occupies the consideration of our
people to a greater extent, the fond hope of ever occupying the level
of social and political equality will always be a phantom and delusion,
for the literary and debating lyceum must be the training schools to
awaken the race out of the lethargy and despondency under which col-
orphobia, injustice and cruelty have placed them and enable them to
see themselves as the civilized world sees them; and no agent affords
greater inducement and facility to study Negrology than these socie¬
ties. Until there is a better acquaintance with the science of the
Negro problem in its broadest and most comprehensive extent, ad¬
vancement as a mass will be almost inperceptible. Seminaries and
colleges may continue turning out numbers of Negro graduates and
students, but as long as their energies are expended in a few govern¬
mental positions or porters and waiters in stores, railroads or hotels,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 541
we can't expect the'thousands of the race to be benefited directly or
indirectly by their learning.
All of my readers will admit with me that the Negro lacks confi¬
dence in himself and his race. He, as a part of the American people
is more prejudiced against his kind than the other race is against
him. Now what is the cause of this (as you know everything must
have a cause)? Why is it he does not engage more in mercantile pur¬
suits? Why is it he distrusts his race so, especially, in the Northern
section of our country? What causes the seeming indifference and
lack of sympathy with which he views the downfall, insults and deg¬
radation and lynching of his kind and class ? If I had space I could
discuss the heredical side and phase and prove to you that these con¬
ditions have their cause largely in hereditary influence; but time and
space will not permit, so I shall briefly advance the environmental
reason why these things exist and what influence the environment
has in developing these deplorable conditions. First the Negro does
not encourage social and intelligent intercourse in organized bodies
and assemblies. He does not come in personal contact with others at a
time of life when he is better qualified to develop the good traits and the
intellect. Especially is this true of the rural districts, and particu¬
larly in the South. As our large cities of the North are made up
largely of the influx of this rural constituency with its warped and
biased intellect, malformated and shrunken by ignorance, supersti¬
tion, heredity and environment, we see the baneful results in our
progress, civil and political. I repeat, he does not come in contact
with the higher and nobler natures. He meets, truly, but how does
he meet? (Generally those who have traveled any at all in our rural
districts, especially in the States of Delaware, Maryland and Vir¬
ginia will bear me out.) It is on Satuday nights in the stores of the
white merchants, who only care for him for what money he can get
out of him, and who will sometimes furnish him with free rum and
invariably has a "Nigger" in.the fullest sense of the word with a
mouth organ, fiddle or accordeon to attract attention. They meet in
the alleys in the rear of the taverns and hotels where they are rele-
gaded to get their rum, apparently denied the semblance of man¬
hood, to walk up to the bar like men.
These are some of the ways in which the young Negro meets those
who must at some future time be the progenitors of the race; this
is the influence brought to bear to develop him; these are the lega¬
cies he bequeaths to the race. Now can one wonder that we progress
542
AFRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
so slowly when the very source, is corrupt from the fountain head ? In¬
stead of the development of the higher nature, intellect and reason
there is a greater development of the sensual animal nature instinct
and passion, and with a large proportion of our females it is the same
—loitering around the tobacco-fumed stores on Saturday nights in
our rural districts amid the rough, coarse, vulgar jests of the young
men, contaminating their thoughts and sensual propensities with
this baneful influence; at last, through heredity vitiating the
morals of the race, and this is a destructive and retarding element
that for hugeness cannot be conceived, holding the race back as a
mass from progressing faster out of the vortex of immorality, ine¬
briation and disgrace that the past condition consigned them to. The
Negro as a mass loses sight of his tender age as a part and factor of
the American people. In his distorted imagination he considers
himself the equal of other classes who by reason of circumstances
and birth must be his superiors. And by so thinking and overesti¬
mating himself he denies himself of the stimulus that would make
him exert himself, that is, the desire to equal and excel.
But, my dear readers, I want to prove to you that in the literary
and debating society the Negro has the best means of uplifting him¬
self and rectifying those things in his nature and customs that hold
him back, and that he has in them the most powerful lever in demon¬
strating his actual possibility, and refuting those fallacies that are
heaped on him as a class. The Negro press and pulpit truly are
doing wonders toward building up the race, but as Solomon says,
uChildhood and youth are vanity," and the church cannot, to any
great extent, instil race pride in the young of the race; for, first, the
Negro's religion is a malformation, and so highly impregnated with
ignorance and superstition that it wields a very small influence
directly over the practical development of the race. It is also im¬
possible to get the masses of our people to read unless there is a
powerful inducement, and so they orphan themselves from the stim¬
ulus that would benefit them. But in the literary and debating
society they find a stimulus that the thinking and working classes
have not the time or inclination to read, reflect or consider, and are
here brought face to face with the issues that most particularly in¬
terest their welfare in the papers and discussions that take place
from time to time. Discussion develops the mind, and in the careful
digest of any subject the eyes are opened to existing conditions and
evils and the need of remedies, and the thoughtful and observant will
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 543
find those remedies. Another grand result of the encouragement of
such societies among the Negro race is that the sexes are associated
together under such conditions that characters are formed and
molded, and men are taught to regard femininity with that deferen¬
tial regard that is due them, and the women are taught their true
position, relation and responsibility to the race; she realizes that
men are just what women make them, and if they would have them
different they must make them so. As man makes the law that gov¬
erns the nation, women make the law that governs the home. Woman
forms the social and moral standing by which both men and women
must abide, and in realizing her position she builds a foundation for
future generations.
And still a third potent factor for the elevation of the Negro that
can be wielded to better advantages in the literary and debating so¬
cieties than by any other channel in the disseminating and encourage-
mentof Negro literature among us the masses, for there is no interme¬
diate agency that will instill race pride, race confidence and co-opera¬
tion in the Negro faster than reading race books and race papers.
We are powerfully influenced by what we read, and in coming in con¬
tact with the minds of men, and reviewing the lives of race men
who overcome the environmental influence of both and arose to prom¬
inence, will be a stimulate to the young Negro of to-day, and in the
lyceum or literary society he has that desire stimulated to read
these books. A large percentage of our school teachers and public
men to-day received their first impression to develop themselves and
to consecrate and dedicate their lives to the improvement of the race
through the admiration excited for some Negro character brought
prominently before some society by reading Negro literature. In
the hands of bigoted and incompetent heads, any institution of use
will be abused, and thus stigmatize laudable endeavors. So has it
been with debating societies. Instead of being used for the high and
lofty purpose that they are susceptible of being used to develop,
they largely have been the arena for the discussion of the most trivial
and foolish questions that the mind can conceive, and instead of de¬
veloping high and lofty principles they have largely developed either
the combative and pugnacious, or only the human tendencies to a
great extent. There are exceptions to everything, but from indica¬
tions to-day, the intellectual debating society is on the decline, and
with its decline a powerful spoke in the wheel of the Negro progress
is declining.
544
afro-american encyclopedia.
STONEWALL JACKSON.
The following tribute to Stonewall Jackson was written in 1886, by
Rev. A. A. Whitman, the famous colored poet-evangelist of the A.
M. E. Church. It was dedicated to the Confederate veterans, and
received a wide circulation in the press throughout the country.
Mrs. Caddie Whitman, wife of the. noted evangelist, has recited the
poem in many opera houses North and South, also before the joint
legislature of Mississippi, and has always received the warmest ap¬
plause :
Defiant in the cannon's mouth,
I see a hero of the South,
Serene and tall;
So like a stone wall in the fray
He stands, that wond'ring leg-ions say :
" He is a wall."
He heeded not the fierce onsets
From bristling- fields of bayonets;
He heeded not
The thunder tread of warring- steeds,
But holds his men of daring- deeds
Right on the spot.
And is it insanity ?
Nay, this is but the gravity
Of that vast mind,
That, on his Southland's altar wrought
And forged the bolts of warrior thought
Of thunder-kind.
An eagle eye, a vulture's flight,
A stroke leonine in might;
The man was formed
For that resolving, deep inert
Which sprang stupendously alert,
And, sometimes, stormed.
And so, his mount to the charge,
Or led the columns small or large,
The victor rode;
Till over danger's castle moat,
And in the cannon's silenced throat,
His charger trode.
And so, with fierce far speed, or near
To right and left and on the rear,
His fury fell
Upon the foe too much to meet.
For Jackson's soul abhorred retreat,
Except from hell.
But comes the saddest at the last,
As sad as life's ideal past—
And, oh ! how sad !
That, in his pride, the Stonewall fell
By hands of those he loved so well—
The best he had.
How sad that dark and cruel night
Should fold her mantle on the sight
Of those tried, true
And valiant men, who followed where
Their leader went, despising fear
And darkness, too!
THOUGHTS. DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 545
But sometimes triumph is sublime
The most when on the brink of time,
And his was so;
A shady shore beyond he sees,
And asks for rest beneath its trees,
And it was so.
And do you ask, can he whose sweat
Hath clods of weary slave toil wet,
The praises sing
Of one who fought to forget the* chain
That manacles the human brain ?
Do such a thing- ?
I answer, yes, if he who fought,
Fought bravely and believed he ought,
If that can be;
If manhood in the mighty test
Of mankind does its manliest
Believingly.
Then poet songs for him shall ring
And he shall live while poets sing;
And while he lives,
And God forgives,
The great peculiar martial star,
In old Virginia's crown of war,
Will be her Stonewall, proud and sad,
The bravest that she ever had.
THE REASON WHY/
BY GEO. C. ROWE.
It is the eve of battle;
The soldiers are in line;
The roll of drum and bugle blast
Marshal that army fine.
The hour is fraught with mystery—
A hush pervades that throng,
And each one thinks of home and friends,
And says at heart, " How long ? "
The colonel rides before his men,
His thoughtful brow is bare;
He calls the color-sergeant,
And tenders to his care
The nation's pride, the dear old flag—
The loved red, white and blue,
And says, with earnest tones and grave:
"I intrust this now to you.
"Yes; color-bearer, take in charge
Your country's flag to-day,
And to the conflict bear it—
The thickest of the fray.
" Bear it with lofty courage,
And to it faithful be;
This flag has inspired thousands,
And led to victory.
" Take it and never leave it,
'Tis a solemn charge to thee;
Bring back to me this banner,
This ensign of the free ! "
" Colonel," the color-sargeant said,
Holding the flag on high ;
" I'll bring it back or else report
To God the reason why! "
*In the December, 1884, number of the American Missionary, an article published
contained the following incident:
"The First Louisiana Regiment of colored soldiers, recruited in New Orleans, was
about to take its departure for the front. The Colonel, who, for some reason could not
accompany his men, presented the regimental flags to the color-sergeant. After a brief
speech, full of patriotic feeling, he concluded with these words: " Color-guard, protect,
defend, die for, but do not surrender these flags." The sergeant, upon receiving them,
made this simple, but noble, response: " Colonel, I will bring back these colors to you in
honor, or report to God the reason why." And when, a few days afterward, during an
assault on Port Hudson, he fell, defending the flag, and <his dying blood crimsoned its
folds; another took his place and saved it from falling into the hands of the enemy.
The brave standard-bearer kept his word, and in failing to return the colors to the hands
that had committed them to his care, he " reported to God the reason why."
35
546
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Away to the front he bears it,
Cheered on by comrades brave,
Anxious to liberate his race,
Bring- freedom to the slave.
They charge upon Port Hudson,
Where, sheltered by a wall,
The foemen cut them down like grass,
They bravely charg-e—but fall.
Yes, on that field, where thousands
Unheeding- the tumult lie,
He left the flag, reporting-
To God the reason why.
Another bears that flag along,
Holding- it proud and hig-h;
But the sergeant has reported
To God the reason why.
Oh, Christian soldier, going- forth,
To battle for the Lord,
Be filled with manly courage,
And proudly bear God's word.
It is the standard of your King,
Who rules the earth and sky;
You must win, through it, the vict'ry,
Or tell Christ the reason why.
The war will soon be ended;
In the dust you soon will lie;
Go forth and conquer, or report
To God the reason why.
LUCIFER AND HIS ANGELS OAST OUT
OP HEAVEN.
BY REV. J. E. GORDON.
The battle is fought, the victory won,
The rebellious angels out of heaven are
thrown;
That blessed abode is no longer the rest
Of those who rebelled against the Lord's
holiness:
Afar from the beautiful city of light,
They are now doomed to dwell in the
darkest of nig-ht;
How false was their leader who made
them rebel,
Against the power of God who sent them
to hell.
Down, down to the bottomless pit they
are sent,
And there their great sin must forever
lament;
In great chains of darkness forever they
are bound,
In the world of despair, where no pleas¬
ures are found;
What trouble and sorrow they evermore
have,
With no eye to pity them, no hand to save,
Divested of glory, divested of fame,
And now they are doomed to eternal
shame.
How dreadful to think of their fate down
below,
As plowing- the sulphurous flames they
go;
Or leaping and crying, and calling- aloud
For the needed assistance of Lucifer the
Proud:
Their calls are unheeded, their cries are
not heard,
To give them comfort, he speaks not a
word;
He looks at the wretches in their keen
despair,
Say, escape if you can, if you cannot, stay
there.
While they were in glory and shining- so
brig-ht,
The angels of God, yea, the children of
light,
So joyous and happy, so blessed and pure,
They listened to Lucifer who was not so
true.
He spoke of rebellion from God's holy
care,
Himself with his Maker he tried to com¬
pare,
He urged them to leave their bright heri¬
tage there,
And set up his kingdom with no one to
share.
They trusted in him and they left their
bright home,
And all the rich comforts beneath heav¬
en's dome;
Afar from the throne of their Maker and
King-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
547
They flew, and the praises of I^ucifer
sing.
They left the bright regions of their own
accord,
Depending and trusting in Lucifer's word;
They fought against God, and, oh, sad
was their fate,
They were driven in anger beyond heav¬
en's gate.
WRITE THY NAME.
BY PROF. N. H. ENSlyBY, IN "ROGER WIG¬
WAMS' RECORD," APRII,, 1886.
Write your name upon the sand,
The waves will wash it out again,
Trace it on the crystal foam,
No sooner is it writ than gone.
Carve it in the solid oak,
'Tis shattered by the lightning stroke.
Chisel it in marble deep,
'Twill crumble down—it cannot keep.
Seeker for the sweets of fame,
On things so frail write not thy name.
With thee 'twill wither, die, rot;
On things so frail, then write it not.
Would'st thou have thy name endure ?
Go, write it in the Book of I/ife,
Kngrave it on the hearts of men,
By humble deeds performed in love.
THE FARM HOUSE BY THE RIVER.
BY PAUI, DUNBAR. '
I know a little country place
Where still my heart doth linger,
And o'er its fields is every grace
Iyined out by memory's finger.
Back from the lane where poplar grew
And aspens quake and quiver,
There stands all bath'd in summer's glow
A farm house by the river.
Its eaves are touched with golden light
So sweetly, softly shining,
And morning-glories full and bright
About the doors are twining.
And there endowed with every grace
That nature's hand could give her,
There lived the angel of the place
In the farm house by the river.
Her eyes were blue, her hair was gold,
Her face was bright and sunny;
The songs that from her bosom rolled
Were sweet as summer's honey.
And I loved her well, that maid divine,
And I prayed the Gracious Giver,
That I some day might call her mine
In the farm house by the river.
'Twas not to be—but God knows best,
His will for aye be heed !
Perhaps amid the angels blest,
My little love was needed.
Her spirit from its thralldom torn
Went singing o'er the river,
And that sweet life my heart shall mourn
Forever and forever.
She died one morn at early light
When all the birds are singing,
And heaven itself in pure delight
Its bells of joy seemed ringing.
They laid her dust where soon and late
The solemn grasses quiver,
And left alone and disolate
The farm house by the river.
—Conservator.
CHRISTMAS.
BY JNO. T. C. NEWSOM.
Ye natal day, upon whose gift
The world received her greatest boon,
We hail thy coming, greet thy trust,
Thy cause, the cause of all mankind,
Of all events, and noted days,
, Thou art the one of greatest praise.
On Judah's plain that 'ventful night,
When all the wise their vigils kept,
When Bethl'em's star illumed their sight
and Herod, too, nor rest nor slept,
Down to Jerusalem they came,
To learn of them their Savior's name—
The scribes and priests by homage led
Men of the East, and men discreet,
548
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
" Where is the King of Jews? " they said,
"We come to worship at his feet."
They poured their gifts and treasures
down,
For him who'd honor Israel's crown.
When each had paid his pilgrim's dues,
And turned him thence his homeward
way,
Warned not to tell his king the news
Of babe and mother, or their lay,
An angel unto Joseph spake,
And bade him them to Egypt take.
Egyptian darkness filled the realm,
And all above was still and cold,
They must escape the wrath of him
Of whom the angel had foretold.
On fleetest foot they sped their way,
Eager to shun th' approach of day.
On Egypt's soil they safely stood,
Till Herod's death relieved their will,
And now in Galilee they would
The prophet's augury fulfill;
For it is written, as we've seen,
" He shall be called a Nazarene."
Thus ends the tale in honor told,
Which gives to earth redemption's
cause,
Who would this benediction hold,
Must first obey th' eternal laws.
For ever do we hear the cry,
" Jesus of Naz'reth passeth by."
Sweet epoch of creation's life,
Sweet moment of eternal bliss,
Exhaustless be our praise, and rife
The blessings which his promise gives.
His birth, in man, new hope allured,
His death,to man, that hope assured.
—The Colored American.
LIFE'S STRUGGLE.
BY MRS. F. S. H. WASSOM, KNOXVIM^,
TENNESSEE.
If you wish to be successful
In the pathway of your life,
Press forward, ever seeking
The burden, of the strife.
If the struggle be a fierce one,
Fight it with patience, vim;
The end will come before you think,
And in it you will win.
If you struggle thus with courage,
The barriers will surely fall,
And you'll find a way to conquer,
Be that power great or small.
Let the maxims of your conscience
Guide and guard you in the fight,
And with duty as your watchword,
You will ever go aright.
Push onward then and upward,
Always strive to lead the van,
" For as fire doth prove the metal "
So do struggles prove the man.
DOUGLASS DEAD.
BY F. B. COFFIN, UTTI,E ROCK, ARK.
Across the nation's broad domain,
On every hill and every plain,
Peals out the muffled, sad refrain,
That Douglass is dead.
O no, not dead! for every heart
In every state must surely start
As freedom's great uprising mart,
If Douglass is dead !
And far across the deep, blue sea,
Those nations that have liberty.
Their minds will be a mournful lea,
For Douglass' death.
Once freedom's great uprising host,
From Maine to California's coast,
Of this great man could truly boast,
And now he's dead!
He's with Lincoln, Brown and Grant,
With Bishop Payne and Price he chants,.
With such surrounding host we can't
Say he is dead.—The Freeman.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
549
IS MEMOEIAM—THE GRAND OLD MAE".
BY MISS C. M. THOMPSON, FORT WORTH,
TEXAS.
The blow has fall'n! The Grand Old Man
Has run his earthly race;
Ham's greatest son now lieth low
In death's cold stern embrace.
Ah! What a noble life was his!
How grand the lesson taught.
'Gainst odds that would have crushed most
men,
Undauntedly he fought.
Nor cease to battle for the cause
For which he strove was won,
And his lov'd people felt the rays
Of freedom's glorious sun.
From lowest depths to grandest heights
By his own streng-th he rose,
And proved that force and merit win,
Tho' half the world oppose.
Genius for lofty flights had he;
Much learning, too, he g-ained;
In oratory, few could reach
The high rank he attained.
And yet, so simple were his ways,
So affable, so kind,
Men wondered which the greater was,
His genial heart or mind.
But now the tongue is hushed, which
The threats of foes deterr'd,
Which called for justice till the cry
A nation's conscience stirr'd.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust:
They lay his body low,
And, as the clods upon it fall,
A people's tears do flow.
Our Douglass walks the earth no more;
His destined work is done;
He made a valiant, glorious fight;
The victor's crown is won.
We mourn his loss, our tears will fall;
Our hearts will throb with pain;
For we all know, on earth we ne'er
Shall see his like again.
We grieve for our illustrious dead,
For, oh, we loved him well!
And placed upon his hallowed bier
A wreath of immortelle.
Shall not his life inspire us?
Shall not his spirit rest?
Upon our race impelling us,
To strive to do our best?
To work, to elevate ourselves,
To seek, to know, to dare?
To fix our standard high, to live
Amid a purer air.
Grand North Carolina proved that she
Has reached the higher plane
By honoring the truly great,
Despite the fools' disdain.
The noblest of the earth will join
In reverencing his name,
And ages yet unborn will help
Perpetuate his fame.
But the most fit memorial
We can our hero give,
The one he would prefer, is this:
That we so truly live
•That Afric's sons will gain the heights
The proudest race have sought,
And show the world they can excel
In word, in deed, in thought.
That sable skin and fleecy hair
Affect not moral worth,
That genius dwells as well with us,
As with the fair of earth.
As, some day, if we but do our part,
Farth will discern the plan,
Confess the Fatherhood of God,
The Brotherhood of Man.
THE PLEETNESS OF TIME.
BY ROBERT H. CLAYTON.
Ivike a swift meteor shot along- the sky,
The Falcon's wing doth cleave the am¬
bient air;
Our sight is dazzled, as it hurtles by,
Nor heeds its fleetness in the sudden
glare;
It soars away in a bright line of light
Far in the ether, in untrodden ways,
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
550
Till the blue depths shut out the hidden
flight—
So time doth come and vanish while we
gaze,
And circling months and years engulf
the swifter days.
Quick as our thought, or as the courser
fleet,
Time sweeps along to its eternal goal;
The past, the present, and future meet
Fre we can mark the minutes as they
roll;
Now is the present—now 'tis fled away!
Immerg'd in deep abysses of the past;
Nor for an instant will the future stay,
Howe'er our gaze imploringly we cast,
Or pray for a brief space the present
time to last.
As on a beetling rock above the wave,
Where the wreck'd seamen in the storm
are tost,
Appall'd! we impotently strive to save
The scatter'd fragments of a mighty
host;
So from the high meridian of our state
We vainly try, in manhood's dream of
pride,
Secure to grasp, beyond the power of fate,
Those earthly blessings which forever
glide
Far from our dearest hopes—adown life's
ceaseless tide.
Immeasurably good is all around,
Good gleams upon us in our infant time ;
Good makes the youthful heart with
joy rebound,
And goodness crowns our manhood in its
prime;
But fleeting still is all the good we
prize.
Nor know we often when the good is
given
Till the lost blessing clears our clouded
eyes—
Then do we mourn the gift which time
riven,
That blindly we have spurned the good
that came from heaven.
Yet days and years tho' transient may be
blest,
And moral glory fill the shortest space;
How much has Jesus in his life comprest
To cheer, ennoble and console his race!
His spirit lives, tho' time has cent'ries
And will live on till time shall be no
more—
Gath'ring all nations in his gracious fold,
And urging men from worldly things
to soar,
To commune with their God—and hum¬
bly grace implore.
Think then that time, tho' fleeter than
the bird,
May yield some moments of enduring
good;
That present worth must ever be preferr'd
To future bliss which oft our hopes
elude;
So let us live, that age may but reveal
Minds wide expanded—thoughts serene¬
ly fair;
That onward time with noiseless steps
still prepare
For an immortal state—be our hope
and prayer!
A CARELESS WORD.
BY F. E. W. HARPER.
Twas but a word, a careless word,
As thistle down it seemed as light,
It paused a moment on the air,
Then swiftly onward winged its flight.
But busy gossip caught the word,
And flying rumor gave it weight,
And then that little word became
A vehicle of angry hate.
Another lip caught up the word
And breathed it with a haughty sneer.
It gathered weight as on it sped,
That careless word in its career.
And then that word was winged with fire,
Its mission was a thing of pain,
For soon it fell like lava drops,
Upon a wildly tortured brain.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
551
It -wrung- with anguish, fierce and wild,
A bleeding-, fainting-, quivering heart.
Twas like a hungry fire that searched
Through every tender vital part.
And then another joy of life,
With bitter, burning tears was blurred,
A load of care was heavier made,
Its added weight that careless word.
Oh, how it pierced a bleeding- heart,
"What agony its fountains stirred;
It passed, but bitter anguish marked
The pathway of that careless word.
—Christian Recorder.
DAEOESS.
BY BISHOP BENJ. TUCKER TANNER.
Presumptuous darkness, hie away,
Thou shalt not, shalt not spoil the day.
The night is thine, and thine alone,
Avaunt to blackness all thine own.
Bright is my day, and calm and clear,
I love the peace it brings so near.
Presumptuous darkness, hie away,
Nor dare break in upon my day.
Dost thou indeed not fear the sun,
That like a groom doth daily run
In g-arments shimmering- as the light—
And thou, oh, darkness as the night?
Away, presumptuous darkness, hie,
On thine own wing-s of blackness fly.
Brig-ht is my day, and calm and clear;
It is a day to me most dear.
—Christian Recorder.
THE MYETLE HILL-GATE.
BY NANNIE A. BARBER, ROME, GA.
How I wonder if you'll meet me,
By the gate-way as of yore,
When your scarf unfurled to greet me,
When your smile a welcome bore.
Yes, I'll wonder, muse and ponder,
'Till I seem with you to wait;
'Till I stand beside you yonder,
By the fond old Myrtle hill-gate.
Hark ! the old church bells are ringing,—
L/o ! the graves among the trees,
And the people, they are singing:
What! O ! Murdock, what of thee !
Is it that the bells are ringing,
O'er the altar of your grave ?
No, it is my fancy singing,
For the meeting that I crave.
Meet, then meet, dear Murdock, meet me,
When I've reached the gate again,
After years have tossed and beat me,
Over life's unfriendly main.
Come responding to my erring,
Banish all the years to-day,
For my heart, to you returning,
Ne'er again, shall turn away.
SILYEE £ND GOLD.
BY EDITH M. THOMAS.
Farewell, my little sweetheart,
Now fare you well and free;
I claim from you no promise,
You claim no vows from me.
The reason why?—the reason
Right well we can uphold—
I have too much of silver,
And you've too much of gold.
A puzzle this, to worldings,
Whose love to lucre flies,
Who think that gold to silver
Should count as mutual prize!
But I'm not avaricious,
And you're not sorbid-souled,
I have too much of silver,
And you've too much of gold.
Upon our heads the reason
Too plainly can be seen;
I'm the winter's bond slave,
You are the summer's queen.
Too few the years you number,
Too many I have told,
I have too much of silver,
And you've too much of gold.
552
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
You have the rose for token,
I have dry leaf and rime;
I have the sobbing vesper,
You, morning- bells at chime.
I would that I were younger,
(Yet you grew never old)—
Would I had less of silver,
But you no less of gold.
—Richmond Planet.
THE LORD'S ANOINTED.
" Touch not mine anointed ones and do
my prophets no harm."—Psa. cv. 15.
BY BISHOP BENJ. TUCKER TANNER.
The Lord's anointed, O ye kings,
Touch not; no harm his prophets do.
What if the water of your springs
They drink? your goodly land pass thro?
The majesty they represent
Of Him who is enthroned on high,
Whose shimmering beams so widely sent
Are seen by all beneath the sky.
His purposes of peace and love
They represent to Adam's race.
God's angels they, sent from above,
The messengers of unsought grace.
The Lord's anointed, foolish kings,
Touch not; no harm his prophets do.
What if the water of your springs
They drink? your goodly land pass thro?
All are of God, the springs, the land,
The anointed, prophets, and kings, too—
All, all the work of his own hand.
Give him ye all, the obeisance due.
WE AEE RISING.
BY REV. GEORGE C. ROWE-
Among the sayings of our race,
Suggestive and surprising,
That fill a most exalted place,
Is, " Tell them we are rising.''''
The question asked for light and truth,
What to the North your greeting ?
The answer from a Negro youth—
" Tell them that we are rising ! "
Within Atlanta's classic halls,
This youth, self-sacrificing,
Wrote high his name upon her walls,
His motto : " We are rising ! "
Out in the world he makes his mark,
Danger and fear despising,
E'er soaring upward like the lark,
My brethren: "We are rising ! "
He meets the foe with voice and pen,
With eloquence surprising!
Give us a chance, for we are men!
Most surely we are rising!
Rising to take our place beside
The noble, the aspiring;
With energy and conscious pride,
To the best things, we're rising!
Within the class-room is his place,
Greek, Latin, criticising,
To raise the youthful of his race,
And show the world we're rising!
Go forth, my friend, upon your way,
Each obstacle despising,
Prove by your efforts every day,
To all that we are arising I
In farming, trade and literature,
A people enterprising!
*Our churches, schools, and home life pure,
Tell to the world we're rising !
NOTE}—About a score of years since, Dr. Jos. Roy, of the American Missionary As¬
sociation, on visiting one of their schools in Georgia, asked the children: "What mes¬
sage shall I take from you to the people of the North ? An intelligent boy answered
promptly: " Tell them that we are rising!" That boy was Richard Wright, of Augusta,
Ga., who has since graduated from Atlanta University, ably filled the editorial chair,
and is now President of the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youths, at
Savannah. Indeed, he is " rising ! "
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND
REV. JOSEPH G. PRICE, D.D., PRESI¬
DENT LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE,
SALSBURY, N". C.
BY GEO. C. ROWS.
A star arose at close of night:
'Tis dark before the dawn;
A brilliant star, a righteous light,
Foretoken of the morn—
The day when the oppressor's hand
Should palsied be throughout the land.
A man of inflence and power,
"Who laid himself with grace
Upon the altar of his God,
An offering for his race,
F'er prodigal of strength and thought,
And from his race withholding nought.
He cried: " If I'd a thousand tongues,
And each a thunderbolt,
I'd turn them on in mighty power,
Iyike an electric volt;
I'd send them forth with lightning pace—
To help and elevate my race! "
With purpose firm he lived his creed,
And toiled with might and main,
Kach day more clearly saw the need—
Despising worldly gain—
He counted not his life too dear
To spend in raising mortals here.
The manly form now prostrate lies;
The flashing eye is dim;
The hand oft raised for principle,
Touched by the monster grim,
Is laid upon the quiet breast,
The life-work finished—entered rest.
The tongue of fire is silent now;
The loving heart is still;
The mind surcharged with burning
thought,
Yet loyal to God's will—
SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 553
sag —j « T-!
*»'
Has ceased to plan for mortals here,
Is active in another sphere.
A sense of loss our hearts shall feel:
Hushed is the sweet voice now;
"While we«hall miss his thrilling words,
To God we humbly bow;
And thank him for the sacrifice
So freely made by Joseph Price.
His task on earth was finished soon;
Life's battle nobly won.
He rests from labor ere the noon,
His life race fully run.
He watches the conflict here,
And perfect love has cast out fear
He is not dead; but gone to join
The host from care set free!
He is not dead; his spirit lives
"Where joys immortal be!
"Where noble souls are victors crowned;
"Where perfect love at last is found.
Now glorified amid the host,
"Whose names in honor stand;
Phillips and Garnet, Garrison,
And all that noble band—
Lincoln and Sumner—heroes brave,
Who sought to free and help the slave.
554
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Yes, there within the pearly gates,
They wait for you and me;
Those men who planned that from the
curse
Our people might be free;
Rejoicing in the broadening day
When shadows dark should flee away.
Our hero was a patiot true,
A messenger of truth:
"Whose words of faith and hope rang out
Inspiring age and youth.
His life will inspiration give—
Through coming time his influence live!
THE EIYER OP DEATH.
There is a river broad and wide,
Its waters dark and still,
But when we reach that swelling tide
We need to fear no ill.
For just beyond its distant shore,
Shines our immortal home;
Where we'll be safe for evermore,
From sorrow's simplest form.
To some that river is delight,
They long to journey o'er;
While others fear to come in sight
Of its cold, dreary shore.
Its sloping bank is dark and steep,
Doth seem so rough and cold ;
That river is so wide and deep,
Its depth hath ne'er been told.
And yet we must that river pass,
Kre our life's journey's done;
For time doth glide away so fast;
And soon all will be gone.
No earthly friends with you can go
Across the dismal way :
They'll go no further than the shore;
There earthly ties must stay.
But there is One can go with you,
Beyond the gloomy tide,*
He is so loving, kind and true ;
He'll stay close at thy side.
Then trust in him if you would have
His presence with you stay ;
And when this vain world you must leave
He'll go with you away.
—The Poetical Works of J. E. Gordon.
TENNESSEE.
You may tell me of your Texas, with its
deep and fertile soil;
You may talk about your Kansas, where
you hardly have to toil;
You may tell me of the regions in the
far and rolling West;
But I'll tell you of a country that I like a
heajfr'the best.
There; is silver in the mountains, there
are nuggets in the sand;
There are wide and pleasant pastures, in
that distant Western land;
There are forests, there are fountains,
and valleys that are blessed—
But I'll tell you of a country that I like a
heap the best.
W® have valleys that are wide and for¬
ests that are deep,
We have rivers that are broad and moun¬
tains that are steep;
We have fields that are waving—golden
fields of wheat;
We ha fountains that are flowing with
waters pure and sweet.
We have men that are sturdy and women
thkt are fair;
We have flocks that are grazing, on pas¬
tures that are rare;
We have skies that are bluer than skies
of other lands,
We haye hearts that are truer, and strong
aiid willing hands.
Would you like to have me tell you, just
where this region lies ?
Would you like to come and see it, with
its beauteous earth and skies ?
Then quit your idle boasting of other
lands to me,
And come and dwell among us, down
here in Tennessee.
— Wilson Hunt Stites.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
555
THE CRUCIFIXION.
BY JESS® E. BEARD, IN THE TUSKEGEE
STUDENT.
With scornful kiss was he betrayed
Into the hands of men;
Harmless was He, yet they arrayed
Themselves unto the end.
I saw Him questioned in a hall,
His answers heard with scorns;
They robbed Him of His robe and all,
And crowned His head with thorns.
I saw Him going up a hill,
Bearing- a heavy load;
He fell, yet calm and patiently
He climbed the painful road.
I saw Him hanging on a tree
All washed in hallowed blood;
'Twas all mine eyes could bear to see—
Oh, precious crimson flood!
He looked with sympathetic eye
Upon a sinful race:
"Father, forgive! they know not why
They kill me—show them grace!"
His breath is faint, His pulses few,
His side is red with blood;
He bids his enemies adieu
The "finished" work is good.
The earth did shake, the temple rent,
And ev'n the dead were moved;
And now his murderers repent
The death of one beloved.
The debt is paid, the nation's free,
All men may happy be;
The lame do walk, the blind can see;
0 " sinners, turn," said He.
NEARING- HOME.
BY BISHOP BENJ. TUCKER TANNER.
A pleasant sail across the sea,
1 how approach the shore,
A joyful welcome waiteth me
From those who sailed before.
The dim, dark vista of the hills,
The white sails here and there;
With solid joy my poor heart thrills,
As home appears ,so near.
And yet a sense of danger steals
Upon my beating heart,
As more and more mine eye reveals
The wastes which yet us part.
Be watchful, Captain, on the bridge,
And pilot at the wheel,
With joy I'll end my pilgrimage-—
A joy e'en now I feel.
TIMOTHY AND CLOVER.
BY I/INNIE HAWXEY DRAKE.
Timothy, straight and tall,
Down by the pasture-bars,
Thought pretty Clover the sweetest of all.
Whispered it under the stars,
Timothy must have said,
" Darling, I love you true ! "
For shy Clover hung low her head.
And blushed a rosy hue.
Dear little Clover-bloom
Said not a single word,
Yet Timothy acted as if he knew
The answer he never heard.
Leaned through the pasture-bars,
Kissed from her lips the dew;
And thus these lovers pilghted their troth—
A way that's far from new.
Only the wood-tbrush heard,
Swinging above the gate,
And wove the words in the next love-song
He warbled unto his mate.
Trembled the sweet refrain
Over each field and fen ;
Till every songster caught the strain,
And echoed it back again.
«.*»***
Timothy, aged and sere,
Bent with the weight of days,
Waiting the stroke of the reaper's scythe
As backward and forward it sways;
All through the golden hours
Clover has bloomed beside,
556
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Though faded now and past her prime,
He murmurs " Bonny bride."
Love is a rosy god
Viewed throug-h the haze of youth;
Appareled by Time in a plainer garb,
We beckon him still, forsooth !
Even the " Scythe of Death "
Is weaker by far than he,
For Love outlasts our latest breath,
And tlaims from Heaven the key.
EXPERIENCE.
" Get thee up unto the top of Pisgah."
—Deut. iii. 27.
BY BISHOP BENJ. TUCKER TANNER.
Weak and weary, Lord, we go;
Days and hours pass so slow,
Shall we ne'er arrive at home?
Shall we never cease to roam?
Rivers swift flow on before,
Hear their maddening, deafening roar.
Yet across them we must go
Howsoever swift they flow.
Steep the mountain side and rough,
Pilgrim ones have quite enough
lire is reached the summit high,
Ere the valley they descry.
Heavy is the load they bear,
Grave responsibilities and care,
Care of friend and care of foe,
Borne, O Christ, where'er we go.
Oh, for Pisgah's top at last,
On the valley, eye now cast,
Sights of wondrous beauty rise,
Palm and domes and crystal skies.
IN GLADNESS.
BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.
Out of our pain and struggle
Up from our grief and dole,
We are swift to cry to the Healer
For the touch that makes us whole;
Swift with our passionate pleading
For the help of the King Divine,
One look of whose face can lighten
All trouble of your and mine.
Alas! we are not so ready,
In the day of our joy and crown,
With the palms and the fragrant incense
Laid at his altar down;
And how it must grieve the Master
That his own are so slow to praise,
In the flush of their peace and gladness,
The goodness which brims the days.
Lord, for thy waves of blessing,
Lord, for thy breezes of balm,
For our hopes, our work and our wages,"
And the bliss of our household's calm,
For the gold of our garnered harvests,
For our ships that are sailing the sea,
For the human loves that sublime us,
Oh! whom can we thank but thee?
Forgive that we weep like children,
At the shadow that comes for a night,
And are heedless again like children,
When gladness returns with the light.
Forgive that the earth-cares fret us,
And the burdens bind us down,
And still let us walk in the sunshine,
And not in the gloom of thy frown.
Oh! lift us, Lord, to the summits,
Whereon we may dwell with thee!
Oh! teach us how we may worship
The Savior who sets us free;
That so, in our joy and triumph,
As aye in our grief and dole,
We may go in our love to the Healer,
The touch of whose hand makes whole.
BISHOP D. A, PANYE.
BY GEORGE C. ROWE.
Hail, thou aged Christian hero!
Whither goest thy command ?
" Marching in the pathway narrow—
To our King Immanuel's Land."
What has been thy earthlymission ?
Tell the tale of hope and fear:
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
557
" Study, teaching-, exhortation,
Pleaching- g-ospel far and near.''
Where began thy great commission ?
When was set an open door ?
" In my native city, Charleston;
Eighteen hundred thirty-four;
"Where I labored to establish
Privileges of the school,
Every day advance, accomplish,
Faithful service was my rule.
" I succeeded in this calling,
In my school on Anson street.
But, alas I the foe is planning
All my efforts to defeat.
-t Said a measure, which was drafted,
In the Legislative hall:
Negroes must not be instructed.
Ah ! 'twas darkness, like a pall.
" Fare ye well, my lovely children !
Seek God's wisdom, grace and love!
Brighter scenes will surely open,
Through the Father's hand above!
"Then, my preparation season,
For God's work—the ministry—
Which, with earnest aspiration
I have served with constancy.
" Prospered by the L<ord, my Father;
Upheld, strengthened by his hand;
Bringing- lost ones to the Savior,
Here and there throughout the land.
" Laboring- in the North, the Southland ;
laboring" in the Fast, the West ;
Working1 for the heavenly rest land—
All my efforts have been blessed.
" Early called to rule, a bishop,
Not sufficient, I confess ;
Bowed I down in tears and worship,
Feeling my unworthiness !
" Still my Father has upheld me,
All along" my pilgrim way.
Steadily his hand doth lead me
Toward the realms of endless day."
Hast thou wearied on thy journey—
Where the thorns and thistles prick ?
" Fifty years I've served my country,
In the school, church, Bishopric.
" I would serve God ages longer;
I would fight and win the crown !
For with age my faith grows stronger:
I would fight 'till the sun goes down ! "
Hail, thou faithful Christian soldier I
Eeading proudly thy command ;
Journey on, in faith and vigor !
Thou shalt reach Immanuel's Iyand I
Thou hast done a work that ages
Cannot dim on memory's page,
Though the storm, the tempest rages,
It shall live from age to age !
In that land of heavenly splendor,
Where the pure in heart shall reign;
Thou shalt there be crowned—a con¬
queror !
Daniel Alexander Payne !
ALL THINGS ELSE.
. . . "how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things?"—Rom. viii. 32.
BY BISHOP TANNER.
How inconsistent, Eord, my fears,
How useless all my flowing tears,
If, Eord, I but believe the word
Mine ears a thousand times have heard.
I know that thou hast given thy Son.
For He, so well his work hath done—
The work of grace within my heart,
■ That I from Thee can ne'er depart.
And what beside so dear to Thee
Can be imagined, Lord, as he ?
Worthless is gold and silver too,
And all that men may say or do.
Naught else, O God, wilt thou withhold.
From those who dwell within thy fold.
With Jesus comes all else beside—
Thy sure defense, thy certain guide.
Then let, O Lord, my fears begone
When I remember what thou'st done.
Nothing to me will be denied
Since Jesus lived, since Jesus died.
558
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
WORTHY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN.
BY S. G. BROWN.
On the mountain tops the beacon lig-hts
are kindled
By the rosy flush that tells the day is
born;
Heig-ht to height replies as up the wait¬
ing heavens
Comes the rising sun that heralds Easter
morn;
Smiles the earth arrayed in robes of liv¬
ing verdure,
Sing- the birds on leafy boug-h a joyous
strain,
Nature joins with man in praise and
adoration,
Saying: Worthy is the lamb that was
slain!
Bring- no spices to anoint the dead, ye
mourners,
From the grave the stone of grief is
rolled away;
Over death and hell the Savior rose
triumphant
On the morning- of the Resurrection
day;
Seek him not within the tomb for he is
risen;
Jesus is not here, behold where he has
lain!
Ivook above while ang-els swell the joyous
anthem,
Saying:: Worthy is the lamb that once
was slain!
Hallelujah I for the crucified is risen,
I^et the earth rejoice, the mountains
clap their hands,
L,et the floods be glad and offer up thanks¬
giving-,
Hallelujah! oh, be joyful all ye lands,
Sing aloud for joy all nations and all
people,
Angels and archangels swell the loud
refrain,
With the blood-bought millions cast your
crown before him,
Saying: Worthy is the I^amb that once
was slain.
—Men of Mark.
MOTHER'S TREASURES.
BY MRS. F. E. W. HARPER.
Two little children sit by my side,
I call them Iyily and Daffodil,
I gaze on them with a mother's pride,
One is Edna and the other is Will.
Both have eyes of starry lig"ht,
And laug-hing- lips over teeth of pearl.
I would not change for a diadem
My noble boy and darling- g"irl.
To-night my heart o'erflows with joy;
I hold them as a sacred trust;
I fain would hide them in my heart,
Safe from tarnish of moth and rust.
What should I ask for my dear boy?
The richest gift of wealth or fame?
What for my girl? A loving- heart
And a fair and spotless name?
What for my boy? That he should stand
A pillar of strength to the state.
What for my girl? That she should be
The friend of the poor and desolate.
I do not ask they shall never tread
With weary feet the paths of pain.
I ask that in the darkest hour
They may faithful and true remain.
I only ask their lives may be
Pure as gems in the g-ates of pearl,
Iyives to brighten and bless the world—■
This I ask for my boy and girl.
I ask to clasp their hands ag-ain
'Mid the holy hosts of heaven,
Enraptured say: "I am here, O God,
"And the children thou hast given."
—Hope.
NEGRO BUILDING.
Cotton States Industrial Exposition, Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 19 to Dec. 31,1895.
560 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
HE Negro building was erected by Negro hands, supervised by
Negro skill and brain, filled with products evincing beyond a
shadow of doubt the Negro's advancement, and all a decided
proof that he is a factor in the American nation—a part of it, and an
indispensable part. This structure represents a floor space of more
than 25,000 square feet, in which will be displayed the evidences of
educational, business and industrial development of the Negro race
at the completion of its thirtieth year of emancipation. In every
State of the South, the Negroes are thoroughly organized for the
collection of their exhibit, and it is now an assured fact that their
unique exhibit, valuable as it will be, as a historic contribution of
social development, will be one of the most attractive centers of the
exposition. The exhibit will consist of all farm products, needle¬
work of all kinds, paintings, inventions, carpentering, blacksmithing,
silversmithing, dentistry, surgical skill, pictures of colored men's
places of business and residences, industrial products from their
schools, and hundreds of other things that show the genius and thrift
of the race. Registered stock will also be on exhibition, such as
horses, cows, sheep, hogs, etc. All relics of interest that are owned
by colored people will also be on exhibition.
Hop. I. GflHUAflD PEjslr*. There are few abler representatives
of his race than the subject of our sketch. He was born in
1867, in New Glasgow, Amherst County, Ya. His parents were
fully aware of the importance of giving their children an education,
and moved to Lynchburg with this object in view, when Irvine was
only five years old. He graduated at the high school in Lynchburg
in 1886. In 1887 he was elected as a teacher in the public schools of
Lynchburg. He proved himself worthy of this position, and soon
became principal. For a while Mr. Penn was owner and editor of
The Lynchbwrg Laborer. He is a forcible and skillful writer. At the
age of twenty-three he wrote " The Afro-American Press and Its
Editors." He "freely and frequently discusses questions relating
to the material, intellectual, moral, and religious welfare of his peo¬
ple and State." He is a member of the C. M. E. Church, and a man
with high moral character. He is Chief Commissioner of the Negro
Department of the Cotton States' Exposition, to be held in Atlanta,
Ga., from Sept. 19 to Dec. 19 (1895).
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
561
EV. AliEX. CH^lVrWEIili, D D ^ was born in the City of New
York; his mother and her ancestors for several generations
were free from servitude. His father was the son of a king,
who was a native of Timanee, West Africa; but became a slave early
in life. How it happened that he was reduced to slavery, we are
not informed. Young Crumwell received the rudiments of an educa¬
tion in New York City. In 1831 he attended a high school and re¬
ceived instruction in Greek and Latin from a white teacher. In 1835
he became connected with an institution of learning at Canaan, New
Hampshire. Race prejudice soon asserted itself, when the farmers
in this community assembled together and declared that the school
must be broken up. The house was destroyed and the students
ordered to quit the town. In 1836 Oneida Institute, at Whitesboro,
36
562
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
a manual labor school, was opened for the benefit of colored youth,
and the young exiles from Canaan took up their abodes here, and
spent three very happy and prosperous years.
Mr. Crumwell was a candidate for Holy Orders, in 1839, under the
direction of the Rev. Peter Williams, but was refused admission as a
student to the Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, on
account of color. He was received in the diocese of Massachusetts,
and in due time was ordained to the Diaconate by Bishop Grisworld.
He was a hard student, and after prosecuting his theological studies
for a sufficient length of time, he was admitted to Priest's Orders, in
Philadelphia, by Bishop Lee, of Delaware. After this he took a
course in the University of Cambridge, England, and went as a mis¬
sionary to Africa, where he remained many years, performing the
duty of rector of a parish, and Professor of Mental and Moral
Science in a college.
After passing many years in Liberia, he returned to the United
States, and has since been employed at the capital of the nation in
labor among his own countrymen. He is the acknowledged leader of
his race, from a theological stand-point. Half a century numbers his
years in the ministerial work. He recently celebrated his golden
jubilee. Has been the guest of crowned heads of Europe. His
writings are chaste and scholarly, instructive and entertaining.
They flow from a heart full of tenderness and love toward mankind,
and show a simple faith in Christ, which is touching and tender. He
is a true African in color. He numbers among his friends the most
able men of both races, and it is generally believed he will be the
chaplain in the Hous(e of the 54th Congress.
JpjBV. Df^. *J. T. was born of slave parents, March 10th,
|\ 1835, in Upper Malborough, Prince George's county, Maryland.
\ He was separated from his parents early in life, and at the age
of eighteen was taken by his owners to Baltimore. He learned to
read at the age of sixteen, and at the age of twenty-one he was -con¬
verted to Christianity. In 1859, he left his native State for Mas¬
sachusetts, and located at New Bedford, where he entered a commer¬
cial college. In the winter of 1861 he joined the A. M. E. Church,
and was licensed to preach February 5, 1862. He commenced his
ministerial work on the Pacific Coast, and was ordained deacon by
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 563
Bishop Campbell, April 13, 1865, and in a short time after was trans¬
ferred to the Ohio Annual Conference. In 1867, he was appointed
postmaster at Wilber force, being the first colored man appointed
to that position by the United States Government. While in Wilber-
force he took a regular collegiate course at the university, and then
graduated in the theological department. In 1869, he was ordained
elder by Bishop Payne. He was Secretary of the Arkansas Con¬
ference for eight years, and wrote a history of African Methodism
in Arkansas and in the Indian Territory. While at Little Rock he
was a member of the examining committee of the public schools, and
succeeded in getting colored teachers appointed in those schools. In
1881, he was transferred to the New England Conference by Bishop
Turner, and was stationed at the Charles Street Church in Boston,
where he remained for six years. He now officiates as pastor of the
Metropolitan A. M. E. Church, of Washington, D. C., the largest con¬
gregation in the African M. E. connection. He is a Christian gentle¬
man in the highest sense, and in point of true manly excellences he
has but few if any superiors.
VUIR RfH* AMHriDfl JVIOOSBJiBflD BHITTOJl JiOOI^S. The
writer of the article, "Duty of the Hour," was born May 4,
1852, at the Capital of the State known as the "Dark and Bloody
Ground," by the side of one of its lofty land elevations, near the
banks of the Kentucky river. Her parents, Laura Marshall and
Henry Harrison Britton, were descendants of some of the old South¬
ern aristocracy and Indian blood. Her mother, though born a slave,
was liberated at the age of sixteen by her mistress, who was also a
very near relative of her father, who was no less a personage than
the Hon. Tnomas F. Marshall, of Kentucky, the great and renowned
statesman. She received at the hands of her owner a splendid edu¬
cation, and was, therefore, left a free girl, above the average colored
girls of the South. Her intelligence gave her great advantage. The
writer's father was free born, but a descendant also of great lineage.
She was raised in Lexington, the garden spot of Kentucky, and at
a very early age was given every advantage of a high learning, hav¬
ing been sent to Louisville in company with her older sister, and
placed in the late Mr. Wm. Gibson's school for colored youths, in 1859.
Remaining there until the spring of 1860, just at the outbreak of the
I
564
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
great civil strife, she was taken back to her home and then placed
under the tuition of an English lady in music, having received some
instruction from her mother, who was a gifted singer and accom¬
plished musician. Having inherited from her mother great musical
gifts, she very soon became famous as Kentucky's little musical
prodigy, performing at the age of nine years many works of the Mas¬
ters, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, and others. Indeed, she performed
at the age of eight and a half years Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique
with all the beauty and smoothness of an artist. Her parents were
free, and standing high in the social scale of their race, were
greatly esteemed and respected by the aristocracy of Lexington, and
she and her mother were often seen and heard in parlor concerts by
the very highest society, among whom it is pleased to be noted Mrs.
Gen. fm. Preston, Mrs. Gen. Morgan, Mrs. Hunt Dudley, and other
grand women who have long since gone to the beautiful beyond.
The writer likes to refer to those dear old happy days of her child¬
hood, when but a child, she and her mother played and sang for their
good old friends. She often loves to relate the sad experiences of
the scenes and times of the war when they would go to comfort the
hearts of their white friends by the singing of the dear old songs,
"My Old Kentucky Home," "Old Dog Tray," etc. She, too, likes
to tell the stories of the times she would, when but a child, write
passes for the slaves who would come to the singing class of her
mother and get so deeply engaged in the study that they would for¬
get about the hour, and would be afraid to start home without the
"pass to show Mr. Paterole Man." It is sad to listen to her story
about helping her mother to teach the slave children in the old gar¬
ret, who would come to learn with their old "blue back speller" hid
in false pockets. This she did with a childish relish. She would
often travel around on concert tours with her mother, and would be
forced, because of accommodation, to call her own mother Miss
Laura. How strange, to think of a little colored girl calling her own
mother mistress because her color differed. We have learned that
there was never a concert programme complete in Lexington without
the Britton's name thereon among their people, and they were often
largely attended by the best white people of Lexington. She was
pronounced by the press of Kentucky the "Wonder of the Age,"
being able at the age of nine to read at sight intelligently the most
difficult selection for the piano. We might go on telling farther of
her early fame, but space forbids.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
565
Having received fine intellectual and musical qualifications, she
has successfully taught in the following States: Kentucky, Missis¬
sippi, and Tennessee for nearly twenty-eight years, and though her
life has been surrounded with many trying difficulties, she enjoys
the distinction of being a true woman to her race, a great and suc¬
cessful teacher, an earnest Christian worker, neglecting, oftentimes,
for the benefit of humanity, her own personal welfare. Yes, we are
told that her life has been one of many privations, disappointments,
aspirations, struggles, defeats, temptations, and victories, as she has
endeavored to push forward in the race of life. She has often been
made the victim of the most c^uel injustices, because of racial preju¬
dice, yet as a woman, having a common identity of interest in all that
will help to build up the Southland and uplift her race, her sex, and
the body politic of her country; with all other American citizens, she
has done much for herself, her race, her sex, and her home, and is
building up for her people a name that will benefit them more than
words can tell. Indeed, she has borne with a fortitude unsurpassed
for bravery, what no other woman has been known to bear. She oft
hath turned the other cheek to her enemies and oppressors, and
though chrushed [and tossed about, because of the whims of Ameri¬
can prejudice, she has quietly submitted to injustices of the severest
nature, and yet still blesses the hand of her oppressors for the sake
of her race; and she has never lost her patriotism. She often is
heard to say, "Take your wounds to the great Healer of wounds."
She is a firm believer in prayer, and can relate many strange and
miraculous answers to her prayers for the removal of obstacles.
She truly believes in liberty and equality, but is not willing to think
that liberty means freedom to do wrong, nor that equality means the
invasion of social realms.
She lives in hope that soon, and very soon the "missing stone"
will be placed in the "building," and that when placed in it will be so
riveted that it can never be displaced by any concerted blow of
"wrong hammers." We invite a careful reading of her article,
"Duty of the Hour."
566
AFRO-AMERTCAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
f^URfilSSR JA. TfiOCQPSO^. In the Boston Advocate during a part
H] of the years 1885 and 1886, there ran a serial story of forty
chapters called "Treading the Winepress," the opening para¬
graph of which was as follows: One of the prettiest towns in
"Dixie" is the capital of a State which has played no insignificant
part in our national history. Capitola, as I shall call this town, pos¬
sesses little artificial beauty. Though the public edifices, most of
the business houses and some of the private residences are of brick
or stone, wood is the favorite material used in building. Many of the
wooden dwellings, however, are beautiful in design and finish, and
almost everyone, no matter how small or clustered, has a flower-
garden attached. Roses and violets, jonquils and hyacinths, pansies
and jessamines, lilacs and geraniums and hosts of other plants bloom
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 567
here luxuriantly. She is called the "City of Flowers," and no town,
tropical or semi-tropical, has a better right to the title. But 'tis not
her flowers alone that make Capitola lovely. A double, often triple
row of trees, of which the elm, the sugarberry and the oak are the
most conspicuous, line the broad, regular streets and, when spring
decks them in their robes of living green, the town looks like a piece
of fairy land. As one traveler wrote of her some time previous to
the date of our story: "It is hard to conceive a city more beauti¬
fully situated or more gorgeously embellished with splendidly-shaded
walks and drives, with flowers, shrubberies and plantations. Birds
of splendid plumage sang and sported in the gardens under the delic¬
ious influence of its sunny skies. A spell of ease and voluptuous
luxury seemed to pervade the place. ' Flowers, pictures, statuary, se¬
lect libraries, all that the arts and sciences could contribute, adorned
its halls and private residences. . . . It is no wonder that Eve
was discontented in paradise when a people with so much to gratify
the most epicurean tastes rebelled."
The city here described was Columbia, S. C., the place where the
authoress of the story, Clarissa Minnie Thompson, first saw the
light. As is well known to those familiar with the condition of af¬
fairs in the South, there has been a large intermixture of other
blood in the veins of the colored people of that section of our coun¬
try. If the statement be true that the mixed races are the strongest
physically and intellectually, the Afro-American should achieve a
high destiny, for this amalgamation begun exceedingly near the year
of our Lord 1620, continued until the slaves became free men and
women, with a right to exercise control over their own minds and
bodies. Miss Thompson, like so many others of her people, has the
blood of several races mingling in her veins. On her father's side,
three generations back, her family trace their ancestry to a son of
la belle France, who was one of the South Carolina Huguenots, while
her father's father was of Indian extraction, with a large percentage
of Negro blood. On her mother's side she is of English and Negro
descent. As we have already said, such a commingling of blood is
by no means rare in the South, and it may be conducive of important
consequences ; for who can read the future ?
Samuel B. Thompson, the father of the subject of this sketch,
though quite a young man when the war closed, became at once one
of the recognized leaders of his emancipated brethren. He was
sent as a delegate to the South Carolina Constitutional Convention,
568
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
of 1868; immediately afterward he was elected a member of the
State Legislature, in which capacity he served six years. For eight
years he was a justice of the peace in his native city, and he held
also the positions of alderman, coroner and colonel of the staff of the
Governor of South Carolina. He was a "man whom his people de¬
lighted to honor," and years after a paper (of different political per¬
suasion) published in Summerville, S. C., said of him, "He is a
colored gentleman in every essential." T. McCants Stewart wrote,
September 5, 1891, these words: "I shall never forget your honored
father, Judge Thompson, who contributed intelligence, humanity and
justice, to the problem of law which he helped to solve in our native
State, dear old Carolina." Mr. Thompson's wife was a woman well
fitted for the position of mother, noted in her girlhood for her mod¬
esty, amiability and good sense as well as for beauty of face and
form, the years, as they rolled on, only developed these attractions
and added new charms. Seldom, if ever, has there been a happier
marriage than that of Samuel Benjamin Thompson and Eliza Hen¬
rietta Montgomery.
Clarissa is the eldest of nine children—the others being John Mc-
Pherson, successful physician, of Charleston, S. C.; Celia, Carriola
and Lottie, all doing satisfactory work in the school room; Sammie
and Willie, twins, and Eugene and Eugenia, twins, none of which
have yet reached manhood's or womanhood's estate. With such par¬
ents any child must have developed all the good within him, for home
training has almost everything to do with the character of the future
man or woman; and it is not surprising, therefore, that thus far
Judge and Mrs. Thompson regard themselves as being indeed
blessed in their children. The Armstrongs, well-known teachers
and society leaders, of St. Louis, Mo., and Dr. Alonzo C. McClen-
nan, a skillful physician, of Washington, D. C., are cousins of this
family; while an aunt, Mrs. Caroline Alston, has proved herself an
excellent business woman, having carried on for years in Colum¬
bia, with fine success, a dry goods store, her patrons being of both
races.
Clarissa received her first instruction in Howard School of her
native city, which boasted a fine corps of thirteen teachers. She
had just completed her ninth year when she entered the highest
room in the building, presided over by that most thorough and pains¬
taking of teachers, Miss Carrie H. Loomis, of Hartford, Connecticut,
for whom she cherishes the greatest affection and admiration. After
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
501
a few years in Howard School she entered the South Carolina Stat(
Normal School, then under the principalship of Professor Mortime]
A. "Warren, "one of the best educators on the continent, an enthusi
astic believer in the inductive system of teaching, he based his
methods on those ' advocated by Froebel, Pestalozzi and Horac<
Mann." The Normal School was on the same campus as the Soutl
Carolina University, the alma mater of such illustrious South Caro
iinians of ante helium days as "William M. McDuffie and Robert T
Hayne; and though under a different regime at the period we hav<
reference to, the standard had not been perceptibly lowered. Som<
of the best educators of the North had been secured as professors
The scholarly Richard Theodore Greener, fresh from the classi<
walls of Harvard, was the colored member of the faculty. Many o
the students of the University at that time have achieved distinction
T. McCants Stewart, the distinguished colored lawyer of New Yorl
City; Joseph H. Stuart, of the Colorado Legislature; Robert I
Smith, who has made such a name as a member of the Texas Hous
of Representatives, in looking after the interests not only of his owi
people, but of all citizens of the commonwealth, regardless of race
color, or previous condition; Joseph W. Morris, President of Alle;
University; and many others who have become prominent in thei
respective localities. Principal Warren was fortunate to secure th
services of the professors in the University, and thus during th
entire course the scholars of the Normal School received lecture
from the faculty of this venerable institution, as well as from th
preceptors of the Normal School.
After graduation, Clarissa was appointed to the position of Firs
Assistant in Howard School. Poplar Grove School, in Abbeville,
town in the northwest corner of the State, noted as being the hom
of John C. Calhoun, and the birthplace of Bishop H. M. Turner, soo
.called her to assume charge, and she remained at its head for fiftee
months. Bishop William F. Dickerson, one of the brainiest and mos
cultured men ever raised to the Episcopal Bench of the Africa
Methodist Church, was making herculean efforts at this time for th
upbuilding of Allen University, located in Columbia, and, at his r<
quest, Miss Thompson became a teacher in that institution. For fi
teen months she had charge of classes in Latin, Algebra, Physic;
Geography, and Ancient and Modern History. When she decided 1
leave Allen and accept a position in the public schools of Texai
there was a general expression of sorrow, students and teachei
570
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
alike joining in this manifestation. She began teaching in Jefferson,
Texas, in September, 1886. After three years' work there, she was
elected to the position of First Assistant in the Fort Worth City
School—one of the best schools in the Lone Star State—which posi¬
tion she holds at this writing.
Miss Thompson's tastes have always been literary. From early
childhood she has been an omnivorous reader and a ready writer.
Some of her essays found their way to the Christian Recorder. Her
first ambitious production was the novel to which we referred at the
beginning of this sketch, which received very favorable mention.
She herself regards it as simply a girlish protest against some ten¬
dencies which she thonght her race were beginning to develop. A
temperance poem called "A Glass of "Wine," which was published in
the Texas Blade, and a novelette called "Only a Flirtation," published
in the Dallas Enterprise, both from her pen, were highly commended.
She has written many essays, some of which have been published and
some have not. One of these entitled, " What Will the Harvest Be?"
which was read before the Texas State Teachers' Convention, assem¬
bled at Dallas, was the subject of an unusual compliment. On its
conclusion, Mr. R. J. Holloway, a Congregational minister and teach¬
er, arose and said: "I would rather be the author of that paper than
Superintendent of Education of the State of Texas." Miss Thomp-
som has not written much lately, her duties in the profession she re¬
gards as her life work demanding so much of her time and attention
that she has very little to give to composition. Two of her latest
efforts, one a poem on the lamented Douglass, composed for the me¬
morial meeting held in Fort Worth the week after that illustrious
stateman's death, and the other, a poem on Lynching, written at the
request of the publishers of this book, together with a part of an
essay, "HumaneEducation," read before the Teachers' Convention,
assembled in Fort Worth, in 1892. The essay is given, not because
of its being regarded as a fair specimen of Miss Thompson's style as
an essayist, but because of its treating upon a subject in which all
should be interested.
SENJAMIN W. ARNETT was born at Brownsville, Pa., March 6, 1838.
His first years were spent upon the farm, where he figured as
cow boy, and in other work. Later he attended school in the
town, but finally took to steamboat life, and followed the Ohio and
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 571
adjacent rivers till 1856. He next entered the teaching profession,
and did good work in the schools at Brownsville, Pa., Toledo and
Cincinnati, Ohio, and "Washington, D. C. In 1858 he was married to
Miss Mary Louise Gordon, at Uniontown, Pa.
In 1864 he commenced the study of dentistry, and having com¬
pleted the course, showed a wonderful ability in practice. He was
licensed to preach by Rev. J. D. S. Hall, March 31, 1865, in the Met¬
ropolitan Church, Washington, D. C. He was admitted to the Ohio
Conference in 1867, and received his first appointment, the Walnut
Hills' Church, Cincinnati. He joined the Y. M. C. A. at Toledo,
Ohio, and was a delegate to the International Convention which met
in Washington, D. C., June, 1871. Here he delivered an address
upon 1 'The Stand the Y. M. C. A. takes in Relation to Colored
Young Men." He was elected to the lower house of the Ohio Legis¬
lature in 1885, where he served two years, to the satisfaction of both
races whom he represented. In 1876 he was elected Secretary of
the General Conference of the A. M. E. Church which met in At¬
lanta, Ga., and four years later in the session at St. Louis, Mo., was
elected Financial Secretary of the Church. He served in this posi¬
tion eight years, and during that time almost flooded the coun¬
try with books and pictures of colored people. He commenced at
once the publication of the annual Budget, taking account of all
facts and statistics, and letting nothing escape that could be shown
in favor of the Negro. The Ceyitennial Budget, published by him in
1888, contains 593 pages, abounding in pictures of the bishops and
their wives, the general officers and leading ministers, churches,
schools, etc.
He was a delegate to the Centennial Conference of Methodism at
Baltimore, in 1884, and at the second Ecumenical Conference of
Methodism at Washington, D. C., in 1891, he was appointed on the
Committee on Statistics, and has published a volume containing the
official report of the committee. During the World's Parliament of
Religions at Chicago in September, 1893, he was a general manager,
and to his influence is owing the success of the A. M. E. Church in
the Religious Congress, and of their school exhibit at the World's
Fair. Bishop Arnett is one of the most electrifying speakers in the
world. To know him, is to know a man with royal feelings and
kingly dignity. He has been called "the prince" of good men. His
head is as full of wisdom as his heart is full of love to God and
humanity.
572
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
EV. W. R. LiEWlS, B.D., a member of the West Tennessee An¬
nual Conference of the A. M. E. Church, and now Presid¬
ing Elder of the Memphis District, was born in Florence,
Steward County, Ga., March 31, 1857. He was the son of Fran¬
cis and L. Lewis. His father died when Walter was eleven years
of age, and then he was early bereft of the loying protection and
aid of a father. Thrown thus upon the bosom of an uncharita¬
ble and cheerless world, with a widowed mother to struggle for exist¬
ence, the youth set out to help his bereaved mother earn a living by
working as a water-carrier on a farm. It was during this period of
his youthful life that Walter was impressed with the necessity of
seeking the Lord in the pardon of his sins. He was not long in
obtaining the peace for which his soul so earnestly yearned; for he
was happily converted at the age of twelve, but refused admission
to the church as the members did not believe in children's religion.
This was a sore trial to young Walter, for he was never more sure
of any fact in the world than of the truth of his conversion, and yet
the older people protested that he did not know what he was doing.
However, he would not relax his hold on the Savior, and quietly
awaited the time when he should become elegible to membership, ac¬
cording to the views of his opposers. The happy day for which he
prayed finally came in the year 1871, when the Rev. Fortune Robin¬
son welcomed him to membership in the A. M. E. Church. His
early conversion may be attributed directly to the strict piety and
rigid rules of his mother. She not only advised, but compelled him
to attend Sunday school and public services, and commit to memory
the minister's text and repeat the same on his return home. Thus
he became a bright biblical scholar, and his love for books grew more
day by day. By the time he was sixteen he had become one of the
most trusted farm hands on the plantation on which he lived.
Greatly to Walter's disadvantage, his mother had married again to
a man by the name of Wm. Davis; for the new father seemed to think
it quite a crime for a step-son to attend school, and, notwithstanding
the youth's love and anxiety for books, he was compelled to stay at
home and work during the whole year. However, the thirst for
knowledge was not to be suppressed, for he would work hard on the
farm all day and walk a mile at night to recite his lessons to a
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 573
white lady who gave him instruction for one dollar per month.
He obtained the money to pay his tuition and purchase his books
by picking berries and selling melons, etc., at odd times. He pur¬
sued his studies in this way for two years.
Having arrived at an age that he could break loose from the grasp
of his step-father, he hired one year for wages, and saved his earn¬
ings, and entered school in the academy at Columbus, Ga., the follow¬
ing year. Having felt and accepted the call to the ministry, he
went "West in 1876, and did quite an amount of mission work, both
teaching and preaching in Northeastern Louisiana and Western Miss¬
issippi. In 1879 he was admitted to the intinerant rank of the min¬
istry in the Mississippi Annual Conference of the A. M. E. Church,
and was sent to Rocky Springs Mission. He proved to be a success
in his new field, and as time passed on he grew more and more
prominent, until, step by step, he was promoted to some of the best
appointments in the gift of his church. He has filled with marked
ability some of the leading circuits and stations in the Arkansas,
Mississippi and West Tennessee Conferences respectively. He
enjoys a high reputation as an organizer and builder. He built his
first church in Crystal Springs, Miss., at a cost of $900, also one in
Osceola, Ark., worth $750.
On the thirteenth day of December, 1885, he was married to Miss
Carrie Ella Cayton, of Hermanville, Miss., who was one of the bright
lights of that town and community, both in the church and society.
She has proven truly a yoke-fellow to him in his ministerial work.
He was transferred to the West Tennessee Conference in 1887.
Since that time he has stood as one of the leading lights of said con¬
ference. His work on the Lucy circuit, the Mt. Zion circuit, Union
City station, as pastor, and on the South Memphis District for four
years as Presiding Elder is marked by marvelous success. Under
his immediate direction several churches have been organized, built
and paid for. He is a student as well as a church builder. Com¬
pelled to leave school to earn a living before completing a course,
he continued to study wherever and whenever he could. He pro¬
cured private instruction and prosecuted his studies with great
vigor. Finally he entered the National University, of Chicago, 111.,
and took a course in theology. In 1893 that institution conferred on
him the degree of B.D. He studied Greek under Prof. B. K. Samp¬
son, of Memphis, Tenn. His present home is in Memphis, Tenn.,
where he and his most amiable wife take great pleasure in entertain-
574
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
ing their many friends, whose calls are quite numerous. He is still
a young man, and if his sterling zeal does not force him to over work
himself he may yet live long to bless his church, his race and the
cause of humanity generally.
EV. TfiOCQRS JEFFEHSOfi SEARCY was born in Rutherford
county, Tenn., November 4th, 1852. He received his education
at the Roger Williams University, Nashville, Tenn. "Was
called while there to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church,
Brownsville, Tenn. Accepting this call, he returned home and was
ordained May 7th, 1883 by the Canaan Baptist Church, of Glimpville,
of which he was a member, after which he immediately entered upon
his labors as pastor of the above named church. Rev. Mr. Searcy then
became indentified with the denominational work of the State. He
saw that as the State was divided into three divisions geographically,
so were there three divisions of the Baptists in the State. A General
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 575
Association in the East and West, and a State Convention in the Mid¬
dle part. A general call was made for these three bodies to meet at
the same time at the First Baptist Church of Brownsville, of which he
was then pastor. He drew up a constitution and succeeded in get¬
ting it adopted at this meeting, thereby uniting these three divisions
into one grand body, now known as the State Convention of Tennes¬
see. Two years later, in honor of his labors in uniting his denomi¬
nation of the State, he was unanimously elected President of the
State Convention, and served three years as such, during which time
the number increased from 80,000 to 95,000 communicants. He
served the church at Brownsville ten years, and during his pastor¬
ate there over 500 souls were added to the church. The manner of
worship was greatly improved; and he accomplished untold good in
the uniting of the public schools of the city, and in procuring for
them competent teachers. At the expiration of these ten years the
Master called him to a larger field, and to greater responsibilities—
the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn., where he now
labors, and has one among the most prosperous and best organized
churches in the denomination.
ADAM SISSIRETTA JONES —The Black Patti of the Race. In his
work of noted Negro women, Dr. M. A. Majors says: The
subject of this sketch was born in Providence, R. I. When
quite a wee child she proved, beyond the shadow of a doubt, her fit¬
ness for the stage as a race representative, and has, among other
things, maintained her ground, never weakening and giving down,
but nourishing a faith fit only for the righteous, which has led her
gently into the pleasant and peaceful paths of success.
Some say that greatness is sometimes thrust upon us; others,
more liberal, say it is inborn; others argue that it is acquired. We
say that this is an instance where classical musical ability reigned
uppermost, controlling and directing the possessor as the main¬
spring of all her infantile life; but on becoming cognizant of this
state of affairs, she was advised by good Northern friends to turn her
whole attention to the pursuit for which her heart and mind thirsted.
Hence, after a few weeks with the classic masters, the whole Negro
race was applauded for the advent of one among us, and sufficiently
black to claim our identity, that was destined to move the world in
576
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
tears. Year after year our subject has won new conquests, and
in only a short season she is termed the Black Patti. Is this an
instance of acquired greatness, thrusted greatness or inborn great¬
ness? We are loth to say inborn or thrust. For every achievement
made by our race that seems to attract the attention of the world
we are caused to feel grateful to God. When Negroes are smart, as
a rule, a characteristic spirit seems to predominate in them when
very small. Her career, while brief, is nevertheless full of bright
successes. We append below a few press comments:
Madam Sissiretta Jones' singing at the Exposition at Pittsburgh, Pa., saved the Expo¬
sition management from bankruptcy.
At the concert given by the World's Fair Colored Concert Company at New York, Miss
Jones is said to have surpassed all former appearances. Among the box holders were Judge
and Mrs. Andrews, Col. and Mrs. Ingersoll, Mrs. J. M. Thurber, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Villard, Wallace C. Andrews, Daniel Bacon, and R. W. G. Welling. Three rows of seats
in the center aisle were occupied by a concert party from a fashionable girls' school,
and there were musicians of fame in attendance, who joined with us in sentiment.—The
Freeman.
Mme. Sissiretta Jones sang at the residence of Judge Andrews, on Fifth Ave., New
York, before a party of thirty ladies, among whom were Mrs. Lo^d, Mrs. Fields, Mrs.
Vanderbilt, Mrs. Stephens, and Mrs. Astor. The Chief Justice of India, who was pres¬
ent, presented the singer with a valentine, which, when opened, contained a check for
one thousand dollars. She also received a solid silver basket filled with choice flowers.
The ladies pronounced the singing superior to Patti's.
Miss Jones is now (June 25, 1895) singing in Germany, and will leave Berlin for Lon¬
don, England, where she will remain about six weeks. After this she will return home
to fill engagements at Asbury Park, the Pittsburgh Exhibition, and Saratoga. She will
then return to Germany to sing for two years. She has been very successful abroad.
Madam Jones sang for the Emperor of Germany, April 5, and he ordered a diamond
cross made for her.
aRANVILLE T. WOODS, a colored man, is an electrician and invent¬
or ive genius. He has attained great fame. Inventor of the
latest system of telegraphy. A new motor his greatest con¬
trivance. Granville T. Woods, of Cincinnati, is a colored man who
has brought lustre to his own name through inventions of excep¬
tional interest to the world of science, and has come to be classed
among the greatest electricians and inventors of the age. A patent
contest now in progress has brought him to the notice of the leading
magazines and scientific journals of both continents and numerous
articles concerning his great achievements as well as his person¬
ality have appeared in all classes of papers and periodicals within
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 577
the past two or three months. Mr. Woods has taken out some thirty-
five patents in various countries and has many still pending. He is
the inventor of a telephone which he sold to the Bell Telephone Com¬
pany, and of a system of telegraphing from moving railway trains,
which was successfully tried on the New Rochelle branch of the
New Haven road in 1885. Three years ago an electric railway sys¬
tem of his invention was operated at Coney Island, which had neither
exposed wires, secondary batteries nor a slotted way. The current
was taken from iron blocks placed at intervals of twelve feet between
the rails, in which, by an ingenious arrangement of magnets and
switches the current was turned on to the blocks only as they were
successively covered by the cars. The most remarkable invention
of Mr. Woods is for the regulation of electric motors. In almost all
applications of electric power, it is necessary at times to control the
speed of the motors without changing the loads or disturbing the
voltage at the source of supply. This has usually been done by in¬
troducing large dead resistances in series with the motors. These
quickly become hot and are extremely wasteful of electricity. Mr.
Woods has by his improvements reduced the size of these resist¬
ances so as to materially lessen the losses by them and to remove
other objectionable features. It is accomplished by employing a
dynamotor to regulate the main motor and controlling the former
with a small series of resistance coils. The dynamotor is an elec¬
trical apparatus in which two machines, a dynamo and motor, are
placed on the same shaft, one receiving current and the other gen¬
erating it, usually of a different voltage.
The motor part of the dynamotor as applied to motor regulation
takes up the surplus electric energy and converts it into mechanical
energy by rotating the armature shaft; this in turn by revolving the
armature of the dynamo part, generates electrical energy, which is
returned to the line.. There are certain features of this invention
now involved in interference proceedings in the United States patent
office with five rival inventors. Of these, only one had the invention
perfected to the extent of using a dynamotor. This one is Dr.
Schuyler S. Wheeler, of the Crocker-Wheeler Electric company.
The proceedings, however, showed that Woods completely developed
his invention when there was no prior model to guide him, and when
the others were at most, only taking the preliminary steps which led
them years later in the same direction. The electric company in
question has consequently been obliged to ally Mr. Woods with it in
37
578
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
order to retain the improvements independently invented by Dr.
Wheeler.
Mr. "Woods is notable for his ancestry as well as his inventive gen¬
ius. His mother's father was a Malay Indian, while all his other
grandparents were by birth full-blooded savage Australian abori¬
gines, born in the wilds back of Melbourne. When a boy of ten he
was set to bellows blowing in an Australian railroad repair shop,
where he soon made himself familiar with all its departments, and
with his spare earnings engaged private instruction from the master
mechanic of the establishment. When sixteen, Woods was brought by
his parents to the United States, and became a locomotive engineer
on the Iron Mountain road in Missouri. Later he secured a position
as engineer on the British steamer, Ironsides, and in 1880 estab¬
lished a repair shop of his own in Cincinnati. He has a remarkably
thorough knowledge of the intricate mathematics of electricity and of
legal practice respecting inventions.
He is fluent in conversation, anc^ his speech is entirely free from
dialect. This has all been acquired while in active business, by read¬
ing and keen observation.—Pueblo Times.
•1JISH0P DANIEL A. PAYNE, D.D., LL.D.—The Apostle of Education.
Daniel Alexander Payne was born in Charleston, S. C., Feb. 24,
1811. He was a carpenter by trade. He was converted at the
age of eighteen, and received a divine call to the ministry. He
taught in Charleston till 1835, when his school was closed by slave
legislation. He then left his native city with the determination
never to return until slavery was abolished. He landed in Philadel¬
phia, where he taught school several years. He next entered the
Lutheran Theological Seminary, at Gettysburg, Pa., where he
studied two years, but on account of weakness of his eyes, was com¬
pelled to surrender his course before it was completed. In 1840 he
joined the Philadelphia Conference A. M. E. Church as a local
preacher. In 1843 he was a traveling preacher of same body. His
first station was made by Bishop Morris Brown, when he was
appointed to Bethel Church, Washington, D. C. He was next sta¬
tioned at Bethel Church, Baltimore. He was married in 1847 to Miss
Julia A. Ferris, of Washington. At the General Conference which
met in New York, May, 1852, he was elected Bishop. In 1863 he pur¬
chased for the A. M. E. Church the Wilberforce University, Ohio,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
579
and always superintended its work. This school is truly a monu¬
ment to his indefatigable energy and earnest zeal in the cause of
education. In 1881 he presided over the Ecumenical Conference of
Methodism in London; and in September, 1893, over the World's
Parliament of Religions, at Chicago. He is the author of several pub¬
lications, and was the historian of the church for forty years. He
died in great peace at his home in Wilber force, Ohio, Nov. 29, 1893,
being at the time President of the Payne Theological Seminary, at
Wilberforce. A handsome monument is now being erected to his
memory.
tILLIAM L. TURNER was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, Feb¬
ruary 17, 1852. His father's name was William Turner, and
was born a slave. His mother's maiden name was Martha
Montgomery, and she too was born a slave. When the late Civil
War broke out William L. Turner was nine years old. He was thir¬
teen years old when he entered the common school at Gallatin, Tenn.
580
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
He attended the common school of Gallatin a part of terms of 1866,
1867 and 1869. He left his home near Shackle Island, Tenn., and
went to Nashville to attend the Baptist College in December, 1869.
He continued in college during the term 1869, and during the term
of 1870 he was taken down sick with the fever. He could not earn
'money enough to enter college in the fall of 1870, so he went to Rock-
field, Ky., at which place he got up a school and taught six months
with great success. He closed his school the last of March, 1871,
and returned to his home at Shackle Island, Tenn. He remained at
home during April following, and then went to Olmstead, Ky., and
got up a school at a place called Cedar Grove Church, about two and
a half miles from Olmstead. He taught there three months, which
was the first school ever taught at that place for colored children.
In the fall of 1871 he returned to Nashville to attend college, and
was there in 1872, and has been engaged in teaching and preaching
ever since. He taught school in Springfield, Tenn., in the year 1876,
and in Keysburg, Ky., in 1877, 1878, 1879 and 1880; in the year 1883
he went to the Roger "Williams University, and in 1884 returned to
Auburn, Ky., where he taught school during the years 1884, 18S5,
1886 and 1887 with marked success. He was called to the pastoral
charge of the Baptist Church in Auburn, Ky., in 1887, and was also
elected State Grand Chief of the I. O. of Good Samaritans of the
State of Kentucky, in which position he served for two years with
credit to himself and to the order. William L. Turner has been
made Secretary of some Republican Conventions of Logan County,
has served on various committees, and has been a delegate from
Logan County to all the District and State Republican Conventions
from Garfield's election down to the present time. In 1890 he was
elected President of the Logan County Teachers' Association, in
which position he served twelve months with marked ability and gave
good satisfaction to the association. In 1892 he was elected alternate
delegate from the third congressional district to the Minneapolis Con¬
vention, which nominated Hon. Benjamin Harrison for President.
Alter he arrived in Minneapolis he was made a delegate to serve in
the place of Hon. Dr. G W. Hunter, and he supported President Har¬
rison, as he fully endorsed the administration. William L. Turner
has accumulated some wealth in Russellville, Ky., he has fine shares
in the Logan County Building and Loan Association. He also carries
a life insurance policy of $2,000. He now has the pastoral charge of
Little Zion Baptist Church in Russellville, Ky.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
581
MISS HAMilE Q. BROWN.
BY F. S. DELANY.
fALLIE QUINN BROWN is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. When
quite small her parents moved to a farm near Chatham, Canada,
Ontario West. At an early age, in the year 1868, she was sent
to Wilberforce College, Ohio, to obtain an education the country
schools of Canada could not give, and where her parents subse¬
quently moved, and now reside at Homewood Cottage. She com¬
pleted the classical scientific course in 1873, with the degree of B. S.
in a class of six. One of her classmates is the wife of Rev. B. P.
Lee, D.D., ex-President of Wilberforce. Realizing that a great field
of labor lay in the South, Miss Brown, with true missionary spirit,
left her pleasant home and friends to devote herself to the noble work
she had chosen.
Her first school was on a plantation in South Carolina, where she
endured the rough life as best she could, and taught a large number
of children from neighboring plantations. She also taught a class of
aged people, and by this means gave to many the blessed privilege of
reading the Bible. She next took charge of a school on Sonora
Plantation, in Mississippi, where she found the effort to elevate the
minds of the people much hindered by the use of tobacco and whisky
—twin vices.
But as she is an indefatigable worker she accomplished much, and
at this place, as at all others where she is known, her influence for
the better is felt. Her plantation school had no windows, but it was
well ventilated; too much so in fact, for daylight could be seen from
all sides, with no particular regularity, and the rain beat in fiercely.
Not being successful in getting the authorities to fix the building—
shed, we should have said—she secured the willing service of two of
her larger boys. She mounted one mule, and the two boys another,
and thus they rode to the gin mill. They got cotton seed, returned,
mixed it with earth, which formed a plastic mortar, and with her own
hands she pasted up the chinks, and ever after smiled at the uavail-
able attacks of wind and weather.
Her fame as instructor spread, and her services were secured as
Miss Hallie Q. Brown, Elocutionist,
Wilberforce, Ohio.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
583
teacher at Yazoo City. On account of the unsettled state of affairs
in 1874-5, she was compelled to return North. Thus the South lost
one of its most valuable missionaries. Miss Brown then taught in
Dayton, Ohio, for four years. Owing to ill health she gave up teach¬
ing. She was persuaded to travel for her alma mater, Wilber force,
and started on a lecturing tour, concluding at Hampton school,
Virginia, where she was received with a great welcome. After
taking a course in elocution at this place, she traveled again, having
much greater success, and received favorable criticism from the
press.
For several years she has traveled with the "The Wilberforce
Grand Concert Company," an organization for the benefit of Wilber¬
force College. She has read before hundreds of audiences, and tens
of thousands of people, and has received nothing but the highest
of praise from all. She posseses a voice of wonderful magnetism and
great compass, and seems to have perfect control of the muscles of
the throat, and can vary ,her voice as successfully as a mocking bird.
As a public reader, Miss Brown delights and enthuses her audiences.
In her humorous selections, she often causes "wave after wave" of
laughter. In her pathetic pieces, she often moves her audience to
tears. The following are a few of thousands of compliments paid to
her by the public press:
Miss Brown, the elocutionist, ranks as one of the finest in the
country.—Daily News, Urbana, Ohio.
"The select readings of Miss Brown are done to perfection. She
has an excellent voice, and good control of it. She makes every
piece sound as if it were the author speaking, and in many of them
doubtless she exceeds the one she imitates."
Her style is pure and correct; her selections excellent.—Long
Branch (N. J.) News.
Miss Hallie Q. Brown, the elocutionist with the company, was
loudly applauded. Many credit Miss Brown with being one of the
best elocutionists before the public.—Indianapolis Times.
Miss Brown, the elocutionist, is a phenomenon, and deserves the
highest praise. She is a talented lady, and deserves all the encomi¬
ums that she receives.—The Daily Sun, Yincennes, Ind.
The select reading of Miss Hallie Q. Brown was very fine. From
grave to gay, from tragic to comic, with a great variation of themes
and humors, she seemed to succeed in all, and her renderings were
the spice of the night's performance.—Monitor, Marion, 111.
584
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
mEV. JAMES A. DAVIS, B,D„ the subject of this sketch, whose por-
|f trait is here given in connection with a cut of his church, is one
of the most prominent young ministers of the African Meth¬
odist Episcopal connection, and for the last ten years has filled some
of the largest and most influential churches in the gift of his confer¬
ences. The versatility of his talents were early developed, and they
have been wisely employed to advance the interests of Christ where-
ever he has labored. His success has been almost phenomenal in
every field he has occupied.
Rev. Mr. Davis is a native of Kentucky, and was born in Olden
County, December 19, 1861. He was taken in his infancy by his
mother to Ohio, who in company with others were set free and loca¬
ted in Mercer County. His father, who belonged to a different
master, in the meantime escaped to Canada, and in 1862 his wife
joined him in Windsor, Canada, where they remained until after the
War. Then they moved back into the states, settling first in Detroit,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 585
Mich., afterward in Cleveland, Ohio, and finally in Franklin, Ind., in
1869. His parentage accounts easily for several of the prominent in¬
herent traits of character which have served to earlv distinguish
«/ o
him. His father, Rev. Martin Henry Davis, has for forty years
been an honored and active local minister of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, while his mother (deceased) was a God-fearing
woman, "full of faith and the Holy Ghost," and zealous in good
works. This pious parental influence, together with careful nurture
gave an early religious bent to his nature. He was converted at the
age of five years at a camp meeting, and has always possessed a
natural fitness and a love for the gospel ministry. During the early
years of his boyhood he attracted local interest by his delight in, and
his ability to repeat the sermons and religious exercises witnessed
in the church on Sabbath before his youthful companions.
In the public schools of Franklin, Ind., he received his first intel¬
lectual training. His parents being poor and burdened with a large
family were unable to keep him in school regularty, but his insatiable
thirst for an education gave him the spirit of perseverance. He,
therefore, worked steadily at a variety of pursuits and kept up as far
as possible a course of general reading. His taste tended exten¬
sively toward the study of the scriptures and the cultivation of ora¬
tor y, for which he seemed to have a natural gift. He joined the A.
M. E. Church in 1878 and was licensed to preach by Rev. J. A.
Jordon in 1879. In 1882 he was admitted into the itinerant minis¬
try of the Indiana Conference, of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church. He began his trial services in Madison, Ind., a field well
calculated to make his "trial" one of crucial experiences, testing
sharply both his faith and consecration. But the courage and in¬
domitable energy of the young preacher were equal to his environ¬
ments. ' And he soon made for himself both friends and influence
among the strangers with whom his lines were cast. From a slow-
going, demoralized congregation, he soon made it one of the largest
and most influential in the city. Revivals, conversions and spiritual
experiences abundantly attest the faithfulness of his ministry, not
only in this his first field of labor, but in Bloomington, Washington
and Portland, to which places he was subsequently sent.
In 1887 he was sent to the pastorate of the A. M. E. Church at
Greencastle, Ind. Feeling the need of a more thorough preparation
for his life work, he here entered the School of Theology of De-
Pauw University, and pursued its course in connection with his pas-
586
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
tor ate. Completing it in two years he was sent by Bishop John M.
Brown, D.D., D.C.L., to Indianapolis, and appointed to one of the
largest churches in Indiana Conference. In this field of labor he
won for himself unusual fame and influence for a young minister, as
a practical Christian worker, a pulpit orator and public speaker. At
this pastorate a large mortgage debt was soon paid, his church beau¬
tified and his membership largely increased. Finishing his pasto¬
rate at Indianapolis with great honor to himself and the connection,
he was transferred to the Tennessee Conference and stationed at St.
John's A. M. E. Church, at Nashville, his present charge with the
instructions, "Finish that church and make it the pride of the Ten¬
nessee Conference." The task was indeed a herculean one; a chronic
debt of $18,000 stood in the way of the church's completion. This
debt together with the voice of the ecclesiastical pessimist and the
logic of hard times rendered the completion of the edifice seemingly
impossible. But the little man with an iron will said it could and
must be done, and one year and ten months from the said time, the
heavy mortgage debt was paid, and a week of Jubilee was held in
honor of the event. Flush with victory he announced to his congre¬
gation that he intended (D.V.) to finish the church at once. But
while his congregation had great faith in his leadership, no one be¬
lieved, in view of the great struggle through which the church had
just passed, that it could be done. But he wrote his motto, "It can,
and must be done," and the congregation agreed. The plans were
formulated and the command given, "Every man to his work."
Within four months' time, the magnificent church edifice, illustrated
on another page, which, for sixteen years, had been under construc¬
tion, was completed, at a cost of $4,000, one half of which was
raised at the dedication. This magnificent effort has placed him in
the front ranks of the ministry of the connection, and he enjoys
to-day the distinction of being "The Young Money King of the con¬
nection. ''
In personal appearance, Rev. Mr. Davis is below the medium size,
with clear-cut, scholarly features, and possesses a most winning
address. As a pastor, he is activity personified, and an indefatigable
worker. He possesses the art of an organizer and director, which
is the key to successful church work. With a broad grasp of the
situation, and a mind awake to the minutest details, he is a natural
leader, and never wants for a following. With quick tact and warm
sympathy, he knows how to approach and win men. Having a rich
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
587
social nature, a kindly disposition, and the polish of a true gentle¬
man, he is an ever welcome visitor in the homes of his parishoners
and his host of friends. In his pastoral relations his people are
made to feel that in him they have a true friend and brother. No
member of his large congregation is ever neglected. In sickness,
in sorrow, and in the dark hour of death, he is ever present with that
warm Christian feeling, which gives sweet ministration to the soul,
when it most longs for genuine, heart-felt sympathy. Rev. Mr.
Davis, though young in years, has achieved a success of which a
minister twice his age might well be proud. He belongs to that
great class of self-made young men who gain fame and honor by their
own might, battling with the decree of fate with naught but the
weapons God has provided. From the first, he has been held in the
highest esteem by his connection and bishops. As a theologian, he
ranks with the best. As a pulpit orator, he is exceptionally bril¬
liant, having an extensive and ready vocabulary, being clear in dic¬
tion, solid in thought, and commanding in address, he moves his
audiences at will, and forces them to accept the convictions of his
heart by his persausive powers. He understands the merit of brev¬
ity, and never tires his hearers with innumerable "fourthlies " and
"fifthlies." He possesses the rare faculty of putting great truths
in new and attractive garments, and to hear him once creates a desire
to hear him again. His services are in continual demand upon every
important public occasion where entertaining speakers are required,
and he is never at a loss for fitting and appropriate remarks. His
motto is "Excelsior," and his banner waves proudly in the cam¬
paign of Christian workers. His career demonstrates the truth that
youth is no barrier to promotion, if supported by sterling personal
worth and untiring push and energy. Rev. Mr. Davis was married
to Miss Minnie E. Clark, of Detroit, Mich., Nov. 18, 1885. His wife
is a noble Christian lady of rare intellectual, social and moral attain¬
ments, and to her he owes much of his success. For Rev. James A.
Davis the years are full of promise.
Rev. H. D. Cannady (of Georgia),
Presiding Elder, South Nashville District, Tennessee Conference, A. M. E- Church.
Distinguished for religious enthusiasm, and a Hercules of
African Methodism for Tennessee.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
589
fjEV. GEORGE C. ROWE was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, May 1,
1853. His childhood, youth and young- manhood were spent
here, and his education was secured in the town of his birth.
At 17 years of age he entered the Litchfield Enquirer office, a widely
known weekly newspaper, and after three years apprenticeship re¬
ceived a certificate of trade, the first and only colored man from this
office. He turned his attention to natural history and theology, and
made a large collection of minerals, birds' eggs and reptiles, speci¬
mens of which have been given to various schools. His purpose in
studying theology was to be better prepared for missionary effort
among his people, but his intention was not to enter the active minis¬
try. In 1876 he removed to Hampton, Va., where in the Normal
School Printing Office he performed work on the American Mission¬
ary, the Southern Workman, the Alumni Journal, the African Reposi¬
tory and other publications, besides establishing the Ocean Cottage
Mission in Little England, near the Institute, and securing the erec-
590 AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
tion of a chapel there which was, and is still used for school, Sunday
school and church purposes. Here he published his first poetic at¬
tempt, a pamphlet entitled Sunbeams. In 1883 he met the Litchfield
(Conn.) South Consociation, and entered the active Congregational
ministry under the American Missionary Association, as pastor of
Cypress Slash Congregational Church, at Mcintosh, Ga., resigning
after a three years' service, to become pastor of Plymouth Congrega¬
tional Church, at Charleston, S. C. Here he has been located for
nine years, serving his people in church, mission, and school work.
In addition to this he has published two volumes of poems,
"Thoughts in Verse," and "Patriotic Poems," besides several pam¬
phlets, among them "The Aim of Life," "A Noble Life," "Decora¬
tion," etc., several of which have passed through a second edition.
For the past two and a half years the Cha/rleston Inquirer, of which he
is editor and proprietor, has been doing excellent service for the
race. His literary work in verse and prose commands attention, and
many commendatory notices have been given them by prominent jour¬
nals and competent critics. In the near future, he expects to issue a
bound volume of poems, of about 350 pages. He has been for eight
years Statistical Secretary and Treasurer of the Georgia Congrega¬
tional Association, has attended two National Councils, and at the
last, in Minneapolis, Minn., was elected second vice moderator,
although one ,out of five colored men in a Council of between five
hundred and six hundred delegates, filling the chair for several
hours on three different days. For five years he has been President
of the Preachers' Union, an influential body of Negro ministers of all
denominations in Charleston; is Trustee, and Treasurer of the Fred¬
erick 'Deming, Jr., Industrial School, of Maryville, a suburb of
Charleston, and has been recently appointed a member of the Liter¬
ary'Congress of the Negro department of the Atlanta Exposition—a
busy man.
EV. WILLIAM DECKER JOHNSON was born Maich 19, 1842, in Calvert
County, Maryland. At an early age he removed with his par¬
ents to Baltimore where he attended private schools. He was
converted in 1861, and the same year, by Bishop A. W. Wayman re¬
ceived license to exhort. In 1862 he entered Lincoln University,
Pennsylvania, graduating as valedictorian in 1868. He was the fav¬
orite student of the late Hon. William E. Dodge, of New York,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
591
who educated hundreds of young people for Christian work. Dr.
Johnson has been for sixteen years pastor of various churches. When
in 1884 the General Conference at Baltimore elected him Secretary
of Education of the A. M. E. Church, he at once organized the depart¬
ment and has been twice re-elected to the position for terms of four
years each. Bishop Atticus G. Hay good, D.D., LL.D., speaking of
his management, says: "More than most men, he grasps a great
problem. His plans are great, but not chimerical. His methods
look to the long run, and with God's favor, will issue in blessings to
the whole people." Mr. Norman W. Dodge, son of the Hon. William
Rev. William Decker Johnson.
E. Dodge, says: "Rev. Wm. D. Johnson has been well known and
much esteemed by our family for years. My father took a particu¬
lar interest in him, and helped him in his good work at different
times, 225 Madison Avenue, New York." Mr. Johnson has many
such recommendations which have been of great service in the edu¬
cational work. While at college he developed considerable power as
.a speaker, and has ever since continued on the same line. The Nash¬
ville American, August 2, 1884, speaking of him, says: "He is a born
orator, and a man of superior literary attainments." He has spoken
with acceptance in the Y. M. C. A. halls of Philadelphia and New
York, in the Sam Jones Tabernacle, Cartersville, Ga., Dr. Talmage's
Tabernacle, Brooklyn, N. Y., before the Unitarian National Confer-
592
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
ence at Saratoga, N. Y., and the Centennial Conference of Method¬
ism at Baltimore, Md. His greatest was when a delegate from his
church to the General Conference of the M. E. Church, South, sit¬
ting in Atlanta, Ga., that address bearing on the Race Problem, was
copied into all newspapers and translated into several foreign lan¬
guages. Mr. Johnson has at different times represented his work
in the National Educational Association and the American Associa¬
tion of Educators of colored youth. During the World's Fair he
read papers before the Religious and Educational Congresses, also
delivered an address in the Hall of Columbus Art Palace, Chicago,
on "The Negro Element of the American People."
RANCES ELLEN W. HARPER is a native of Maryland, and was
born in Baltimore, in 1825, of free parents. What she was
deprived of in her younger days, in an educational point of
view, she made up in after years, and is now considered one of the
most scholarly and well-read women of the day. Her poetic genius
was early developed, and some of her poems, together with a few
prose articles, with the title of "Forest Leaves," were published,
and attracted considerable attention, even before she became known
to the public throught her able platform orations. An article on
"Christianity," by Mrs. Harper, will stand a comparison with any
paper of the kind in the English language. Feeling deeply the in¬
jury inflicted upon her race, she labored most effectually, by both
pen and speech, for the overthrow of slavery, and for ten years before
the commencement of the Rebellion, the press throughout the free
States recorded her efforts as amongst the ablest made in the coun¬
try. Few of our American poets have written verses more pointed
against existing evils than Frances Ellen Harper. Her eloquent
poem, "To the Union Savers of Cleveland," on the return of a
fugitive slave to her master at the South, will always be read with a
feeling of indignation against the people of the North who could suf¬
fer such things to be done. "The Slave Mother " will stand along¬
side of Whittier's best poems on the "Peculiar Institution." The
poems on "The Proclamation" and the "Fifteenth Amendment"
will be read by her race with delight in after ages. All of Mrs. Har¬
per's writings are characterized by chaste language, much thought,
and a soul-stirring ring that are refreshing to the reader. As a
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 593
speaker, she ranks deservedly high; her arguments are forcible, her
appeals pathetic, her logic fervent, her imagination fervid, and her
delivery, original and easy. Mrs. Harper is,dignified both in public
and in private, yet witty and sociable. She is the ablest colored lady
who has ever appeared in public in our country, and is an honor to
the race she represents. In person, Mrs. Harper is tall, and of neat
figure, mulatto in color, bright eyes, smiling countenance, and intelli¬
gent in conversation.—The Rising Sun.
ESHONG, REV. J. M. W., was born in the State of North Carolina,
January 9, 1853. He and his parents were brought to Ten¬
nessee by their owners in 1859. In August, 1870, he professed
faith in Jesus Christ, and joined the Colored Cumberland Presbyte¬
rian Church. He joined the Hopewell Presbytery, September 18,
1871, and was licensed to preach the gospel March 25, 1872, at
Huntingdon, Tenn. He moved to Milan, Tenn., December 20, 1873,
where he still resides with his mother and sister. He was ordained
Elder at Huntingdon. He has filled some of the most important
charges in his church. He has organized and built ten churches.
He is Clerk of the "Walton Presbytery, and also of-the West Tennes¬
see Synod. For ten successive years he has represented his Pres¬
bytery in the General Assembly. He is editor and publisher of the
organ of his church—The Colored Cumberland Presbyterian—published
38
594
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
at Fayetteville, Tenn. Elder Deshong is one of the leading minis¬
ters of his denomination in the United States. He is faithful and
earnest; and as he grows in age, he grows in wisdom, and the work
of his denomination is largely guided by his suggestions. He is still
a single man, and is much respected and beloved by all who know
him, because he is always 011 the side of right.
flEV. JAS. D. BARKSDALE was born at Goldville, (then Martin's De-
pot), Laurens county, S. C., October 24, 18G0. Completing- a
^ normal course in the schools of his home, he per sued a higher
course under private preceptors. After his school days, he took up
the profession of public school teaching, which he followed for eleven
years, often receiving high compliments from Boards of Examiners
for efficiency and studiousness. He has always been an ardent stu-
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
595
clent of nature, and is well informed in Astronomy, Natural Philoso¬
phy, and other branches of natural science.
He joined the A. M. E. Church, in 1878; entered the itenerant
ministry of that church in 1882. He filled some of the most impor¬
tant appointments of the A. M. E. Church in the State of South Car¬
olina. In June, 1894, he was transferred by Bishop H. M. Turner,
and appointed to the pastorate of Bethel Church, in the city of De¬
troit, Mich., where he now is (1895).
fON. ROBERT C. BARNES was born on a farm in Western Ohio, Sep¬
tember 22, 1856. Until his seventeenth year enjoyed no educa¬
tional advantages, save those afforded in the district schools of
those days—indifferently taught by incompetent teachers three
months in the year. Imbued with a thirst for a better education
than he could thus obtain, with his meager savings, he entered Wil-
596
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
berforce University, taking- a scientific course. After leaving that
institution, he taught school for twelve years, during which time he
read law; and on June 6, 1889, was admitted to the bar by the Su¬
preme Court of Ohio. He was the only applicant of color, and stood
the highest in that class, numbering 66. In September, of the same
year, he entered upon the practice of his profession in the city of
Detroit, Mich. He is held in the highest esteem by the bench and
bar of Detroit. He enjoys a lucrative practice; and numbered among
his clientage are some of the best citizens of the State, representing
nearly every nationality. He is not only an able and brilliant law¬
yer, but a forcible and eloquent speaker, a thorough race man, and
is one of the best evidences of the capabilities of the race.
W. R. Harrington.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
597
jiRt^iriGTOfi.—The subject of this sketch was born in
Canada and reared in Mississippi. Learned the painter's
trade and worked at it for several years. In September,
1890 he came to Nashville, Tenn., and entered the Literary Depart¬
ment of Central Tennessee College, and in 1894 entered the Meharry
Medical Department with a view of completing medicine and dentis¬
try. He is also the founder of a life and permanent disability, en¬
dowment and pension beneficiary institution, known as the United
Brothers and Sisters of the World. This institution is meeting with
wonderful success, duly chartered in 1892, having already acknowl¬
edged and signed policies to the amount of $9,000, all of whi'ch are
being paid legal claimants upon installments without an extra assess¬
ment. W. R. Harrington is among the coming young men of his
race. He is a self-made man, full of pluck, push and perseverance.
He is editor and proprietor of a newspaper known as the Secret
World, devoted to the interests of the Institution. He has a neatly-
furnished office in the Boyd Building, No. 419 Cedar St., Nashville,
Tenn.
J53EV. ZACHARIAH HARRISON, Mount Vernon, Ind. The lives of men
K are always reflected by their deeds, whether in relation to
c church or State. Occasionally there is found a man high in
church who enjoys the confidence and respect of his fellow members.
Such a man is the Rev. Zachariah Harrison. Comparatively a young
man, possessing a strong, vigorous intellect, a w6ll rounded charac¬
ter, firm in.his opinions, uncompromising in his crusade against sin.
Such are the characteristics of the subject of our sketch. He was
born in Murray, Ky., March 1, 1866, and spent the early part of his
life on a farm. Notwithstanding the hardships and struggles with
which he had to contend, he managed to accumulate a small compe¬
tence, enabling him to obtain a common school education. Nothing
daunted by the environment, which tested the mettle of his thirst for
knowledge, he continued his struggles for higher educational train¬
ing, something in line with his chosen calling. Providence smiled
upon him; gave him friends and money, enabling him to enter the
Re;v. Z. Harrison,
Mt. Vernon, Ind.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
599
Theological Department, Hillsdale College, Michigan, in 1881. After
spending a number of years, his failing health compelled him to leave .
before completing his course. The honors confered upon him by his
church are one of the strongest evidences of his standing with his de¬
nomination. Ordained to preach in 1877; he was called to the pas¬
torate of the Free Will Baptist Church at Fulton, Ky., in 1889, which
charge he held for five years.
In 1889, he was elected General Superintendent of the Sunday
schools of Kentucky, having charge of the literature and its distribu¬
tion ; was elected delegate to General Conference, which convened
at Lowell, Mass., in 1888. Mr. Harrison is now a member of the
Home University League, one of the most prominent literary asso¬
ciations in the United States. He is now pastor at Mount Vernon,
Ind., of one of the largest churches in Indiana. This church will
stand as a monument to his integrity, high Christian character, and
business methods. He is blessed with a happy home, having been
happily united in marriage to Miss Sallie H. Wood, of Marion, Ky.,
October 23, 1892. Mrs. Harrison shares in his success with a mod¬
esty that makes her quite a substantial support in his ministerial
work.
TX H, HOLSEY, D.D., Bishop C. M. E.' Church, was born in the State
JS of Georgia, July 3, 1842, near the City of Columbus. His
mother was the slave of James Holsey, who was also his
father. His mother was of African descent, and of pure blood of
that race, with fine form and features. When he was about seven
years of age, his father and first master died, and then his cousin, T.
L. Wynn, of Hancock county, became his second owner. At this
time (seven years of age) he was taken away from his mother, and
never lived with her again, except about three or four years, dur¬
ing which time she lived on the same place in Hancock county that he
did with his second owner. In 1857 Mr. T. L. Wynn died, and he
became the servant of Col. R. M. Johnstone, who resided in the same
place. He lived with him until emancipation. The first three years
after emancipation he conducted a farm in Hancock county, near
Sparta. He was licensed to preach in 1868, and served nearly two
years on the Hancock circuit. On January 9, 1869, he was sent by
Bishop Pierce to Savannah, Ga., to serve there that year. In
L. H. Holsey,
Bishop C. M. E. Church, Augusta, Ga.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 601
1871 he was sent to Augusta, Ga., as pastor of Trinity Church, which
at that time was one of the largest and most prominent churches
belonging to the colored members of the M. E. Church, South. At
this church he remained two years and three months, at the end of
which time (March, 1873) he was elected to the Episcopal office, and
was ordained by Bishop W. H. Miles, one of the first Bishops of
the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America. In the winter,
or sometime in January, 1858, his last owner was called to teach in
the State University, at Athens, Ga., and he was carried there with
his family. At the beginning of the war in 1861, they moved back
again to Hancock. "While in Athens, he was converted under the
pastorate of "W. H. Parks, of the North Georgia Conference, and was
baptized and fellowshiped by his uncle, Rev. H. H. Parks. Being
called to the high position that he now holds, in 1873, he has been
very active in all that pertains to that office. He was a delegate to
the first General Conference, which convened in Jackson, Tenn.,
1870, at which time and place the church was organized as a separate
and distinct organization from that of the M. E. Church, South, of
which we had formed a part. He was a delegate to the first Ecumen¬
ical Conference, which met in London, in 1881, and also a delegate to
the one that was held in Washington, in 1891. He was a delegate,
and the first delegate, of his church, to the Conference of the Metho¬
dist Episcopal Church, South, held in Nashville, in 1882. He founded
the Paine Institute, located in this (Augusta) city, and made the ini¬
tiatory steps for the beginning of the Lane Institute, at Jackson,
Tenn. For twenty years he has been Secretary of the College of
Bishops, and the general corresponding secretary of the connection,
and perhaps has been most prominent in all the leading movements
of the church.
He felt that he was called to preach, from his youth, and the
brighest place in his memory is still vivid with the aspirations
and longings that then glowed upon his heart, and framed and flashed
through all the parts of his body and soul. That he has done his
work well no one will gainsay.
602
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOP/EDIA.
WHOMAS ANTHONY BROWN was born in the city of Port Hope, on
Lake Ontario, Canada, in 1848. His mother is Scotch Irish and
is now living; his father was half Indian and half Negro, who
died when Thomas was in his infancy, leaving a widow and four chil¬
dren, two boys and two girls. Thomas being the youngest, it fell to
his lot to be bound out to a Scotch Irish family to be raised. Thomas
being only eight years old was to remain with his foster-mother and
father until he was twenty-one; at the expiration of said time they
were to give him a house and fifty acres of land as well as a liberal
education. In the spring of 1860 the family (who were wealthy farm¬
ers) moved to America and settled near Jackson, Michigan. In 1862
the war excitement
became quite high
and Thomas hearing
the roll of the drum
night and morn, (in
the camps near his
home) soon became
animated with the
idea of being a drum¬
mer. He gave his
foster-mother no
peace until she
bought him a drum.
He learned to play
the drum with great
skill, but he never
hinted to his people
that he thought of
going to the army.
In the fall of 1863 at
a time when things
did not appear to go
so well with the lad,
and his foster-father
had given him a se¬
vere whipping for
some disobedience,
it was then that
Thomas Anthony
Brown made up his
mind to leave home. He got up early one morning, took his clothes
and drum upon his back and left, to be seen no more of that family.
He soon found opportunity to enlist in the Fourteenth Michigan Bat¬
tery, (white) but was afterward transferred (by his own request) to
the First Michigan, (colored) which was afterward changed to the
102d V. S. C. T., then stationed at Detroit Michigan. He was con¬
verted in 1864 while a soldier boy. He served two years and nine
months and was mustered out at Charleston, S. C., at the close of the
.war. He joined the A. M. E., Church in 1868 in Detroit, Michigan,
under the pastorate of Rev. George Booth. He came to New Or¬
leans in 1871, took two full courses of medicine under the jurisdiction
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
603
of the Straight University and J. T. Newman, Dean. He taught
school in the summer and attended school in the fall and winter. In
1875 he received his diploma to practice medicine. He practiced for
a short time in Vicksburg, Miss., then went to the old Jefferson
Davis' plantation, 23 miles below Vicksburg, where he practiced
with great success for two years. He received his first license to
preach from Rev. A. R. Green, pastor and chairman of the Quarterly
Conference of Vicksburg Station in 1877. He joined the Mississippi
Annual Conference under Bishop J. P. Campbell in 1878. At his
own request was appointed to Davis Bend Mission, where there
was no church and not a single member. He reported at the next
conference one nice church, 144 members; $5.00 Sunday school,
missionary money and contingent money, etc. In 1879 he was
appointed to the Madison Circuit near Tugaloo University, where
he attended two years and studied theology. He was ordained by
Bishop Campbell in 1880, and was married to Miss Ella Noel, a stu¬
dent of Fisk University, and then attending Tougaloo. In 1881 he
was transferred by Bishop H. M. Turner to the Tennessee Confer¬
ence; served one year on Mt. Zion Circuit. In 1882 he was trans¬
ferred to the West Tennessee Conference, then ordained elder by
Bishop Campbell and appointed to Paris charge. Next year he was
appointed to Providence Chapel, Memphis, Tenn.; served one year.
In 1884 he was appointed Presiding Elder of Clarksville District,
West Tennessee by Bishop Turner,, served three years successfully.
At present he is stationed in Memphis where he is doing a fine work.
The genial Doctor numbers his friends by the thousands in both
races.
HgpEV. JfUVlES Ji- was born in Frederick County, Vir-
JwC ginia, August 1, 1850. He was separated from his mother
quite early in life. At the age of seven he was sold to Hon.
John S. Magill, with whom he lived until the fail of 1862, when he
made his escape to the headquarters of the Federal forces at Win¬
chester, Va., and from there he went to Washington, D. C. In 1863
he left the capital city for New York State to live with Mr. J. P.
Ottman, where he attended school for the first time in life. On the
4th of September, 1864, he enlisted as a soldier in Company D, 43d
Regiment of United States* Colored Troops. He received an honor¬
able discharge in September, 1865, and returned to Washington, D.
604
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
C. In 1868 he attended Commercial College in Providence, R. I.
Next he attended Lincoln Industrial School, of Washington, and later
Normal Department of Howard University of same city. Mr. Tur¬
ner was converted the 11th of March, 1874, at Springfield, Mass.
In 1875 he united with the A. M. E. Church at Lincoln, 111., and was
licensed to exhort the 6th of March, 1876, and on the 3d of March,
Rev. Jas. H. Turner.
1877, he was licensed as a local preacher. He received his first ap¬
pointment from Bishop Payne and was stationed at Madison, N. J.
Here he attended the Drew Theological Seminary for two years, and
was ordained deacon 19th of April, 1880. He was ordained elder the
18th of April, 1881. Mr. Turner has filled some of the most impor¬
tant charges in Maryland, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, New
Jersey and Tennessee. He is known as a church builder. He has
filled every office in the gift of the church except bishop. He is a
prominent Mason and Odd Fellow. Has filled prominent places in
the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Turner is Trustee of the
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 605
Turner High School at Shelbyville, Tenn., and is Secretary of the
Maury County Normal at Columbia, Tenn. He takes a great interest
in everything that will be for the elevation and advancement of his
race.
•13 EV. M. VANN, D.D. The lives of many of our young men are monu-
1\ ments of their own industry and steady purpose, inspired and
t sustained by the spirit and grace of God. Rev. M. Vann is
one of those men, who by hard struggle has reached positions of use¬
fulness and influence. Michael, the son of Isaac and Katy Vann,
was born near Jackson, in Madison county, West Tenn., April 5,
1860. He was the eldest of twelve children, and much of the burden
of caring for the family fell upon him. During those years while not
employed upon the farm, he • attended the country schools. He
studied hard and used every advantage that tended to increase his
knowledge. So dilligent was he that at the age of sixteen he was
able to teach in the country schools with benefit to the schools and
credit to himself. At eighteen, he entered Roger Williams Univer¬
sity, Nashville, Tenn., where he remained until 1881, when he gradu¬
ated from the Normal Department. While a student, he did what he
could to help himself financially, teaching during vacation. He built
up a great reputation as a teacher, his school being frequently made
the subject of favorable comment by the local (white) press. .
He was highly respected by his fellow students. Mr. Vann pro¬
fessed hope in Christ while a student, in 1879, and united with the
Shady Grove Church, in Crockett county. From 1881 to 1884 he was
principal of the public schools in Johnson Grove and Dyersburg;
then he became principal of the school at Milan. When he left
Dyersburg to go to Milan, Prof. R. S. Thompson, Superintendent of
Public Instruction, in commendation of him, said: "Superintendent
J. R. Deason, I take pleasure in commending to your favorable con¬
sideration Mr. Vann, who has taught in this county for a number of
years, as he has also in Dyersburg, and I feel no hesitancy in saying
he is the best colored teacher in our county. From under his
instruction some young teachers have gone out who have, unmistak¬
ably, his ability as a teacher. Therefore, you need not feel any hesi¬
tancy in placing him in charge of any school in your county."
Shortly after entering upon his new field at Milan, his work be-
Rev. M. Vann, D.D.,
Chattanooga, Tenn.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 607
came widely known, and created much interest in school circles
throughout adjoining counties.
The Milan local press (white) said: "The Milan school academy
under the charge of Prof. Vann (colored), has enrolled an attendance
of one hundred. The Professor has an excellent reputation as a
teacher, being himself a graduate, and very successful as an
instructor. He professes to give the children a common school edu¬
cation, and to prepare them to enter college. Our colored population
are fortunate in having so able a man among them."
In 1887, he was chosen to fill a position in the Baptist Bible and
Normal Institute at Memphis, Tenn. He was a member of the
Board of Trustees, and was appointed general agent for the same
Institution, in which he was also general instructor. He succeeded
in bringing to the first term of the school, more than fifty ministers
from West Tennessee, East Arkansas, and North Mississippi. Some
of the strongest ministers of this section were thus aided in their
efficiency through his untiring efforts.
They formed a strong attachment for their young leader, for the
majority of his ministerial students were his seniors. He was
directed and aided in this work by the lamented Rev. H. Woodsmall,
to whom he feels much indebted for whatever service he has, or may
have rendered to God and the race. Through his connection with
that institution great good was done, and he raised $2,000 for the
school. In 1888, he resigned that position to serve as general mis¬
sionary for Tennessee, under the appointment of the Baptist State
Convention, together with the American Baptist Home Mission So¬
ciety. Before entering upon this work, he was ordained at the re¬
quest of the church at Dyersburg, of which he was a member. As a
missionary, he was very successful.
He has been active and successful in re-organizing and putting life
into associations, and in re-organizing Sunday school conventions
and preachers' and teachers' institutes. He is a great support to
the denomination in the State. That he is eloquent and persuasive
may be inferred from what the Western Recorder (the principal organ of
the Baptists of the Southwest) said of a speech delivered by Rev. Mr.
Vann before the white Baptist State Convention of Tennessee: "By
permission of the body, M. Vann, general missionary for the State,
under the appointment of the American Baptist Home Mission
Society, made a ten minutes' speech. Mr. Vann is a graduate of the
Roger "Williams University, and is a full blooded Negro, but he
608
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
proved himself a man of ability before he had been on the floor a min¬
ute, for he captured the audience and stirred their sympathies.
Many of his remarks are well worth reproducing. At the close of
his speech the convention pledged $1,000 for general missionary
work among the colored Baptists of the State." In January, 1891,
his connection with the American Baptist Home Missionary Society
was discontinued, because of some disagreement as to increase of sal¬
ary between himself and the lamented Dr. Wm. J. Simmons, then
District Secretary for the Southern States under the society. But
he had so impressed his competency and usefulness upon the white
Baptists of Tennessee at the convetion referred to above, that two
months later (March, 1890,) they gave him commission as "Superin¬
tendent of Colored Baptist Missions in Tennessee" at the same sal¬
ary for which he had contended with Dr. Simmons. He filled this
position with great satisfaction to both his white and colored breth¬
ren, in whose joint employ he worked until July, 1894, when he re¬
signed, over their vigorous protest, to accept his present work, as
pastor of the First Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Though young, having just reached his thirty-fifth year, Elder
Vann is one of the most prominent men of his denomination in the
United States. He has addressed all sorts of annual gatherings,
religious conventions, school commencements, preached Bacculau-
reate sermons, etc. In September, 1891, at the National Baptist
Convention, in Dallas, Texas, he was elected First Vice President.
In Savannah, Ga., 1892, he was "raised from the floor," and elected
President of the National Baptist Convention over the recommenda¬
tion of the nominating committee and one of the strongest and most
popular men in the denomination, viz., Rev. E. C. Morris, D.D., of
Helena, Ark- At the session in "Washington, D. C., 1893, he was re¬
elected by acclamation. The Washington Post, the leading daily
paper at the Capital, spoke of him as follows: "Rev. Dr. M. Vann,
the President of the National Convention, lives in Nashville, and is
the General Superintendent of Missions for the State of Tennessee.
He is a comparatively young man, and is a graduate of Roger "Wil¬
liams University, Nashville, Tenn. He is one of the most eloquent
pulpit orators in the body, and has carried everything before him
upon the occasion of his different addresses to the convention. He
is a deep scholar, and is considered one of the brainiest men in the
church." At the last session, in Montgomery, Ala., September,
1894, Elder Vann was a third time elected President of the National
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
609
Convention, over his earnest protest. He resigned the office thus
tendered him, but the resignation was unanimously refused, and he
is still the presiding officer of the largest denomination of colored
Christians that meet on the American Continent.
He has been twice married. His first wife, his former school-mate,
Miss Mattie A. Walker, of Dyersburg, Tenn., only lived fifteen
months, dying April, 1883. He married his present wife, Miss
Emily Black, of Milan, Tenn., in May, 1890. She is the only daugh¬
ter of Elder A. L. Black, who is one of the most successful pastors in
Tennessee. Mrs. Vann graduated from Roger Williams University
with the class of '89, and for three years was teacher in the Mem¬
phis Baptist Institute. She has recently resigned to join her hus¬
band in his pastorate. Elder Vann regards her half in his pastoral
work as indispensable. He is just in the prime of manhood, and his
prospects for usefulness are indeed bright. He now fills the follow¬
ing positions, viz., pastor of the First Baptist Church, Chattanooga;
Corresponding Secretary of the Baptist Convention of Tennessee;
President of the Alumni Association of Roger Williams University,
Nashville; Trustee of the Memphis Baptist Institute, and President
of the American National Baptist Convention of the United States
of America.
IF^EV. SflVliOH was born at Buch-Head, Fairfield County,
JW[ S. C., January 27, 1856. His father died when he was only
a small boy, and hence he knew only the love of a mother.
Shortly after the death of his father he and his mother were sold and
sent to Alabama where they lived until they received the joyful news
of their freedom. After a year or more Richard was placed in school,
but was soon removed to follow his mother back to S. C., where he
was again placed in school. In 1873 he was converted and joined the
church the 22nd day of June and was licensed to preach in the fall of
the same year. Feeling the need of a better education he entered
the Fairfield Normal, conducted under the auspices of the Social Re¬
form Presbyterian Church. He next entered the Benedict Institute,
of Columbia, S. C. He traveled as State Missionary and Colporteur
for the American Baptist Publication Society. On the 6th day of
June, 1882, he was married to Delphenia H. Jones, and the same year
he was ordained a minister of the gospel, and was called to the pas¬
torate of a country church which he accepted. In 1883 he was called
39
Rev. R. W. Baylor,
Columbia, S. C.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
611
to Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, at Spartanburg, S. C. Mr. Baylor
soon healed the breach that was about to split the church. After
paying a debt of $1,500 on his church, he accepted the principalship
of the Lincoln High School, which he held for three years. Next he
accepted a call to the pastorate of the Calvary Baptist Church, at
Charleston, where he served for fifteen months and then tendered
his resignation to accept a call from the Zion Baptist Church, at
Columbia, in December, 1889. In January 1890 he again entered
Benedict College from which he graduated May 18, 1892. He is soon
to rebuild the Zion Church at a cost of $2,000. He is kind, loving,
congenial, liberal and sympathetic to all his parishioners.
6E0RGE WASHINGTON DUPEE was born in Gallatin county, Kentucky,
July 27, 1827. When quite young he was placed at work in a
factory, and later in a brick yard. He accepted Christ as his
personal Savior in August, 1842, and joined the Missionary Baptist
Church in the latter part of the same month, and was baptized by
Rev. Peter Kenny. Young Dupee was impressed very strongly that
it was his duty to preach the gospel, and so he determined to learn
to read and write. He soon learned to read the Bible, and the Lord
answered his prayer by giving him understanding. He believes in a
Divine call to the ministry, and, from the experience he relates, his
own was extraordinary. His success in winning souls to Christ has
been phenomenal. For forty odd years he has been laboring faith¬
fully in the Lord's vineyard, having been the pastor of thirteen
churches. He at one time was editor of the Ba/ptist Herald. He or¬
ganized the first District Baptist Association in the Washington
Street Baptist Church, in Paducah, Ky. In September, 1867, he was
elected moderator, and has been re-elected every year since. He
assisted in organizing the General Association of Colored Baptists,
in Lexington, Ky., in August, 1869. In 1871 he was elected Modera¬
tor of this Association, at Danville, and retained the position until '81.
He organized the first ministers and deacons' meeting known in Ver¬
sailles, in 1861. He has been Grand Senior Warden of the Grand
Lodge of Masons in Kentucky, and was elected Grand Master of the
State for two terms. The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by
the State University of Louisville. When the Lord of the harvest
calls for the reapers, Dr. Dupee will carry with him many sheaves.
Rev. G. W. Dupee, D.D.,
Paducah, Ky.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
613
PflUli PflKEfiV was born in Elizabethtown, Ky., Sep-
JfW tember 1, 1848. Very early in life lie was seized with a de-
sire to have an education. He revealed this fact to a white
boy, a friend of his, who kindly consented to be his preceptor, and
thus he began the rudiments of an education. During the early part
of the rebellion, or at least when the union soldiers first made their
appearance in Hardin County, Paul expressed a desire in tEeir pres¬
ence to be free. He was concealed by them in a wagon and taken to
their camp, but was soon returned to his master. In 1863, when he
was only fifteen years old, be enlisted in the 109th Regiment of
United States Colored Troops at Louisville, Ky. The journey, from
his home to Louisville, though a long one, was accomplished on foot.
The walk from slavery to freedom, however, was a pleasant trip for
young Kennedy. He continued with the army until the surrender of
General Lee. He took advantage of every opportunity, and by close
application to his studies secured a fair education. He is a fine mu¬
sician naturally. In 1873 he was converted to Christianity, and was
ordained to the work of the gospel ministry in 1876 in the First
Baptist Church at Clarksville, Tenn. His first pastoral work was
with the Baptist Churches at Litchfield and Greenville, Ky. He was
soon made a missionary for the First District Association. Follow¬
ing this work he entered the Roger Williams University, then the
Nashville Institute, where he prepared himself for his life work.
On his return to the State of Kentucky he .was appointed State
Missionary. Mr. Kennedy has filled the position as pastor of many
of the most important churches in his State. For a while he was
pastor of the Corinthian Baptist Church at Indianapolis, Ind., but
was called back to his native State at the solicitation of the American
Baptist Home Missionary Society of New York and the General As¬
sociation of Kentucky to resume missionary work for the State at
large, which position he now fills with credit to himself and the sat¬
isfaction of his church. He is the designer of the Afro-American
Chart exhibited at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. He is author
and publisher of the Baptist Directory and Year Book of Kentucky,
which has a national reputation. He is a lover of his race and is do¬
ing his part for the advancement of his people.
Rev. Paul H. Kennedy.
Henderson, Ky.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 615
REV. G. V. CLARK,
MEMPHIS, TENN.
HE following sketch is that of a busy, active life. He was borp.
at Oxford, Ga., January 1, 1851. When about three years old
George was brought with his slave mother to Atlanta where he
lived till 31 years old. In 1862 he was put by his master in the ser¬
vice of the Confederate hospital, where he remained until the war
closed. Just before the bombardment of Atlanta, the hospital was
removed to Macon for safety, thence to Augusta, thence to Madison
where it remained until the surrender of Lee, when young Clark
was put on the cattle train and shipped back to Atlanta with instruc¬
tions to report to his master on his arrival. After the announce¬
ment that he was free, he obtained work in a private family at $5
per month. Shortly after this he secured work in a bar at $25 per
month. Here he remained for two years. In January, 1867, under
the influence of Rev. J. G. Fee, of Berea, Ky., he was converted to
the temperance cause and signed the pledge to abstain for life.
After leaving the bar he secured work at the National Hotel in At¬
lanta, where he remained until December 25, 1867. At the sugges¬
tion of his faithful mother he entered school January 1,1868. This
was his seventeenth anniversary, and going to school was a new bus¬
iness to George, but he managed to pull through the first six months
of the year, after which he again resumed work in the hotel, where
he remained for a few months. ' He was happily converted to Christ
in April and was baptized as a member of the First Congregational
Church in May, 1868. He became from the first an active member
of the church and Sunday school. From the Atlanta University he
entered Howard University, Washington, D. C., where he completed
his theological studies in 1872. On his return to Atlanta he engaged
for a short time in the real estate business with one Mr. Jennings,
but soon accepted employment in the wholesale and retail drug store
of Herd, Craig & Co. He next engaged in teaching and was the
first colored teacher ever employed in DeKalb County, Ga. He be¬
came a great temperance worker. Organized Sunday schools and
prayer meetings He secured money, bought land and built a school
Rev. G. V. Clark,
Memphis, Term,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE. 617
house. A gracious revival was the means of many of his pupils
being* converted. He taught here for four consecutive years and
much good was accomplished in many ways. He entered school at
Howard University again, where he graduated May 6, 1881. From
this date his life begins as a minister. For seven years he was pas¬
tor of the First Congregational Church in Atlanta. From Atlanta
he went to Athens in August, 1881, where he remained about twelve
years. During this time he worked as pastor, preacher and teacher;
was everywhere and into everything where he could be of service.
As a teacher he often taught night and day. As a minister he
worked and plead on the line of Christian unity. He despises and
opposes sectarianism. He has had marked success on this line of
Christian catholicity. He was, and still is, a determined reformer.
Never was his voice silent when virtue, temperance and legal prohib¬
ition of the liquor traffic called for him. He is convincing, earnest
and entertaining on almost all occasions. No one mistakes his mean¬
ing. During his stay in Athens Mr. Clark organized and built up a
fine church of the very best people in the city. The church prop¬
erty is worth $3,000. From here he was called to the Second Con¬
gregational Church at Memphis, Tenn. In January, 1893, he ten¬
dered his resignation and in the presence of a large audience on the
last Sunday of the same month he preached his farewell sermon.
Many were the regrets expressed at his unexpected departure. In
token of their esteem he was presented with a gold watch and chain.
He preached his first sermon to his Memphis congregation the first
Sunday in February, 1893. He has built up a large church during
his two years of labor in Memphis. He is much in demand as a
lecturer and popular speaker. In the delivery of his sermons or
other addresses he is demonstrative. Few excel him as a ready
speaker on all subjects and occasions.
REV. C. C. VAUGHN;
RUSSELLVILLE, KY.
fHE subject of the following sketch was born in Dinwiddie
County, Virginia, December 27, 1846. His parents were
y slaves. His father and mother with all their children were
taken by their owner, T. H. Grigg, to Ohio in 1852 and set free. His
Rev. C. C. Vaughn,
Russellville, Ky,
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE. 6l9
parents died when he was thirteen years old. He endured many
hardships in securing an education, but he turned every opportunity
to advantage. In 1861 and 1862 he worked in a brick yard. In 1863
he went to work near Troy, Ohio, where he labored as a farm hand
for Judge Heywood. In 1864 he enlisted in the army for three years
or during the war, and was assigned to Company F, Thirteenth
Regiment United States Colored Heavy Artillery. From here he
was transferred to Company A and promoted to orderly sergeant.
On November 27, 1865, he was mustered out of service. After his
return home he entered Liber College in Indiana, and was the only
colored student in the school. During his vacation in 1866 he se¬
cured a certificate and taught school in Sidney, Ohio, for three
months for $100 and his board. In the fall he again returned to
Liber College. His funds were exhausted before he could complete
the regular collegiate course. For this reason he was compelled to
leave school. He taught school in the fall of 1867 near Marietta,
Ohio. He established the name of being a good teacher from the
very commencement. April 14, 1868, young Vaughn was commis¬
sioned by the American Missionary Association to teach school in
the South. He taught two years at Cynthiana, Ky., and then entered
school again at Berea, where he worked his way until his course of
studies was completed. In 1869 he professed a hope in Christ. In
1873 he started to Mississippi, but at the request of Elder J. F.
Thomas he stopped in Russellville, Ky., and taught a school in the
Colored Baptist Church. The people of Russellville prevailed on
Mr. Vaughn to remain, and he has become a permanent citizen, and
is still a teacher in the public schools of that beautiful and growing
city. He became a member of the Baptist Church in 1875 and was
made clerk, which position he has held ever since. In May, 1876,
he was licensed to preach, and in September, 1877, he was ordained
at the First District Association in Hopkinsville, Ky. He was pas¬
tor for thirteen years at Allensville, Ky. He has a high reputation
as a parliamentarian. For six years he was treasurer of the Dis¬
trict Lodge of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and was
elected State Grand Chief of the Independent Order of Good Samar¬
itans, which position he held with honor for five years. At New Al¬
bany, Ind., in 1892, he was elected High Worthy National Grand
Chief of that body, and was re-elected in 1894.
He is a prominent Grand Army man, and has held positions of
honor in both the State and National departments, serving at one
620
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
time on General Palmer's Staff. He has accumulated some wealth
which he has invested in real estate. He has a vast influence and is
competent to accomplish much good. He has the confidence of the
best white citizens of Russellville who have spoken of him in very
high terms.
HON. GEORGE T. ROBINSON was born of slave parents in Macon,
M Miss., about forty years ago. In February, 1869, he entered
school. In 1871 he had to quit school. He was appointed
deputy sheriff of Noxubee County, but not liking this position very
well he resigned and accepted a position on the police force of Macon.
Later he accepted a position as bookkeeper for the firm of Macon &
Smith, and in 1872 he taught school. In January, 1876, he entered
school at Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., graduating with the de¬
gree of B.A., in 1885. As a student he was known as a debater.
His ability to write was soon developed. In October, 1886, Mr. Rob¬
inson launched the Tennessee which flourished for four years. Mr.
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
621
Robinson is a bold, laconic writer. His editorials are frequently
quoted by both the Negro and the white press. The Afro-American
Press Association of Louisville, Ky., styled him the "Black Henry
Waterson." In 1887 he was elected Captain of the Carson Rifles, N.
G. S. T. In 1890 he took his A.M. degree at Fisk University. He
graduated from the Law Department of Central Tennessee College
with the degree of LL.B. in 1892, five years after he had been admit¬
ted to the bar. He is now engaged in the practice of his profession.
He is a Christian and carries his religion into his practice. He set¬
tled in Nashville in 1886. In 1893 he was nominated on the citizens
ticket of Nashville for the City Council. He is editor of the Nash¬
ville Citizen, and a Sunday school and church worker. He is a mem¬
ber of the Congregational Church. Captain Robinson deserves great
credit for his success.
Lee Avenue Christian Church,
NASHVILLE, TENN., DR. PRESTON TAYLOR, PASTOR.
622
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
POPULATION OF THE WORLD.
fHE number of individuals in the entire world is about 1,438,680-
000. Europe, with an area of 3,756,970 square miles, supports
a population of 331,972,000; Asia has an area of 17,212,680
square miles, and 795,591,000 inhabitants; Africa has an area of
11,514,700 square miles, and a population of 205,825,000 souls ; North
America, in an area of 7,900,350 square miles, supports 72,500,000 in¬
habitants; South America, in an area of 6,854,000 square miles, sup¬
ports a population of 28,400,000; Oceanica, having an area of 3,456,-
700 square miles, supports a population of 4,310,000; and the Polar
Regions, in an area of 1,730,000 square miles, supports 82,000 inhabi¬
tants. The white people of the race are estimated at about 550,000,-
000, the black at some 250,000,000, the rest of intermediate color. Of
the entire race some 500,000,000 are comfortably clothed, 700,000,000
are partially clothed, and the rest (238,680,000) are practically naked.
About 500,000,000 may be said to live in houses partly or wholly fur¬
nished with the appointments of civilization, 800,000,000 live in huts
or caves, with no attempt at furnishing them with any luxuries or
scarcely conveniences, and the balance (138,680,000) have nothing
that can be called a home.
Total population of the United States 62,622,250.
White population 54,983,980.
African population 7,470,040.
Mulattoes (one iiaif pure) 956,989.
Quadroons (one quarter pure) 105,135.
Octaroons (one eighth pure) 69,936.
POPULATION OF EACH STATE AND TERRITORY IN THE UNITED STATES ARRANGED IN
ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
African. White. Total.
1 Alabama 687,489 833,718 1,513,017
2 Arkansas 309,117 818,752 1,128,179
3 Arizona 1,357 55,580 59,620
4 Connecticut 12,302 733,438 746,258
5 Colorado 6,212 404,468 412,198
6 California 11,322 1,111,672 1,208,130
7 Carolina (North) 561,018 1,055,382 1,617,947
8 Carolina (South) 688,934 462,008 1,151,149
9 Dakota (North 373 182,123 182,719
10 Dakota (South) 541 327,290 328,808
11 Delaware 28,386 140,066 168,494
12 District of Columbia.. 75,572 154,695 2H0,392
13 Florida 166,180 224,949 391,422
14 Georgia 858,815 978,357 1,837,353
15 Idaho 201 82,018 84,385
African.
White.
Total.
16 Illinois
3,768,472
3,826,351
17 Indiana
2,146,736
2,192,404
18 Iowa
1,901,086
1,911,896
19 Louisiana
559,193
558,395
1,118,587
20 Kansas
49,710
1,376,553
1,427,096
21 Kentucky
268,071
1,590,462
1,858,635
22 Maine
1,190
659,263
666,086
23 Massachusetts ....
22,144
2,215,373
2,238,943
24 Maryland
215,657
826,493
1,042,390
25 Michigan
15,223
2,072,884
2,093,889
26 Minnesota
3,683
1,296,159
1,301,826
27 Missouri
2,528,458
2,679,184
28 Mississippi
742,559
544,851
1,289,600
29 Montana
1,490
127,271
132,159
30 Nebraska
8,913
1,046,888
1,058,910
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
623
African. White: Total.
31 Nevada 242 39,084 45,761
32 New Hampshire 614 375,840 376,530
33 New Jersey 47,628 1,396,581 1,444,933
34 New Mexico 1,956 142,719 153,593
35 New York 70,092 5,923,952 5,997,853
36 Ohio 87,113 3,584,805 3,672,316
37 Oklahoma 2,973 58,826 61,834
38 Oregon 1,186 301,758 313,767
39 Pennsylvania 107,596 5,148,257 5,258,014
40 Rhode Island 7,393 337,859 345,506
The above total includes Chinese, Japanese and
have a majority of colored people.
African. White. Total.
41 Tennessee 480,678 1,336,637 1,767,518
42 Texas 488,171 1,745,935 2,23 >.523
43 Utah 588 205,899 207,905
44 Vermont 937 331,418 332,422
45* Virginia 635,438 1,020,122 1,655,980
46 West Virginia 32,690 730,077 762,794
47 Washington 1,602 340,513 349,390
48 Wisconsin 2,4 '4 1,680,473 1,686,880
49 Wyoming 922 59,275 60,705
i. Three States, Mississippi, South Carolina and Louisiana^
THE WHITE AND COLORED POPULATION
Of Each State and Territory in the United States, by Counties, Ar¬
ranged in Alphabetical Order.
Counties.
White. Colored.
Counties.
White. Colored.
ALABAMA.
1. Autauga 4796 8418
2. Baldwin 5678 3263
3. Barbour 13454 21442
4. Bibb. 9080 14744
5. Blount 20155 1770
6. Bullock 6055 21005
7. Butler 11326 10315
8. Calhoun 23947 9879
9. Chambers 12460 13858
10. Cherokee 17656 2803
11. Chilton 11483 3066 '
12. Choctaw 8209 9313
13. Clarke 9685 12939
14. Clay 14061 1704
15. Cleburne 12427 <91
16. Coffee 10237 1933
17. Colbert 12361 7828
18. Conecuh 7987 6606
19. Coosa 10552 5354
20. Covington 6695 841
21. Crenshaw 11745 3679
22. Cullman 13401 38
■ 23. Dale 13867 3358
24. Dallas 8016 41329
25. DeKalb 19897 1204
26. Elmore 11443 10288
27. Escambia 5843 2650
28. Etowah 181"1 3755
29. Fayette 11141 168 J
30. Franklin 9520 1160
31. Geneva 9664 1026
32. Greene 3235 18771
33. Hale : 5180 22321
34. Henry 16038 8809
35. Jackson 24179 3840
36. Jefferson 56334 32142
37. Lamar 11439 2748
38. Lauderdale 16647 7091
39. Lawrence 12553 8171
40. Lee 12197 16497
41. Limestone »— 12198 9002
42. Lowndes - 4563 26985
43. Macon.. 4251 14188
44. Madison 19345 18769
45. Marengo 7946 25149
46. Marion 10769 578
47. Marshall 17652 1279
48. Mobile 28369 22804
49. Monroe 8379 10608
50. Montgomery 14682 41485
51. Morgan 18013 6073
52. Perry 6812 22516
53. Pickens 9284
54. Pike 15349
55. Randolph 13914
?6. Russell .• 5814
57. St. Clair 14303
58. Shelby 14289
59. Sumter 5943
60. Talladega 15399
61. Tallapoosa 16951
62. Tuscaloosa 18261
63. Walker 14422
64. Washington 4686
65. Wilcox 6794
66. Winston 6516
ARIZONA.
1. Apache 3931
2. Cochise 6742
3. Gila 1705
4. Graham 5076
5. Maricopa 10674
6. Mohave 1405
7. Pima 11412
8. Pinal 4033
9. Yavapai 8423
10. Yuma 2179
ARKANSAS.
1. Arkansas 7899
2. Ashley 6427
3. Baxter 8409
.4. Benton 27622
5. Boone 15723
6. Bradley ; 5108
7. Calhoun 4547
8. Carroll 17205
9. Chicot 1392
10. Clark 14201
11. Clay 12156
12. Cleburne 7832
13. Cleveland 8034
14. Columbia 12580
15. Conway 11788
16. Craighead 11506
17. Crawford 19410
18. Crittenden 2050
19. Cross 3802
20. Dallas 6026
21. Desha 2119
22. Drew 1487
23. Faulkner 14994
24. Franklin 19256
13185
9070
3303
18279
3050
6596
23631
13944
8508
12091
1656
3249
24022
36
329
22
276
505
77
2
57
16
66
7
3533
6868
18
94
93
2864
2720
83
10027
6796
44
52
3328
7313
7671
519
2304
11890
2891
3267
8205
9865
3346
678
624
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Counties. White.
Pulton 10898
Garland 12547
Grant 6750
Greene 7747
Hempstead 11819
Hot Springs 10354
Howard 10734
Independence 20381
Izard 12776
Jackson 10849
Jefferson 10941
Johnson 16125
Lafayette 3157
Lawrence 12151
Lee 4t>91
Lincoln 3784
Little Rock 4902
Logan 19646
Lonoke 11278
Madison 17134
Marion 10358
Miller 8147
Mississippi 5735
Monroe 6124
Montgomery 7621
Nevada 10526
Newton 9943
Ouachita 8076
Perry 6597
Phillips 5695
Pike 8053
Poinsett 3726
Polk 9237
Pope 17837
Prairie 7011
Pulaski 25329
Randolph 13890
St. Francis 5141
Saline 9827
Scott 12601
Sfarcy 9630
Sebastian 29398
Sevier 8616
Sharp 10240
Stone 6930
Union 8605
Van Buren 8405
Washington. 31004
White 2379
Woodruff. 6152
Yell 16652
CALIFORNIA.
Alameda 89559
Alpine 435
Amador 9909
Butte 15864
Calaveras 8399
Colusa 13295
Contracosta 12982
Del Norte 2202
Eldorado 8393
Fresno 28174
Humboldt 22022
Ingo 2593
Kerne 8214
Klamath
Lake 6294
Lassen 3857
Los Angeles 95033
Mann 11938
Marriposa 3385
Mendocino 16636
Merced 7262
Modoc 4453
Mono 1485
Monterey 16821
Napa 15426
Nevada 16042
Orange 13407
Placer 13557
Plumas 4245
Sacramento 35364
San Benito 6223
Colored.
86
2781
1036
161
10977
1249
3055
1580
262
4330
29930
613
4543
833
13195
6401
4001
1128
7985
58
39
6566
5901
9212
302
4306
7
8957
941
19646
484
546
48
1621
4363
22000
596
8002
1478
34
34
3802
1456
178
113
6372
152
1010
2567
7557
1363
785
3
26
223
139
54
5
183
457
48
12
130
Counties.
White. Colored.
41
6
1817
164
69
35
47
12
3
90
89
110
15
36
7
513
63
32. San Berasdino 24101
33. San Diego 33211
34. San Francisco 270696
35. San Joaquin 26588
36. San Luis Obispo 15180
37. San Matio 9572
38. Santa Barbara 15069
39. Santa Clara 44247
40. Santa Cruz 18394
41. Shasta 10875
42. Sierra 4541
43. Siskiyou 10185
44. Solano 19290
45. Sonoma 31160
46. Stanislaus 9546
47. Sutter 5094
48. Tehama 8671
49. Trinity 2945
50. Tulase 23233
51. Tuolumne 5559
52. Ventura 94118
53. Yolo 11912
54. Yuba 8416
COLORADO.
1. Arapahoe 127845
2. Archuleta 9823
3. Baca 1479
4. Bent 1298
5. Boulder 14001
6. Chaffee 6532
7. Cheyenne 532
8. Clear Creek 7091
9. Conejos 7163
10. Castilla 3483
11. Custer 2964
12. Delta 2532
13. Dolores 1483
14. Douglas 2985
15. Eagle 3723
lfi. Elbert 1832
17. El Paso 20597
18. Fremont 9062
19. Garfield 44:J0
20. Gilpin 5763
21. Grand 602
22. Gunison 4307
23. Hensdale 853
24. Huerfano 6835
25. Jeffe'son 8422
26. Kiowa 1228
27. Kit Carson 2472
28. Lake 14454
29. La Plata 5455
30. Lsrimer 9690
31. Las Animas 16954
32. Lincoln 689
33. Logan 3065
34. Lesa 4231
35. Montezuma 1528
36. Moutrose 3958
37. Morgan 1598
38. Otero 4160
39. Ouray 6429
40. Park 5478
41. Phillips 2640
42. Pitkin 8852
43. Prowers 1958
44. Pueblo 30504
45. Rio Blanco 1196
46. Rio Grande 3429
47. Routt 2361
48. Saguache 3305
49. San Juan 1556
50. San Miguel 2877
51. Sedgwick 1288
52. Summit 1902
53. Washington 2284
54. Weld 11705
55. Yuma 2595
313
376
1847
353
457
52
26
989
62
221
12
117
97
45
61
47
252
27
207
84
15
102
247
3254
3
11
69
66
2
86
30
4
6
2
14
20
1
24
571
85
48
54
2
48
CONNECTICUT.
1. F.-urfieM.
2. Hartford.
.147420
.144817
219
34
18
9
904
2563
2276
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND
SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
625
Counties. White.
3. Litchfield 52714
4. Middlesex 39091
5. New Haven 204873
6. New London 75028
7. Tolland 24883
8. Windham 44612
DELAWARE.
1. Kent 24625
2. New Castle 82779
3. Sussex 32662
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
154695
FLORIDA.
1. Alachua 9673
2. Baker 2588
3. Bradford 5961
4. Brevard 2836
5_ Calhoun 1132
6. Citrus 2090
7. Clay 3632
8. Columbia 6393
9. Dade— 640
10. De Soto 4805
11. Duval 11970
12. Escambia 1147a
13. Franklin 1950
14. Gadsden 4446
15. Hamilton 5337
16. Hernaudo 1584
17. Hillsboro 11996
18. Holmes 4152
19. Jackson 6332
20. Jefferson 3558
21. Lafayette 3447
22. Lake 6190
23. Lee 1334
24. Leon 3121
25. Levy 4457
26. Liberty 818
27. Madison 5556
28. Manatee 2714
29. Marion 9310
30. Monroe 12815
31. Nassau 3951
32. Orange 9039
33. Osceola 2657
34. Pasco 3872
35. Polk 7121
36. Putnam 6404
37. St. John 5508
38. Santa Rosa 5768
39. Sumter 3864
40. Suwanee 5581
41. Taylor 1971
42. Yolusia 6004
43. Wakulla 1738
44. Walton 4072
45. Washington 5087
GEORGIA.
1. Appling 6214
2. Baker 1595
3. Baldwin 5262
4. Banks 6999
5. Bartow 14574
6. Berrien 8277
7. Bibb 19029
8. Brooks 6342
9. Bryan 2833
10. Bulloch 9023
11. Burke 5817
12. Butts 5167
13. Calhoun 2239
14. Camden 2041
15. Campbell
16. Carroll
17. Catoosa 4795
18. Charlton 2465
19. Chatham 22965
20. Chattahoochee 1837
40
Colored.
807
418
4065
1473
191
509
8036
14365
5985
75572
13260
745
1555
541
549
304
1521
6484
87
139
14802
8706
1358
7448
3170
892
2917
184
11211
12199
239
1844
80
14631
2129
634
8760
181
11485
5935
4338
3536
476
376
784
4778
3195
2192
1498
4943
151
2462
1379
743
1339
2462
4549
9343
1563
6041
2417
23336
7637
2687
4689
22680
5398
6199
4137
3493
3851
636
870
34757
3065
Counties. White. Colored.
21. Chattooga 9204 1998
22. Cherokee 13904 1508
23. Clarke 7072 8111
24. Clay 3002 4815
25. Clayton 5220 3075
26. Clinch 4292 2360
27. Cobb 15510 6774
28. Coffee 6621 3858
29. Colquitt 4317 477
30. Columbia 3243 8038
31. Coweta 9740 12612
32. Crawford 4159 5156-
33. Dade 4614 109a
34. Dawson 5353 259>
35. Decatur 9U6 10811
36. De Kalb 11214 5977
37. Dodge 6143 5309
38. Dooley 9232 8914
39. Dougherty 1975 10231
40. Douglas 5993 1801
41. Early 3670 6122
42. Echols 2059 1020
43. Effingham 3388 2210
44. Elbert 7492 7884
45. Emanuel 9396 5306
46. Fannin 8612 112
47. Fayette 5654 3074
48. Floyd 17970 10414
49. Forsyth 9866 1288
50. Franklin 11372 3298
51. Fulton 49238 35397
52. Gilmer 9005 69
53. Glascock 2552 1168
54. Glynn 5669 7741
55. Gordon 11030 1727
56. Greene 5332 11719
57. Gwinnett 16903 2996
58. Habersham 9984 1589
59. Hall 15280 2767
60. Hancock 4739 12410
61. Haralson 10199 1117
62. Harris 5999 10797
63. Hart 7930 2957
64. Heard 6215 "342
65. Henry 8629 7591
66. Houston 5272 16341
67. Irwin 4241 2075
68. Jackson 13780 5396
69. Jasper 5392 8487
70. Jefferson 6450 10763
71. Johnson 4673 1456
72. Jones 3931 8778
73. Laurens 7654 6093
74. Lee 1432 7642
75. Liberty 4207 8673
76. Lincoln 2473 3673
77. Lowndes 7128 7974
78. Lumpkin 6453 414
79. McDuffie 3267 5522
80. Mcintosh 1258 5212
81. Macon 4001 9181
82. Madison 7361 3662
83. Marion ... 3467 4261
84. Meriwether 9201 11538
85. Miller 2701 1574
86. Milton 5536 672
87. Mitchell 4800 6106
88. Monroe 6621 12516
89. Montgomery 5590 3658
90. Morgan 5043 10997
91. Murray 7977 484
92. Muscogee 12395 15362
93. Newton 7146 7164
94. Oconee 3881 3832
95. Oglethorpe 5686 11264
96. Paulding. 10443 1505
97. Pickens 7832 349
98. Pierce 4396 1983
99. Pike 8223 8077
100. Polk 10289 *654
101. Pulaski 6558 10001
102. Putnam 3939 10903
103. Quitman U21 3050
104. Eabun 5440 166
626
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
Counties.
Randolph...
Richmond
Rockdale
Schley
Screven
Spalding
Stewart
Sumter.,
Talbot..
Taliaferro
Tattnall...,
Taylor
Telfair
Terrell
Thomas
Towns
Troup.
Twiggs
White. Colored.
5794
22" <6
4127
2238
6916
5835
4198
7008
4019
2464
7138
4598
3142
5334
11122
3990
7062
2748
Union 7584
U pson 6065
Walker 11350
Walton 10312
Ware 5178
Warren 4201
Washington 10312
Wayne 5290
Webster 2423
White 5489
Whitfield 10984
Wilcox 4825
Wilkes 5616
Wilkinson : 5567
Worth 5872
IDAHO,
Ada 8210
Alturas..... 2521
Bear Lake 6052
Bingham 13443
Boise 2898
Cassia 3118
Custer 2061
Elmore 1782
Idaho 2644
Kootenia.' ; 3929
Latah 9135
Lemhi 1773
Logan 4112
Nez Perces 2759
Oneida 6819
Owyhee 1801
Shoshone „ 5135
Washington 3826
ILLINOIS.
1. Adams 59835
2. Alexander , 11672
3. Bond 14284
4. Boone 12161
5. Brown 11939
6. Bureau 34741
7. Calhoun 7651
8. Carroll 18314
9. Cass 15962
10. Champaign 41746
11. Christian 30430
12. Clark 21856
13. Clay 16715
14. Clinton 17119
15. Coles 29805
16. Cook 1176419
17. Crawford 17264
18. Cumberland 15418
19. DeKalb 26996
20. DeWitt 16947
21. Douglas 17601
22. Dupage 22435
23. Edgar 26539
24. Edwards 9371
25. Effingham 19333
26. Fayette 23349
27. Ford 16898
28. Franklin 17114
29. Fulton 42934
9473
22818
2686
3205
7507
7281
11484
15098
9239
4827
3115
4068
2335
9169
15029
74
13661
5447
165
6123
1932
7155
3619
6756
14925
2195
3272
662
1930
3155
12464
5214
4176
22
13
3
42
4
1
1
1
2
16
10
4
19
14
2044
4878
266
42
II
271
1
6
1
411
98
43
56
287
284
14910
37
25
69
64
68
III
246
73
25
18
136
24
173
Counties.
30. Gallatin.
31. Greene...
32. Grundy.
33. Hamilton.
34. Hancock.,
35. Hardin
36. Henderson.
37. Henry..
38. Iroquois
39. Jackson
40. Jasper
41. Jefl'erson
42. Jersey.
43. Jo Daviess.
44. Johnson
45. Kane.,
46. Kankakee.,
47. Kendall
48. Knox
49. Lake.,
50. Lasalle
51. Lawrence.
52. Lee.,
53. Livingston.
54. Logan
55. McDonough..
56. McHenry..
57. McLean
58. Macon
59. Macoupin.,
60. Madison....
61. Marion .
62. Marshall.
63. Mason.
64. Massac.,
65. Manard.,
66. Mercer.,
67. Monroe.,
68. Montgomery.
69. Morgan
70. Moultrie
71. Ogle.,
72. Peoria.,
73. Perry.
74. Piatt..
75. Pike.,
76. Pope
77. Pulaski
78. Putnam....
79. Randolph.,
80. Richland.
81. Rock Island.
82. St. Clair.
83. Saline.,
84. Sangamon.
85. Schuyler...
86. Scott.,
87. Shelby
88. Stark
89. Stephenson..
90. Tazewell.
91. "Union
92. Vermilion..
93. Wabash.,
94. Warren
95. Washington.
96. Wayne.,
97. White.
98. Whiteside.,
99. Will.
100. Williamson.
101. Winnebago..
102. Woodford...,
White. Colored.
INDIANA.
Adams..
Allen...
Bartholomew
Benton.,. .
Blackford.
Boone.
Brown..
Carroll.
9. Cass.
14274
23622
20969
17750
31777
6972
9860
33249
34976
26253
18084
, 22420
. 34653
. 25043
14795
64490
28623
12038
37862
24132
80G61
14311
26121
38098
25205
27280
26069
62085
37468
39881
49088
23946
13634
16037
9762
13033
18516
12895
29724
31630
14477
28625
69388
16839
. 17013
30698
13281
, 7052
4703
23922
15010
41532
. 64129
18549
58848
16003
10279
31091
9968
31325
29489
21283
49447
11775
20878
19127
23800
24412
30811
61499
22029
39765
21309
20180
66403
23553
11857
10458
26403
10301
20003
30998
661
169
53
50
130
262
16
86
191
1555
104
170
155
58
218
558
107
68
888
102
119
382
63
353
281
186
45
934
605
499
2442
390
17
29
1547
86
29
53
279
996
4
82
966
690
49
302
724
4303
27
1124
8
379
2430
792
2339
10
25
100
14
12
60
260
456
91
403
135
6
593
40
503
197
170
120
248
314
46
3
168
7
17
148
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
627
Counties.
White. Colored.
Counties.
White. Colored.
10. Clark 27396
11. Clay 3012a
12. Clinton 27265
13. Crawford 13927
14. Daviess 25954
15. Dearborn 23273
16. Decatur 19112
17. DeKalb 2-1287
18. Deleware 29672
19. Dubois 20160
20. Elkhart 39141
21. Fayette 12282
22. Floyd 27281
23. Fountain 19527
24. Franklin 18300
25. Fulton 16725
26. Gibson... 23680
27. Grant 30570
28. Greene 24210
29. Hamilton 25559
30. Hancock '. 17736
31. Harrison 20455
32. Hendricks 21099
33. Henry 23325
34. Howard 25678
35. Huntington 27619
36. Jackson 23868
37. Jasper. 11182
38. Jay 23358
39. Jefferson 23506
40. Jennings 14313
41. Johnson 19219
42. Knox 27454
43. Kosciusko 28580
44. Lagrange 15607
45. Lake 23861
46. Laporte 34224
47. Lawrence 19414
48. Madison 36261
49. Marion 130017
50. Marshall 23813
51. Martin 13650
52. Miami 25612
53. Monroe 17264
54. Montgomery 27661
55. Morgan 18528
56. Newton 8759
57. Noble 23347
58. Ohio 4801
59. Orange 14608
60. Owen 14957
61. Parke 19939
62. Perry 17987
63. Pike 18487
64. Porter 18039
65. Posey 20335
66. Pulaski 11224
67. Putnam 21977
68. Randolph 27475
69. Ripley 19276
70. Rush i 18498
71. St. Joseph 42113
72. Scott 7832
73. Shelby 25140
74. Spencer 20671
75. Stark 7336
76. Steuben 14472
77. Sullivan 21695
78. Switzerland 12379
79. Tippecanoe 34724
80. Tipton 18136
81. Union 6845
82. Vanderburg : 53711
83. Vermilion....
84. Vigo
85. Wabash
8 >, Warren
87. Warrick
88. Washingtor
89. Wayne
90. Wells
91. White.
92. Whitley...
13107
48474
29888
10934
20547
18609
. 36254
, 21511
. 15662
. 17716
2859
412
105
14
271
87
164
20
451
93
57
346
2167
31
6
21
1239
866
169
560
92
330
398
544
506
21
270
3
120
999
294
342
588
62
8
23
217
377
226
11118
5
23
112
408
357
114
44
10
154
70
83
356
253
56
11
1193
9 .
357
'606
74
534
340
1
313
1388
3
6
182
135
352
19
161
6080
47
1720
141
15
614
9
1370
3
9
51
IOWA.
1. Adair
22
2. Adams
45
3. Allamakee
17895
12
4. Appanoose
18816
145
5. Audubon
12412
6. Benton
23
7. Blackhawk
12
8. Boone
23678
93
9. Bremer
7
10. Buchanan
20
11. Buena Vista
16
12. Butlerj
15462
1
13107
14. Carroll
29
15. Cass
12
16. Cedar
37
17. Cerro Gordo
9
18. Cherokee
5
15018
20. Clarke
61
9309
22. Clayton
26722
11
23. Clinton
209
24. Crawford
18879
15
25. Dallas
20441
37
26. Davis
15198
60
27. Decatur
56
28. Delaware
2
29. Des Moines
34940
381
30. Dickinson
1
31. Dubuque
49712
133
32. Emmet
4270
4
33. Fayette
23066
75
34. Floyd
15419
4
12871
36. Fremont
43
37. Greene..
11
38. Grundy
15
39. Guthrie
29
40. Hamilton
19
41. Hancock
2
42. Hardin
80
43. Harrison
26
44. Henry
411
45. Howard
10
46. Humboldt
9832
4
47. Ida
1
48. Iowa
18268
2
49. Jackson
13
50. Jasper
24839
104
51. Jefferson
57
52. Johnson
58
53. Jones
34
54. Keokuk
23838
24
55. Kossuth
12
56. Lee
36044
1666
57. Linn
234
58. Louisa
25
59. Lucas
319
8680
61. Madison
11
62. Mahaska
27211
1592
63. Marion
38
64. Marshall
136
65. Mills
14527
21
66. Mitchell
13291
8
67. Monona
23
68. Monroe
13463
202
69. Montgomery
15810
38
70. Muscatine
177
71. O'Brien
1
72. Osceola
5574
73. Page
21106
234
74. Palo Alto
9310
8
75. Plymouth
19558
9
76. Pocahontas
9553
77. Polk
64211
1194
78. Pattawattamie
47098
827
79. Poweshiek
18327
66
80. Ringgold
13556
14522
82. Scott
42884
274
83. Shelby
17610
1
jreu.
497
7
213
330
1
36
678
106
72
144
167
260
179
354
27
118
330
61
5
54
460
1354
5
6112
"l9
2
190
2
19
177
6
41
717
39
18
8
77
75
6935
1828
1042
1063
1412
3724
1578
740
1112
6797
705
4809
646
169
2080
1048
773
2736
1092
686
389
757
137
516
5231
4826
413
188
930
996
5367
458
27
581
.3625
1625
136
4757
2208
497
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
White. Colored.
18370
18127
21604 45
16288 96
16831 68
16123 130
..... 29766 658
18215 54
18393 75
15644 20
21537 43
7325
22501 10
55252 366
9225 22
12055 2
KANSAS,
13115 394
13914 288
23748 300i
7942 30
12813 329
26298 2272
19894 422
23949 105
8054 178
12072 224
26421 1342
4401
2351 6
15939 207
19259 34
15667 189
2516 32
33849 622
29859 426
8403 10
22113 158
127G8 767
20443 3076
3515 85
12210 6
7876 66
9145 126
3288 62
5257 51
19416 863
876 5
10040 377
2957 37
4497 529
1263 45
2406 9
1264
16141 168
1970 57
13183 82
17323 275
1077
2240 155
14421 203
15959 661
19346 3
16467 899
1563 8
11740 83
2858 15
25523 2045
2057 3
34000 4465
9666 42
16438 777
3359 25
22163 1031
21563 50
20389 150
23625 286
2516 25
18674 937
14985 50
22146 947
Counties. White.
67. Morris *10884
. 68. Morton 717
69. Nemaha 19034
70. Neosho 18217
71. Ness 4943
72. Norton 10580
73. Osage 24383
74. Osborne 11976
75. Ottawa 12508
76. Pawnee 5058
77. Phillips 13494
78. Pottawatomie 17385
79. Pratt 7938
80. Rawlins 6756
81. Reno 26721
82. Republic 18957
83. Rice 14329
84. Riley 12853
85. Rooks 7957
86. Rush 5199
87. Russell 7279
88. Saline 16982
89. Scott 1262
90. Sedgewick 42256
91. Seward 1498
92. Shawnee 43009
93. Sheridan 3733
94. Sherman 5242
95. Smith 15611
96. Stafford 8330
97. Stanton 1029
98. Stevens 1391
99. Sumner 30093
100. Thomas 5532
101. Trego 2494
102. Wabaunsee 10980
103. Wallace 2429
104. Washington 22875
105. Wichita 1819
106. Wilson 15205
107. Woodson 8945
108. Wyandotte 47424
KENTUCKY.
1. Adair 11893
2. Allen 12650
3. Anderson 9547
4. Ballard 6978
5. Barren 17765
6. Bath 11235
7. Bell 9570
8. Boone '. 11134
9. Bourbon 10179
10. Boyd 13328
11. Boyle 8139
12. Bracken 11723
• 13. Breathitt 8536
14. Breckinridge 16896
15. Bullitt 7243
16. Butler 13183
17. Caldwell 10450
18. Calloway 13583
19. Campbell 43522
20. Carlisle 7213
21. Carroll 8509
22. Carter 17067
23. Casey 11331
24. Christian 18886
25. Clark 10608
26. Clay 12034
27. Clinton 6859
28. Crittenden 12188
29. Cumberland 7456
30. Daviess 27751
31. Edmonson 7547
32. Elliott 9187
33. Estill 10255
34. Fayette 22069
35. Fleming 14453
36. Floyd 11105
37. Franklin 16508
38. Fulton 7797
39. Gallatin 4114
40. Garrard ■ 8114
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
629
Counties.
■White. Colored.
Counties.
White. Colored.
41. Grant 12188
42. Graves 25378
43. Grayson 18199
44. Green 9572
45. Greenup 5573
46. Hancock 8456
47. Hardin 18957
48. Harlan 6041
49. Harrison 14447
50. Hart 14437
51. Henderson 21313
52. Henry 11799
53. Hickman 9869
54. Hopkins 20072
55. Jackson 8207
56. Jefferson 154981
57. Jessamine 7542
58. Johnson 10943
59. Kenton 51491
60. Knott 5365
61. Knox 12984
62. Larue 8642
63. Laurel 13188
64. Lawrence 17526
65. Lee 5746
66. Leslie 3932
67. Letcher 6845
68. Lewis 14626
69. Lincoln 12388
70. Livingston 8725
71. Logan 17243
72. Lyon 6310
73. McCracken 15346
74. McLean 9101
75. Madison 16949
76. Magoffin 9036
77. Marion 12500
78. Marshall 10945
79. Martin 4186
80. Mason 16604
81. Meade 8715
82. Menifee 4639
83. Mercer. 11959
84. Metcalfe 8971
85. Monroe 10449
86. Montgomery 8724
87. Morgan 11200
88. Muhlenberg 15596
89. Nelson 12596
90. Nicholas 9448
91. Ohio 21600
92. Oldham 5107
93. Owen 16249
94. Owsley 5891
95. Pendleton 15839
96. Perry 6171
97. Pike 17212
98. Powell 4319
99. Pulaski 24440
100. Robertson 4529
101. Rockcastle 9686
102. Rowan 6023
103. Rus ell 7870
104. Scott 11482
105. Sh°lby 11744
106. Simpson 8504
107. Spencer 5510
108. Taylor 7879
109. Todd 10513
110. Trigg 10250
111. Trimble 6819
112. Union 15573
113. Warren 22229
114. Washington 11528
115. Wayne 12234
116. Webster 15284
117. Whitley 16828
118. Wolfe 7058
119. Woodford 7527
LOUISIANA.
1. Acadia 11602
2. Ascension 8233
3. Assumption 10726
483
3154
489
1891
338
758
2347
154
2467
2002
8219
2365
1768
3433
54
33595
3706
84
2667
73
778
791
555
176
459
32
75
177
3574
741
6560
1317
5703
786
7399
160
3148
342
23
4168
769
27
3075
900
540
3643
49
2359
3821
1316
1346
1647
1427
84
507
160
166
379
1291
155
155
106
266
5063
4776
2374
1250
1474
6301
3652
321
2656
7926
2094
618
1912
752
122
4853
1629
11270
4. Aroyelles 12904
5. Bienville 7840
6. Bossier ; 4102
7. Caddo 8003
8. Calcasieu 10834
9. Caldwell 2707
10. Cameron 2402
11. Catahoula 6992
12. Claiborne 9796
13. Concordia 1757
14. DeSoto 6638
15. East Baton Rouge 9494
16. East Carroll 997
17. East Feliciana 5 96
18. Franklin 2860
19. Grant 4844
20. Iberia 10519
21. Iberville 6696
22. Jackson 4844
23. Jefferson 6716
24. Lafayette 9080
25. Lafourche 14270
26. Lincoln ? 8481
27. Livingston 4898
28. Madison 931
29. Morehouse 3519
30. Natchitoches 10254
31. Orleans 177376
32. Ouachita 5641
33. Plaquemines 5283
34. Pointe Coupee 4696
35. Rapides 11823
36. Red River 3557
37. Richland 3017
38. Sabine 7312
39. St. Bernard 2347
40. St. Charles 1986
41. St. Helena 3473
42. St. James.. 5691
43. St. John the Baptist 4680
44. St. Laudry 17856
45. St. Marti u 7050
46 St. Mary 7976
47. St. Tammany 6398
48. Tangipahoa 7943
49. Tensas 1153
50. T>rrebonne 10412
51. Union 9901
52. "Vermilion 11335
53. Vernon 5363
54. Washington 4635
55. Webster 5172
56. West Baton Rouge 2398
57. West Carroll 1438
58. Feliciana 2276
59. Winn 6072
MAINE.
1. Androscoggin 48880
2. Aroostook 49528
3. Cumberland 90502
4. Franklin : 17039
5. Hancock 37253
6. Kennebec 56878
7. Knox 31391
8. Lincoln 21970
9. Oxford 30564
10. Penobscot 72390
11. Piscataquis 15078
12. Sagadahoc 19344
13. Somerset 32622
14. Waldo 27739
15. Washington 44315
16. York 62770
MARYLAND.
1. Alleghany 40135
2. Anne Arundel 19580
3. Baltimore 62676
4. Baltimore City 367143
5. Calvert 4796
6. Caroline 10092
7. Carroll 30241
8. Cecil 21850
12161
6268
16225
23541
3194
3106
426
4976
13532
13112
13220
16420
11360
12707
4040
3416
10477
15142
2608
6484
6884
7819
6269
871
13204
13267
15551
64491
12344
7258
14917
15800
7760
7213
2067
1977
5751
4589
9997
6637
22274
7821
1435
3702
4698
15492
9699
7403
2899
540
2632
7289
5964
2310
12785
1010
71
37
417
9
56
125
80
26
20
82
19
99
2
18
75
54
1431
1450!
10231
6710'
506'
381
213:
397
630
AFRO-AMERICAN
ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Counties.
White. Colored
Counties.
White. Colored.
Charles 7054
Dorchester 16133
Frederick 42983
Garrett 14028
Harford 22617
Howard 12159
Kent 10664
Montgomery 17500
Prince George 14867
Queen Anne 11904
St. Mary 8153
Somerset 14650
Talbot 12248
Washington 37274
Wicomico 14731
Worcester 13012
MASSACHUSETTS.
Barnstable 28650
Berkshire 79892
Bristol 184002
Dukes 4101
Essex * 298248
Franklin 3854
Hampden 134582
Hampshire 51566
Middlesex 427406
Nantucket 3228
Norfolk 118489
Plymouth 92040
Suffolk 475433
Worcester 279222
MICHIGAN.
Alcona 5382
Alger 1160
Allegan 38586
Alpena 15570
Antrim 10197
Arenac 5561
Baraga 2743
Barry 23731
Bay 56135
Benzie 5176
Berrien 40627
Branch 26735
Brown
Calhoun 42905
Cat's 19506
Charlevoix 9418
Cheboygan 11823
Chippewa 11554
Clare 7554
Clinton 26475
Crawford 2947
Delta 15104
Eaton 32009
Emmptt 7816
Genesee 39170
Gladwin 4290
Gogebic 13153
Grand Traverse 13281
Gratiot 28530
Hillsdale 30602
Houghton 35340
Huron 28530
Ingham 37203
Ionia 32703
Iosco 15161
Iron 4420
Isabella 18304
Isle Royal 135
Jackson 44449
Kalamazoo 3H702
Kalkaska 5146
Kent 109183
Keweenaw 2893
Lake 6502
Lapeer.,... 29111
Leelanaw 7633
Lenawee 48044
Livingston 20797
Luce 2447
Mackinac 7382
8136
8709
6528
185
6376
4110
6807
9685
11210
6557
7666
9505
7483
2507
5199
6734
376
1183
2390
132
1642
84
1071
272
3604
40
417
605
8845
1483
304
9
32
' 2
6
51
182
60
625
56
"511
1609
45
31
. 17
1
33
5
6
78
26
239
8
9
39
138
46
28
7
452
92
13
9
125
"525
545
12
720
1
16
390
60
7
220
51. Macomb 31675
52. Manistee 24179
53. Manitou 804
54. Marquette 39390
55. Mason 16032
56. Mecosta 19206
57. Menominee 33453
58. Midland 10611
59. Missaukee 5032
60. Monroe 32247
61. Montcalm 325'7
62. Montmorency 1484
63. Muskegon 39876
64. Newaygo 20402
65. Oakland 40920
66. Oceana 15391
67. Ogemaw 5575
68. Ontonagon 3695
69. Osceola 14566
70. Oscoda 1895
71. Otsego 4268
72. Ottawa 35260
73. Presque Isle 4664
74. Roscommon 2033
75. Saginaw 81703
76. St. Clair 52005
77. St. Joseph 25207
78. Sanilac 32572
79. Schoolcraft 5776
80. Shiawassee 3( 024
81. Tuscola 32427
82. VanBuren 29827
83. Washtenaw 40965
84. Wayne 253276
85. Wexford 11262
MINNESOTA.
1 Aitkin 2228
2 Anoka 9864
3 Becker 9226
4 Beltrami 312
5 Benton 6258
6 Bigstone 5655
7 Blue Earth 29168
8 Brown 15814
9 Carlton 5251
10 Carver 16532
11 Cass 1247
12 Chippewa 8554
13 Chisago 10352
14 Clay 11509
15 Cook 97
16 Cottonwood 7411
17 Crow Wing 8711
18 Dakota 20130
19 Dodge 10859
20 Douglass 14592
21 Faribault 16708
22 Fillmore 2.">949
23 Freeborn 17947
24 Goodhue 28726
25 Grant 6875
26 Hennepin 183139
27 Houston 14652
23 Hubbard 1404
29 Isanti.
7607
30 Itaska 720
31 Jackson 8922
32 Kanabec 1520
33 Kandiyohi 13996
34 Kittson 5292
35 Lac qui Parle 10379
36 Lake 1276
37 Lesueur 19038
38 Lincoln 5680
39 Lyon 9484
40 McLeod 17026
41 Marshall 9130
42 Martin 9402
43 Meeker 15447
44 Millelacs 2827
45 Morrison 13312
46 Mower 17982
47 Murray 6641
63
18
357
47
42
"*76
120
1
105
46
315
36
4
2
40
6
4
46
10
"336
92
136
16
"27
20
655
1221
3815
15
1397
1
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
631
Counties.
White. Colored.
Counties.
White. Colored.
1595
5
1
■36
"228
1
6
"74
15
48 Nicolet 13073 8
49 Nobles 7957 1
50 Norman 10616 2
51 Olmsted 19800 6
52 Ottertail 34217 9
53 Pine 3911 6
54 Pikestone 5126 6
55 Polk 30169 6
56 Poke 10032
57 Ramsey 138252
58 Redwood 9280
59 Renville .. 11098
60 Rice 23925
61 Rock 6817
62 St. Louis 44566
63 Scott 13795
64 Sherburne 5902
65 Sibley 15199
66 Stearns 34710
67 Steele 13214
68 Stevens 5197
69 Swift 100G2 1
70 Todd 12922
71 Traverse 4512
72 Wabasha 16940 17
73 Wadena 4045 4
74 Waseca 13311 1
75 Washington 25849 69
76 Watonwan 7741 5
77 Wilkin 4344 2
78 Winona 33733 55
79 Wright 24161 3
80 Yellow Medicine 9836
MISSISSIPPI.
1 Adams 6128 19895
2 Alcorn 9605 3510
3 Amite 7600 10597
4 Attalla 12742 9444
5 Benton 5665 4919
6 Bolivar 3222 26737
7 Calhoun 11276 3412
8 Carroll 8161 10611
9 Chickasaw 8491 11400
10 Choctaw 8208 2638
11 Claiborne 3533 10980
12 Clarke 7716 8104
13 Clay 5624 12982
14 Coahoma 2245 16069
15 Copiah 14632 15600
16 Covington 5319 2971
17 DeSoto 6955 17224
18 Franklin 5484 4934
19 Greene 2936 933
20 Grenada 3836 11076
21 Hancock 5770 2509
22 Harrison 9163 3314
23 Hinds 10892 28368
24 Holmes 7084 23883
25 Issaquena 736 11579
2-5 Itawamba 10723 985
27 Jackson 7814 3436
28 Jasper 7368 7238
29 Jelf'erson 3589 15356
30 Jones 7082 1246
31 Kemper 7869 10058
32 Lafayette 11700 8853
33 Lauderdale 14671 14972
34 Lawrence 6240 6078
35 Leake 9350 5018
36 Lee 12510 7530
37 Leflore 2597 14267
38 Lincoln, 10325 7587
39 Lowndes 6009 21036
40 Maddison 6031 21290
41 Marion 6530 3002
42 Marshall 9731 16306
43 Monroe 12109 18619
44 Montgomery 7448 7009
45 Neshoba 8351 2172
46 Newton 10119 6156
47 Noxuber 4709 22629
48 Oktibbeha 5759 11934
49 Panola 9248 17729
50 Pearl River 2301
51 Perry 4582
52 Pike 30581
53 Pontotoc 10585
54 Prentiss 10833
55 Quitman 894
56 Rankin 7507
57 Scott 7000
58 Sharkey 1223
59 Simpson 6229
60 Smith 8924
61 Sunflower 2530
62 Tallahatchie 5154
63 Tate 8495
64 Tippah 10026
65 Tishomingo 8311
66 Tunica 1259
67 Union 11608
68 Warren 8803
69 Washington 4838
70 Wayne 5799
71 Webster 9080
72 Wilkinson 3962
73 Winstone 6987
74 Yalobusha 7683
75 Yazoo 8690
MISSOURI.
1 Adair 17114
2 Andrew 15751
3 Atchison 15485
4 Audrain 20230
5 Barry 22846
6 Barton : 8457
7 Bates 31817
8 Benton 14808
9 Bollinger 13097
10 Boone 21364
11 .Buchanan 66116
12 Butler 9568
13 Caldwell - 14777
14 Callaway 20645
15 Camden 9943
16 Cape Girardeau 20022
17 Carroll 24365
18 Carter 4650
19 Cass 22517
20 Cedar 15493
21 Chariton 22763
22 Christian 13925
23 Clark 14956
24 Clay 18503
25 Clinton 16052
26 Cole 15345
27 Cooper 19161
28 Crawford 11883
29 Dade 17238
30 Dallas 12592
31 Daviess 20079
32 De Kalb 14428
33 Dent 12108
34 Douglas - 14078
35 Dunklin 14927
36 Franklin 26262
37 Gasconade 11620
38 Gentry 18982
39 Greene 45169
40 Grundy 17620
41 Harrison 20979
42 Henry 27076
43 Hickory 9428
44 Holt 15389
45 Howard 12826
46 Howell 18410
47 Iron 8799
48 Jackson 145322
49 Jasper 49571
50 Jefferson 21415
51 Johnson 26302
52 Knox 13287
53 Laclede 14229
54 Lafayette 26011
55 Lawrence 25861
56 Lewis 14885
656
1874
10620
4355
2845
2392
10413
4616
7141
3909
1711
6850
9207
10756
2925
991
10895
3998
24356
35530
4011
2980
13626
5061
8941
27701
309
249
46
1840
97
47
404
165
19
4677
3974
596
374
4484
97
203S
1377
9
784
127
3490
92
170
1348
1086
1935
3539
78
287
55
376
j 10
41
33
158
1794
86
36
3441
254
56
1158
25
80
4544
208
320
14992
913
1067
1829
214
472
4170
364
1050
632
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Counties. White. Colored.
57 Lincoln J 6306 2039
58 Linn 233) 1 808
59 Livingston 19803 865
60 McDowell 11270 3
61 Macon 29378 1196
62 Madison 9027 241
63 Mane 8597 3
64 Marion 22510 3721
65 Mercer 14508 73
66 Miller 13933 228
67 Mississippi 8025 2108
68 Moniteau 14787 843
69 Monroe 18740 2049
70 Montgomery 15183 1667
71 Morgan 11897 414
II New Madrid 7284 2033
73 Newton - 21417 681
74 Nodaway 30777 135
75 Oregon 10445 22
76 Osage 12709 371
77 Ozarfc 9783 12
78 Pemiscot 5563 412
79 Perry 12745 492
80 Pettis 28351 2799
81 Phelps 12355 281
82 Pike 21400 4919
83 Platte 15036 1210
84 Polk 20176 16*
85 Pulaski 9364 23
86 Putnam 15331 34
87 Ralls 11216 1077
88 Randolph 21957 2935
89 Ray 22460 1749
90 Reynolds 6784 19
91 Ripley 8511 1
92 St. Charles 20656 2315
93 St. Clair 16503 244
94 St. Genevieve 9386 496
95 St. Francis 16802 545
96 St. Louis 328 6 3469
97 St. Louis City 427704 26865
98 Saline 28659 5101
99 Schuyler 11246 3
100 Scotland 12562 112
101 Scott 10735 493
102 Shannon 8894 4
103 Shelby 14886 755
104 Stoddard 17192 135
105 Stone 7080 10
106 Sullivan 18955 45
107 Taney 7970 3
108 Texas 19385 21
109 Yernon 31273 231
110 Warren ... 9188 725
III Washington 12381 772
112 Wayne 11823 104
113 Webster 15008 167
114 Worth 8737 1
115 Wright 14115 364
NEBRASKA.
1 Adams 23969 327
2 Antelope 10397 2
3 Arthur 89 2
4 Banner 2433 2
5 Blaine 1144 2
6 Boone 8676 7
7 Boxbutte 5469 25
8 Boyd 584 4
9 Brown 4356 3
10 Buffalo 22109 49
11 Burt 11047 21
12 Butler 15447 5
13 Cass 23974 105
14 Cedar 7019 4
15 Chase 4807
16 Cherry (5251 170
17 Cheyenne 5682 9
18 Clay 16293 15
19 Colfax 10402 50
20 Cuming 12225 1
21 Custer 21655 22
22 Dakota 5352 33
23 Dawes 9315 395
Oounties.
White. Colored.
24 Dawson 10082
25 Deuel 2893
26 Dixon 8081
27 Dodge 19223
28 Douglas 153249
29 Dundy 4007
30 Fillmore 16005
31
32
Franklin 7689
Frontier 8496
33 Furnas..
34 Gage
35 ~ "
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
Garfield 1658
Gasper 4814
Grant 458
Greeley 4857
Hall lfi470
Hamilton 14036
Harlan 8145
H ayes 3952
Hitchcock 5789
Holt 13635
45 Hooker 426
Howard 9423
47 Jefferson 14830
48 Johnson 10328
49 Kearney 9061
50 Keith 2555
51 Keyapaha 3896
52 Kimball 958
53 Knox 7938
54 Lancaster 74937
55 Lincoln 10415
56 Logan 1378
57 Loup 1658
58 McPherson 401
59 Madison 13626
60 Merrick 8738
61 Nance 5570
62 Nehoma 12846
63 Nuckolls 11396
Otoe 25123
64
65 Pawnee
66
10337
Perkins 4364
67 Phelps 9«63
68 Pierce 4863
69 Plutte 15408
70 Pol* 10803
71 Redwil'ow 8822
72 Richardson 17507
73 Kock 3083
74 Saline 20073
75 Sarpy 6866
76 Saunders 21557
77 Scott's Bluff. 1888
78 Seward 16118
79 Sheridan 8682
80 Sherman 6395
81 Sioux 2445
82 Stanton 4612
83 Thayer 12726
84 l homas 517
85 Thurston 1272
86 Valley 7092
87 Washington 11838
88 Way e 6166
89 Webster 11199
90 Wheeler 1624
91 York 17227
NEW JERSEY.
Atlantic 26548
Bergen 45402
Burlington 55886'
Camden 80151
Cape May 10401
Cumberland 43333
Essex 249021
Gloucester 27230
Hud on 272490
Hunterdon 34854
Merc 76452
Middlesex 60090
Monmouth 64025
Morris 53131
46
......
31
4665
5
15
4
1
2
374
1
12
38
58
12
1
1
37
24
1
19
1419
24
42
18
1
84
23
278
3
""'3
1
26
13
13
65
'"23
9
17
"22
5
4
7
7
12
30
3
10
59
52
2267
1814
2624
7475
861
2100
6900
1417
2456
497
3467
1643
5074
956
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND
SAYINGS OF THE
RACE.
633
Counties.
White. Colored.
15 Ocean 15321
16 Passaic 103352
17 Silem 22340
18 Somerset 26960
19 Sussex 22125
20 Uniou 70245
21 Warren 36244
NEW YORK.
1 Albany 163122
2 Alleghany 42900
3 Broome 62332
4 Cittiraugus C0606
5 Cayuga 64721
6 Chautauqua 75022
7 Chemu g 47441
8 Chenango 37474
9 Cliuton 46291
10 Columbia 45089
11 Cortland 28564
12 Delaware 45232
13 Dutchess 76191
14 Erie 321"17
15 Essex 32927
16 Franklin 38050
17 Fulton 37364
18 Genessee 33135
19 Greene 30942
20 Hami ton 4744
21 Herkimer 45465
22 Jeffersou 68562
23 Kings 826555
24 Lewis 29729
25 Livingston 375*9
26 Madison 42501
27 Monroe 188750
28 Montgomery 45425
29 New York 1485627
30 Niagara 62093
31 Oneida 122370
32 0"andaza 145149
33 Ontario 4''989
34 Orange 95286
35 Orleaus 30608
36 Osw go 71725
37 Otsego 50623
38 Putnam 14645
39 Queens 124477
40 Rensselaer 123709
41 Richmoud 50712
42 Rockland 33900
43 Sr. Lawrence 84948
44 Saratoga 56877
45 Schenectady 29648
46 Schoharie 28834
47 Schuyler 16491
48 Seneca 28039
49 Stpubeu 80981
50 Suffolk 60061
51 Sullivan 30963
52 Tioga 29572
53 Tompkins 32520
54 Ulster 85813
55 W«rren 27765
56 Washington 45438
57 Wiyne 49429
58 Westchester 143272
59 Wyoming 31132
60 Yates 20858
NORTH CAROLINA.
1 Alamance 12688
2 Alexander 8588
3 Allegheny 6061
4 Anson. 10237
5 Ash 15033
6 Beaufort 11869
7 Bertie 7885
8 Bladen 8646
9 Brunswick 6139
10 Buncombe 28640
11 Burke 12378
12 Cabarrus 12683
153
1125
2810
1348
134
2202
305
1409
331
631
249
561
148
793
297
139
1081
82
262
1671
1206
108
52
281
129
652
10
139
215
11307
44
247
303
802
268
23601
387
483
1057
457
2544
194
151
237
201
3529
788
964
1255
83
751
141
317
218
182
485
2371
68
360
397
1248
56
238
297
3415
57
143
5583
842
462
9790
595
9203
11291
8117
4761
6626
2561
5459
Counties. White. Colored.
13 Caldwell 10737 1561
14 Camden 3347 2320
15 Carteret 8528 2297
16 Caswell 6639 9389
17 Catawba 16073 2616
18 Chatham 17214 8199
19 Cherokee 9655 321
20 Chowan 4010 5157
21 Clay 4055 142
22 Cleveland 17301 3093
23 Columbus 11804 6052
24 Craven 7175 13*>8
25 Cumberland 14H52 12369
26 Currituck 4731 2016
27 Dare 3362 406
28 Davidson 18174 3528
29 Davie 8769 2852
30 Duplin 11600 7090
31 Durham 10712 7329
32 Edgecombe 8513 15600
33 Forsyth 19433 9001
34 Franklin 10755 10335
35 Gaston 12927 4837
36 Gates 5539 4713
37 Graham 3137 176
38 Granville 12122 12362
39 Greene 5281 4758
40 Guilford 19820 8232
41 Halifax 9614 19294
42 Harnett 9453 4247
43 Haywood 12829 517
44 Henderson 11211 1378
45 Hertford 5906 7945
46 Hyde 4962 3941
47 Iredell 19516 5946
48 Jackson 8680 832
49 Johnston 19917 7322
50 Jones 3885 3518
51 Lenoir 8517 6362
52 Lincoln 10028 2558
53 McDowell 9114 1825
54 Macon 9436 666
55 Madison 17095 710
56 Martin 7838 7383
57 Mecklenburg 23141 19532
58 Michell 12252 555
59 Montgomery 8982 2257
60 Moore 13985 6494
61 Nash 12186 8521
62 New Hanover 10089 13937
63 Northampton 9224 12018
64 Onslow 7392 2911
65 Orange 9705 5243
66 Pamlico 4767 2379
67 Pasquotauk 5201 5547
68 Pender 5967 6547
69 Perquimans 4719 5574
70 Person 8251 6900
71 Pitt 13192 12327
72 Polk 4807 1095
73 Randolph 21848 3347
74 Richmond 10989 12959
75 Robenson 16629 14854
76 Rockingham 15197 10166
77 Rowan 17142 6981
78 Rutherford 15073 3697
79 Samson 15960 9136
80 Stanley 10629 1507
81 Stokes 14386 2813
82 Surry 16926 2355
83 Swain 5652 925
84 Transylvania 5368 513
85 Tyrrell 3000 1225
86 Union 15712 5547
87 Vance 6438 11147
88 Wake 26093 23114
89 Warren 5880 13480
90 Washington 4961 5239
91 Watauga 10180 431
92 Wayne 15115 10985
93 Wilkes 20633 2042
94 Wilson 10884 7760
95 Yadkin 12421 1369
96 Yancy 9197 293
IUU-.
3412
G3
35
187
82
*189
8
2
13 00
72 i
650
100
23
7
17
48
7
2
2
2
88
1
22
7
94
6
12
9
10
20
3
139
3
550
5
1
1
33
11
"i'i
5
14
319
3501
263
719
587
568
801
599
L732
154
458
64
36
466
7643
72
184
324
118
314
20S1
5551
3965
38
308
2709
6
2019
112
445
315
212
29
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA
White. Colored-
Countits.
White.
OHIO.
.. 25687
406
85
.. 40049
589
87
21
.. 43365
287
1233
.. 28054
46
1932
1
.. 27963
1735
2
.. 474,6
1113
3
.. 17t92
74
4
.. 25467
1511
5
. 47632
4640
6
.. 32043
1510
7
. 22943
1296
8
.. 58357
662
.. 26621
81
.. 31850
77
..306777
3146
2
3
492
107
618
429
393
1680
..117620
6445
23
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
.. 24613
2388
10
.. 25750
4060
496
..359777
14757
356
.. 28323
609
.. 19932
897
38
.. 27534
1491
.. 22525
133
.. 21133
6
.. 31760
186
.. 27669
738
.. 38228
1184
307
219
27
28
29
30
31
1758
.. 42820
457
996
1133
1170
.. 19107
947
.. 55223
755
260
1
.. 21611
130
2
1405
3
217
4
1177
5
.. 25073
102
6
.. 98364
2478
7
160
8
115
9
1211
10
. 20716
37
11
.. 21926
47
12
25047
867
13
.. 30586
565
14
.. 25948
1009
15
823
16
.. 27691
174
17
.. 23024
394
18
.. 30125
62
19
.. 37945
128
20
.. 36560
2892
21
. 30415
198
22
1'088
23
40676
193
24
.. 24250
456
25
.. 83827
338
26
,. 53535
551
27
.. 42176
195
28
.. 46408
207
29
.. 22413
442
30
.. 29214
447
31
.. 15842
203
32
.. 24535
926
33
Williams 24862
Wood 44199
Wyandot 21638
OKLAHOMA.
Beaver 2674
Canadian 6968
Cleveland 6589
Greer 5336
Kingfisher 7028
Logan 12034
Oklahoma 11082
OREGON.
Baker 6342
Benton 8534
Clackamas 15083
Clatsop 8762
Columbia 5158
Coos 8668
Crook 3232
Curry 1528
Douglas 11473
7793
Umatilla 13079
PENNSYLVANIA.
Adams 33166
Allegheny 538317
Armstrong 46480
Beaver 49357
Bedford 38057
Berks 136748
Blair 70057
Bradford 58623
Bucks 68716
Butler 55179
Cambria 65909
Cameron 7174
Carbon 33554
36730
69379
Crawford 64999
Cumberland 44804
Franklin 49412
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND
SAYINGS OF
THE RACE.
635
Counties.
White.
Colored.
34
Juniata
170
35
Lackawanna
141731
352
36
Lancaster
146472
2603
37
Lawrence
312
38
Lebanon
164
39
Lehigh
105
40
Luzerne
200370
816
41
Lycoming
69085
1489
42
McKean
46507
299
43
Mercer
304
44
Mifflin
19823
169
45
Monroe
19933
176
46
Montgomery
120506
2753
47
Montour
15548
96
48
Northampton
533
49
Northumberland
74 94
291
50
137
51
Philadelphia
39371
9305
107
53
Potter ...
22721
55
54
Schuylkill
374
55
Snyder
17646
5
56
Somerset
37174
142
57
Sullivan
11603
17
58
Susquehanna
39930
162
54
52221
91
60
Union
17767
52
61
Venango
46158
473
62
Warren
75
63
Washington
3361
64
Wayne
30975
33
65
Westmoreland
111593
1213
66
Wyoming
8
1566
67
York
97908
RHODE ISLAND.
1 Bristol 11229
2 Kent 26441
3 Newport 26963
4 Providence 250425
5 Washington 22801
SOUTH CAROLINA.
1 Abbeville 15142
2 Aaiken 13761
3 Anderoon 25268
4 Barnwell 14194
5 Beaufort 2695
6 Berkeley 7686
7 Charleston 24764
8 Chester 8482
9 Chesterfield 10988
10 Clarendon 6987
11 Colletton 14032
12 Darlington 11749
13 Edgefield 17340
14 Fairfield 7139
15 Florence 10471
16 Georgetown 4053
17 Greenville 27516
18 Hampton 6827
19 Horry 13706
20 Kershaw '8550
21 Lancaster 10411
22 Laurens 13169
23 Lexington 13769
24 Marion 14519
25 Marlboro 9062
26 Newberry 8966
27 Oconee 13678
28 Orangeburg 15654
29 Pickens 12253
30 Richland 11933
31 Spartanburg 36857
32 Suinter 11813
33 Union 10973
34 Williamsburg 9355
35 York 18245
TENNESSEE.
1 Anderson 13920
2 Bedford 18411
3 Benton 10609
4 Bledsoe 5643
197
311
1568
4582
735
31705
18059
18428
30416
21421
47739
35073
18178
7479
16246
26245
17384
31916
21460
14554
16840
16789
13717
5550
13810
10349
18441
8411
15436
14435
17468
5008
32738
4136
24885
18527
31792
14390
18420
20525
1204
6327
621
491
Counties. White. Colored.
5 Blount 15954 1632
6 Bradley 11816 1788
7 Campbell 12905 581
8 Cannon 11250 947
9 Carroll 17926 5701
10 Carter 12688 701
11 Cheatham 7297 1548
12 Chester 7228 1841
13 Claiborne 14577 526
14 Clay 6880 380
15 Cocke 15178 1339
16 Coffee 12127 1699
17 Crockett 10908 4238
18 Cumberland 5322 53
19 Davidson 66612 41549
20 Decatur 7662 1333
21 DeKalb 14462 1188
22 Dickson 11493 2152
23 Dyer 15113 4762
24 Fayette 8264 20614
25 Fentress 5180 46
26 Franklin 15313 3610
27 Gibson 26386 9473
28 Giles 22427 12530
29 Grainger 12470 716
30 Greene 25047 1566
31 Grundy 5909 436
32 Hamblen 9867 1546
33 Hamilton 35760 17704
34 Hancock 9598 744
35 Hardeman 12082 8947
36 Hardin 15269 2429
37 Hawkins 19826 2390
38 Haywood 7835 15723
39 Henderson 13894 2442
40 Henry 15202 5868
41 Hickman 11729 2770
42 Houston 4553 837
43 Humphreys 10178 1542
44 Jackson 12835 480
45 James 4362 534
46 Jefferson 14269 2206
47 Johnson 8478 377
48 Knox 48422 11127
49 Lake 4226 J 070
50 Lauderdale 10810 7946
51 Lawrence 11492 794
52 Lewis 2336 219
53 Lincoln 21074 6307
54 Loudon 7805 1459
55 McMinn 15722 2168
56 McNairy 13602 1908
57 Macon 10095 782
58 Maddison 15809 14684
59 Marion 12977 2434
60 Marshall 14365 4538
61 Maury 22090 16022
62 Meigs 6208 721
63 Monroe 14046 1272
64 Montgomery 15793 13903
65 Moore 5434 541
66 Morgan 7303 336
67 Obion 22936 4335
68 Overton 11767 272
69 Perry 7114 671
70 Pickett 4725 11
71 Polk 7771 579
72 Putnam 13045 638
73 Rhea 10871 1771
74 Roane 15460 1957
75 Robertson 14524 5548
76 Rutherford 20595 14502
77 Scott 9423 371
78 Sequatchie 2948 76
79 Sevier 18134 627
80 Shelby 51021 61674
81 Smith 15406 2997
82 Stewart 10015 2177
83 Sullivan 19457 1422
84 Sumner 17257 6409
85 Tipton 12436 11835
86 Trousdale 4018 1832
87 Unicoi 4388 231
88 Union 11351 107
636
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.
Counties. White.
89 Van Buren 2794
90 Warren 12391
91 Washington.. 18389
92 Wayne 10(500
93 Weakley 24330
94 White 11513
95 Williamson 16162
96 Wilson 19798
TEXAS.
1 Anderson 11420
2 Andrews 24
3 Angelina 5705
4 Aransas 1684
5 Archer 2089
6 Armstrong 943
7 Atascosa 6157
8 Austin 12673
9 Bandera 3669
10 Bastrop 11836
11 Bailor 2589
12 Bee 3401
13 Bell 30716
14 Bexar 43662
15 Blanco 4439
16 Borden 217
17 Bosque 13583
18 Bowie 12659
19 B'aaoria 2983
20 Braz>s 8213
21 Brewster 694
22 B own 11348
23 Buchel 287
24 Burleson 7274
25 Burnet 10440
26 Caldwell 10890
27 Calhoun 647
28 Oillahan 5426
29 Cameron 14307
30 Camp 3S28
31 Carson 355
32 Ca 8 14041
33 Castro 9
34 Chambers 1479
35 Cherokee 15265
36 Childress 1171
37 Clay 7400
38 Coke 2058
39 Coleman 6042
40 Collin 34208
41 Colli'.'gswuith 357
42 Colorado 10666
43 Comal 6218
44 Comanche 15600
45 Concho 1051
46 Cooke 23323
47 Coryell 1^413
48 Cottle 240
49 Cr-ni 15
50 Crockett 194
51 Crosby 345
52 Dallam 112
53 Dallas 55795
54 Dawson 28
55 Deaf Smith 179
56 Delta 8389
57 Denton 19580
58 DeWitt 10311
59 Dickens 295
60 Dimmit 1012
61 Donley 1012
62 Duval 7591
63 Eastland 10347
64 Ector 223
65 Edwards 1964
66 El is 28397
67 El Paso 14996
68 Encinal 2738
69 Er th 20869
70 Falls 12745
71 Fann n 34459
72 Fayette 23031
73 Fishe: 2981
74 Floyd 529
Colored.
67
2022
1964
871
4625
835
10159
7350
9502
Counties.
White. Colored.
607
131
12
"285
5185
126
8898
6
317
2650
5504
210
5
641
7591
8523
8433
13
73
11
5727
307
4878
168
31
108
3296
1
8512
757
7705
2
102
"'69
2525
8845
180
8
14
1351
459
11177
1
"728
1707
3995
""37
40
7
25
1
6
3376
377
6
723
7y6i
4241
8446
15
108
75 Foley 8 17
76 Fort Bend 1605 8981
77 Franklin 5661 819
78 Freestone 9311 6675
79 Frio 3010 102
SO Gaines 68
81 Galveston 24422 7009
82 Garza 14
83 Gillespie 6947
84 Glasscock 208
85 Goliad 4266 1644
86 Gonzales 12146 5869
87 Gray 202 1
88 Grayson ~ 46453 6712
89 Gregg 4052 5349
90 Grimes 9648 11664
91 Guadalupe 10799 4415
92 Hale 718 3
93 Hall 702 1
94 Hamilton 9300 13
95 Hansford 133
96 Haideman 3880
97 Hardin 2989
98 Harris 23718
99 Harrison 8528
100 Hartley 251
101 Haskell 1659
102 Hays 9152
103 Hemphill 508
104 Henderson 9293
105 Hidalgo 6457
106 Hill:. 25485
107 Hood 7339
108 Hopkins 17726
109 Houston 10892
110 Howard 1165
111 Hunt 28917
112 Hutchinson 56
113 Iron 868
114 Jack 9643
115 Jackson 1459
116 Jas„er : 3214
117 Jeff Davis 1352
118 Jefferson 3638
119 Johnson 21459
120 Jone* 3790
121 Karnes 3093
122 Kaufman 18418
123 Kendall 3610
124 Kent 324
125 Kerr 4355
126 Kimble 2238
127 King 171
128 Kinney 3527
129 Knox 1134
130 Lamar 27883
131 Lamb 4
132 Lampasas 7320 262
133 LaSalle 2072 67
134 Lavaca 17631 4253
135 Lee 8850 3102
136 Leon 8464 5377
137 Liberty 2512 ] 715
138 Limestone 17217 4459
139 Lipscomb 632
140 Live Oak 2006 49
141 L ano 6719 52
142 Laving 3
143 Lubbock 31 2
144 Lynn 24
145 McCulloch 3205 12
146 McLennan 2811 10381
147 McMullen 994 44
148 Madison 6439 2070
149 Marion 3861 6989
150 Martin 264
151 Mason 5149 31
152 Matagorda 1364 2621
153 Maverick 3547 142
154 Medina 5445 283
155 Meuard 1192 23
156 Midland 1028 3
157 Milam 18548 6220
158 Mills 5436 57
21
967
13522
18191
1
6
2171
9
2988
76
2096
274
2838
8467
34
2953
2
2
97
1822
2378
37
2218
852
7
544
3176
216
*106
5
2
253
9378
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND
SAYINGS OP THE RACE.
637
Counties. White. Colored.
159 Mitchell 1950 • 99
160 Montague 18774 87
161 Montgomery 6275 5488
162 Moore 15
163 Morris 3968 2610
164 Motley 136 3
165 Nacogdoches 11713 4257
166 Navarro 20105 62G6
167 Newton 3092 1558
168 Nolan 1540 32
169 Nueces 7384 707
170 Ochiltree 198
171 Oldham 267 3
172 Orangi 3937 829
173 Palo Pinto 8253 67
174 Panola 7978 6350
175 Parker 21009 671
176 Parmer 7
177 Pecos 1307 8
178 Polk 6272 3834
179 Potter 830 14
180 Presidio 1669 26
181 Rai s 3494 415
182 Randall' 187
183 Red River 14823 6628
184 Reeves 1224 7
185 Refugio 915 324
186 Roberts 324 2
187 Robertson 12326 14142
188 Rockwall 5756 216
189 Runnels 3162 31
190 Rusk 10. 26 7624
191 Sabine 3885 1084
192 San Augustine 4557 2131
193 San Jacinto 3027 4328
194 San Patricio 1287 25
195 Sin Saba 6588 53
196 Schl.icher 134 4
197 Scurry 1413 2
198 Shackelford 1845 167
199 Shelby 11411 2954
200 Sherman 33 1
201 Smith 15633 12690
202 Somervill 3413 6
203 Starr 10739 10
204 Stephens 4921 5
205 Stonewall 1021 2
206 Sutton 659 1
207 Swisher 100
208 Tarrant 36777 4316
209 Taylor 6768 174
210 Terry 21
211 Throckmorton 891 11
212 Titus 6430 1760
213 Tom Green 4944 202
214 Travis 26222 10090
215 Trinity 5740 1903
216 Tyler 8484 2392
217 Upshur 8766 3929
218 Upton 51 1
219 Uvalde 3720 84
220 Yalverde 2758 108
221 Van Zandt 15127 1098
222 Victoria 5217 3519
223 Walker. 5642 7232
224 Waller 4184 6703
225 Ward 74 3
226 Washington 15o?5
227 Webb 14625 214
228 Wharton 1461 6119
229 Wheeler 761 16
230 Wichita 4700 128
231 Wilbarger 7057 26
232 Williamson 23146 2755
233 Wilson « 9602 1053
234 Winkler ......
235 Wise 23971 161
236 Wood 1068® 3249
237 Yoakum 4 ......
238 Young 5034 15
239 Zapata ......
240 1094 3
VIRGINIA.
1 Accomac 17547 9730
Counties.
White. Colored.
2 Albemarle 18252 14127
3 Alexandria 11361 7236
4 Alleghany 6955 2328
5 Amelia 3023 6045
6 Amherst 9923 7628
7 Appomattox 5254 7336
8 Augusta 28596 8409
9 Buckingham 6786 7587
10 Botetourt 11122 3782
11 Bath H827 761
12 Bedford 20064 11149
13 Bland 4888 241
14 Brunswick 6651 10584
15 Buchanan 5843 24
16 Carroll 15135 362
17 Chesterfield 15399 10812
18 Craig 3686 149
19 Culpepper 7147 6086
20 Caroline 7359 9322
21 Charles City 1348 3718
22 Campbell 21283 19804
23 Charlotte 5716 ' 9361
24 Clarke 5617 2454
25 Cumberland 2860 6622
26 Dickenson 5051 26
27 Dinwiddie 15570 20619
28 Elizabeth City 8278 7890
29 Essex 3584 6463
30 Fairfax 11586 5069
31 Fauquier 14686 7904
32 Fluvanna 5051 4457
33 Floyd 13230 1175
34 Franklin 18737 6248
35 Frederick 15652 2228
36 Greenesville 2919 5311
37 Grayson 13473 921
38 Goochland 7083 5875
39 Greene 4114 1508
40 Gloucester 5437 6216
41 Giles 8253 837
42 Halifax 15008 19416
43 Hanover 9188 8214
44 Henrico 59775 43619
45 Henry 9928 8283
46 Highland 4930 422
47 Isle of Wight 6169 5144
48 James City 2317 3326
49 King George 3433 3208
50 King and Queen 4235 5434
51 King William 3783 5822
52 Lee 17002 1214
53 Lancaster 3171 4020
54 Loudoun 16696 6578
55 Louisa 7192 9805
56 Lunenburg 4636 6736
57 Madison 6260 3965
58 Mathews 5447 2136
59 Mecklenburg 9329 16030
60 Middlesex 3141 4317
61 Montgomery 14227 3515
62 Nansemond 8925 10767
63 Nelson 9033 6303
64 New Kent 1956 3555
65 Norfolk 37497 39571
66 Northampton 4833 5480
67 Northumberland 4795 3090
68 Nottoway 3959 7623
69 Orange 6573 6241
70 Page 11320 1772
71 Patrick 12079 ' 2068
72 Pittsylvania 30847 29094
73 Powhatan 2358 • 4433
74 Prince Edward 7770 9924
75 Prince George 2732 5140
76 Prince William 7210 2595
77 Princess Anne 4131 5379
78 Pulaski 9669 3121
79 Rappahannock 5863 2818
80 Richmond 3998 3148
81 Roanoke 21082 9019
82 Rockbridge 17931 5131
83 Rockiaghain 28485 2814
84 Russell 14923 1203
85 Scott 20726 968
638
AFRO-AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Countits.
White. Colored.
86 Smyth 12136
87 Shenandoah 18829
88 Southampton 8293
89 Stafford 5893
90 Spottsylvania 8156
91 Surry 3238
92 Sussex 3524
93 Tazewell 16395
94 Warren 7016
95 Warwick 2884
96 Washington 25215
97 Westmoreland 3662
98 Wise 8763
99 Wythe 14849
100 York 3201
WASHINGTON.
1 Adams 2096
2 Asotin 1546
3 Chelalis 8956
4 Clallam 2546
5 Clarke ; 11609
6 Columbia 6659
7 Cowlitz 5856
8 Douglas 3144
9 Franklin 574
10 Garfield 3872
11 Island 1570
12 Jefferson 7666
13 King 62707
14 Kitsap 4310
15 Kittitas 8210
16 Klickitat 5104
17 Lewis 11386
18 Lincoln 9237
19 Mason 2793
20 Okonogan 1362
21 Pacific 4112
22 Pierce 50421
23 San Juan 2036
24 Skagit 8436
25 Skamania 736
26 Snohomish 8162
27 Spokane 36810
28 Stevens 3953
29 Thurston 9332
30 Wahkiakum 2178
31 Wallawalla 11829
32 Whatcom 18192
33 Whitman 18838
34 Yakima 4275
WEST VIRGINIA.
1 Barbour "... 12204
2 Berkely.... 17005
3 Boone 6715
4 Braxton 13794
5 Brooke 6545
6 Cabell 22101
7 Calhoun..., 8074
8 Clay •. 4659
9 Dodridge 12052
10 Fayette 17488
11 Gilmer 9696
12 Grant 6423
13 Greenbrier 16041
14 Hampshire 10852
15 Hancock 6392
16 Hardy 6977
17 Harrison 21158
18 Jackson 18934
19 Jefferson 11437
20 Kanawha 39554
21 Lewis 15627
22 Lincoln 11035
23 Logan 10416
24 McDowell 5909
25 Marion 20617
26 Marshall 20499
27 Mason ! 22104
28 Mercer 13979
29 Mineral 11604
30 Monongalia 15477
31 Monroe 11450
1224
842
11785
1469
6077
5018
7776
3504
1264
3866
2805
4737
582
3170
4395
32
333
12
318
6
25
7
2
""*3
376
"35
2
16
206
13
76
3
34
48
14
2
498
1664
170
134
114
1493
81
131
3054
50
379
1993
567
21
590
760
87
4116
3402
261
211
685
1591
104
236
759
2022
481
227
979
Counties. White. Colorea.
32 Morgan
33 Nicholas 9287 21
34 Ohio 40452 1098
35 Pendleton 8585 126
36 Pleasants 75.^0 9
37 Pocahontas 6401 000
38 Preston 20221 134
39 Putnam 14105 237
40 Raleigh 9518 - 79
41 Randolph 113/1 262
42 Ritchie 16585 * j>6
43 Roane 152/4 29
44 Summers 11990 1127
45 Taylor 1^85 362
46 Tucker 6-/6 1°*
47 Tvler 11960 2
48 Upshur
49 Wayne ??
50 Webster 4//2 11
^ "
53 Wood.. 27700 910
54 Wyoming 61™7 70
WISCONSIN.
1 Aflams 6823 6
2 Ashland 20017 14
I Ba^on ^ u
4 Bayfield 7081
5 Brown 38281 148
6 Buffalo 1
7 Burnett 4312 . ..
8 Calumet 16305 169
9 Chippewa 24969 34
10 Clark H'1% »
II Columbia 28335 15
12 Crawford l^ 17
13 Dane 59480 90
14 Dodge 44915 54
15 Door 15^50 10
16 Douglas *3205
17 Dutn 22648 13
18 Eauclaire 32®cli ,
19 Florence 11f>
20 Fond Du Lac 113
21 Forest
22 Grant 3 583 68
23 Green 22 00 Si
24 Green Lake Iff 4
25 Iowa K1C8 14
26 Jackson 15786 10
27 Jefferson 33496 34
28 Juneau 1'0S9 W
29 Kenosha 15561 /u
30 Kewaunee 16144 »
31 Lacrosse 38'^ £
32 Lafayette ?
33 Langlade 9450 1
34 Lincoln *1??- ,!
35 Manitowoc JjJ
36 Marathon
37 Marinette 20135 34
38 Marquette 9675 i
39 Milwaukee 23561.1 458
40 Monroe 23139 45
41 Oconto 14947 12
42' Oneida 4952 26
43 Outagamie 37719 23
44 Ozaukee 14938 5
45 Pepin 6932 ......
46 Pierce 20364 19
47 Polk 12842 7
48 Portague 24787 8
49 Price t. 5256 2
50 Racine 36157 111
51 Richland 19103 18
52 Rock 43080 135
53 St. Croix 23135 4
54 Sauk 30542 33
55 Sawyer 1970
56 Shawano 18842 4
57 Sheboygan 42481 8
58 Taylor 6694 37
59 Trempealeau.. 18908
THOUGHTS, DOINGS, AND SAYINGS OF THE RACE.
639
Counties. White. Colored.
60 Vernon 25028 83
61 Walworth 27804 50
62 Washburn 2895
63 Washington 22751
64 Waukesha 33188 79
Counties. White. Colored.
65 Waupaca
17
66 Waushara
11
67 Winnebago
84
68 Wood
2
Hut of a Slave in " Old Kentucky."
Plymouth Congregational, Church and Parsonage,
Charleston, S. C.
COLORED CONGREGATIONAL STATISTICS EOR THE SOUTH,
BY REV. O V. CLARK.
There are eight ecclesiastical organizations
composed of colored churches in these thirteen
Southern States. The present number of Con-
gregationalists in the United States is more
than 600,000 white and colored. Congregational
ministers number about 5,500, and churches the
same. Eight colleges, six normal schools and
sixty grammar and graded schools are in opera¬
tion in the South, under the auspices of the,
American Missionary Association, for the edu¬
cation of colored youth. About 10,000 pupils
attend them .yearly. The association is Con¬
gregational. Its work is non-sectarian. To
run these schools it requires an expenditure an¬
nually of more than $400,000.
STATES.
O 3
No. of Members
o o
Alabama
Arkansas
District of Columbia
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Totals.-
528
87
301
529
39
406
26
95
180
140
292
79
100
742
134
705
594
56
614
34
97
320
210
350
243
1,350
150
1,200
1,365
80
1,633
255
190
600
425
675
570
2,703 4,114 7,493
This article appeared too late for its proper position in the book.