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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN.
SATURDAY JUNE ». 1ft*.
THE SURPRISES OF THE JUDGMENT
By REV. DR. JOHN E. WHITE,
• Pastor Second Baptist Churcli
“H*
1 ^ in
' K hath appointed a day In the
which He will judge the world
In righteousness."
"And many will »ay to Ale in that
day. Lord! Lord!"
In an old picture, Monica and Au
gustine—rare mother and son—are
■hown In the twilight standing hand
In hand looking earnestly into the open
■ky. The artist does not tell us what
the picture means, but the poet does.
They are—
“Sending their souls into the invisible,
Some letter of the after-life to spell."
The richest hours of life are those In
which we obey the call of the beyond
and boldly put to sea In the boat of
our deepest intuitions. In quest of the
things that lie beyond the grave. The
soul never returns empty from Its
aolemn adventures Into the hereafter.
The Bible is the greatest Book ip
the world, because it Is the Guide
Book into these things. The most con
vincing of the many convincing evi
dences of the Divine Inspiration of the
Scriptures Is the fact that what I dis
cover of deepest reality In myself, ques
tions, longings, misgivings, fears and
hopes, I And reflected and set out on
the pages of the Bible. This evi
dence may not pass In the court of
criticism, but In the court of the In
dividual conscience it has the con
vincing power of a personal revela
tion. He came near to saying the pro-
foundest thing that can be said about
the Bible who declared, "I believe the
Bible Is Inspired, because It Inspires
me.
Now, among the most explicit and
positive revelations made In the Bible
Is that there Is a great day coming—a
day of judgment.
“It la appointed unto men once to
die, and after that the judgment."
He hath appointed a day In the
which He "will judge the world In
righteousness." But the Bible is not
author of the idea of a Anal judgment.
Pi® kJS, A dly of Judgment existed
long before there was a written Bible.
It exists now In lands where the Bible
nih?« 1 Ji n i°c wn ' tJJLV* h<u * b *® n no
2| b in'a , r fc f o V *T y . Bbe wer ® destroy-
SMiFiiV’® B ?° ,t for ft° tI «n. men would
still believe In a day of final Judg-
menu So, while the integrity of the
2!h.» lr iY olv#d ln ,uft > a belief, the
belief Itself rests back upon the In
destructible and unchallengeable moral
consciousness of man. If there is no
, t . hln « •*, ‘h* .day of Judgment,
then the moral faculty will be for the
first time caught In a lie. *
■The truth Is one that draws sanction
from the very nature of things. Na-
h l** < > r J r > Bovernment, reflect and
llluatrate IV. The human conscience de*
Clares over snd over to every man
that he must meet the Issues of his
life ln a final arbitrament. This senso
of accountability Is ever-present with
him. The feeling la Inborn and springs
out of the unfathomed depths of moral
being. There Is no faltering for the
preacher here. There Is a great day
coming—a greot day coming—a great
day coming by-and-by—a day of
final crisis, when the truth will come
out on us all, whether It be good or
bad.
“But a day Is coming fast,
Earth, thy mightiest and thy'last!
It shall come In fear and wonder,
Heralded by trump and thunder;
It shall come In strife and toll.
It shall come In blood and spoil.
It shall corns In empires' groans,
Burning temples, trampled thrones.
“Then shall come the Judgment elgn;
In the East the King shall shins;
Flashing from heaven'* golden gate.
Thousands, thousands round his stats;
Spirits with the crown and plume;
Tremble then, thou silent tomb!
Heaven be opened on our sight.
Earth be turned to living light.”
The Restful Thought.
The Idea of the judgment to come
is by no means always a disturbing
thought. As the hymn sings. It Is "a
great day," It Is "a sad day." but It
Is also "a bright day coming."
Whan we can think of It disasso
ciated from Its personal aspects, our
minds find response In the truth that
tbers Is to be such a time of great
vindications. It harmonises with our
sense of truth. Sometimes It Is such
a relief to reflect that a day Is coin
ing that will set things right for once.
Tired and fretted, our hearts seek the
restful contemplation of the day of
Judgment, when all noble causes will
command the resistless championship
of an Infinite and Incorruptible right
eousness.
When we think of the confusions
of this world, the controversies that
rage, the disputes. and contentions of
men over questions that separate hu
man minds Into warring schools of
thought; and remember that there la
ed upon our disputatious rale, the
case closed, the Imperious and unap
pealable verdict rendered, and the
noisy strife put at peace, the day of
Judgment becomes a consolation to
the mind. Some, of these controver
sies are as old as mankind; some of
these debates have been running thou
sands of years. A mass of the world's
unsettled quarrels, unanswered ques
tions, unresolved problems have been
laid In the lap of each new generation
to perpetuate age-long strife, to per
plex, harass and divide humanity, and
to mar the harmony of human life, till
the world Is rife with factlona and full
of discord.
When we think also of the wrongs
which have gone unrlghted, the un
checked cruelties, the unrebuked tyran
nies, the world's crimes and criminals
which have flourished and stilt flour
ish, there Is satisfaction In knowing
that there Is a day of Judgment.
Ner.rly all pessimism and much of
unbelief would be cured. If tnen realised
the fact of the day of Judgment. It
re-harmonlses life to be assured that
evil will not always escape. We can
REV. DR. JOHN E. WHITE.
sometimes forget the shock and jar and
terrifying horror of the thought of
doom and judgment In the reposeful
reflection that Ood Is going to read
just the universe to a beautiful tinier.
Truth and Right will sit on central
thrones, arrayed In tho vestments of
perfect law, which will then be seen
to be perfect love.
Christ will be there, and His mur
derers. Socrates will be there, Judged
In a fairer Justice than when he drank
the hemlock at the hands of the Athen
ians.
Paul 'will be there, radiant and
crowned, beside the shivering Nero;
and the martyrs also broken upon the
judgments of men.
We shall see the young girl who
moaned—
And we wlU not be sorry to see her
there.
In the sermon on the mount Jesus
Christ drew aside the curtain to throw
a swift and startling light upon the
day of judgment. The thought which
arrests us In what tte said Is that ths
day of Judgment will be the scene of
great surprises, of profound disap
pointments, of unanticipated chagrin to
those who have missed the secret of
life.
Judgment Not Appsal.
“Many will say to mein that day—''
What will they say? It Is rnsde very
clear that It doesn't matter what they
say. Hare Is one of the great surprises
of ths judgment. It Is to be a day of
Judgment, not of appeals. Short shrift
with eloquent speeches, plausible pleas,
Ingenious arguments. Half the cause
In out earthly courts Is a good lawyer.
But thle tribunal placee the etammerer
on a lovel with the orator. Bath are
ueelese there. Have you ever thought
of whAt you could suy to Ood In your
own behalf at ths Judgment? We will
all try to say something. Olve me n
hearing with my life at stoke, stand
back and give me achanre to tell my
story, to plead my causa nt the Judg
ment.
"1 was weak—In sin did my mother
conceive me. My ancestors left ine a
heritage of apiietlte and lust and wll-
fillness and aelflshneee. 1 hstl a bur
den, I wae beset, I was tried and tempt
ed, I stumbled, staggered, fell. 1 strove.
I resolved, I wa# overwhelmed. But I
did some good. I pray Thee 1 evae not
cruel to men. I obeyed law, I stood tor
morality. Ask my fallow men. They
will give me character. I did this and
this and this.” Oh, could I not make
my ease at the judgment? Who could
not?
But though I spake with the tongues
of men and of angels. It would profit
me nothing. The day of judgment le
a cloture upon all pleading of men.
The solemn fact la that the case Is all
In. The Judge knows the facta. To
go to Ood for justice Is In go to doom.
If death brings life In sudden review
the chances are that we ourselves will
see enough In the black minute to
freeze every self-righteous thought in
our souls.
The Sorrow* of Ood.
Again, It Is fact startling to us all
that In the day of Judgment good works
w ill not pass us to salvation. The sur
prised company cried out, "Lord, Lord,
did we not cast nut devils and do
many wonderful works?” But what
availed It? Nothing.
Now, I believe that no good deed Is
lost or wasted In Ood'e universe.
"No stream from Its source flows sea
ward. how lonely soever Its course.
But some land le watered, no sun e'er
rose or set without Influence some
where."
If we have learned the mind of Christ
we win never speak In discredit of
kindness and mercy and goodness. I
do not believe Ood will deaplee a kind
word or a noble service, no matter w ho
renders It. I conducted the funeral of
a woman In this city who was the pro
prietor of dene of vice and her long life
Identified with the grnaeeet Immorality
of our city. I was told,' however. I hut
she was a friend to thn poor, a helper
of the needy, charitable and most gen
erous to those who were In want. I
thought better of her for that. It re
lieved, lo some extent, the awful
old fa
shadow that rested upoi
as It lay In the coffin Vnd I think <H
thought better of her for It. It is Jo
that which makes the dav "f judgmsi
a time of such sorrowful tragi-1
Christ looked upon the rich young rui-
anil loved him. loved him ns he c an
with armful of good word- loved hh
as he went away eorrowfol. loved ho
with pity deeper because he had i
much, but would not hnve the or
thing needful.
In ons of our Southern state, tq
governor found that some
the habit of leaving a benutlfoi hoque
of flowers at hie door, also fn
basket of carefully selected fruit. Fp
a long time he did not kn<
of hie unknown friend, hut he appr*
dated the flowers and the frul
thelese. At last one day u yoi
man waited In his office to see I
hod flowers and fruit In her
She then told bar story. Her
wae In the penitentiary, n da
criminal, a guilty murderer. Sh
ed Tor his pardon.
And thle wee what the fiowei •
Cf»n yoti not Imagine the eorr. u
governor when he was comp
deny her request? She asked to
She asked more than flowers and fruit
could buy. She asked for t
and Integrity of the law, the
the commonwealth. I can i
that good works are filthy r
they cannot avail at the dnv
nient. Ths man who goes u|
Ood pleading his good works
a bluer disappointment. <!o
bought with things, nor ev.
We nre not redeemed with eorruptlbl
things, such as sliver ami gol I. l ot »;
precious love. Even Chrlet’i
Is not our redemption—He i
Himself to death. Our prepa
the Judgment le a cross In th
•>!!>«!
pb'fut"
■ dgl
‘‘Were the whole realm of natu
That were an offering far to
Love so amazing, so divine.
Demands my heart, my life.
THE CREED OF A CHRISTIAN
By REV. E. D. ELLENWOOD,
Pcmtor UnlverHnliHt Church
L ET us go back. In our thought,
to a day In ths very beginnings
of Christianity. The clashing
of conflicting creeds had not yet paved
the way tor Infidelity. Warring sects
had not yet risen to plume themselves
for battle, and to tip their lances with
bigotry and superstition. The Chris
tian concept of rellgloue truth Issued
pure and untrammeled from Its source
and he who would might refresh his
spiritual being at Its life-giving fount.
There came one day to the leader
of this new dispensation one desiring
to know authoritatively the fundamen
tals of -it way of salvation, and ask
ing of Him, "Master, what command
ment Is the first of all?"
Twenty centuries have slipped away
since the simple, direct answer, spring
ing from the Inspired heart of the
great Teacher, foatened Itself by tho
very authority of Its own Inherent
truth upon the mind and soul of His
questioner. Today we have even more
need than bad the seeking scribe to
go to the very fountain head In our
search for the very essence of Chris
tianity. The call of many leaders Is
upon the air, and the stemuous notes
of command or entreaty do. not al
ways blend Into "one harmonious
whole." Lo. here! Lo. there! they
cry, but the united Invitation to a life
of righteousness, unfortunately, does
not always produce a "concourse of
sweet sound.”
Far too often, we suspect, the Im
pression left upon the mind of the
listener Is that of the eager clamor of
rival dispensers of “the only original
and Infallable and personally tested"
panacea for spiritual doblllty and moral
defection. It Is well for us, therefore,
to go to Christ for the foundation of
our Christianity, rather than to the
makers of creeds and the builders of
theologies. His answer to His ques
tioner contains no metaphysical In-
treacles, no opportunity for mental
confusion, or spiritual misunderstand
ing. "The first commandment Is, ‘Hear
O Israel: the Lord, our Ood. the Lord
Is one; and thou shall love the Lord
thy Ood with all thy heart, and with
ajj thy soul, and with allthy mind,
I Aliy nuui, uuu nmi «»u Ul/ iiiiiuj,
id with all thy strength. The second
commandment Is this. 'Thon shall love
thy neighbor as thyself.”' Then, as
though, to leave in the mind of His
hearer no room for doubt as to the
essential character of these precepts
os containing all that should be nec
essary In the 1 faith and practice of the
new concept of religion, the blaster
added: “Upon these two command
ments hang all tho law and the proph
ets.” All of the law of love and ser
vice which a belief In the one true
Ood must bring Into being: all oft the
lew of moral precept and of funda
mental ethics which the prophets of
old had deduced from the experiences
of tho nation for'whom they had been
called to be the spiritual teachers and
leaders.
One of the most helpful of oar mod
ern thinkers was asked one day by a
despondent friend, why It wae that
Christianity, If true, had not long ago
redeemed the prophecy and promise of
Its early teachers, and come to a place
of unquestioned supremacy among the
religions of the civilised world. "Be
cause," suld he, "It has never been
really and genuinely practiced.” And
when we meueure the practices of the
Christian world by the uncompromis
ing standard of these two "great com
mandments,” moreover, when we even
try to harmonise these peerless state
ments of faith and trust and duty with
the etrenuouely advocated teachings of
the vast majority of the leaders of
Christian, thought, we are brought face
to face with the reason why. Chris
tianity hoe not, long ago, come to en
tirely dominate the policies of nations,
and to sit forever regnant In the henrts
of men. The Christian world has been
led away after strange gods of sense
REV. E. D. ELLENWOOD.
and superstition. The Christian church
falls short of her highest success be
cause her members, yes, and even the
priests of her altars, have too often
departed far from the “faith once de
llvered to the saints.”
Christ has been betrayed In the
house of his friends!
He taught that pure and unquestlon
ed love of Ood w hich could come only
through a belief In a being altogether
worthy to be loved and trusted, even
to the uttermost; and, lo! Hls priests
In their lienvemvnrd pointing temples'
declare unto the hungry souls who look
to them for bread, a god Impotent In
righteousness, decrepit and defectlvo
In morale, and fiendish In malignity.
ill HHiiuiif, niiu ihtiiiikii in iimiiHiiiij'.
a god conceived In the feverish and
sensual Imaginations of men upon
whose souls the light and love which
are In Christ Jesus had never shone;
a god utterly unworthy a place In the
nilnde of men touched by the ethics
of modern civilisation; a god abso
lutely Impossible lo be worshiped and
trusted by n sane and honest mind
with ihnt “perfect love which casteth
out all fftitr " Thli I■ that vntl ■tittafl.
out all fear. This la the god, substi
tuted these many dreary centuries by
the church of Christ, for ths nll-pow-
erful, all-wise, nil-loving "Father who
art In heaven,” to whom the Master
addressed Hls prayers, and to whom
Hr directed the worship of Hls follow
ers. Is It any wonder that Christian
ity has not fully leailsed the hopes
and eager exportations of III most
sanguine supporters?
And then consider how Christianity
haa obeyed the second great com
mandment. Christ evidently designed
to teaeh ua that love to Ood can only
bo expressed Intelligently by love to
men. "How ran a man love Ood. whom
he hath not seen, and love not hie
brother whom he hath seen?”
Behold, how the Christian world
"loves hls neighbor as himself!" From
reeking sweat shop and suffocating
■nine; from otlfllng mill and death-
breeding foundry: from.squalid hovel
and den of Infamy, from honest, sweat
ing millions whose backs are bent with
lll-reqmted toll, there rose up the In
creasing murmur of righteous Indlgna-
proprlates a loaf of bread,
halls of congress th<
i mini
i<! sail
and hla most peculiar methods of let
ting forth In the practices of hls own
life the teachings of the Lord Jesus.
Ho long as our Institutions of religion,
of learning and of culture shall be
hullded upon the martyred bodies of
little children, denied their birthright
of untrammeled youth, upon the blast
ed hopes and blighted ambitions of
strong and purposeful men, denied the
opportunity for the full development of
latent’capacity; upon the crushed and
bleeding hearts of loving mothers, In
consolable for the lose of little onee
sacrificed to the Insatiable greed of a
nation's commercial supremacy; so
long as our peculiar administration of
the rultur
who steels a railroad; so lo
llglun and morality are p<
divorced by the prophet* and priced
of Christ; so long a* upright!
character, Integrity of living m
ration are considered to b
synonymous, but only Isolated
of human thought and human
just no long shall the Christian
prove unfaithful to the great
committed to her, aqd just s<
shall Christ rontlnue to be b-
In the house of Ills friends:
Friend* and brethren, "the night
far spent, the day Is at hand " Then
logical squabbling will never bring t
world any nearer to the worship
the one true Ood or to an udcquatl
knowledge of the Christ. Let
done with deunclatlon, with chs
countercharge, with our pitiful < hlldlsl
prattling of Infallablllty In In'
tatlon and In credal conception
ua allll the prontleaa clamor of
made creeds by the unceasing r
of Chrlat-llke deeds. Become a
to some needy fellow-man; thn-
K u conclusively show to Hln
ther.
For niodei of faith let gracelo
lots fight:
He can't be wrong whose life Is
right."
PEACEABLE SETTLEMENT
OF THE RACE QUESTION
GREATEST OF THE ISSUES
To the dltor of The Georgian:
Having been a constant reader of the
Atlanta paper you formerly edited, and
being one of that, numerous class of
which am proud (the tiller* of the
loll), wish to express, first, my hearty
of which I have endeavored to prayer
fully and duly consider, I have decided
to give to the public, through your pa
per, some thoughts that I have In pri
vate repeatedly .set forth bearing upon
this question.
1 wish to preface these thoughts by
von have saying that an all-wlss Ood has and
appreciation of the success you nave w ,„ DV<lrr1I i B , h . ,i,» llnv of
made In giving to the public In The At
lanta Georgian. WTiat you In your first
Issue claimed for It, a strictly Inde
pendent Democratic paper, not to be
dictated to by partisan leader*. Espe
cially do 1 commend the conservative,
generous and mnnly tone of your able
editorials on the many great Issues
which so vitally concern the best In
terests of the people of our beloved
Southland and the country at large.
I say, away with the dominant, selfish
always will overrule the destiny of
races, as well as nations, and that ths
teachings of Hls Holy Word Is the
only safe guide to the tight solution
of all questions bearing upon the peace
and welfare of our great.nation. From
Bible history wo loam that. In all ages
of th* world, ths representatives of
some races have been servants to those
of another, and at times were In bond
age. Even the posterity of faithful old
Abraham had to serve the Egyptian*
as bondsmen. All well Informed Amcr-
H'lrlt that controls so many of our icans know how the negro race became
public men, that they can not see and | bowmen to tho South. I wish to say,
rnmend the good In other* who differ w ] t p a ji fairness. In consideration of
. .. — - - th)|1 f Bature „f the question, that tho
with them politically or religiously.
The reverse has been a leading char
acteristic of your pen, and that of all
your able contributors. I make spe
cial mention of your contributor. Mr*.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Her poem,
’The Oonwsrd March of Repub
lics,” Is certainly fine. While some
of the our leading men differ
with you on the race problem, I be
hove you are right when you say that
i he greatest Issue confronting us of the
Mouth, snd, In fact, all section* of our
lommon country, Is a peaceable and
satisfactory settlement of this much
voted question. May an all-wise Ood
direct to this great end. I believe that
had our much lamented martyred pres
ident, Mr. Lincoln, lived through hi*
second administration that colonisation
would have been hi* policy. If mem
ory serves me right, hls successor, Mr.
Johnson, In hls first annusl message,
^commended their colonisation in the
Indian Territory. Having read with
much Interest ths views of all, as pub
lished In The Atlanta News snd else
where, coming from men of much bet
tor information than myself, and all
FREE mail
BOOKKEEPING AND SHORTHAND
' nVEpersomlnwachcicmtr dselrlngtotsln
Ijramsl J retraction. who will wltilu 3) days
dip tad BEND this notice to either of
PUGHON’S
ATLANTA, 122 Peachtree.
Piedmont Hotel Block,
Columbia c- Montgomery.
and for all of hls fellow-men, and In
terested In how the contest should end,
issued the following proclamation:
“Lay down your arms; return
your allegiance to the United States
government, and you shall have grad
ual emancipation of your elavea, and
an Indemnity guaranteed from the
government of what would be a just
valuation for your s(avea as property."
The term* of the emancipation were,
to-wit; "All slaves forty years old
and upward were to be free; all under,
when they reached that age wqre to bo
fre« and all bom after the acceptance
of the aforeeald terms by birthright
would bo fro*."
Now, these terms I, as a Confeder
ate soldier, and, I think, the entire
Vicksburg garrison, with th* exception
of som* of our field officers, .would
have unanimously voted to accept. As
to whether these terms would be ac
cepted by ths Confederate government,
It was agreed that a delegation from
each government meet at Hampton
roads,-and. If possible, doss the treaty.
Our delegation was headed by that
wise, conservative statesman, Hon.
Alexander II. Htephens, who labored
faithfully to make the conference a
success, and snd hostilities.
I refer to the final result, and what
followed, for all to decide who wae
right and who wrong. 1 must say that
on the part of Mr. Lincoln It was
magnanimous to offor such terms.
Forty years have passed and gone Into
history, and yst we stand confronted
with the race problem not peaceably
and satisfactorily settled. I aay that
the thirteenth and fourteenth amend
ments to the constitution of the United
States, passed when strife, prejudice
and hatred prevailed, 'were wrong, and
IMs 'solid not have been Mr. Lin-
cion’s policy had he served out hla
second administration. These enact
ments, clothed the m{H who had Just
emerged from slavery, Ignorant and
untutored as he was, with all the rights
of cttlsenship. Now this bring* me to
th* consideration of what I think It
the main feature of the race problem,
and I wish to appeal direct to th*
men who were responsible for th* In
troduetton of chattel slavery Into the
United States, that their posterity has
reaped "the lion's share” of the profit*
accruing fronr the labor of the negro
while In bondage, when the wealth of
those of our ancestors consisted In
owning them os slaves. Why then
should there have been a conflict of
arms over thle question. Well, I thlra
this Is enough to say on thla point. W*
therefore can not hold the negro re
sponsible for being with u* te bonds
men. An all-wlee Ood permitted It to
be thus, and the same Ood ruled In that
awful bloody struggle which arrayed
brother against brother In ft contest
at arms which resulted In hls emanci
pation. Now. It Is not my purpose to
unduly censure the men on either side , calm and deliberate Judgment and rea
who led our people In the great contest I ton of my fellow-citizen* of the white
at the ballot box which ended In on* I race Houth, and ask ourselves, who
of th* bloodiest struggles thst Is re- I claim superiority over th* black rare,
corded upon the page* of history, and ' Have we don# our duty to him In
which has tor all time to come settled | the premises? I emphatically answer
the question of chattel slavery In the ! no, and, Ood being my helper, I hope
United State*. As a cttlsen of our be- | to show wherein w# have failed. He
loved Georgia, while I thought sec**- served us faithfully as a slave, and,
ston was not the beat course to take,. with some exception*, was humanely
I wanted to cast my lot with treated and was well provided for. In
her After the contest had been go- health and slrknees, by those who
Ing on tor a year, I volunteered my I were hi* master*. We should never
services on the side of the lost cause.; forget, nor fall to appreciate and cont
end spent three years of the hard- I mend, hls loyalty and devotion to our
ships and privations of camp life, un- aged parents, women and children,
der the wise leadership of our much while the contest was raging. Ms-
beloved General Joseph E. Johnston, j thinks I can now see the rulings of a
whose services, I regret to aay, have ' merciful providence that prevented an
been comparatively unnoticed and un- uprising that would have slaughtered
annreclated by people nnd historians, thousand* of our loved Ones. Emancl-
eave by the men who served In hi* I patlon changed th* relation of the ne-
Immedlate department, who learned to |gro race from to servant. Iftho
love honor and appreciate him. I have race problem had been viewed from
1 ' - —•- , hl , standpoint by the representative
men of both race*, and w# bad been
went to the field, where we were har
vesting the wheat, to notify them of
tho proclamation. These Were hls
words:
“You have served me faithfully ae
slaves, and now, by law, are declared
ggjSMsaAi
■> vacation: entwraar tlraa.
' l write
somewhat digressed from the main
question, but for a purpose, and wish
to make mention of on* special act
connected with the war. during the ad
ministration' of Mr. Lincoln (a man
whose memory I have learned to hon
or and revere). During th* memorable
siege of Vicksburg, when to me It
seemod the contest had reached ft
crisis, when the arbitrament fif th#
sword should cesoe and the whlte-
wlngsd messenger of peace should
again brood over our one* happy and
prosperous nation. “
It was then that
this noMe-bsarted patriot, as president
and commander In chief of the union
(red of th* carnage of
faithful In our duties In this new rela
tion to the negro and hls (nsttrfty, the
problem would hsvo naturally solved
Itself. In our former relation to them,
which. In th* main, had been mutually
friendly and confidential, better pre
pared us, left free from outside wrong
Influence! to be the leedlng factor
In a right solution of th* question.
After Mr. Lincoln had Issued hls eman
cipation proclamation, well do I re
member ths arts* counsel of a Mar d*
wise * ua, atsiu nun, UJ lift ft*, am ufiviairu
free men. 1 still hold the farm, snd If
you wish to remain with me and cul
tivate It under my direction, I will see
that you and your families still have a
home with me, and a Juet compensation
out of the proceeds of the land* for
your servloea. Now, I suppose you will
think and eay among yourselves that
you have labored all the while for me
without compensation, but- time will
convince you that I have been labor
ing and providing fbr your welfare,
os well as my own.”
Such a protmelilon, mad* by their
former owner, was naturally contrary
to their Idea of what freedom should
be. If we remain and labor under hls
direction for a living, we are not free.
Hence, moat of them sought homes in
the cities nnd elsewhere, and, never
having had the responsibility of pro
viding homes, food and clothing for
themselves, they would naturally seek
n change, and conclude that freedom
(In the main) meant freedom from la
bor. Prompted by such motives and
with hi* natural Inclination funre
st rained j to Indolence, with the except
tlon of those who were raised to be
Industrious, he has become Indolent
and shiftless, thereby rendering him
self unprepared tor the full right* of
eltlxenehlp. Now, as my life, from
childhood up to the present, except
when In the school room, ha* been
spent upon the farm, by association
and dealing with the negro, before and
since emancipation, haa given me an
opportunity of atudylng hla leading
rhuracterlstlra, and natural bent of
mind, I wish to aay In connection with
iny association with him through life,
that I have always thought It beet for
the |ienre and harmony of the two
races, that Mortally the line of distinc
tion should be closely drawn, but In all
other relatione of life, a* expressed by
Rev. Attlrus Haygood, "To remember
that he Is our brother In black,” and
has a human soul, to tie saved or lost,
and a mind auscsptlhle of Industrial,
moral and religious training.. On this
line, I wish to mention two Instances
connected with my personal experience
since emancipation. From early child
hood, by consent of their mother*. I
took Into mv bom* two little boys
(Wesley Hmlth and Bird Oliver), ami
In assuming this respnnslbllty, I felt
that It was ns much my duly to train
them on the above-mentioned lines as
thst of my own children. In the ear
nest and prayerful study thst I am now
giving thla all-absorbing question, I
realise how far short I have come to
iny duty In u general way to all acces
sible to me. I ought to have enlarged
on the work of teaching them to be
come Industrious, frugal, God-fearing
ami law-abiding In their sphere of Ilfs.
In tho family, w# taught theae two
boys to be truthful, honest. Industrious
and respectful In all their dealings and
associations In life, and In a limited
way, gave them primary teaching In a
literary education. Wesley, th* first
named, remained with ua until he had
about reached manhood, and went to
north Alabama: bought some of the
cheap land, married, and when he last
wrote me, was making • good living:
was s church member, and teaching
vocal music.
The other (Bird) still remains with
public school Instruction In separate
schools. These two Instance* of my
personal experience constrain tne to
say that this was the course that
should hnve been taken by the while
race of the South at the beginning of
emancipation, whleh I believe would
have resulted In a satisfactory solution
of the problem, and, ae separate and
distinct races, we could have remained
together In one common country and
been a blessing to each other. Here
in le where I emphatically affirm (hat
we have failed In our duly to them.
Ae a nation claiming to have a civil
government, based upon democratic
principles and republican In form, and
f irofesslng the religion of the meek and
owly Jams, whose gospel with lie mis
sionary spirit I* world-wide In Its ap
plication, we should not negleot to aid
fn giving them an opportunity for mor
al, religious and political training.
I-et ms say that, on a political line, hla
education has been right the reveres
of what It should have been, and those
who have need him as a voter are re
sponsible for hln not being qualified
nt this time to exercise the sacred right
of thn elective franchise. I liuvo had
some experience a* a candidal*, but
1 can truthfully aay I never sought hi*
support by any corrupt means. We are
sending consecrated men and women to
Africa and other foreign fields, while
we have nnd aro greatly neglecting
the representatives of the rnco whoa*
lot has been cast with our*. Here I
think Is a good field for home mission
work. At tills time, I suppose that
Ood only known what Is to bo their
final destiny, but let us strive to do all
wo can to maka thorn a better and
nore law-abiding people. Let us wise
ly and fiudlcloualy guard agalnat every
tendency, either publicly or criminally,
that tends toward amalgamation of
the races, and to aee that by law they
have full protection of life and prop
erty. Let u» cu-opeinte with and en
courage ever>- laudable effort on the
part of their wisest and beat men look-
i iL-l. t.« s a dot InilnsNslallv
thony Brown), who was my father's
uiwnii/, win# re 111 y iMinvrM
ox-t*amat*r. Hs left her a farm of DO
acres, which was purchased after
emancipation, with funds (MOO In gold)
saved up while In ssrvltuds, from the
sal* of fish, 'possums, and other gam*.
Thla purchase was adjoining our old
family homestead. Here she rssldstl
until four years ago. Hli* sold It, and
went to mak* tier horns with her sen.
During liar stay there she was mad*
to feel tree to com# to my homa when
ever she wished. This slia would often
do, and sometimes remain for months,
and, being of Industrious habits, would
not be satisfied unless employed at
something pertaining to household af
fairs. For such services, we would
always pay her. There are others who
are getting old that I might mention,
but don't deem It necessary. Will ssy
that should I ba living whan they pass
sway I expect to see thtt they have a
decent burial. *
In conclusion, I wish to ssy, "tat the
dead past bury Its dead," and wisely
dealing with ths present, and hopefully
looking to the future, let our wisest
and best man of both races act Ju
diciously, and co-operat* with each
othor, and I believe they can and will
rightly solve the problem. If what I
have written, bearing upon ths ques
tion, which, I assure all, are th* ex-
K reunions of sn honest snd sincere
can, merits the consideration of any
may read, taka them tor what
they ar« worth; otherwise, pass them
Ing a na-
hy unnoticed. Will say, being
tlv* son of our beloved Georgia, that I
am proud of th* noble past record she
has mad*.In founding and perpetuating
the great nnd good government be
queathed to us by our torefnih
of her Illustrious sons, where
adorn th* pngs* of her hli-i"
jually entitle* her to th* claim
Ing th* Empire 8tat* of the 8
mention th* name* of aom>-
worthy tone: Crawford, Lump
Cobb*, Toomha, 8tev#ns, Bros
nnd Gordon. Let ua hop* thin
banner may ttlll wav* trlum
over the "home of the free. »
land of the brave," and that Q<
from the ranks of her living Boh
give us wlaa statesmen, who
equal to tho present am-r K c
successfully solve all Issues u
th* peace and prosperity of m
and nation, and whore * *
new luster to her fair escub heot
on* of old, 1 can ssy, "Batrent
to leave thee, or to return fr.
lowing after thee, for wlilih-
goest I will go, and where tho
eat 1 will lodge; thy people *
my people, and thy Ood
Where thou dlest, will I die. n
will I be burled." Tour fellow-
B. II. UK
Flowery Branch, Ga., It. F. I
No
THE LOVERS OF ART.
Who live In Attnnta will l« grntlflsd t|
learn that Mr*. Edna Freeman.
Georgs Freeman, tho waU-kno
onre-famoua KnalMi portrait palntl
and miniature ortlst. doce.v-.-.i. ha* Id
rated In thla city. 8ho was P
ysara ths pupil of Mr. Fream
under hls direction had the finest
advantages abroad. Mr*. Freeman i
be seen every day at Motes'
from 11 to 1. where sumi-le*
work will always b* on exhlbtlon.
me on the farm; has a family (wife
and four children), la honest, reapect-
trustful and duly appreciated by
parted father to th# men who bad both while and black; Is a member of
faithfully served him. He cam* fr-nt me colored Baptist chprrh: can writ*
hla home la Os I sear ID* Sftt, to Malang reads th* BIM* readily- I think
:a—.. * here t..» n.M ; eat J«, ' . idldren ahouid be provided with
Ing to their betterment Industrially,
morally or rellgloualy, and, whether os
employer or master, take ths teaching
of (loil'A holy word as our guide, and
ua a laborer on the farm or elsewhere,
or as servants In our Homes, pay them
a Just compensation for their serv
ices. nnd. In thl* way, gain their con
fidence nnd esteem, hoping thereby
to restore the frteminhlp that once ex
isted between the two races. Could
such be the result, I emphatically aay
that I do not believe that we can
ever get a better class of laborers, so
well sdnpted to the farm and all other
enterprise* that require manual-labor.
It Is still pleasant from memory. In
my declining years, lo revert back to
scenes ond relations connected with
ante-bellum days, when, In boyhood, I
romped up and down the banks of th*
Chattahoochee river, fishing and chas
ing the ‘possum snd 'coon, or on th*
farm, working side by side with the
boy* of this race of people. There Ja
still living, near me. In comfortable
circumstances, with' her bon, a very
aged negro woman whom I still delight
to address as Aunt Rathe', and she In
return to address me as Mars* Berrien.
Hhe It was thst nursed me In baby
hood, ana cooked for th* family. 8h*
always speaks of our family as her
white folks. From the best records ob
tainable, she le supposed to be In the
nineties, snd still retains a clear mem
ory, and haa of late year* repeatedly
said to me what she moat needed now
was the grace of Ood to rapport her In
old age. and that when death comas
•he may get to a better world than
thla. Away with Ihe false doctrine
that "the n-xro la a brute nn-l ha- no I
soul." Liar teen y--.nr have i ir.ro
■ death of her bUSb.lh : l A11-
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